Cycling

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/24321502

.......

 

170 mile Road Race - just what's the point of it all?

 

Agree, I too am a follower of the sport. I just wondered what was the point of cycling 170 miles.
And, Tomfun, I agree with your comment that crunch time for Flitcroft comes after the Sheff W match

 

Drugs riddled sport..disgrace that we are supporting and holding the milk race next year..

2011[edit]
On February 6, 2011 Riccardo Riccò was admitted to a hospital in critical condition after what has been diagnosed as kidney failure, allegedly due to a blood transfusion he performed on himself with 25-day-old blood. Ricco admitted he had performed the transfusion to the doctor treating him in the presence of his girlfriend Vania Rossi. The doctor treating him reported this information to authorities leading to an investigation being opened against the professional cyclist by police and the Italian Olympic committee (CONI).[421] He was well enough to be released from hospital within two weeks, and was sacked by his team Vacansoleil-DCM.[422]
In 7 February, it was announced that Lorenzo Bernucci of the Lampre-ISD team had been banned from cycling for five years. After his house was raided in 2010, prohibited substances were found and he was banned for 'the use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or method, as well as the possession of prohibited substances'. Several members of his family were also banned for either three or four years due to their involvement.[423]
On 1 March, it was revealed that Tour de San Luis winner Marco Arriagada had tested positive for an 'anabolic substance' during the National Tour of Chile.[424]
On 19 March, it was announced that Patrik Sinkewitz had tested positive for hGH at the GP di Lugano in late February. He has been provisionally suspended pending results of his B sample, and could face a lifetime ban for this second offence.[425]
On 3 May, CONI announced that Pasquale Muto had tested positive for EPO at the Giro dell'Appenino in April,[426] and subsequent testing of his 'B' sample confirmed the result [427]
On June 11, CONI formally suspended Riccardo Riccò, for "use or attempted use of prohibited methods."[428]
On 1 July, USADA announced that Lisban Quintero had accepted a two-year ban after testing positive for norandrosterone at the Wilmington Grand Prix on May 22.[429]
On 12 July, during the 2011 Tour de France Alexandr Kolobnev was informed by the UCI of an Adverse Analytical Finding for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide in an A sample collected on 6 July 2011.[430] As the UCI Anti-Doping Rules do not provide for a provisional suspension given the nature of the substance Kolobnev voluntarily withdrew, with the team waiting on the B sample.[431]
On 12 August, David Clinger was issued a lifetime ban by the USADA, for a positive test for Clenbuterol while serving a ban for a prior offense.[432]
On 14 September, Oscar Sevilla was issued a six-month ban (14 Sept to 14 March 2012), for a positive test for hydroyethyl starch in 2010[433]




2012[edit]
On 19 January, amateur French rider Alexandre Dougnier (Athletic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt) was banned for three years by the FFC after a urine sample taking in May 2011 tested positive for twelve prohibited substances, thought to be a record number in an individual case.[434]
On 6 February the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed Alberto Contador a two-year sanction for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France.[435] The ban means Contador will lose race results dating back to and including the 2010 Tour de France. The ban ended on August 5, 2012, allowing him to ride in the 2012 Vuelta a España. Contador won, his first race on this return.
On 16 April, it was announced that Denis Galimzyanov of Team Katusha had been provisionally suspended after he tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test on March 22.[436] He subsequently admitted the charge and waived the B sample testing.[437] In December, it was announced that Galimzyanov was suspended for two years, starting retroactively on 13 April 2012.[438]
On 13 June, the USADA sent a letter to Lance Armstrong and five cycling associates (including Johan Bruyneel, Michele Ferrari, team doctors Pedro Celaya and Luis Garcia del Moral, and trainer Jose Pepe Martí) charging them with conspiring in doping between 1998 and 2011.[439]
On 10 July, police raided Cofidis hotel and took Remy di Gregorio into custody, effectively withdrawing him from the Tour de France he was competing in at the time. This is related to a doping affair which happened in 2011 when di Gregorio was riding for Astana.[440] In April 2013, with the investigation still ongoing, Di Gregorio was cleared to race again.[441]
On 10 July, the USADA issued lifetime bans for Michele Ferrari, Luis Garcia del Moral, and Jose Pepe Marti in relation to the doping conspiracy charges.[442] Jose Pepe Marti later opted to have his case taken in arbitration, and the USADA agreed to the request, suspending his lifetime ban.[443]
On 17 July, Fränk Schleck was removed from the Tour de France by his team RadioShack-Nissan during the second rest day after his A-sample returned traces of Xipamide.[444] Schleck's B-sample confirmed the positive result, and Schleck claims he was poisoned.[445] In January 2013, it was announced that Schleck was handed a ban of one year by the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency, who specified that it was a "verdict of accidental contamination" and the traces of Xipamide were very low.[446] The ban has been retrospectively applied, so Schleck will be able to compete again after 14 July 2013.[447]
On 18 July, it was announced that Bulgarian Ivailo Gabrovski had tested positive for EPO with his A sample after winning the third stage of the Presidential Tour of Turkey in Elmalı. He subsequently won the Tour, but could face a ban and the loss of his title if the B sample is positive.[448] On 14 September, the news reported that the B sample turned out positive too, and the UCI was awaiting official sanctions from the Bulgarian Federation to cancel Gabrovski's win.[449]
On 18 July, information was released to the press stating that Lithuanian female rider Rasa Leleivytė had failed a doping test on June 12 of the same year and that her A sample was consistent with the use of EPO.[450]
On 23 August, Lance Armstrong declined to proceed to arbitration and contest the charges of systematic doping levied against him by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.[451] Thus, Armstrong was deemed guilty of doping and banned for life, and USADA considers his results from 1 August 1998 null.[452]
On 29 August, it was announced that 47-year-old Soren Svenningsen tested positive for three banned substances in an amateur race on June 30 of the same year. Svenningsen was a board member of the Danish Cycling Union and of the Clearidium anti-doping agency. He resigned from the Cycling Union.[453]
On 7 September, UCI president Pat McQuaid said the UCI has asked the USADA to provide the UCI with the files of Tom Danielson, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie after their team manager, Jonathan Vaughters, suggested that the three had doped in the past.[454][455]
On 9 October, it was announced that Steve Houanard failed an off-competition doping test performed on 21 September 2012. His A-sample was consistent with the use of EPO and he was provisionally suspended by the UCI.[456] Houanard accepted a 2-year ban on 18 January 2013.[457]
On 23 October, Steffen Kjærgaard admitted to starting doping in 1998. This maintained until he left US Postal in 2003. The substances he used were EPO, cortisone, and other illegal drugs. The case was extra bad since Kjærgaard has been the director for the Norwegian Cycling Federation for several years after his retirement from cycling.

2013[edit]
On 31 January, Michael Rasmussen held a press conference where he admitted the use of doping for much of his pro career. He stated that he had used EPO, growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, insulin, IGF-1, cortisone and did blood transfusions.[458]
On 6 March, Michael Boogerd held a press conference for Dutch news broadcaster NOS where he admitted to have used doping at the peak of his career (from 1997 until 2007). He stated that he had used EPO, cortisone and was subject of blood transfusions.[459]
On 18 March, Rolf Sørensen admitted using EPO and Cortisone during the 1990s.[460]
On 15 May, Sylvain Georges tested positive for heptaminol.
On 24 May, Danilo Di Luca was positive on doping test.
On 3 June, Mauro Santambrogio was positive on doping test.
On 15 July, it was announced that 2013 Tour of Turkey winner Mustafa Sayar (Torku Şeker Spor) was provisionally suspended following the news that he tested positive for EPO during the Tour d'Algérie in March.[461]
On 24 July, a French Senatorial commission released a list containing the names of cyclists who, in a retroactive analysis, tested positive for EPO while competing in the 1998 Tour de France which includes: Manuel Beltran, Jeroen Blijlevens, Mario Cipollini, Laurent Desbiens, Jacky Durand, Bo Hamburger, Jens Heppner, Laurent Jalabert, Kevin Livingston, Eddy Mazzoleni, Nicola Minali, Abraham Olano, Marco Pantani, Fabio Sacchi, Marcos Serrano, Andrea Tafi, Jan Ullrich, and Erik Zabel. The same list also contained the names of cyclists who produced suspicious test results which includes: Stephane Barthe, Ermanno Brignoli, Giuseppe Calcaterra, Pascal Chanteur, Bobby Julich, Eddy Mazzoleni, Roland Meier, Axel Merckx, Frederic Moncassin, Stuart O’Grady, Alain Turicchia, and Stefano Zanini. Hamburger and Livingston were again named for producing positive results for doping tests during the 1999 Tour de France.[462][463]

 

Just how deep the drugs go is anyones guess, dont know how anyone can enjoy the competition with the level of cheating.

 

Why don't you post the details of all the track and field athletes who failed drugs tests.

Disgrace that we held the Olympics here.

 

But do any other sports have as rigorous testing as cycling does now? Seems to me they're getting their house in order (finally).

 

One of the stages int Tour de France was 150 miles in distance taking in 2 cat 4, and a cat 3 climb before finishing up Mt Ventoux.

Froome won, it were a top days racing.

Just an endurance test with team tactics coming into it.

 

Ah a sensible post for once ..

 

Cycling is probably one of the cleanest sports now, and most of the cheats are now caught. If you listen to the rumours, then tennis, baseball and football have all got a long way to go to catch up to the same level of testing...

 

And especially in Spain...