Alberto Contador is set to be cleared by the Spanish cycling federation, the RFEC. His defence has rested on two factors: The quantity of Clenbuterol detected was too small to have a performance enhancement. The principle of “strict liability” in the anti-doping rules is unreasonable. Yet these rules have no minimum tolerance for Clenbuterol and … Read more
Fans of cycling have every right to feel a bit hard done by right now. But it’s not all bad news. I bring you David Moncoutié and his win on Mont Faron, taking the stage and the overall of the Tour Méditerranéen. He joined Cofidis it first started in 1997 and has been with the … Read more
With the internet swirling with rumours about Contador being cleared, a quick post to state a few points. On a point of order, it’s all rumours for now. That said when the Spanish media pack starts running in the same direction… As I’ve said before, under the rules Contador needs supply proof to support his … Read more
The case of Alberto Contador’s positive test from the Tour de France is growing in to political debate with some potential long term consequences. It is expected that the “Competition Commission” of the RFEC, Spain’s cycling federation, will meet today to agree their ruling then they will inform Contador. Tomorrow the details will be made … Read more
Nicolas Portal was a rider for Team Sky last year. Towards the end of the season it was announced he was leaving the team, heart problems cut short his racing career. But Sky gave him a management job. An ex-Caisse d’Epargne rider, Portal’s Spanish language skills might have been a clincher given the arrival of … Read more
There are some foods that are particularly European. Maybe people think of fine wine, truffles, baguettes and ravioli. But for cyclists there are some particular foods that stand out. As part of a series about food in Europe for riding, here’s the latest: syrup. Product Description This is syrup made from reduced fruit juice or … Read more
Fans might flick off the TV after watching a stage race but for the riders there are still struggles to overcome. A weak shower on the team bus followed by a long journey and more often than not, a drab hotel with boring food. Hotel accommodation can vary. Even the Tour de France sees teams … Read more
The first summit finish of the season? It depends if you include the Tour of Langkawi but the Tour of the Mediterranean always includes the climb of Mont Faron. Mont Faron is a cliff-like mountain above Toulon, amongst other things base of the French navy. There is a narrow road – so narrow it’s one … Read more
In the English-speaking world it’s rare to find sports radio dedicated to pro cycling. Downloadable podcasts are a good alternative, if not better since you choose when you want to listen. I’ve reviewed several podcasts before, see the list below for the full details, including URLs. A reader was asking for an update to this … Read more
inrng.com, the new home of The Inner Ring started this week but crashed in the neutralised zone. The mechanical’s fixed. But I got a some emails from readers unable to connect. In particular, downloading the audio bonus of Van Poppel’s radio encouragement didn’t work, the server crashing mid-download for several people. So if you missed … Read more