Another Favorite Rider...

Let's see...Lance Armstong, Jan Ulrich, Ivan Basso, Alejandre Valverde, Alberto Contador, and Frank Schleck, just to name a few off the top of my head. These are all favorite riders of mine who have been suspended for doping (or retired before they would be suspended). However, another one of my favorite riders came out today and admitted he doped for 12 years:

Michael Rasmussen confesses to 12 years of doping

Michael Rasmussen has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs throughout the majority of his professional career. The former Rabobank and CSC rider called a press conference today, admitting that he doped from 1998 until 2010. He has been served with a two-year ban by Anti Doping Denmark after providing "substantial assistance" in the fight against doping.

"I used EPO, growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, insulin, IGF-1, and cortisone and did blood transfusions," Rasumssen said reading a prepared statement, looking pale and emotional but in control.

"I've informed the anti-doping authorities of what I specifically used, when and how. My agreement with them is confidential, which means I can't disclose further details at this time. That time may come later."

"When I stand up today, I will be a relieved man. I am glad that I no longer have to sit and lie to you today, as I have done for so many years. From today my cycling career is over. I want to cooperate with the Danish institutions. I know I cheated and I cheated other riders. I'll accept my punishment."

Anti Doping Denmark report that Rasmussen, who was ejected from the 2007 Tour de France while wearing the mailot jaune, for lying about his whereabouts, has offered to cooperate fully with the investigation. Rasmussen has also confessed to using drugs during the 2007 race, in which he passed all anti-doping test.

“In this context, interrogations of Michael Rasmussen have been conducted last week in Amsterdam and this week in Copenhagen,” a press release read.

“The Doping Commission of the NOC of Denmark now opens a doping case against Rasmussen, and the case will be raised before the independent panel (the Doping Tribunal of the NOC) when all conditions are met. Within a few days, Michael Rasmussen will receive a temporary suspension.”

Rasmussen’s confession and cooperation hasn’t just been confined to the Danish authorities, with NOC and Sports Confederation of Denmark), The Netherlands (Doping Autoriteit) and the USA (USADA) and WADA all being consulted.

Having evaluated Rasmussen's statements, it is the opinion of the anti-doping authorities that Rasmussen has offered "substantial assistance" and accordingly the preconditions for a reduced sanction are met. The NOC's Doping Commission therefore intends to prosecute Michael Rasmussen before the Doping Tribunal, requesting a suspension of 8 years, but reduced by three quarters to 2 years, starting on 1 October 2012, i.e. from after Rasmussen participated in his last race.

Rasmussen competed on the cross country mountain bike scene between 1995 and 2001, before joining Bjarne Riis' CSC-Tiscali team in 2002. He won the tough Giro dell'Emilia one-day race in Italy and then raced with Rabobank between 2003 and 2007. He fled the 2007 Tour de France just hours after taking the yellow jersey with victory at the summit of the Col d'Aubisque. He was banned for two years for lying about his UCI Whereabouts status before the Tour de France but made a modest comeback in 2009 and then helped create the Christina Watches team in 2011.

I always did think that Rasmussen looked especially good in the KOM Polka-Dot Jersey in the Tour de France!

(above photo used from: http://www.procyclingphotos.com/)

Frank Schleck's Verdict / Ivan Basso's Past

Wow! I haven't posted anything about Frank Schleck since July 8th of last year, when he came in 10th on the 8th stage of the Tour de France. Not long after that stage, he abandonded the Tour because he tested positive for a diuretic: Xipamide.

He had stood by his claim that it was unintentional, through a contaminated product. But like everyone else who tests positive, his case had to be heard by the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency. So from July 13th, 2012, until the verdict today, January 30th, 2013, Frank Schleck's fate was unknown.

However, today we learned, that he will be given only a 1 year ban, since the diuretic levels in his system were so low. And, the ban had been backdated, so it starts from the time he abandoned the Tour. This means, after July 14th of this year, Frank can race again. So while he has to miss the Tour de France, he comes back in enough time to race in the Vuelta a Espana - just like Alberto Contador last year.

Contador came back from a 2 year suspension last year just in time to race in the Vuelta...and he won! Now while I don't think Frank is going to come back and win the Vuelta, I do think if he trains during his ban (not with the team, of course) then he has the potential to place in the Top 10 GC of the Vuelta.

I guess we will just have to see...

Fränk Schleck given one-year doping ban

 

Fränk Schleck has been handed a one-year suspension by the The Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for Xipamide during the Tour de France in 2012 according to the RTL. The ban has been retrospectively applied by the Disciplinary Board, meaning that the RadioShack rider is free to ride after July 14, 2013. He will therefore miss this year's Tour de France.

The Disciplinary Board could have issued a maximum two-year penalty, but went with one year after noting the extremely low amount of the banned substance.

"Of course I am disappointed by the verdict that has just been announced. I think that the decision to suspend me during one year is too severe considering the fact that the Council acknowledged that I unintentionally consumed a contaminated product. Unfortunately the provisions of the UCI are such that an involuntary contamination is sufficient in order to pronounce a punishment," Schleck said in a statement.

“However I am relieved that the judges acknowledged that the present is not a case of doping and that I had no intention to enhance my performance. This is very important for me, my family, for my team and all those who support me”.

“We will now analyse the decision in detail and decide on potential further steps. However I bear a positive aspect of the decision in mind: the judges acknowledged that I am not a cheater.”

“I wish to thank all my friends and fans who kept their faith in me during this tough period.”

On July 14, 2012, the UCI advised Schleck of an Adverse Analytical Finding in a urine sample collected from him at an in-competition test.

The WADA accredited laboratory in Châtenay-Malabry detected the presence of the diuretic Xipamide in Schleck's urine sample.

Team RadioShack Leopard released a statement, saying: "The Management of Leopard S.A. has taken note of the verdict of the CDD (Conseil de Discipline contre le Dopage) in the case of Fränk Schleck's positive test for xipamide during the 2012 Tour de France."

"Leopard S.A. is content that the anti-doping authorities have now reached a verdict, but will not make any further declarations about the case until it has studied the argumentation of the CDD more closely."

One of my other favorite long-time riders, Ivan Basso, has also served a 2 year suspension during 2006-2008 for alleged ties in the Fuentes case. However, he has made a clean comeback, and I look forward to seeing him race more this year.

Ivan Basso: "I've regained my dignity"

Ivan Basso is scheduled to testify via video at the Operacion Puerto trial on February 11 but the Italian would prefer to put his involvement in the Spanish blood doping ring behind him and focus on his racing.

"I've been called to testify, but for me it's a formality because it was part of my life six or seven years ago," Basso told Cyclingnews in an exclusive interview in Tuscany as he trains for the 2013 season.

"I was banned by the Italian Olympic Committee and was found guilty in an Italian court, so it only brings back bad memories for me." 
 
The Team Cannondale captain initially denied his links to Dr. Fuentes when Operacion Puerto exploded during the final days of his dominant victory at the 2006 Giro d'Italia. Yet he was forced to flee the start of the 2006 Tour de France in Strasbourg by a backdoor when the allegations of blood doping became much stronger. 
 
While still in denial, Basso quit CSC and joined the Discovery Channel team during the winter of 2006. He rode several races but was then formally placed under investigation by the Italian Olympic Committee in April and was given a two-year ban.

Basso made a comeback with the Liquigas team in 2009 and went on to finish fourth in the Vuelta and then won the 2010 Giro d'Italia.

Now 35, Basso is no longer the rider he was while working with Bjarne Riis at his peak. He finished fifth in the 2012 Giro d'Italia and 25th at the Tour de France.

He has published some of his blood data and power metre profiles online, but has always refused to speak in detail about his past as a doper or speak to help make cycling cleaner for the future. True to his hard working and reserved nature, Basso prefers to let his racing do the talking.

"When you've lied so much, people don’t want just words. The wind blows words away, as we say in Italian. People want facts. I've got to produce facts, as I did in 2009 and 2010," Basso told Cyclingnews.

"I won the 2010 Giro d'Italia, finished on the podium in another Giro and was on the podium at the Vuelta. People want facts: my results are my facts, as is the possibility to look at the details: your values, what the anti-doping associations says about you, your biological passport.

"There's no point in me telling fairy tales. People have eyes, heart and a mind to evaluate what they're see."

"I know people were very disappointed with me but then I came back and won the Giro d'Italia again and a few weeks later a magazine published info on my biological passport and said 'This race was won by a clean rider'. I think that's important. I didn’t only say I'd done all the controls, the people were able to see it."

Can people now trust Ivan Basso?

"Yes. 100 per cent," he replied. "I know I can't be considered a saint. That'd be wrong. But I think I've regained my dignity.

"When I came back in 2008, I made some promises and I've kept them. I was also lucky to consolidate them with some important victories and just by being transparent."

Basso claims he has not followed the USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong or the Texan's partial confession. He has little to say on the expected Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"It's nothing to do with me. I've served my two-year ban. I'm focused on doing a great 2013 and 2014 and maybe even later," he said.

"It's not up to me to take the moral high ground and judge other people. A true leader is followed in silence. It's about 'leading by example', that's my mission now. It's about having the respect of my teammates. I don’t want to think about the past. I want to think about the present and about the future."

2012 Tour de France Prologue, 6/30/12

Unless there is an article that really interests me, I will be only focusing on the Tour de France this year. I will post my own recaps if I can, but I will mostly be using cyclingnews.com like I have been recently.

June 30, Prologue: Liège (ITT) 6.4km

Cancellara wins 2012 Tour de France prologue in Liège

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/prologue/results)

There was something almost inevitable about it: the scene was perfect, the timing essential, and the man in form. Eight years after his first prologue win in Liege in the Tour de France, ‘Monsieur Prologue’ Fabian Cancellara rolled back the years to claim his fourth Tour de France prologue, with a comprehensive win in the Belgian city on Saturday. 

The RadioShack-Nissan rider turned out a time of 7:13 over the 6.4km course. Not even a determined Bradley Wiggins (Sky) finishing second, 7 seconds down, or world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) could come close, although the German will feel aggrieved after he set the fastest time at the first time check but suffered a mechanical and was forced to change bikes.

Defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC) finished in 13th place, nine seconds down on Cancellara, with Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) and Denis Menchov (Katusha), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) impressing with solid performances. French time trial champion Sylvain Chavanel had led for a large portion of the afternoon, nervously awaiting the time trial specialists at the line, but he was demoted, first by Wiggins, and then by Cancellara, to third.

But after all the talk of Wiggins and Evans in the build-up to the race, the day belonged to Cancellara. In the last twelve months, the Swiss rider has found himself on the receiving end of a number of high level losses, with Tony Martin usurping his long-standing crown as the best time triallist in the world, and two campaigns in the Classics without a win.

“I thought about my wife, the baby that’s coming, about team that’s given me help, and I’m proud of having done the work I should have done,” Cancellara said at the finish.

“This victory is even more special than the other ones I’ve had in the Tour de France., Yes, I’m proud, which is important, and I’m also confident about the rest of the Tour.”

There were murmurs that Cancellara was no longer the powerhouse he used to be, his legs slowing as younger riders developed, and despite uncertainty within his team surrounding missed wages and in-fighting, the experience and most importantly the power were there for all to see in Liège.

“I’m looking forward and not looking back. I’m here on the Tour de France not thinking about the past. The last time the Tour was here, in 2004, I beat Lance [Armstrong] by 1.6 seconds and took the jersey, but that was eight years ago. We have to focus on now because if we let [USADA’s decision to manager Johan Bruyneel with doping] crack us, I wouldn’t be able to perform on the road like I did today. It’s up to Lance and Johan to sort out. One year I was in Bjarne Riis’s team, and he stayed away from the Tour to leave us in peace, so I’ve experienced this before. Johan is just leaving us to get on with the job in peace.”

Liège loosens the Tour tension

The pro peloton had descended on Liège on Wednesday, settling into a pattern of reconnaissance and press conferences. By Friday, as the final pre-race press noise died down, it was clear that the peloton were ready to race. The tension was clear in Liège on Saturday morning with riders testing themselves over the prologue course. Wind variants were considered, final adjustments made to bikes and in the end it was Tom Veellers (Argos-Shimano) who set the ball rolling. The Tour had finally started.

A number of early pacesetters came and went until Brett Lancaster posted the first serious time of the day with a time of 7:24. The GreenEdge rider was edged out by Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen but it wasn’t long before Chavanel was on the road.

The Frenchman has improved greatly against the clock in the last twelve months – something he has put down to overcoming a longstanding back problem – and had already won the time trial in De Panne this spring. Along the Liège course he married power with precision, dancing through the few corners in the tricolore of France.

It looked like an unlikely winner could be crowned when he crossed the line in 7:20 and when Philippe Gilbert, David Millar and Andreas Klöden all failed topple the Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider, France dreamed of their first opening day win since Jacky Durand in 1994.

Chavanel took his seat at the finish, French television glued to his every facial expression as rider after rider came over the line. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) who many pundits had fancied as a potential winner stormed out of the blocks but he paid for his enthusiasm, pulling his foot out on one of two roundabouts, and losing 17 seconds by the finish.

Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) came close, two seconds down but Tony Martin, resplendent in his rainbow bands looked to be the biggest threat. A teammate of Chavanel he drew level with the Frenchman at the first time check but a bike change disrupted his rhythm and cost the German vital seconds. The cameras remained glued to Chavanel.

Now it was down to Wiggins, grimacing with intent as he left the start house. Two years ago the Sky leader paid for his caution in the opening Tour ride through Rotterdam and at the first time check it looked as though a repeat performance was in store, with tenth place at the first time check.

But Wiggins isn’t the Tour favourite without reason, and on the return leg the former pursuit rider showed his form and quality, overhauling Chavanel – who cracked a smile at least – and moving into provisional yellow. By now Cancellara was waiting for the countdown to his depart, but perhaps more importantly Evans was moving towards the start house. It’s unknown if he knew that Wiggins was leading.

At the first time check, Cancellara was faster than Chavanel by a mere second and with Evans on the road it became a three-way battle for the race’s first yellow jersey. Yet by the line Cancellara had stomped his authority on the race’s first skirmish.

Full Results

1	Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan	0:07:13
2	Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling	0:00:07
3	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
4	Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:10
5	Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling	0:00:11
6	Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
7	Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos - Shimano	0:00:12
8	Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team	0:00:13
9	Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
10	Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team

Other Favorite Pic of the Day:

Mark Cavendish

26/27 - June - 2012 - Daily News

I know this is a late post for yesterday (or an early post for today), but I didn't have time last night. There isn't going to be another post tonight because I will be out of town at a meeting.

This article is almost two days old, but I wanted to share it with you. It's not only RadioShack Nissan that is having management issues:

Cofidis sacks manager Boyer

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cofidis-sacks-manager-boyer)

Eric Boyer, team manager of French squad Cofidis, has been sacked on Monday following weeks of rumours. François Migraine, head of the team's sponsor, blamed Boyer for the outfit's lack of results this season and decided to replace him. According to L'Equipe, former Festina, Astana and FDJ-BigMat directeur sportif Yvon Sanquer will replace him, with the start of the 2012 Tour de France only a few days away.

Boyer, a former pro rider and Giro d'Italia stage winner, joined Cofidis in 2005 to save the team in the aftermath of the Cofidis doping affair, which involved a soigneur and several riders including Philippe Gaumont and David Millar. The now 48-year-old succeeded in restoring the team's credibility and brought the outfit back to success, while at the same time being active as president of the team's association AIGCP. Cofidis' best year in terms of results during his tenrue was in 2008, when Samuel Dumoulin and Sylvain Chavanel won stages at the Tour de France and Chavanel won two Flandrian semi-Classics, Dwars Door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl.

But after the team lost its ProTour license in 2010, results have not been convincing and Boyer's recent incapacity to keep such promising riders like Tony Gallopin, who opted for RadioShack, were additional reasons which led to his exit. Nonetheless, L'Equipe quotes a rider agent, who noted, "It's suprising to reproach to Eric Boyer for having failed in terms of rider recruiting when it was actually François Migraine who directly negotiated the contracts, often behind Boyer's back."

Boyer has not yet publicly reacted to this new turn of events, nor has Cofidis officially announced Yvon Sanquer as new manager. But Migraine hopes that the change of management will serve as "a shock treatment" for the team's riders at the Tour.

This article surprises me. I know when a Tour de France team gets built, it usually has one goal in mind, and most times it is the Yellow Jersey. However, I am surprised that last year's Green Jersey winner is not looking to win it a second time...oh wait, his team wants Bradley Wiggins to win the Yellow.

But on the other hand, I do understand. Mark Cavendish is alos looking to the Olympics, so he can't burn himself out in the Tour de France:

Cavendish not eyeing Tour de France green jersey

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-not-eyeing-tour-de-france-green-jersey)

With just four days to go until the start of the 2012 Tour de France, Cyclingnews was present in East London as 2011 green jersey winner Mark Cavendish held court at a press conference organised by Team Sky.

The 26-year-old from the Isle of Man looked lean and ready for action as he answered questions about his ambitions and that of his team for the three-week showpiece, which starts in Liège on Saturday. Cavendish was in a calm and co-operative mood but there was no doubting the steel in his eyes and supreme self-confidence in some of his answers, which is the hallmark of all great athletes as their date with destiny draws nearer and nearer.

"My form's really good, it's the best it's been for a few years heading into the Tour," he says.

"I've got a lot of wins this year and I'm excited to get started on Saturday. It's come round quickly - it always does - but I'm happy I've done everything right and prepared properly."

With the Tour imminent and the small matter of a home Olympics coming just six days after its finish, there is much on Cavendish's plate. So just how much has his new surroundings at Team Sky helped him to digest it all?

"You're not just expected to turn up and ride here - there's actually an emphasis on getting you prepared to ride," he said.

"I was never a big fan of the scientific approach in the past. I didn't used to look at my numbers on a graph. But I've been working with Tim Kerrison and Rod Ellingworth for a while now and I've come to realise that it wasn't the methods that I didn't like, it was the way they were presented to me.

"They're now put to me in a way I can understand and not by some scientist who has never ridden a bike and who thinks he knows more than me. You can see the results, you can see what's happening, you can see a trend. Once you buy into that it's incredible what you can do with your training. If anything it makes the pressure bigger as you've done everything right in preparation - there's no excuses if you fail."

This transformation in his training has paid dividends, with Cavendish saying he's in the best shape he's been in for years. Despite this, he claims that he doesn't have his eye on retaining the green jersey he won in Paris last July.

A combination of other ambitions and his team's stated goal of securing an historic yellow jersey for Bradley Wiggins appear to have put dreams of more green on the backburner, at least for now. And the fact that he won't have a full, dedicated leadout train doesn't appear to be an issue that fazes him.

"I don't think stage wins alone will be enough to win the green jersey this year, you'll have to go for the intermediates as well. I haven't got my eyes on green to be honest but of course there's always a chance.

"I've got other goals apart from the Tour de France (alluding to the Olympic Road Race on July 29). It's going to be a long July. I've been working on a lot of things, not just my sprint. I may not dominate the sprints like before but I should be there or thereabouts."

Indeed, Cavendish failed to win any of the sprints in the recent Ster ZLM Toer but consistently placed high enough to earn the overall victory, and the first stage race win of his career. It is a transformation from a focus on pure speed to bringing out characteristics more in line with a Classics rider in order to get over climbs like Box Hill, which he will face in London.

Cavendish still aims to win stages, but because the team will have limited resources dedicated to bunch sprints, he may not equal his records of past years.

"I won the World Championships without a leadout train and I think I've proved time and again that I can do it. You always need one or two guys to get you to that last 200m - nobody does it alone. We've got some guys at the Tour who can help me there but there's not going to be a full blown leadout train like I've had in the past.

"But I joined Team Sky because they're a British team and the biggest team in the world right now. Obviously I knew Brad had an opportunity to do well in the Tour de France and it's a big aim to win the yellow jersey for Sky. The aim is to win the yellow and green jerseys in the next few years. It's a good position to be in."

I am not a fan of suing someone because you are too stupid to know better. For example, the woman who sued McDonalds because SHE spilled hot coffee on her lap. Really? I'm still surprised that she won that case. If I was the judge I would have laughed in her face, then made her pay all court fees.

However, I think Johnny Hoogerland should have sued Euro Media sooner. This crash happened almost a year ago, and it shouldn't have happened at all. The driver of the car should have never gotten that close to the riders. And the fact that Euro Media doesn't seem to care about his injuries just adds fuel to the fire:

Hoogerland to sue over Tour de France 2011 crash

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hoogerland-to-sue-over-tour-de-france-2011-crash)

Johnny Hoogerland is going to court against Euro Media, who auto driver forced him off the road and into a barbed wire fence during stage 9 of last year's Tour de France. The media company has apparently shown little interest in negotiating a settlement with the Vacansoleil-DCM rider, and today is the deadline for filing a suit.

With only 36km to go on the ninth stage  of the Tour 2011, Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) were in a five man-break group going for the win. The media car attempted to pass them on a narrow road and ended up hitting Flecha. The Spaniard crashed, and Hoogerland collided with him and was then catapulted into a barbed-wire fence alongside the road.

Both riders finished the race, and Hoogerland went on the podium to receive the King of the Mountains jersey with tears in his eyes and extensive bandages on his legs.

“We have tried long enough” to come to an agreement, his manager Aart Vierhouten told De Telegraaf. “That failed, so unfortunately we have to take a different tack. And that is through the judicial process. Yesterday I actually had an appointment with a representative of Euro Media, but he never showed up.”

Tour organizer ASO will have nothing to do with the matter, he said. “This week I was in Paris to ask the ASO if they would take any responsibility. All they say is, you must talk to the director of Euro Media. They gave us his number, nothing more. The human aspect is hard to find.”

Hoogerland is said to still suffer from back pain, mood swings and insomnia as a result of the crash.

Now here is a list of the Top 5 Young Rider Contenders for the 2012 Tour de France:

Tour de France: Top five best young riders

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-top-five-best-young-riders)

A part of the Tour de France since 1975, the best young rider classification has showcased the top developing talents in the peloton on the world's biggest stage, and although not all of the winners of the white jersey classification go on to add an overall title to their name, a fair number have.

The list of names in the palmares of this competition is impressive: Francesco Moser, Laurent Fignon, Greg Lemond, Andy Hampsten, Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Oscar Sevilla, Ivan Basso, Alberto Contador and, for three years in a row, Andy Schleck. Each year the competition brings to the forefront promising new talent.

Last year's winner, Pierre Rolland (Europcar) has aged out of the category, which now includes riders born in 1987 or after. At present there are only 21 such riders set to take place in this year's Tour, but not all will be contenders. Many are in their first Tour or will be dedicated workers for a prime overall contender. Cyclingnews has chosen five riders who could stand a chance at taking home the white jersey in July.

Name: Tejay van Garderen (USA)
Age: 23
Team: BMC Racing
Career Highlights: 2nd 2009 Tour de l'Avenir, 3rd 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné, Best Young Rider in 2011 & 2012 Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge and 2012 Paris-Nice
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: 81st
Summary: Tejay van Garderen has been one of the most exciting talents to come out of the USA in recent years, and his third place in his debut Critérium du Dauphiné in 2010, in his first ProTour season, put his name on the list of favorites for every stage race he entered since.

He may not have a chance to fight for the white jersey classification as his loyalties will lie in helping Cadel Evans to his second Tour de France victory, but as one of the main climbing lieutenants for his captain and a world-class time trialist in stage races one cannot discount van Garderen slipping into the jersey as a consequence of his work. Should Evans falter, the young American will be his team's second hope for the overall podium in Paris.

Name: Wout Poels (NED)
Age: 24
Team: Vacansoleil-DCM
Career Highlights: Stage win, 2nd overall 2012 Tour of Luxembourg, Stage, 2nd in 2011 Tour de l'Ain, 17th Vuelta a España, 2nd on Angliru
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: DNF
Summary: First off it's Wout, not Wouter like Mr. Wynants. Poels has been making that unique name for himself ever since he surprised the world by climbing the torturous slopes of the Angliru in the 2011 Vuelta a España, coming second to overall winner Juan Jose Cobo on the stage ahead of Denis Menchov, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins.

Since then, he has similarly impressed in this year's Tour of Luxmebourg, where he out-gunned RadioShack-Nissan's Jakob Fuglsang and Fränk Schleck to win the queen stage and came home with second overall. Poels may have the distinct advantage in the Tour de France of not having to work for a recognized podium contender, although Lieuwe Westra could very well finish high up. The 24-year-old Poels is aggressive and great on the climbs, but lacks the time trial prowess of someone like Van Garderen.

Name: Rein Taaramäe (EST)
Age: 25
Team: Cofidis
Career Highlights: Stage 2011 Vuelta a España, three-time Estonian TT champion, Best Young Rider 2011 Paris-Nice, Critérium International, 11th 2011 Tour de France, 4th 2011 Paris-Nice
Tour debut: 2011
Best Tour finish: 11th in 2011
Summary: Rein Taaramäe is a supremely talented climber and time trialist whose only downfall in Grand Tours is luck. As the only rider in our five with a Grand Tour individual stage win to his name, the Estonian will have the advantage over his young competitors of having his whole team behind him in the race.

As witnessed by his fourth place in the 2011 Paris-Nice and mountains classification win at the 2009 Basque Country Tour, Taaramäe has potential to not only climb with the best but he's also well equipped to tackle the 100+ kilometers against the clock as three-time national champion in the discipline. Taaramäe is an opportunist who is not afraid to ride in long breakaways and should not be underestimated by his rivals.

Name: Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
Age: 25
Team: Rabobank
Career Highlights: 8th in 2011 Giro d'Italia, 8th 2012 Tour de Suisse, 3rd 2011 Tour de Suisse
Tour debut: 2012
Best Tour finish: N/A
Summary: Rabobank's Steven Kruijswijk makes his Tour de France debut this year, but he will do so as one of the most successful young riders in the Grand Tours. He's finished two Giri d'Italia and one Vuelta a España, and placed top 10 in the Giro last year, coming second in the best young rider classification to Roman Kreuziger.

Ever since his third place in the 2011 Tour de Suisse, Kruijswijk's name has been uttered in hushed tones of reverence when it comes to this year's Tour. Although the team's main contenders for the overall are Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema, Kruijswijk will be supported by the Dutch squad, perhaps even getting in on the hunt for the yellow jersey himself.

Name: Thibaut Pinot
Age: 22
Team: FDJ-BigMat
Career Highlights: Winner 2011 Settimana Lombarda, 3rd 2011 Presidential Tour of Turkey, 2010 Tour de Romandie mountains classification
Tour debut: 2012
Best Tour finish: N/A
Summary: Thibaut Pinot is not well-known amongst the cycling pundits, but he has been quietly racking up promising performances and could well be the revelation of the 2012 Tour de France. 11th in the Tour de Romandie this year, he was sitting 10th in the Tour de Suisse until he suffered from heat stroke and had to withdraw.

Pinot earned his spot on this list with his performance in last year's Settimana Lombarda, where he left behind riders like Domenico Pozzovivo to win the mountainous first stage, and held off all the challengers to claim the overall victory three days later. This will be the 22-year-old's first Tour so he has plenty to learn - perhaps the lessons will include podium protocols.

Honorable Mentions

Peter Sagan, 22 (Liquigas-Cannondale) is the main rider tipped for the green jersey classification, but he lacks the abilities in the high mountains and prowess in time trials to contend for the overall best young rider jersey.

Edvald Boasson Hagen, 25 (Sky) has overall wins in the Tour of Norway, Eneco Tour and Tour of Britain in addition to numerous Norwegian titles. However, he will be focusing on the very important task of helping his teammate Bradley Wiggins win the overall Tour and driving Mark Cavendish to the line for stage wins. It is more likely that Boasson Hagen will win a stage than contend for the white jersey.

Marcel Kittel, 24 (Argos-Shimano) is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and will be fighting for stage wins, but he is a terrible climber and will be battling hard just to make the time cut on the high mountain stages and will in no way contend for the young rider classification.

The young riders of the 2012 Tour de France:

Anthony Delaplace (Saur - Sojasun) 1989-08-11
Anthony Roux (FDJ - Bigmat) 1987-04-18
Arthur Vichot (FDJ - Bigmat) 1988-11-26
Cyril Gautier (Europcar) 1987-09-26
Daniel Oss (Liquigas - Cannondale) 1987-01-13
Domenique Nerz (Liquigas-Cannondale) 1989-08-25
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) 1987-05-17
Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Euskaltel - Euskadi) 1987-10-07
Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team 1987-02-13
Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) 1988-05-11
Nicolas Edet (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-12-02
Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) 1987-04-07
Peter Sagan (Liquigas - Cannondale) 1990-01-26
Rafael Valls Ferri (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team 1987-06-27
Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-04-24
Romain Zingle (Cofidis - Le Credit En Ligne) 1987-01-29
Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank Cycling Team) 1987-06-07
Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) 1988-08-12
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ - Bigmat) 1990-05-29
Tony Gallopin (Radioshack - Nissan) 1988-05-24
Wout Poels (Vacansoleil - Dcm Pro Cycling Team) 1987-10-01

And here is my daily RadioShack Nissan article:

This article has me torn. My gut is to want to take Jakob Fuglsang's side; anyone ever hear of free speech? But at the same time, the company I work for, has policies against speaking to the media, and social media. However, I don't feel that "punishing" Fuglsang for his remarks makes RSNT any better. Now, not only is Fuglsang losing out on WorldTour points, but so is the team. How can they let one of their best riders lose out on getting as many points as he can. This to me feels like the childish 'if I can't have him, no one else can' mentality from RadioShack and Johan Bruyneel:

RadioShack-Nissan rules out WorldTour races for Fuglsang

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/radioshack-nissan-rules-out-worldtour-races-for-fuglsang)

RadioShack-Nissan has decided to stop Jakob Fuglsang from racing in any further WorldTour races this year. This will prevent him from winning any UCI points, which could help his team in 2013 – a team which will not be RadioShack-Nissan.

Fuglsang announced that he was “disappointed” not to be named to the team's Tour de France squad, saying that it “doesn't make RadioShack my first choice for next season.” He is already said to be negotiating with Bjarne Riis to return to Saxo Bank, soon to be known as Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank.

He received word on Monday evening from team manager Johan Bruyneel that he would not be nominated for any further WorldTour races this season. Riders earn points for good results in WorldTour races, and these points transfer with a rider if he goes to a new team. So if Fuglsang were win points this year, they would count for RadioShack this season but also for whatever team he is with next year.

The action is seen as punishment for his critical remarks concerning the team. It will also likely decrease his value for the coming year. It is also a clear indication that RadioShack will not offer him a contract for 2013.

“Bruyneel simply will not give me the chance to score points the rest of the year,” Fuglsang told ekstrabladet.dk. “I asked him directly if it also means I don't ride the Vuelta a Espana, and he confirmed it.”

“It is sad that RadioShack thinking more on points than on results. Good results in WorldTour races are important for the team, and WorldTour points are highly important for me because they help to keep my market value,” he said. “I am disappointed that I will be punished in this way.”

Fuglsang, who has been nominated to ride the Osterreich Rundfahrt, starting Sunday, will still try to do his best. “I will ride my contract out and that will be it. Now I will just do as well as I can in the races I am allowed to ride.”

In retrospect, he said, “it was perhaps not smart to have commented on my situation, but where are we then? One should be allowed to speak his mind without having sporting consequences.”

25 - June - 2012 - Daily News

We are 5 days from the beginning of the Tour de France and more teams are finalizing their roster. I'm not going to continue posting the list, but you can go to http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-start-list-2 for up to date infomation.

However, I will post that Thomas Voeckler has been named on the Europcar's roster. For awhile he was unsure if he could rider because of his knee injury.

Voeckler set to ride Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-set-to-ride-tour-de-france)

Europcar has named its line-up for the Tour de France, putting to rest speculation that Thomas Voeckler might be forced to forgo the race due to the effects of a nagging knee injury.

Voeckler abandoned both the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Route du Sud in June citing an inflammation of his right knee, but the former yellow jersey wearer has been included in Europcar’s nine-man Tour selection. He spent a week off the bike following his withdrawal from the Route du Sud and only got back into the saddle on Monday morning.

Fourth place in Paris twelve months ago, Voeckler told L’Équipe last week that he would be hard-pressed to repeat the feat in 2012 given his troubled final approach to the Tour. “If I have the fortune to be at the start, I’m afraid that it mightn’t be a Tour like the others,” he said.

Flanking Voeckler at the head of Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team is Pierre Rolland. Best young rider in 2011, the Frenchman enjoyed a solid start to the campaign at Étoile des Bessèges but was still searching for his best form at the Dauphiné. Like Voeckler, Rolland suffered from a knee injury earlier in the season, which ruled him out of Paris-Nice.

Europcar impressed during its ten-day defence of Voeckler’s maillot jaune last July, and the promising Cyril Gautier will again feature in the squad this time around, as will Christophe Kern, who was forced out with a knee injury after five stages in 2011.

Giovanni Bernaudeau makes his Tour de France debut, while Yukiya Arashiro, Yohann Gène, Vincent Jérôme and new signing Davide Malacarne are also included in the final selection. Alexandre Pichot and David Veilleux are listed as reserves.

There is no place in the squad for 2010 king of the mountains Anthony Charteau, who was a victim of Europcar’s epidemic of knee injuries at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque.

A few days ago, I posted the Top 5 GC contenders for the 2012 Tour de France. Today, the Top 5 contenders for the Points Classification was released. I personally think that Cavendish, Greipel, and Sagan are the only contenders, but I guess we will see in a few days.

2012 Tour de France: Top five points classification contenders

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2012-tour-de-france-top-five-points-classification-contenders/mark_cavendish)

1. Mark Cavendish
Age: 27
Team: Sky Procycling
Career Highlights: 1st UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Tour de France – 20 stages, points classification (2011); Giro d'Italia – 10 stages; Vuelta a Espana – 3 stages
Tour debut: 2007 (T-Mobile)
Best points classification finish: 1st - 2011
Summary: If there's a question regarding Cavendish's 2012 Tour it's whether he will ride all the way to Paris knowing the Olympic Games road race is just six days later. Cavendish is a prolific winner at the grand boucle and this year while he will add to his tally, he will do so with limited support given Sky's general classification ambitions. It's unlikely to be an issue given that when key lead-out man Mark Renshaw was disqualified in 2010, Cavendish still went on to win two more stages.
As he is the defending points champion, Cavendish will be hoping to be protected somewhat by his Sky teammates. Last year a lot of energy was spent by the teams in chasing points at the intermediate sprint and Sky could find this challenging on some of the tougher days where the positioning of Bradley Wiggins is the priority. The first week should be decisive for Cavendish's outlook towards the remainder of the race.

2. Matt Goss
Age: 25
Team: Orica GreenEdge
Career Highlights: Milan – San Remo – 2011; 2nd UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Giro d'Italia – 2 stages; GP Ouest France – 2010.
Tour debut: 2011 (HTC-Highroad)
Best points classification finish: 46th - 2011
Summary: Goss' first year as sprint leader hasn't all been plain sailing with just one solo victory to his name, albeit at the Giro d'Italia, and a frustrating run of five second places.
Unlike Cavendish, Goss says that he is aiming to be in the game once the Tour reaches the Champs Elysees on July 22 with his season steadily building towards a crescendo of this next month of racing. With Orica GreenEdge not focussed on general classification and instead sprint and taking their chances in breakaways, Goss will be able to rely on a lead-out train.
Goss has steadily found his rhythm with his powerful lead-out men Sebastian Langeveld, Brett Lancaster and linchpin Daryl Impey over the last few months and should be in full-flight. Far from being a one-trick pony, the Australian's ability to endure the lumpier days will fall in his favour.

3. Jose Joaquin Rojas
Age: 27
Team: Movistar
Career Highlights: 3rd Stages 3 and 5 Tour de France – 2011; Spanish Road Champion 2011; Points classification Tour of Poland – 2007; Mountains classification, Tirreno-Adriatico – 2006.
Tour debut: 2009 (Caisse d'Epargne)
Best points classification finish: 2nd - 2011
Summary: Which Rojas will we see at this year's Tour? The Rojas who is focussed on the prize or the Rojas more concerned about what his competition is doing? The answer could well determine where the Spaniard finishes in the points classification.
In 2011, Rojas wore the green jersey for two days only to be presented and then stripped of it on the third after he was relegated, along with Tom Boonen, for blocking Mark Cavendish at the intermediate sprint. Rojas then claimed he'd been punched by Alessandro Petacchi at the sprint finish. He would wear green once more on Stage 7, before losing it to Philippe Gilbert. With Cavendish then ensconced in green on Stage 13, second-placed Rojas complained to director of competition Jean-Francois Pescheux that his rival was hanging on to cars in the Pyrenees. It was a claim dismissed by Pescheux who suggested that Rojas was "looking for excuses to win."
Rojas has the talent, but he'll need to ignore the drama to claim the green jersey in 2012.

4. Andre Greipel
Age: 29
Team: Lotto Belisol
Career Highlights: 1st Stage 10 Tour de France – 2011; 3rd UCI Road World Championships – 2011; Giro d'Italia – 2 stages; Vuelta a Espana – 4 stages, Points classification – 2009.
Tour debut: 2011 (Omega Pharma - Lotto)
Best points classification finish: 7th - 2011
Summary: Greipel is approaching the Tour with caution saying that he'll decide if he is to make a bid for the green jersey after the first week. The German's showdown with former teammate and great rival Mark Cavendish is sure to be one of the highlights of this 99th edition, given Greipel will be in attendance with his awesome sprint train.
Greipel began the season stating that his team "didn't sleep during the winter" stamping his authority on the Tour Down Under and kicking off his season win tally which now stands at 13. Better for his extra year away from the Highroad sprint train, unlike Cavendish and Goss who are flying solo for the first time, Greipel can call on the services of former Highroad teammates Adam Hansen, Greg Henderson, Lars Bak, and powerhouse Marcel Sieberg. It's easily the strongest lead-out of all contenders for the green jersey so the pressure will be on to win.

5. Peter Sagan
Age: 22
Team: Liquigas-Cannondale
Career Highlights: Vuelta a Espana – 3 stages; Tour of California – 8 stages; 2nd Gent-Wevelgem - 2012
Tour debut: 2012
Best points classification finish: n/a
Summary: We all know that Peter Sagan is good, but the question of how good should be answered at the Tour. Like Greipel, Sagan has 13 wins to his name so far this season, five (five!) of which came at the Tour of California and another four from the Tour de Suisse. Impressive? Absolutely. But when it comes to the Tour, experience counts for a lot.
Sagan comes to the Tour as part of a Liquigas-Cannondale team which has dual ambitions, for both the yellow (Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali) and the green jerseys meaning we'll be seeing a lot of them. In terms of a lead-out, Sagan has formed a solid combination with fellow rouleur Daniel Oss, but don't be surprised if you see the Slovakian striking out on his own – simply because he can. He's another of the green jersey contenders that will benefit from his climbing ability.

Two teams today have announced that they found a second sponsor. Garmin-Barracuda is now Garmin-Sharp, and SaxoBank is now Saxobank-Tinkoff Bank.

Garmin-Sharp replaces Garmin-Barracuda at the Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/garmin-sharp-replaces-garmin-barracuda-at-the-tour-de-france)

Garmin-Barracuda will become Garmin-Sharp as of the Tour de France, team owner Slipstream Sports announced Monday. Barracuda will stay associated with the team.

As teams are only allowed to have two sponsor names, the team will officially be known as Garmin-Sharp. “Barracuda Networks will continue as an important co-title sponsor, and team materials and the website will refer to the team as Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda,” according to the team's press release.

Sharp is a world-leading technology provider, offering a wide portfolio of business and lifestyle products in markets across the globe.

"In the year Sharp celebrates 100 years of creating unique technologies and products that bring genuine benefit to society, we are delighted to become Technology Partner to the most exciting team in one of the world's most beautiful sports, which perfectly showcases the convergence of technological and human achievement,” said Paul Molyneux of Sharp Europe.

"Sharp shares our passion and commitment to the best innovations in technology," said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports. "We are incredibly excited to partner with them to together develop technologies that will help our riders do what they do every day, even better."

In addition to the commercial possibilities for Sharp, this deal “also gives them access to some of the best athletes in the world to develop products for the future,” said Matt Johnson, president of Slipstream Sports.

The new kit will be introduced at a press conference Thursday at the team's Tour de France hotel in Belgium.

Tinkoff Bank announced as co-sponsor to Saxo Bank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-bank-announced-as-co-sponsor-to-saxo-bank)

Team Saxo Bank manager Bjarne Riis announced on Monday that he has found a new co-sponsor for his team: the Russian Tinkoff Bank. The Credit Systems company will support the Danish team for the rest of this season and throughout 2013, while Saxo Bank has also extended its sponsorship contract through next year.

The team will be named Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank.

Tinkoff Bank was founded by Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov, who started his involvement in cycling with the Tinkoff Credit Systems team in 2007, before moving onto creating the Katusha squad in 2009. Tinkov left the team that year after a conflict with the other team head, Andre Tchmil.

“For me of course it's a fantastic day, a beautiful day for me and for the team, that so close to the Tour de France we are able to announce that we are going forward for next year,” Riis said at the press conference on Monday afternoon at Riis Cycling headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark. “It is tough to get ready as there is a lot of practical stuff to do, but it’s very exciting, and it gives the whole team extra motivation going into the Tour.”

But Riis was mainly thinking of the future. “We have big ambitions. This year is the restart, to build my dream again, and my dream and ambition is to have the best and strongest cycling team in the world again, and this is the first step in that direction.

“To me, it is a dream to have two partners like that, who want to be the best in their area, which exactly the same as what I want. I want to be the best in my area and I would say that as of today, we are on are way to building that up again.”

When asked what the team's new budget would be, Riis refused to say the numbers. “The most important thing for me is that have sponsors also in the coming year and that means I can also sign up a team for next year, which of course I will. I am already working on it.

“I am not going to tell you the budget and I am not going to tell you who is coming to the team – yet. The plan is be stronger and the plan is to win races.”

The team will debut a new jersey at the Tour de France, which gets underway in Liège on Saturday. The jersey incorporates Tinkoff Bank’s yellow to the bottom half of the existing Saxo Bank design. There are also yellow stripes and accents on the collar and shorts.

Tinkov, who took time to make a video of the proceedings on his mobile phone, said: “What a comeback to cycling!” He pointed to his own experience of running a team, stressing that he knew cycling “very well.”

“I always used to admire how Mr. Riis ran the business,” Tinkov continued. “To me he is the best team leader in the word and it was always my dream to work with him. I said that if I ever come back to cycling, I would come back with Riis Cycling.”

Saxo Bank director Lars Seier Christensen announced the extension of his sponsorship contract with the team. “For us, it has been of importance to have a co-sponsor for 2012, and the fact that we have found a good partnership with Tinkoff Bank has made us decide to extend again for 2013.”

I know I didn't talk a lot about the National Championships yesterday, but I did want to touch on them briefly tonight. Omega Pharma-Quick Step won 8 titles yesterday! Congratulations to the team!!!

Omega Pharma-QuickStep takes eight national championships

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/omega-pharma-quickstep-takes-eight-national-championships)

It is not often that a team wins four races in one day, or eight races within a few days. But that is what Omega Pharma-QuickStep did, winning eight national titles, with eight different riders. The team topped things off with Tom Boonen winning the Belgian national road championships on Sunday, the most important title for the Belgian team.

The team can claim four winners in each discipline. On the road, Boonen won in Belgium, Niki Terpstra in the Netherlands, Matthew Brammeier in Ireland, and Michal Golas in Poland.

In the time trial, world champion Tony Martin also won the German title, Sylvain Chavanel in France, Peter Velits in Slovakia and Dario Cataldo in Italy.

Those victories cement Omega Pharma-QuickStep's top ranking in the number of team wins on the season. They now have 38, with Team Sky second with 31.

Of the eight riders, three will be riding the Tour de France starting on Saturday, all of them time trial champions:  Martin, Chavanel and Velits.

And for my daily RadioShack Nissan article, here is an update on Jakob Fuglsang's new team search:

Fuglsang in negotiations with Saxo Bank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuglsang-in-negotiations-with-saxo-bank)

RadioShack-Nissan rider Jakob Fuglsang has been approached by Team Saxo Bank for next season. The Dane has been disappointed not to have been selected for the Tour de France this year, stating openly that he would prefer to leave the team directed by Johan Bruyneel at the end of this season, when his contract expires.

"My manager has spoken to Bjarne (Riis)," Fuglsang confirmed to Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. "It could be something, but there are other offers that look interesting too."

But even if the prospect of returning to Saxo Bank is an interesting one, the 2012 Danish time trial champion will compare the possibilities offered to him closely before signing anything, and his choice will not depend on financial considerations alone.

"He has made an offer, and in any case it is a first offer. It can still not work out, so I won't say too much. It has to be the right terms, and I also want to know what Bjarne has in mind for his team. It wouldn't be good if he takes four new captains in, as I would I end up in the same situation as now. That is also a thing to be taken into consideration," said Fuglsang.

Fuglsang rode for Saxo Bank in 2009 and 2010, before joining Leopard Trek in 2011 and being taken over by RadioShack this season. He should have been the team's captain at the Giro d'Italia this year but had to withdraw at the last minute due to a knee injury. A gifted time traillist and solid climber, the 27-year-old has developed into a week-long stage race specialist also able to target the hilly Classics.