Tag: Alberto Contador

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The Final Word?

Yes, yes another news story about Alberto Contador, but as the controversy rumbles on for the troubled Spanish rider it seems an end, of sorts, could be in sight. Since testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol, just days before his victory at the 2010 Tour de France, the Saxo Bank-SunGard star was cleared by The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) before that decision was challenged by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Clearly there are many, many acronyms involved…

 

CAS have now issued a brief missive stating that the case will be investigated by a panel of three –  Israel’s Efraim Barak, Switzerland’s Quentin Byrne-Sutton Germany’s Ulrich Haas. In terms of the time-scale for the hearings, the CAS statement concludes: “The written proceedings in this matter are likely to be concluded at the end of May and the CAS envisages to hold a hearing in June 2011, which would allow the settlement of the dispute before the end of June 2011. The hearing date will be published once it has been fixed.”

 

Whilst we are heartened to hear that a conclusion to the case may (or may not) be imminent, Cyclo can’t help feeling that such protracted procrastinations do little for the sport’s image and with the CAS announcement set to be so close to the start of the 2011 Tour de France (July 2) it can do nothing – assuming his innocence – for the preparedness of the defending champion.

 

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Homage to Catalonia

VoltaTriple Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has managed to both maintain and capitalise on the lead he established in last Wednesday’s Andorra mountain stage to bag another overall win at this year’s Tour of Catalonia with a time of 29:24:42. Italy’s Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) finished in second just 23 seconds behind, whilst Team Garmin-Cervelo’s Dan Martin placed third at +35. The seventh and final day/stage of the Tour – Parets del Valles to Barcelona – was won by France’s Samuel Dumoulin with Sky’s Rigoberto Uran in second.

 

Yesterday’s win in Catalonia sees a continuation of an outstanding season for the Spanish rider – he has already scored a win at this year’s Vuelta de Murcia (Tour of Murcia) – despite the controversy over last year’s Tour de France failed drug test still rumbling on.

 

First held in 1911 – and won then as now by a Spaniard (Sebastià Masdeu) – The Tour of Catalonia (“Volta” Ciclista a Catalunya) was celebrating its Centenary edition this year – it’s the third oldest cycling stage race in the world just a year or two off the Tour de France (1903) and Giro d’Italia (1909).

 

For full results see: www.uciworldtour.com

 

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Contador Controversy Rumbles On

As has long been widely anticipated the UCI (International Cycling Union) has confirmed it will be appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after Saxo Bank-SunGard’s rider Alberto Contador was cleared by The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) of doping offences back in February. Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol at last year’s Tour de France, although the Spanish cyclist has always maintained that he accidentally ingested the illegal performance enhancing drug via contaminated meat. If the UCI are successful in overturning the verdict of the RFEC Contador will face a ban of up to 2 years as well as being stripped of his 2010 Tour de France champion title.

 

Undeterred, Contador has gone from strength to strength this season having already won the Vuelta de Murcia (Tour of Murcia) setting a best overall time of 9hours, 27minutes and 18seconds with wins on both day/stage two and three. He is also being touted as favourite for this year’s Giro d’Italia (May 7 -29) having last won the event in 2008, and is currently riding high in the Tour of Catalonia where, after four days of competition, he has retained the leader’s jersey he claimed during day three’s tough Pyrenees stage.

 

The Tour of Catalonia concludes Sunday 27 – Cyclo will bring you full results.

 

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Giro Maxes Out

Giro d'ItaliaWhat could be better than watching 22 teams of top-flight cyclists battling it out over three weeks across some of the most demanding terrain Europe has to offer? How about watching 23 teams do it. The UCI (International Cycling Union) has granted special dispensation to the organisers of this year’s Giro d’Italia – May 7 to 29 – to allow a total of 207 cyclists to start, a record number for the event.

 

The usual suspect first division teams will be joined the wild card selections comprising, Acqua & Sapone, Androni Giocattoli, Colnago-CSF Inox, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli and Geox-TMC, the latter provisionally including 2009 Giro winner Denis Menchov along with 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre. Saxo Bank-SunGard’s Alberto Contador is already being touted as a race favourite (he was Giro winner in 2008), although the possibility of either the UCI or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) overturning the Spanish Cycling Federation’s decision to clear him after he tested positive for the banned drug Clenbuterol still hangs over his head.

 

The Giro begins with Turin Team Time Trials (try saying that three times fast) and will cover a total of 3496km and 17 regions before drawing to a close with Individual Time Trials in Milan over a distance of 32.8km. Amongst the many highlights will be the Mount Etna summit finish after a punishing 159km climb on day 9 and the evil looking uphill Individual Time Trial between Belluno and Nevegal on day 16.

 

 

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Two out of three for Contador

Alberto Contador has won the Vuelta de Murcia (Tour of Murcia) in only his second event since being cleared of doping allegations by the Spanish Cycling Federation. The Tour de France champion, riding for Saxo Bank-SunGard, looked strong from the start of the three-day event in Spain, ultimately setting a best overall time of 9hours, 27minutes and 18seconds win wins on both day/stage two and three.

 

By the end of the mountainous day two Contador already looked close to unstoppable combining a powerful attack on the final climb of the day – the Collado Bermejo – with a heart-stopping descent to the finish line with no holding back when it came to risk taking. Whilst day three’s 12.5km time trial stage gave Contador his second win of three days when he posted a time of 14.10 ahead of Jerome Coppel (+ 0.08) and Dennis Menchov (+ 0.12).

 

With Saxo Bank-SunGard winning two out of the three stages and taking overall victory, plus also topping both point and team classifications, Team sports director, Dan Frost, summed up everyone’s sentiments: “The victory is a relief for him and for the team. His presence alone has an outstanding effect on our younger riders…”

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Contador Returns?

Team Saxo Bank-SunGard’s Alberto Contador has announced that he will return to compete in the Giro d’Italia stage race in May. The Spaniard, often cited as the most talented stage and all-round racer of his generation, has described the race in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, as his, “first big goal of the season.”

 

There are, of course, several obstacles to overcome in the meantime. Although Contador was acquitted by The Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) on February 15 after he tested positive for the banned drug Clenbuterol following last year’s Tour de France, either the International Cycling Union (UCI) or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are still thought likely to appeal the RFEC decision. If they are successful in overturning the verdict Contador will face a ban of up to 2 years and, naturally, the stripping of his 2010 Tour de France title.

 

The Giro d’Italia begins May 7 in Turin with team time trials, finishing 21 days later in Milan with the individual time trials and includes seven mountain stages.