Schleck's Yellow Jersey & Soler Update

I may be one of the only ones, but I strongly believe that Contador is innocent. Yes, his drug tests showed clenbuterol, I still firmly believe his word that it was in the meat he ate. As much as I love Andy Schleck, it saddens me that he is now the winner of the 2010 Tour de France since Contador was stripped of the title. Who knows how the 2010 Tour would have turned out without Contador; Schleck may not have in fact won. I disagree with him being presented the Yellow, but I guess it all just becomes a publicity stunt anyway.

Andy Schleck presented with 2010 Tour de France yellow jersey

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-presented-with-2010-tour-de-france-yellow-jersey)

Andy Schleck was presented with the yellow jersey of winner of the 2010 Tour de France at a ceremony in his hometown of Mondorf, Luxembourg on Tuesday. Schleck had finished second behind Alberto Contador, but was awarded the race after the Spaniard was stripped of his title following a positive test for clenbuterol.

News of Contador’s positive test was first made public in September 2010, but the lengthy legal process was only resolved in February of this year, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport disqualifying him from the race and handing him a two-year suspension.

Second in the Tour in 2009 and 2011, Schleck is still waiting to win a stage race on the road, and he admitted that he did not feel like the victor of the 2010 Tour.

“It’s nice to accept this jersey, but for me it doesn’t change anything – it’s not like a win. It’s not the same sensation as climbing on the podium,” Schleck said, according to AFP.

Schleck received the jersey from Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme in front of an audience of 150 invited guests, including RadioShack-Nissan manager Johan Bruyneel.

“I can only hope that this jersey will lead to others. And I think there will be others,” Prudhomme said.

It was the second time in Prudhomme’s tenure that such a ceremony was required. In October 2007, Oscar Pereiro was presented with the maillot jaune of the previous year’s Tour, which had been stripped from Floyd Landis after he returned a positive test for synthetic testosterone.

Schleck is currently preparing for an assault at the 2012 Tour de France, and Prudhomme insisted that the Luxembourger could aspire to overall victory in spite of a route that seems weighted in favour of rouleurs.

“Everybody claims that the 2012 Tour isn’t suited to Andy, but I’m convinced to the contrary,” Prudhomme said. “In its history, it’s been common to have Tours with 100km of time trials. It’s only in the past few years that it hasn’t been the case. If Andy is aggressive, he’ll have his chance, I’m sure.”

For his part, Schleck pointed out that the Tour’s first sorties into the mountains in the Vosges and the Jura could prove more difficult than anticipated.

“I’ve just come from reconnoitering the stages in the Vosges, Jura and Alps, and I have to say that it will be a lot harder than I had imagined when I saw the map of the course,” he said.

In better news, Mauricio Soler is doing great on his recovery:

Soler back in Europe for further examinations and enjoying Giro d'Italia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-back-in-europe-for-further-examinations-and-enjoying-giro-ditalia)

Mauricio Soler has returned to Europe, and made a point of visiting the Hospital Sankt Gallen, where he lay in the intensive care unit for 20 days after a crash in the Tour de Suisse. The Colombian is continuing his rehabilitation in Pamplona, Spain, and cheered on his former teammates and countrymen in the Giro d'Italia.

Soler fractured his skull after colliding with a spectator in the sixth stage of the 2011 Tour de Suisse. He was placed in an induced coma, and in July was moved to a hospital in Pamplona, before returning home to Colombia in December. Soler had to return to Spain for further examinations, and whilst here, wanted to visit the Swiss hospital.

“He doesn't remember anything from what happened there, but he felt it was something he needed to do," his wife Patricia said on the Movistar website. "It was really emotional and special. Mauricio had only known of the doctors and staff from some pictures, but felt like those voices weren't unconnected to him, but something familiar."

The medical staff was pleased with his recovery, she said. “Mauricio has still many steps to improve ahead, but it's amazing to remember how he was, 11 months ago. Travelling back there was an indescribable experience, being the place where he had to learn to speak and walk again... There, a part from his life was left.”

Soler has only thing on his mind when it is time to leave therapy, his wife said. When the appointment is done, “even though we still have to do the daily shopping or anything else, he says to me we can do it later, because he has to see the Giro d'Italia on TV. He is enjoying really much seeing his teammates doing such a great race and feels really proud about them still remembering him when they win."

He has no bitterness against the sport that so changed his life, she said. “He says he's sad of having left bike racing that way, but is also convinced there's another way to enjoy the sport. No one could ever hear bad words from him towards this sport. For him, the most important thing is being alive and enjoying life with his son. Not everything was bad, because all these things made him feel love shown by so many people."

Lastly, Norway announced its Olympics team: Edvald Boasson Hagen, Thor Hushovd, Lars Petter Norghaug, and Alexander Kristoff for Road, while EBH will also ride the TT.



This made my day...

Its always wonderful to see a crash victim get back on the bike and ride. However, what's more amazing is when it was unknown if the victim would make it through the injuries. This article really brightened my day:

Soler takes first ride since Tour de Suisse accident

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-takes-first-ride-since-tour-de-suisse-accident)

Nearly eight months after suffering severe head trauma and a fractured skull due to a crash in the Tour de Suisse, Mauricio Soler has made a major milestone in his recovery, by finally taking back to the bike.

According to reports from website Mundo Ciclistico, Soler took a short ride around his parent's house in the Colombian countryside not far from his own home in Ramiriqui, and looked generally comfortable. It's a significant moment for Soler, who struggled with simple cognitive functions such as breathing, swallowing and talking in the wake of the accident.

He has followed a strict rehabilitation regime since his return to Colombia in December, which has included a variety of physical and mental therapies. Though with still a significant amount of work ahead of him the former Tour de France King of the Mountains said that he was "really happy just to have been able to ride a bike again".

"It was one of my big goals, alongside seeing my son again," said Soler. "Cycling is something I really love. Mentally I feel better than ever, and I'm improving further day by day."

Soler, 28, was placed in an induced coma shortly after the Tour de Suisse accident, with doctor's initially unsure whether he was going to live. He underwent surgery in hospital in St. Gallen, Switerzerland, where he began basic rehabilitation, before he was moved to a private hospital in Spain in July.

The Colombian told the assembled media upon his return to Colombia that he was unsure whether he would ever ride professionally again, citing the importance of recovery the most critical thing above all else.

"We will we see what will come after that."

Six months later, Soler's back in Columbia

Soler flown back to Colombia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-flown-back-to-colombia)

The Colombian Cycling Federation has revealed that Juan Mauricio Soler is flying back to his home country today (Tuesday), six months on from his life-threatening crash at the Tour of Switzerland. The Movistar rider is due to arrive in Bogotá this afternoon, when he will be transferred to the Clínica Teletón to continue the recuperation from head injuries suffered in that crash.

Informed of Soler’s return to Colombia by his wife, Patricia Flores, the Colombian Cycling Federation’s subsequent statement on the 28-year-old Colombian said: “Soler’s recuperation at his home in Pamplona, Spain, is ahead of expectations. This is great news for the cycling family as 2011 comes to a close.”

Soler, winner of the King of the Mountains title at the 2007 Tour de France, crashed on the sixth stage of Switzerland’s national tour in mid-June. He hit a curb and flew into a fence, suffering a severe head trauma and cerebral oedema, plus multiple fractures and bruising. He was placed in an induced coma to aid recovery. The following month he was flown to his Spanish base in Pamplona, where he spent four months in hospital before being allowed to return to his home there in October.

Much needed Soler update...

Soler to return to Colombia

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-to-return-to-colombia)

Mauricio Soler will return home to Colombia the middle of next month. He will continue his recovery and rehabilitation in his home land.

His wife Patricia Florez “has been making the necessary arrangements for the winner of the 2007 Tour de France King of the Mountains to continue his recovery at home,” according to a statement issued by the Colombian cycling federation.

Soler, 28, suffered severe head injuries in a crash during this year's Tour de Suisse. He was placed in an induced coma, before being moved to a hospital in Spain in July. He left the hospital in mid-October.

No prognosis on the extent of his recovery has been given.

A new Soler update!

Soler out of hospital after four months

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-out-of-hospital-after-four-months)

Juan Mauricio Soler was released from hospital Friday, four months after a crash in the Tour de Suisse left him with severe head injuries.  The Movistar rider is expected to remain in Spain for rehabilitation for a month before finally returning to his home in Colombia.

“We are very happy because today there is a further step in Mauricio's recovery,” his wife, Patricia Flores, told the Colombian website revistamundociclistico.com. “This is a very important day for which all his friends, supporters and families have anxiously awaited. Mauricio is getting better and this fills us with joy after so much uncertainty during this time.”

Soler was in second place overall when he crashed on the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse in mid-June. He hit a curb and flew into a fence, suffering a severe head trauma and cerebral edema plus multiple fractures and bruising. He was placed in an induced coma to aid recovery.   In July he was moved to the hospital in Pamplona, Spain.

He must stay in Spain for at least a month for rehabilitation at the hospital.  “It seems a long time but really it is little after having endured so much in the last few tough months,” Flores said.

As to his physical condition, she noted that “the accident left many injuries.”  Soler has ankle problems, and cannot walk alone because of dizziness, although he can walk for up to 25 minutes at a time.

Emotionally he is coping well, with Flores saying he is “so full of joy and motivation. He has a lot of mixed feelings, but he knows that every day is better.  He had done everything possible and will to recover one hundred percent. Today for example he was discharged after a few hours in the morning but chose to stay at the clinic until the afternoon to complete his therapy session.”

Vuelta a Espana: Stage 3

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-3/results)

Movistar veteran Pablo Lastras took a well-judged solo win and with it the red jersey of race leader at the stage three finish in Totana. The 35-year-old Spaniard, who has won stages in all three Grand Tours during a career that goes back to 1998, finished 15 seconds clear of Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), Mikel Irizar (RadioShack) and Ruslan Pydgornyy (Vacansoleil-DCM) after attacking them on the final climb of the day, 12km from the finish.

The Spaniard made his winning attack 500 metres from the top of the Alto de la Santa. His advantage was just a handful of seconds heading over the summit, but he gave it everything on the descent into Totana and pushed out his lead out to almost 30 seconds.

The chasing trio did start to cooperate and eat into Lastras’s advantage, reducing his lead to 10 seconds with 3km remaining. But, having done most of the chasing, Chavanel then eased up and the three riders started toying with each other, leaving Lastras to enjoy a celebratory final kilometre as he claimed his first Vuelta stage win since 2002.

Lastras dedicated the victory to his former teammate Xavier Tondo and Leopard Trek’s Wouter Weylandt, who both died earlier this season, as well as to Movistar’s Mauricio Soler, who is still recovering from serious injuries sustained at the Tour of Switzerland in June.

"I think that I won today because of the expertise that I've built up as a veteran rider, I think it was a good win. I really wanted to raise my arms at the finish today and I dedicate the win to Xavi Tondo and to my teammate Soler who is very ill, as well as to all the friends who have been lost this year," said Lastras, who also went on to thank the media "for making this sport great" and his team manager Eusebio Unzué "who gave me the confidence I needed".

Chavanel, who would have taken the race lead if he had finished ahead of Lastras, was pleased with his performance. "We collaborated really well until the last climb. At 600 metres from the top of Alto de la Santa, Lastras took off. I couldn't follow him because I was starting to get cramps," said the Frenchman.

"On the slight rise towards the finish I gave it everything I had to catch up to Lastras. However there wasn't much collaboration from Pydgornyy and Irizar. When we got to within nine seconds from Lastras with only 3 kilometres to go to the finish line we started sizing each other up and Lastras gained a few seconds' advantage. It wasn't up to me to do all the work to catch up.

"I wanted to win the stage and often in order to win you have to risk losing. I gave it everything I had, I couldn't have done more. Anyway, I'm happy with my form, I feel good and I'm going to try again. Congratulations to Pablo. He was the strongest today and he's a great rider."

Most of the race favourites finished safely in the bunch that was led in by Nicolas Roche 1:43 after Lastras had taken the stage. However, two-time winner Denis Menchov (Geox-TMC) failed to stay with the bunch’s pace on the final climb, coming in 3:06 down along with Rabobank’s Steven Kruijswijk, who had been marked as another rider to watch after his impressive performance at the Giro d’Italia.

The winning break takes shape

After a number of escape attempts had been thwarted in the opening five kilometres, Pydgornyy, Chavanel and Cofidis’s Nicolas Edet jumped away after 6km and were soon joined by Spaniards Lastras and Irizar. These five quickly got a good lead, which stretched to almost eight minutes with 68km covered as Liquigas-Cannondale and Leopard Trek set a steady pace on the front of bunch.

Edet asked for medical assistance having being stung on the forehead by an insect with 90km covered. Soon after the young Frenchman started to slip back from the break. Vacansoleil-DCM’s Pydgornyy claimed the sprint not long after this. The pace did increase in the bunch from this point on, although none of the teams were keen to take on too much work so early in the race and in such sapping conditions.

As Irizar led the four escapees over the 3rd-category Alto del Berro with 117km covered, back in the bunch a lot of riders were starting to struggle. HTC’s Mark Cavendish fell back, together with fellow sprinter Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano). Leopard Trek was doing most of the work, cutting the break’s lead back to 4:28 at the summit of the Berro, then trimming it down to 3:46 as the race passed through Totana for the first time with 22km remaining.

Sky prominent on final climb

The final 22km loop took the riders out of Totana and up and over the Alto de la Santa, a regular feature in the Tour of Murcia, before dropping back into the finish again. The four breakaway riders were content to cooperate all the way up the climb, until Lastras made his winning move towards the summit.

Back in the rapidly thinning bunch, Team Sky was clearly determined to keep team leader Bradley Wiggins out of trouble. Thomas Lövkvist set the pace for a good way up the climb, with Wiggins on his wheel.

However, suggestions that some of the leading contenders might attempt an attack on the climb with the aim of gaining a few seconds in Totana were unfounded. Geox-TMC’s David De La Fuente did make a dig that came to nothing. But the GC contenders were clearly happy to save themselves until the much bigger test that faces them on stage four, which brings the first summit finish at Sierra Nevada.

That stage will offer an early insight into the likely contenders for the Vuelta title and should bring an immediate end to Lastras’s hold on the red jersey.

Result
1	Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team	3:58:00
2	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:00:15
3	Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team RadioShack
4	Ruslan Podgornyy (Ukr) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
5	Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale	0:01:43
6	Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team
7	Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
8	Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
9	Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Pro Team Astana
10	Jan Bakelants (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto

GC Overall
1	Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team	8:25:59
2	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:00:20
3	Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team RadioShack	0:01:08
4	Ruslan Podgornyy (Ukr) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team	0:01:24
5	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek	0:01:55
6	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek
7	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:01:59
8	Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
9	Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
10	Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) HTC-Highroad	0:02:04

Mauricio Soler Update (as of 7/20/2011)

I know I should have posted this a week ago, but here is an update on Mauricio Soler, the cyclist who was critically injured during the 2011 Giro d'Italia. The good news is that he is recovering. The bad news is that is is going to be along and slow process.

Soler leaves intensive care unit

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-leaves-intensive-care-unit)

Mauricio Soler has left the intensive care unit at the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra in Pamplona as he continues his recovery from the serious injuries he suffered in a crash at the Tour de Suisse last month.

The Colombian rider sustained head injuries and was placed in an induced coma after he collided with a spectator on stage 6 of the race. Soler spent three weeks in an ICU in St. Gallen, Switzerland, before he was transferred to Pamplona ten days ago.

A statement from his Movistar team said that Soler has experienced “notable improvement” in his condition since his arrival in Spain, although it explained that he will spend “a long period of time” at the medical centre. On Tuesday evening, Soler was moved to a room on the regular medicine floor of the hospital.

“His improvements are slow, but constant and positive,” Movistar doctor Alfredo Zúñiga said. “He already recognises the people from his environment and has started talking. You can keep short conversations with him. He's still really tired, and that's normal due to the magnitude of the blow he suffered, but his progress is good, especially during this last week.”

Just days before his accident, Soler won stage two of the Tour de Suisse to Crans-Montana, dedicating his victory to his late teammate Xavier Tondo.

Update on Juan Mauricio Soler

Thoughts and prayers continue to Soler as we find out more of his situation. As always I did not write this article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-being-brought-out-of-coma?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

Colombian Juan Mauricio Soler is being brought out of the medically-induced coma he was placed in following his crash in the Tour de Suisse last Thursday.

Doctors say the process of waking him up will take several days, and they will not have a clear picture of whether or not he has suffered lasting brain damage until later this week.

"A magnetic resonance scan of the brain today showed several micro injuries that had been expected considering the seriousness of the fall," said Dr. Roger Lussmann, the chief surgeon at the Swiss St. Gallen hospital told the Associated Press.

"It is too early to say which functional effects these structural injuries have."

Soler was lying in second overall before he crashed 33km into stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse when he hit a curb and flew into a fence, striking a spectator at the same time.

He was diagnosed with a fractured skull and placed in a medically-induced coma for treatment. He also suffered a broken ankle and punctured lung. Dr. Lussmann said his condition is stable, and his injuries are healing as expected.

Soler is one of several riders who have suffered serious head injuries in recent years, even in spite of UCI regulations requiring helmets.

Saul Raisin suffered lasting damage which ended his professional career at the 2006 Circuit de la Sarthe. Rabobank's Kai Reus crashed in training in 2007 and was in an induced coma for 12 days. He returned to racing a year later. Kurt Hovelijnck was on the Quick Step team when he suffered a brain injury in a training crash in 2009. He suffered resumed racing the following year.

UPDATED ON 6/21/11:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mauricio-solers-life-no-longer-in-danger

"It can be said that he’s no longer in a life-threatening situation,” the Movistar team doctor Alfredo Zúñiga said in a statement.

“He has begun to make slight movements and tests seem to rule out spinal injury, although this depends on further tests. Now we have to see the evolution of possible neurological damage, a process which needs time. The cerebral edema is subsiding, the intracranial pressure is declining.

“Mauricio is still in the intensive care unit and he will stay there for several days.”

Cyclists vs. Spectators

Soler Airlifted From Tour de Suisse After Crash

(Updated: Colombian suffers severe head trauma and multiple fractures)

Movistar's Juan Mauricio Soler has crashed out of the Tour de Suisse on the 157.7km sixth stage from Tobel-Tägerschen to Triesenberg/Malbun. The Colombian collided with a spectator and was airlifted from the course with a suspected fractured skull and has been placed in a medically induced coma, according to Reuters. The spectator suffered minor injuries.

According to information provided by his Movistar team, Soler's initial medical tests confirmed a severe head trauma with a cerebral edema and multiple fractures and bruising. He is being treated in the intensive care unit of the hospital, where doctors will carry out further tests to check the progress of his injuries.

Doctors placed him in a medically induced coma in order to perform surgery on his fractured skull. "He has serious injuries, but we can not say now if his life is in danger," said Dr. Robert Kretsch.

Soler was lying in second overall on the general classification at the time of his accident, 54 seconds behind race leader Damiano Cunego.

The crash came four days following Soler's stage victory on Crans-Montana, which he dedicated to his fallen teammate Xavier Tondo, who died in a freak accident at his home in Spain.

Soler's collision came 33km into the stage, and race organisers neutralised the race while doctors attended to him. The race was re-started at kilometre 46.

Note: The above article was directly copied from the linked site. I did not write this article. (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/soler-airlifted-from-tour-de-suisse-after-crash?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0)

My thoughts:

This isn't the first major crash of the season, and the Tour de France is just over 2 weeks away. Last month we lost Belgian Wouter Weylandt in a fatal crash during the Giro d'Italia on a massive descent. Now, in Soler's case, he collided with a spectator. Mountains and spectators are always going to be a part of cycling races, and while one can't move out of the way for a rider, the other one can.

Spectators have become less respectful to riders in the years that I've been watching cycling races. Thor Hushovd had a run in with one in the final kilometer sprint a few years ago in the Tour de France. The spectator was holding a plastic hand over the guard rail, and it scraped up Hushovd's arm.

I think the UCI needs to do something before there are more grievous incidents: either widen the road that the race is on, or put up better barriers to keep spectator's arms and other objects away from the cyclists so that the above stories and picture don't continue to happen.