The Court of Arbitration in Sport has delivered its verdict on Alberto Contador. He is suspended for two years with the ban starting on 25 January 2011.
His results in the 2010 Tour de France win are erased and all results obtained since 25 January 2011, including the Giro d’Italia are removed too. Comment and analysis below.
Professional cycling teams are ranked into three tiers. The top level is UCI Pro Team and the 18 teams here have automatic and obligatory access to the big races on the UCI’s World Tour calendar. In addition, there is a range of rules governing these teams that aim to ensure sporting and financial stability.
You’ll find the top-18 teams below, their sponsors explained plus riders and staff listed.
Five moments from 2011. They are a personal choice like any list sometimes you omit more than you include but I’ll explain each moment. They’re presented in no particular order.
What does it feel like to win a big race? Well the video clip above gives you a clue. It is the Tour of Flanders and Nick Nuyens wins for Saxo Bank. The race itself was great to watch, a battle that provide surprises all the way to the finish.
But one addition was the use of cameras inside the team cars. A small innovation, you’d think video footage of a man driving a car would be dull and normally you’d be right. But the cameras caught the action from the Saxo Bank team car with Bjarne Riis and Tristan Hoffman momentarily going beserk with joy.
It seems German electronics manufacturer Siemens will be the replacement sponsor for Saxo Bank. The company will join US IT services company Sungard. EDIT, 11pm Euro time – some questions as to where I’ve got this information from. Well it was mentioned during the TV coverage of today’s stage by France Télévision‘s main cycling commentator … Read more
With the news that the Schleck brothers are to leave Bjarne Riis’s cycling team, time is running out for the Dane to find a new sponsor. The presence of the two lanky brothers is a real draw for any sponsor given the podium potential in the Tour de France. In the short term it’ll be … Read more
Bjarne Riis has been playing his cards close to his chest. Rumours persist that US IT services firm Sungard are set to replace Danish brokerage Saxo Bank as the top sponsor to his team but the deal has yet to be announced. But look online and www.team-sungard.com is registered to a Danish name, Kasper Soerensen. … Read more
Because things don’t always go to plan Following last Sunday’s ride, Fabian Cancellara will start Paris-Roubaix as the nailed on favourite. Not just nailed on, but glued, tied and bound with a toestrap too. But that’s to ignore the beauty of sport and cycling. Sport means the winner is never certain and this holds true … Read more
Photo from Pez. Bedankt! I won’t add to the superlatives the media have been employing to describe Fabian Cancellara’s win on Sunday. Attacking so only Boonen could follow, then dropping the Belgian champion on steepest section of the Kapelmuur and then soloing into the finish: you don’t get better. Instead, just a quick word to … Read more