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Mont Ventoux
Photo ©: Sirotti

First Edition Cycling News for August 1, 2006

Edited by John Stevenson & John Kenny

UCI demands B sample test; Landis submits official request

Floyd Landis (Phonak)
Photo ©: Sirotti
(Click for larger image)

Both the UCI and Floyd Landis' lawyer are claiming to have initiated the next stage in the investigation of Floyd Landis' alleged use of testosterone during the Tour de France: the testing of the B sample that Landis submitted after stage 17 of the Tour on July 20.

According to AFP an unnamed UCI spokesman claims the organisation requested the B sample test yesterday. "We have done this so the whole thing can be speeded up," the UCI spokesperson said. "We took this decision because of the importance of the case. Also the longer it goes on the more damage the sport risks suffering."

However, one of Landis' lawyers, Jose Maria Buxeda yesterday told the Associated Press, "We've sent the fax to the UCI this afternoon. Now we'll have to adjust to their calendar."

The lab where the tests will be conducted, at Chatenay-Malabry in Paris, closes for holidays at the end of this week, so it's likely Landis' B sample will be tested between Thursday and Saturday, the UCI said.

Buxeda said that Landis is willing to attend the analysis, depending on exactly when it occurs. Both Landis and his lawyers have said they expect the B sample to give the same result as the A, which showed an elevated ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone that is indicative of doping. Nevertheless, Landis claims he is innocent of doping, and there is a natural explanation for his elevated testosterone to epitestosterone ratio.

Cyclingnews' coverage of the Floyd Landis case

May 29, 2009 - French authorities summon Landis and Baker
September 28, 2008 - Landis takes case to US federal court
September 10, 2008 - Landis signing with current Health Net-Maxxis team for 2009
July 1, 2008 - CAS delivers final blow to Landis legal challenge
June 30, 2008 - Landis loses final appeal
June 28, 2008 - Landis decision due Monday
March 12, 2008 - Landis' judgment day nears
October 21, 2007 - Landis files appeal with CAS
October 18, 2007 - AFLD takes another look at Landis case
Thursday, October 11 - Landis continues fight, appeals to CAS
Saturday, September 22 - UCI officially names Pereiro 2006 Tour champion, Landis case raises issues
Friday, September 21 - Landis' appeal denied, two year suspension levied

Cyclingnews' complete coverage of the Floyd Landis case

Civil guard investigating German doctor

Spanish police are investigating a German doctor in connection with the Operacion Puerto doping affair. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the unnamed doctor works in the hospital of a small German city and is suspected of supplying an undetectable form of EPO to Dr Eufemiano Fuentes.

Fuentes and four others including Liberty-Seguros team manager Manolo Saiz were arrested in May by police investigating an alleged blood doping network.

El Pais reports that Spanish authorities are working with prosecutors in Bonn, Germany in the investigation. However, German police have denied this.

Cyclingnews' recent coverage of 'Operación Puerto'

May 18, 2009 - Valverde to start Catalunya
May 15, 2009 - Valverde not welcome in Denmark
May 14, 2009 - Spanish federation wants proof in Valverde case
May 13, 2009 - Spanish Olympic Committee defends Valverde
May 12, 2009 - Valverde responds to sanction
May 11, 2009 - Italian tribunal delivers Valverde two-year suspension
May 8, 2009 - Valverde case: Italian Olympic Committee defends Torri
May 7, 2009 - Valverde to take legal action against CONI prosecutor
May 5, 2009 - WADA and Spanish federation join CONI and UCI on Valverde
May 1, 2009 - International Cycling Union joins in on Valverde's hearing in Italy

Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Operación Puerto

Nicole Cooke new world number one

Great Britain's Nicole Cooke (Univega) is the new UCI number one women's road cyclist, according to rankings released today.

Cooke had a brilliant start to the season winning the Fleche Wallone, Castilla y Leon and two stages and the overall title at the Thuringen Rundfahrt. The 23-year-old now has 955 UCI points.

Cooke moved up three places in July and leapfrogged Susanne Ljungskog, Edita Pucinskaite and Judith Arndt to claim the number one spot. Second-ranked Ljungskog has 936 points, Pucinskaite 689 with Oenone Wood rounding out the top four with 641 points.

Ljungskog's win in Friday's Open de Suède Vargarda gave her 100 points, but Cooke's second place and 70 points was enough to give her the top spot and keep her at the top of the World Cup rankings.

UCI women's rankings at July 31, 2006

1 Nicole Cooke (GBr) Univega Pro Cycling Team                                 955.33 pts
2 Susanne Ljungskog (Swe) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team                          936.33
3 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas                 689
4 Oenone Wood (Aus) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                            641.5
5 Judith Arndt (Ger) T-Mobile Professional Cycling                            629.83
6 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                          522.5
7 Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus) Fenixs-Colnago                                    492
8 Ina Teutenberg (Ger) T-Mobile Professional Cycling                          474.33
9 Regina Schleicher (Ger) Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung                      450.5
10 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team                404
 
Complete ranking

Pantani: The movie

'The Pirate', a film based on the life of 1998 Tour winner Marco Pantani, is to be made in September by Italian TV channel RAI. Rolando Ravello will play Pantani, who died of a cocaine overdose in 2004 after being involved in various doping affairs during his career. Ravello has trained for months on the bike to prepare for the role.

The producer of the film, Claudio Bonivento, said that he wanted to show the talent and the weaknesses of the climbing specialist, according to ANP/SID.

Pollack to lead T-Mobile in Denmark

Olaf Pollack will lead the T-Mobile team at Wednesday's Tour of Denmark, with the team expected back the German sprinter in the bunch sprints that may conclude any of the six stages.

The sprinters may not completely have it all their way, however, as T-Mobile manager Brian Holm pointed out, "The race generally covers a lot of flat parcours, but there are a few short sharp climbs in the race itinerary." The former Telekom pro is very familiar with the quirks of racing in his homeland. "You are never far from the sea, so the wind is always a significant factor and it regularly breaks up the pack. It can then be very hard to close these gaps," said Holm.

Joining Pollack in his hunt for stage wins are his lead-out man André Korff, all-rounder Thomas Ziegler, classics specialists Sergey Ivanov and Bas Giling, with Scott Davis and Bernhard Kohl also in action

The race marks Eric Baumann's long awaited comeback from an injury lay-off. The sprinter suffered a broken fibula and tibia in a crash at the Volta ao Algarve in mid-February and has been on the sidelines ever since. "Eric will be eased back into racing. We shouldn't and won't expect too much from him," said Holm.

CSC top the list of teams for their home race and they will be joined by four other ProTour outfits - Davitamon-Lotto, Liquigas, Gerolsteiner and T-Mobile. Some of Europe's top continental teams - Unibet.com, Panaria, Barloworld, Chocolade Jacques, Skil-Shimano, LPR and Intel-Action - also feature in the 16 team line-up at the UCI 2.HC race.

Stages

Stage 1 - August 2: Frederikshavn - Viborg, 215 km
Stage 2 - August 3: Aalestrup - Vejle, 185 km
Stage 3 - August 4: Kolding - Odense, 205 km
Stage 4 - August 5: Sorø - Hillerød, 100 km
Stage 5 - August 5: Helsingør, 14 km
Stage 6 - August 6: Gilleleje - Frederiksberg, 155 km

Total: 875 km

Canadian Cycling suspends Danika Schroeter

The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) has suspended downhill mountain bike racer Danika Schroeter for three months after an incident at the podium presentation of the Canadian downhill national championships on July 23.

The women's championship was won for the third time by Michelle Dumaresq. Because Dumaresq is a transsexual, Schroeter and some other Candian female downhillers have been vocal in their opposition to Dumaresq competing in the women's category, according to canadiancyclist.com.

At the podium ceremony, Schroeter wore a t-shirt with the slogan "100% Pure Woman CHAMP 2006" while her supporters shouted insults and obscenities at Dumaresq.

The CCA found that Schroeter's conduct was in breach of its rules governing the conduct of racers, which read, in part, "All license holders shall at all times be properly dressed and behave correctly in all circumstances... They shall refrain from any ... insults or any other improper behavior... They may not in word, gesture, writing or otherwise harm the reputation or question the honour of other license holders... The right of criticism shall be exercised in a motivated and reasonable manner and with moderation."

In its statement announcing the suspension, the CCA said, "The Canadian Cycling Association takes offences of this nature committed by its members very seriously. While athletes have the right to hold and express their opinions, they also have a duty to express them in a manner appropriate to sport and to Canadian society."

Danika Schroeter has until August 11 to appeal.

Barloworld for Tour of Denmark

The Barloworld team has announced its line up for the Tour of Denmark which starts tomorrow, August 2 and finishes August 6. The team will wear a special Barloworld-Avis jersey for the race, which takes place in one of main sponsor Barloworld's most important markets.

"It's a well supported race and very tough," said Barloworld directeur sportif Christian Andersen in a team announcement. "However we've got a very strong team that is very motivated to do well."

That team will feature former world champion Igor Astarloa, with Giosuè Bonomi, Enrico Degano, Mauro Facci, Rodney Green, Jeremy Maartens, James Perry and Diego Caccia. Astarloa and Facci are the most likely to win hilly stages, while Degano and Bonomi will be trying hard in the sprint finishes.

Spiuk-Extremadura for Tour of the Pyrenees

Spiuk-Extremadura will bring a talented climbing squad to the mountainous Tour of the Pyrenees, which starts today with a prologue in Zaragoza. The tour includes some of the toughest cols of the Tour de France including the Portalet, Aubisque, Peyresourde and Aspin.

The seven-man Spiuk-Extremadura team includes Fernando Torres, Jose Antonio Arroyo, Angel Rodriguez, Jesus Ramirez, Alfonso Rodriguez, Enrique Salgueiro and Ignacio Sarabia.

Stages

Stage 1 - August 1: Zaragoza - Zaragoza ITT, 3.7 kms
Stage 2 - August 2: Huesca - Pau, 175 kms
Stage 3 - August 3: Lons - Bareges, 156 kms
Stage 4 - August 4: Lannemezan - Tarbes, 184 kms

Fields announced for Tour of Utah

Nearly 100 riders from sixteen top U.S. cycling teams are set to compete in next week's Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. The cyclists, who will cover more than 500 miles of some of the state's most challenging and scenic terrain, represent 15 states, the District of Columbia and four countries.

Riders from the following teams will be competing for the Tour's $45,000 purse: Navigators Insurance, Toyota United, Health Net presented by Maxxis, TIAA CREF, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling, Symmetrics Cycling, Priority Health, Team Successful Living Pro Cycling, Team Einstein's Cycling, Team End (Utah All Stars), Sienna Development-Goble Knee Clinic, California Giant Strawberries, Vitamin Cottage, BMS Racing, Broadmark and the KJZZ composite team.

"I've dreamt for years of competing with the best riders on the beautiful roads of my home state," said local pro cyclist and member of the Navigators Insurance team, Burke Swindlehurst. "Thanks to the Tour of Utah, the dream has become reality and I couldn't be more excited!"

Fresh off his appearance as Tour de France commentator for the Outdoor Life Network, cycling personality Bob Roll will also be in hand for the race; participate in the Tour's charity ride (held Friday after the day's pro stage race) and serving as announcer for stages Five and Six.

For more information, visit the race Web site at www.tourofutah.com.

Stages

Stage 1 - Monday August 7: NuSkin Road Race, 170 km
Stage 2 - Tuesday August 8: Miller Motor Sports Park Road Race, 150 km
Stage 3 - Wednesday August 9: KJZZ Time Trial, 24 km
Stage 4 - Thursday August 10: Utah Brewers Co-op Road Race, 150 km
Stage 5 - Friday August 11: Twin Lab Circuit Race, 60 km
Stage 6 - Saturday August 12: Snowbird Road Race, 137 km

Ride For Life entry deadline extended

By John Kenny

Organisers of Saturday's Trust Ride For Life in Centennial Park, Sydney have extended the deadline for race entry until midnight Wednesday with the exception of the State Under 17 and under 15 championships.

The Elite, U23 and J19 race doubles as Sydney championship races, despite the mass start. The Elite race has attracted a top-quality field including Troy Glennan, Joe McDonnell (FRF-Caravello) and Malta international Dave Treacy.

The combined master's and women's race has also attracted a good field, including AIS women's rider Kate Nichols and her father, LA Olympic gold medallist Kevin.

The races take place on a closed three kilometre circuit and proceeds from the races and the corporate and fun rides go towards the cancer unit at Sydney's Prince of Wales hospital.

For more information see www.rideforlife.org.au.

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