Cycling star comes clean on doping (InternetavisenJyllands-Posten)

One of the country's biggest cycling stars admits to a long history of using performance enhancing drugs

I suck at cycling history, so I don't know who this guy is, but the article is interesting. And yes, I regularly read Scandinavian news in English.

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This shouldn't make me happy, but it does.

Haselbacher to Astana

Rene Haselbacher is celebrating his 29th birthday today with a two-year contract with Team Astana. "After eight years with Gerolsteiner I had the feeling that I was in a rut. My position in the team was not what I hoped it would be. And the pressure from the young German riders has increased in the last few years. I want to say that I am parting on good terms with Hans-Michael Holczer. They were good years, but after all this time, it was time to make a change, in order to get new motivation."

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Oh, Alessandro Petacchi. You and Zidane sure know how to overreact about things.

Petacchi pays price for tantrum

Alessandro Petacchi has had to withdraw from the Tour of Spain and will miss the rest of the season after punching his team bus at the end of stage 15.

The Milram rider lashed out after failing to win Sunday's stage and broke a bone in his hand.

"I know I've done something stupid but I did it because I was very angry after having a real chance of winning for the first time for months," he said.

"There's no doubt I've made a mistake but I'm a human being, not a machine."

Petacchi fractured his kneecap during stage three of the Giro d'Italia in May and subsequently missed the Tour de France in July.

I have nothing to add, except that this just cracks me up. Oh, and it potentially frees up a spot on the Italians' Worlds squad. I suppose I should be ashamed or irritated by his behavior, but hey, he knows he was stupid and now he's paying the price. What's not to love?

Apparently Landis will be on Larry King Live tonight.

Primetime Exclusive! The Tour De France racing champ, Floyd Landis speaks out about testing positive. Tune in Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

The press conference was interesting. And Landis looks completely (and understandably) exhausted. Um, maybe CNN will have highlights later.

From the BBC:

Tour rider in failed doping test

A rider in this year's Tour de France has failed a doping test, according to the International Cycling Union (UCI).
Neither the rider's identity nor the date when the test was conducted were released by the sport's governing body.

The positive test, carried out by France's national anti-doping laboratory at Chatenay-Malabry, will be the first from the race if confirmed.

I think this is the best route. I never liked the releasing of rider's names, not even in the OP business.

Update [2006-7-26 19:29:50 by Sarah]: As an slightly unrelated update: Astana 5' cleared by Spanish courts.

Five Astan? riders who were forced out of the 2006 Tour de France because of alleged links to a blood doping investigation have been formally cleared by Spanish courts. Joseba Beloki, Isidro Nozal, Sergio Paulinho, Allan Davis and Alberto Contador have all received a written document officially clearing them of any links to the ongoing "Operaci?n Puerto," the Spanish newspaper El Diario Vasco reported Wednesday.

I'm both pissed off and happy. Happy because Contador and Davis were cleared. But pissed off because Vino could have race.

Just pointing out Deadspin's post about Landis' win on Thursday.

Also, there's an interesting argument about sports verses competition in the comments.

And since I have to say more (or it won't let me post), I'll just add that I think it's kind of awesome that Deadspin is covering cycling. Although they probably could have done a better job, but hey, at least they tried.

The Cycling Gods are smiling, at least they're smiling on me. This is from CN.

"  Astana-Würth OK to race

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has given the Astana-Wurth team the go-ahead to race in the Tour de France. "CAS has rejected the request of ASO to stop the team Astana-Würth from starting the Tour de France," read the CAS official statement.

On June 26, ASO, the organisers of the Tour, had asked Active Bay, the managing company of the Spanish squad, not to take part in its race. Both parties took their case to CAS, which heard it today (June 29) in the presence of ASO and Active Bay representatives.

CAS ruled that the team of Alexandre Vinokourov will be able to participate in the race. Belgian judge Guido de Croock decided the matter, basing his sentence on the fact that no official information on the team's links to the doping network had yet been revealed.

If you don't trust cyclingnews for your information, Eurosport has the story, too.

[editor's note, by chris] Sarah got it first...

Well it's official.

" Liberty Seguros terminate contract

In the wake of Manolo Saiz's recent detention for his alleged involvement in a blood doping program along with four other people, Spanish news agency EFE has just released a newsflash, announcing primary sponsor Liberty Seguros have chosen to cancel their cycling sponsorship from the Liberty Seguros-Würth team, effective immediately. The team's press officer, Jacinto Vidarte, confirmed the annoucement with Cyclingnews.

No doubt, a clause exists in Liberty Seguros' contract with Active Bay SL, the team's holding company, enabling the former to annul their sponsorship contract if a widespread doping situation arises. How this will affect the six riders currently racing the Giro d'Italia or the future of the team is not yet known.

I don't know what will happen, the riders probably don't either. I am kind of at a loss because this team has become my favorite. I also don't know what this means for Vino's Tour de France bid. Or, you know, the rest of the cycling season.

" Liberty Seguros pulls plug on Saiz! (procycling) -- this just has a bit more information.

Saul recently posted an entry and some pictures of his recovery.

New Pictures

So Here I am still in the hospital in Atlanta, GA... I am progressing a lot every day and on the 23rd I will leave for a rehab center in Atlanta...Where I will be for a couple of months...My spirits are high and I am planning on regaining every thing I have lost...I love every one...Thank you for supporting me in my time of need...Saul

 P.S. New pictures of me in rehab posted.

Note from Saul's parents: Saul wants to share his rehab pictures so others will more understand brain trauma and the recovery  process.

Here is a link to the pictures: Recovery May 06

I don't like Robbie McEwen, but holy cow. I sort of saw it, since cycling.tv doesn't actually work on my work computer I had to use RAI and the stream is inconsistent at best. But, wow. It's too bad about Vaitkus, though. It'd have been nice to see him win and Ag2r.

Also, Pollack, huh? Interesting. I believe he had the Maglia Rosa last year, while riding for Gerolsteiner.

Also, Cyclingnews says it was 71 km/h during the sprint.

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