Tag: RadioShack-Nissan

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Frank Schleck Ban

Frank Scleck doping ban out of Tour de FranceRadioShack-Nissan star Frank Schleck looks almost certain to miss this year’s Tour de France after being handed down a one-year, backdated, ban by the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency for failing a routine drugs test at the 2012 event. Schleck, whose teammate and younger brother Andy won the TdF in 2010, was in 12th position when he tested positive for the banned diuretic Xipamide, a result that was roundly confirmed by the failure of his so-called ‘B-test’ two days later. The Luxembourger denied – and indeed continues to deny – knowingly taking the substance and is likely to appeal the decision of his national doping agency to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The backdated ban was declared to have started on July 14, 2012 – the day of Schleck’ failed test.

 

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Further Wait for Frank Schleck

Frank Scleck doping allegations Having faced a further two-hour grilling at the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency (ALAD), Frank Schleck is likely to have to wait another six weeks to discover his fate in relation to his testing positive for Xipamide at this year’s Tour de France. The 32-year-old RadioShack-Nissan rider failed a routine drugs test on July 14 when traces of the diuretic were shown to be present – the drug, used for treating a range of conditions including hypertension is not a performance enhancer nor is specifically mentioned in WADA’s list of banned substances, but it can be used to mask other illegal substances. RadioShack-Nissan withdrew him immediately from the TdF and issued a statement that said: ‘It (Xipamide) is not a product that is present in any of the medicine that the team uses and the reason for the presence of Xipamide in the urine sample of Mr. Schleck is unclear to the team. Therefore, the team is not able to explain the adverse findings at this point. However, the team is fully determined to collaborate with the anti-doping agencies in order to resolve the matter.’

 

Having already appeared before ALAD on August 29 and October 15, Schleck has continued to deny any wrongdoing and maintains he did not take the masking agent.

 

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Cancellara Bounces Back

This year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen was certainly notable for its extensive casualty list and one of the most notable – pre-race favourite Fabian Cancellara who crashed hard at a feed station – has been speaking optimistically from his clinic in Basel, Switzerland. The RadioShack-Nissan rider suffered an agonising quadruple collar bone fracture which surgeons repaired with a pin rather than the more usual plates and screws in order to maintain bone strength once training is able to resume. The team doctor, Andreas Gösele, described the procedure as: ‘…a lot more natural and (one which) doesn’t affect the strength of the bone once the device is removed. The pin will be removed once the fracture is completely healed, at the very earliest in six weeks time. But this is really a small routine operation.’

 

An amazingly upbeat Cancellara added: ‘A crash is part of cycling, and in a way it’s also part of life. I have been working really hard in the last four months to be in the best shape possible for the big races; and I’m confident that I would have performed well. However, I’m glad I only broke my collarbone and that I’m okay for the rest. I’ll be back!’ Indeed the rider hopes to return, at least to ergo-training, within a matter of days with the longer term goal being a full return to competition by May.