Frank Schleck Let Go

Okay, you all know how I feel about the Schleck Brothers, so I'm sure you think I'm biased. I probably am, but I'm still not sure why Radioshack Leopard Trek let Frank Schleck go 11 and a half months into his 12 month suspension. Shouldn't this have happened last July? Or maybe not at all?

Alberto Contador wasn't let go from his team when he came back from his doping suspension. Neither was Christian Vande Velde, although Garmin is built around a strict anti-doping program. But yet, Frank Schleck is. I'm guessing because Radioshack was Lance Armstrong's former team, and they are still trying to clean up from that. Although from what I am reading, Leopard is the one that actually dropped Frank, as that is the sponsor that holds the UCI WorldTour license. However, when Trek picks it up next year, there is a possibility that they could re-sign Frank.

Fabian Cancellara has already committed to 3 years with Trek, and with him on the team, I don't see any reason that Andy Schleck wouldn't want to be there. And we all know that the brothers can't be broken up, so I can see Trek wanting to re-sign Frank.

I've seen rumors (or so I hope that they are just rumors) that the brothers are going to sign with Omega Pharma-Quickstep, becoming teammates with Mark Cavendish. As much as I have grown to love Cavendish, I don't think the team can have both Schlecks and Cavendish. Isn't that why Cav left Team Sky? There was no room for a sprinter on a team build around GC contenders.

I guess we just have to wait to see what 2014 brings.

Frank Schleck sacked by RadioShack-Leopard with immediate effect

(http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/12040/8806128/Frank-Schleck-told-RadioShack-Leopard-will-not-welcome-him-back-after-doping-ban)

The Luxembourg rider had been due to return from a doping suspension on July 14, but team owners Leopard have decided to terminate his contract.

However, with Leopard finishing their association with the team at the end of this season, Schleck could rejoin the set-up under its new owners and title sponsor, Trek, for the 2014 campaign.

A team statement read: "With the end of Frank Schleck's suspension approaching, Leopard and its partners have assessed the situation in view of a possible renewal of the collaboration with him.

"Having finalised this assessment in a broad and objective way, Leopard has decided to not renew the collaboration between Frank Schleck and the RadioShack Leopard Trek cycling team. Leopard wishes Frank Schleck a successful continuation of his career."

Schleck tested positive for Xipamide at the 2012 Tour de France and was banned for 12 months.

Leopard have sold their UCI WorldTour licence to the Trek Bicycle Company for 2014.

They have already announced Fabian Cancellara will be part of the team after agreeing terms on a reported three-year deal earlier this week.

Katusha's Good News / Gilbert's Goals This Spring

With the future of Katusha unknown, Joaquim Rodriguez said earlier this week that he would be looking for another team. The team lost WorldTour status, and because of that lost bids in many of the upcoming races. In order to ride in the Tour de France, Rodriguez was going to switch teams.

However, thankfully the Court of Arbitration heard Katusha's appeal and returned a verdict in favor of the team. However, the question that is no on everyone's minds is, will 19 teams be allowed to have WorldTour status or will another team get cut so that the 18 teams remain?

Rodriguez happy to stay at Katusha after CAS verdict

Joaquim Rodriguez finished third on stage five at the Tour of Oman but hugged his Katusha directeur sportif Valerio Piva as if he had won, after hearing that the Russian team had won it's appeal to the Court of Arbitration and secured its return to the UCI WorldTour.

Rodriguez and Piva refused to confirm their good news, under strict orders not to talk by the team's management, but the big smiles and hugs between the riders and staff as they whispered the news, made it clear that Katusha had finally received some good news.

Since being turned down for a WorldTour spot by the UCI Licence Commission on December 10, the team's future has been up in the air. 

It was granted a provisional Professional Continental licence so it could compete but the team had been snubbed for wild invitations to the Giro d'Italia, Paris-Nice, the Criterium du Dauphine, and most recently the Tour de Romandie.

On Thursday night, Rodriguez confirmed that he would leave Katusha if the team failed to secure a WorldTour place. He is determined to ride the Tour de France and was unwilling to let the team's problems impact on his season.

Fortunately the team's future now appears safe. Rodriguez's contract with the team is valid and he insisted he was happy to continue racing in the red and white Katusha colours.

"I'm happy to stay with the Katusha team because I've been in the team for several years now. The team has given me a lot and I've given a lot to the team. This is the best possible solution for everyone," Rodriguez said in a hastily arranged press conference in the permanence of the Tour of Oman.

"In the days before the verdict, we were optimistic and we always believed we'd win, even if it wasn't our decision to make and even if we'd never understood the reason why we were left out of the UCI WorldTour."

"I'll admit it, I was worried about my future, even if I knew I'd have ridden the Tour de France in one way or another. Now my race programme won’t change. I'll ride Tirreno-Adriatico, then the Volta a Catalunya, go for a spell of training at altitude on Mount Teide, and then the Ardennes Classics."

Piva echoed Rodriguez's sentiments of relief and satisfaction. The Italian is highly respected in the sport but had been struggling to keep morale up in the team and struggled to convince organisers to invite the team to key races.

Now it seems Katusha and six other team that applied for a WorldTour licence will have to go through the selection process with the Licence Commission. Rather than eliminate another team from the WorldTour, Rodriguez believes the sensible solution is to allow 19 teams to be part of the 2013 WorldTour.

"I hope another team doesn't have to go through what we've been through and so perhaps the best solutions is to allow 19 teams in the WorldTour," he said.

"That would be fair even if it caused some problems by raising the number of riders in the peloton and on the roads. It'd be worth it and much fairer all round."

"I'm sick of everyone talking about all the problems in our sport. There are still a lot of good things going on. I'd much prefer if we could talk about the Tour of Oman and the Volta ao Algarve, or the Vuelta a Andalucía. At least now I can look ahead to the rest of the season, knowing that goal for the year are safe and that the future of the team is safe."

 

After a fantastic 2011, and a not so good 2012, Phillipe Gilbert is ready to take on the Spring Classics. It doesn't seem to phase him that there are riders better than him at the moment, but he knows he'll be ready, in top form, by the time the time the Ardennes come up.

Gilbert building his form for a long assault at the spring classics

At the Tour of Oman, Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) has stood out more for his rainbow jersey than for his results but he has dismissed off any doubts about his form and is convinced he will be a contender in the spring Classics, from Milan-San Remo until Liège-Bastogne- Liège.

Gilbert is always polite and professional, but he is more protective of his time and privacy after the scrutiny and thousands of questions, especially in Belgium, about his difficult 2012 season. He answers further questions about last year but they clearly touch a nerve.

"There's been a lot of talk about my spring season last year but it's only three months in a career of ten years. I have nothing to complain about," Gilbert said, firing a warning shot while speaking to the media, including Cyclingnews, at the Tour of Oman.

"I was there in the finale in almost every classic but everyone said things were very bad. But bad is when you get dropped and climb off in races. I was not that bad and got better week after week. Eventually my best form came back."

Gilbert concedes that his hugely successful 2011 season left him tired for 2012. Poor results in 2012 were the price he paid for his long run of victories in 2011, although he recovered his powers sufficiently to win the world championships in Valkenburg in September.

"Maybe in life you only have one big season and perhaps it was 2011 for me," he said.

"But it was also long season: I did all the classics, rode the Tour de France and went for the green jersey, I was at full gas everyday but then I never rested afterwards because I won the WorldTour. After the Tour de France I targeted San Sebastian, the Eneco Tour, the Canadian races and the Worlds. I think it was too much for one person and I needed a few months to recover from it."

To avoid the constant scrutiny of 2012 and avoid having to chase his fitness, Gilbert started his season at the Tour Down Under. Stage races are key building blocks as he prepares for the Classics.

"My form's not bad for the moment. I'm not good enough to win, but I'm not unfit. I had a good winter and I'm riding some stage races like Tour Down Under, now Oman and then Paris-Nice, to get better and better every week.

"I feel ready and on track. The intention is to be at my best for the classics. The season is becoming longer and longer in cycling, but it's difficult if you have to chase your form. Last season I was in that position and never managed to catch up."

Goal for 2013: Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders

Gilbert is one of few riders who has the ability and characteristics to win on the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders and the steep climbs of the Ardennes.

He will target every classic except Paris-Roubaix but has set himself a special goal.

"It'd be special to win one of the classics I've still to win: Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders," he said.

"My classics campaign is very long but I think you can win 'La Primavera' even if you're not at your best. Everything depends on the wind. With a tailwind (on the late Capi climbs) you have a far better chance. When a headwind becomes a factor, then everyone just stays on the wheels."

Gilbert is not worried or interested by possible rivals such as Mark Cavendish or Peter Sagan, who was far better than the Belgian in Oman and won two stages before pulling out with a sore throat.

"There are twenty riders who can win Sanremo. It's not a good idea to focus on what he (Cavendish) has to say," he said.

"I worry about myself. What counts is the shape of your rivals in the week before a big race. I don’t care if Sagan is stronger than me at the moment. If he's still stronger than me at Flèche Brabançonne (on April 10, just before the Ardennes week) then I have a problem. But that will not be the case."

 

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."

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.”

15 - June - 2012 - Daily News

I know I am a little late getting this out, but I didn't get home last night until after midnight.

Lots of interesting news today, um yesterday: the Time Trial in the Tour de Suisse, Frank Schleck speaks out about Andy, SaxoBank's UCI points, the American Olympics Road Race and Time Trial selections, and of course, the ungoing USADA investigation.

June 15, Stage 7: Gossau (ITT) 34.3km

Kessiakoff wins time trial in Gossau

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-suisse-2012/stage-7/results)

Fredrik Kessiakoff of Astana was the surprise winner of the Tour de Suisse stage seven time trial in Gossau. The 32-year-old Swede beat local favourite Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) by less than two seconds on the 34.3km course. Maxime Monfort, also of RadioShack-Nissan, was third at 20 seconds.

Rui Costa of Movistar Team defended his overall lead, finishing eighth at 41 seconds down. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) moved up second place, 0:50 down, with Robert Gesink (Rabobank) now in third at 55 seconds. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) is fourth, and Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) fell from second to fifth.

Just over 30 minutes after the start Cancellara set sail in bright sunshine across a course that was not without its undulations, tight turns and challenges. The Swiss fans had turned out in force to cheer on their hero, who has suffered an up and down year that was interrupted by the broken collarbone he suffered at the Tour of Flanders on April 1.
The Swiss star posted a searingly fast time of 46:38 and the home fans must have thought that it was untouchable. But half an hour later the home crowd was silenced when Kessiakoff shaved two seconds off Cancellara’s time with an astonishing performance.

The four-time Swedish champion flew home over the race’s final sector to bridge the gap and put himself at the top of the leaderboard. It was a position that he didn’t surrender for the remainder of day. With just two seconds between them, Cancellara and Kessiakoff were head and shoulders above the rest. Their nearest pursuer, Monfort, was a further 18 seconds behind in third.

When the crowd’s shock had subsided they turned their attentions to the battle for the yellow jersey. Less than 30 seconds separated the top ten at the start of the day and the chances of big swings in the standings were high. With no obvious time trial trailblazers among them, but plenty of solid pace, the final half hour of racing provided plenty of talking points.

In the end the big winners were Gesink, Kreuziger and Costa. Gesink’s fifth placed finish on the day saw him jump from 19th position to third, while Kreuziger was able to leapfrog a disappointing Frank Schleck into 2nd.

But it was Costa, who many thought could be under threat from the challenge of teammate Valverde, let alone the rest of the top ten, who produced the third headline effort of the day after Kessiakoff and Cancellara by finishing in eighth place and extending his lead at the top of the GC to 50 seconds.

The Portuguese rider is now well placed for the challenges of Saturday and Sunday and will be quietly hopeful of holding on to the yellow jersey and securing victory. Though with the race heading into the Alps for a brutal final pair of stages, both Costa and his team will have to work cleverly and economically to preserve his lead.

Full Results

1	Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana	0:46:36
2	Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan	0:00:02
3	Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan	0:00:20
4	Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat	0:00:25
5	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:00:27
6	Tanel Kangert (Est) Pro Team Astana	0:00:34
7	Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan	0:00:38
8	Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team	0:00:41
9	Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma - QuickStep	0:00:43
10	Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:51

I'm not surprised that the older Schleck brother is "dissapointed" that Andy isn't riding. And to be quite honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Frank doesn't end up finishing the Tour:

Fränk Schleck sorry not to have brother Andy at the Tour de France

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/frank-schleck-sorry-not-to-have-brother-andy-at-the-tour-de-france)

For the first time in five years, the Schleck brothers will not be together at the start of the Tour de France. With Andy Schleck out due to injuries, Fränk Schleck must face the Tour alone, “but this belongs to the rider's life.”

The younger Schleck announced on Wednesday that he had suffered a fractured sacral bone in his pelvis in a crash at the Tour de Suisse, and would not be able to ride the Tour.  He was to have been the team captain for RadioShack-Nissan.

“This shows once again that we do not always master the situation," Fränk Schleck said, according to sporza.be.

“Of course I would rather have Andy at my side, but this belongs to the rider's life. His forfeit is disappointing for him, for me, for the whole team. But at the same time we must not speak of a disappointment.

"What his absence will mean for me? I haven't had time to think about that.  I've heard from Andy a few times, but we didn't talk about my Tour.”

This is a tough topic for me. I feel like the UCI has every right to take away a rider's earned UCI point when he (or she) gets suspended for illegal substances. However, I still believe Contador is innocent! Plus, like Riis states, this is a new rule, that only went into effect afterward.

UCI re-confirms that Contador's points won't count for Saxo Bank

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-re-confirms-that-contadors-points-wont-count-for-saxo-bank)

The UCI is standing firm that any points Alberto Contador earns for Team Saxo Bank in 2012 and 2013 will not count towards the team's ranking. A UCI spokesman said that the issue is not up for discussion.

Contador's doping-related ban ends in August, and it has already been announced that he will re-join Saxo Bank.
Bjarne Riis apparently thought that the matter would be discussed at today's UCI board meeting in Salzburg, Austria, but UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani denied that.

“The matter with Contador is not on the agenda, and there are no plans to change anything in relation to what we previously announced,” he told tv2sport.dk.

“Just because the rule is discussed, it does not mean that the rule is changed. There are different opinions about it here, but the rule still applies.”

The UCI points are used to determine the level of a team's licence. Currently Saxo Bank is ranked last of the 18 WorldTour teams. The rule went into effect after Contador was found to have violated the anti-doping rules, and so Riis argues that it does not apply to him. He has previously indicated that he is willing to take the matter to the Court of Arbitraiton for Sport.

Although I was really hoping for "Captain America" on the American Olympic team, I think the USA Cycling chose very well. My support is fully behind Tyler Farrar for the Road Race and of course Taylor Phinney for the Time Trail. Of course, I'd like to see any of my favorites win as well, but as and American, I feel I have to root for my country in the Olympics. 

USA Cycling announces Olympic Games road team selections

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/usa-cycling-announces-olympic-games-road-team-selections)

USA Cycling today announced the nine members of the road squad which will contest the Olympic Games in London this summer, featuring five men and four women.

On the men’s side, all five nominations were discretionary picks as no men’s road athletes met the automatic criteria.
A Tour de France stage winner and one of the world’s fastest finishers, Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) will make his Olympic debut in the London road race after finishing 10th at last year’s world championships.

Following a win at the 2011 Tour of California and second place results at this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta al País Vasco, Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) will bring experience to the American squad who will be looking for strong leadership in an event which restricts the use of race radios.

At 24 years of age, Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) has accrued top five overall results at Paris-Nice, the Criterium du Dauphine, the Amgen Tour of California and the USA Pro Challenge and, along with current USA Cycling Professional Road National Champion Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), will also join the team as a discretionary nominee.

Farrar, Horner, Van Garderen and Duggan will be joined by Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) who, in addition to contesting the mass start road race, will also compete in the time trial. The youngest member of the men’s road race squad, Phinney will return for his second Olympic Games after finishing seventh in the individual pursuit on the track in 2008. Phinney proved his form this spring by wearing the pink race leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia and finishing in the top 15 at Paris-Roubaix.

Since no men’s road race athletes met the automatic criteria to compete in the individual time trial, Phinney received a discretionary nomination to fill the United States’ sole start position in the race against the clock. A former junior time trial world champion and one of the United States’ most talented up-and-coming time trialists, Phinney earned the prologue win against the world’s best in this season’s first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia.

With the maximum number of start spots raised from three to four for the women’s road race, four women will represent the United States in the Olympic road race for the first time ever. After winning the UCI Women’s World Cup #4, La Flèche Wallonne, and remaining inside the top 10 in the World cup standings, Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) earned an automatic nomination to the women’s road race squad. Shelley Olds (AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team) helped secure her nomination after riding to victory at the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup #5 in China.

Kristin Armstrong (Exergy TWENTY12) and Amber Neben (Specialized-lululemon) will join Stevens and Olds for the road race and will also contest the time trial as discretionary picks. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist, Armstrong proved to be one of the most dominant time trialists in the world in 2012, winning all eight international-caliber time trials she entered. Neben has also posted consistent top-level time trial results this season, including a gold medal at the Pan American Continental Championships.

Men's road cycling: Timmy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda), Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan), Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) – road race & time trial , Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)

Women's road cycling: Kristin Armstrong (Exergy TWENTY 12) – road race & time trial, Amber Neben (Specialized-lululemon) – road race & time trial, Shelley Olds (AA Drink - Leontien.nl Cycling Team), Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon)

Phinney admits he is a "gamble" for Olympic selectors

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/phinney-admits-he-is-a-gamble-for-olympic-selectors)

Taylor Phinney "definitely" had doubts over his selection in the US five-man road team for the London Olympic Games, especially when it came to who would race the 44km individual time trial on August 1.

"When it comes down to a selection committee you never really know," he told Cyclingnews from Boulder. "I was more confident about being part of the road race than about the time trial just because I'm one of the only guys in the US that can help Tyler Farrar in the final."

Phinney goes so far as to admit that his selection is a "gamble" but given he won't be lining up for BMC Racing Team at the Tour de France, believes that fresh legs will be heavily in his favour and may have had a considerable bearing on his being named in the five-man US team.

The 21-year-old got the nod for the race against the clock over Dave Zabriskie, 11 years his senior. With no US men's road cyclist meeting the automatic selection criteria for the Games, the eight-man committee chose Phinney for his medal potential. It will be his second Olympic Games appearance, having represented his country on the track in Beijing in 2008 where he finished seventh in the individual pursuit. In 2010, Phinney won the under 23 individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Geelong – a performance that would have gone a long way in the selector's minds – along with the recent Giro d'Italia. Racing at elite level at last year's world championships in Copenhagen, Phinney finished 15th, while Zabriskie didn't compete.

"Dave has been a time trialling idol of mine since I started this sport," Phinney stated. "He's been around; he's been a very good time triallist for a very, very long time. So if they [the selectors] had chosen him I would have fully respected that and definitely understood because of his pedigree. They did it, they chose me and I'm happy to take that burden and that responsibility and see what comes of it."

Phinney is yet to do any reconnaissance over either the road race or the time trial course, relying only on Google Maps but he believes that with the right preparation, he can zero in on a result.

"My confidence and my abilities will grow as the days and the weeks pass by coming up to the Olympics," he explained. "I went into the Giro prologue knowing that I had a very good chance of winning. I knew that I had the physical capacity to win that first stage and I did and that's because that's what I trained for and that's what I prepared for.

"Now that I know that I'm going [to the Olympic Games] I have this time to really focus on my longer time trialling skills and my ability to put out a very large amount of power for a very long amount of time. I'm not going to shoot off from here on June 15th and I'm not going to say that I'm going to go out there and win a gold medal, but I think as we get closer and as my training is ramping up and my confidence is building, that once I get there I have a shot."

When it comes to Tyler Farrar's chances on the 240km road race, Phinney is undecided as to whether it is indeed a sprinter's course. Looking at the race favourite, Great Britain's Mark Cavendish, Phinney noted that it took nine men to keep the Copenhagen world championship race together.

"I think it could be sort of either way," he told Cyclingnews. "I don't think the circuit is as hard as Geelong, I think it's easier than that but at the same time with five-man teams that changes a lot... Also we don't even have radios, do we? There's a lot of different variables... it will be difficult to race that's for sure."

And now we come to the USADA investigation, where we still know as little as the people being investigated:

Armstrong frustrated by lack of information from USADA

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-frustrated-by-lack-of-information-from-usada)

Lance Armstrong has taken to twitter to air his frustration at not being informed of the exact nature of the allegations at the heart of the charges laid by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Armstrong, along with long-time team manager, Johan Bruyneel, Dr. Pedro Celaya, Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral, Dr. Michele Ferrari and Dr. Pepe Marti are alleged to have "engaged in a massive doping conspiracy from 1998-2011" with USADA citing the testimony of more than 10 cyclists.

In the letter sent to the accused on Tuesday and released by the Wall Street Journal, USADA says Armstrong used EPO, blood transfusions, testosterone, corticosteroids and masking agents as well as distributed them and administered them to others. Armstrong it appears, wants more detail in order to respond properly.

"Dear @usantidoping - we have now sent you THREE letters requesting all the relevant info in order for me to respond to your 'review board'," the seven-time Tour de France winner wrote on his twitter feed.

Bruyneel has also responded saying he was "dismayed" at the allegations.

"Following a Department of Justice Grand Jury investigation, no charges were filed against me," the Belgian said on his personal website. "It cannot be right that I or anyone else can be pursued from court to court simply because our accusers do not like the decisions made along the way and so attempt to find a court which will get them the result they want."

According to USADA protocol, USADA will also make a written submittal to its Anti-Doping Review Board regarding the doping allegations. The Anti-Doping Review Board will decide if there's sufficient evidence to proceed with adjudication process and the respondents have a right to a hearing if proceedings advance beyond Anti-Doping Review Board. A hearing date should take place prior to November, 2012.

Bruyneel asserts innocence regarding USADA doping allegations

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bruyneel-asserts-innocence-regarding-usada-doping-allegations)

Johan Bruyneel, who along with Lance Armstrong plus four other doctors and trainers from the United States Postal Service team are the target of a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation, today released a statement proclaiming his innocence of all charges.

"I have never participated in any doping activity and I am innocent of all charges," read a statement on Bruyneel's personal website. "I am dismayed that once again doping allegations have been raised against me, this time by USADA.
"Following a Department of Justice Grand Jury investigation, no charges were filed against me. It cannot be right that I or anyone else can be pursued from court to court simply because our accusers do not like the decisions made along the way and so attempt to find a court which will get them the result they want."

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, June 13, on a copy of a 15-page letter sent by USADA to Lance Armstrong and five others, including Bruyneel, in which they are accused of a doping conspiracy. USADA alleges that Bruyneel, Armstrong's team director for all seven of the Texan's Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005, committed violations including possession of prohibited substances and/or methods (including EPO, blood transfusions and related equipment, testosterone, hGH, corticosteroids and masking agents); trafficking of the aforementioned prohibited substances; administration and/or attempted administration of prohibited substances; and assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and other complicity involving one or more anti-doping rule violations.

Bruyneel has the right to file a written statement to the USADA Anti-Doping Review Board by June 22, 2012 regarding the allegations in the USADA letter.

According to USADA protocol, USADA will also make a written submittal to its Anti-Doping Review Board regarding the doping allegations. The Anti-Doping Review Board will decide if there's sufficient evidence to proceed with adjudication process and the respondents have a right to a hearing if proceedings advance beyond Anti-Doping Review Board. A hearing date should take place prior to November, 2012

"I shall of course cooperate fully with the investigation, although I have no doubt the end result will be the same as all the other investigations over the years," said Bruyneel.

Meanwhile, the RadioShack-Nissan team, of which Bruyneel is a general manager, issued a statement on Friday regarding the USADA investigation in which it distances itself from the allegations. "LEOPARD S.A. (with its cycling team known as RadioShack Nissan Trek) takes note that none of the investigated facts relate to its cycling team, to its riders or to the present activities of Mr Bruyneel within the LEOPARD S.A. structure," said the team in a press release. "Indeed, these alleged facts report exclusively to events that took place prior to the start of the collaboration between LEOPARD S.A. and Mr Bruyneel.

"LEOPARD S.A. stepped into cycling with the firm commitment of actively promoting a zero doping policy. In this context, and in the light of the possible development of the case, LEOPARD S.A. will take all appropriate measures, in order to guarantee its sporting integrity and the general interest of cycling."

RadioShack-Nissan's tale of woe continues

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/radioshack-nissans-tale-of-woe-continues)

The crisis around RadioShack-Nissan continues to grow amid reports of delayed salary payments, a possible revoked invitation for the Tour de France and rumours that Fränk and Andy Schleck may leave the team.

The latter two possibilities are related to Johan Bruyneel's involvement in the USADA's Lance Armstrong investigation. The RadioShack team manager faces up to a lifetime ban if he is found to have violated the anti-doping regulations.

The team has not responded to Cyclingnews' requests for comments, and neither the team nor Bruyneel has publicly commented on the situation. The Luxembourg website wort.lu reported that the UCI on Thursday told Bruyneel that he must report to them on his position.

The French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported on Friday that the Schleck brothers are preparing to leave the team. Their lawyer is said to have already started negotiations with the directors of other teams over contracts for the next season.

In addition, French website rmcsport.fr reports that Tour organizer ASO may cancel the team's invitation to the Tour in light of Bruyneel's involvement. Race director Christian Prudhomme would neither confirm not deny that to the French website.

The Schleck brothers do not have a good relationship with team financier Flavio Becca, according to wort.lu. The Luxembourg businessman's firm Leopard S.A., which is responsible for the team, was late in paying May salaries, reported Blick.ch. Becca is further said to be involved in a governmental scandal, and to be under investigation for tax problems and/or embezzlement. Becca, who is also said to be heavily in debt, had his house and business searched by the police last year.

The only piece of good news for the Schlecks is that they have both been nominated to the Luxembourg Olympic team. Andy Schleck has had to withdraw from the Tour de France squad with a fractured pelvic bone, but will be able to ride again in the Olympic road race, according to the Luxembourg media.