Just a word on Michele Scarponi. He was rumbled for involvement in Operation Puerto and suspended for two years. I have some sympathy for him as unlike many others, he confessed and took a ban. All whilst he was on a team programme: he was busted and banned yet few team mates got the same … Read more
In a series of pieces on life outside cycling, “Out of Competition”, here is another piece. Once someone has started a career and its working out, many think about buying a house. But if this applies to normal folk, many pros can forget about this since their job is not normal, they will be refused … Read more
Before the Giro sections of the Italian media were asking why Cofidis and Bbox were starting the Italian tour. After all, like Cervélo Test Team and BMC, both squads no longer have a ProTour licence but they don’t have a GT contender. “Shouldn’t spare places go to Italian teams?” asked some? Certainly I would not … Read more
I wrote about the rumours of Cancellara’s electric bike and it’s been one of the most popular postings here. Now further rumours of “motorised doping” exist. A TV report on Italian channel RAI, who cover the Giro, describes how their commentator tried the system. See for yourself here, it is part of the report (in … Read more
Weather permitting, the Giro’s going up the Mortirolo pass today. Just the name is bad, morte means death in Italian, the name seems derived from sinister meaning. It’s a very difficult climb, the Passo del Mortirolo has sections at 22%. The Giro only went over the climb for the first time in 1990. In 1994, … Read more
Does the bio passport work? This is actually a question suitable for a doctorate thesis. So instead I’ll keep it concise, have a look at this statement from the UCI: “Once a rider is included in the biological passport program, it will become impossible for him to escape detection if he uses blood or steroid … Read more
Here are the results from the Elite XC race of the MTB World Cup at Offenback. More details of the racing can be found here. But look closely at the results. First in 10th place is a familiar name to me, that of Lejarreta. Iñaki Lejarreta is a MTB rider but he is the son … Read more
Here’s Dutch band, the Gasoline Brothers. Twitter user Porkodio wrote this morning “How did I miss this” and well I feel the same. It seems the band are big cycling fans. Note the lyrics at the start of the track: Think it through, to stay at homeAnd Watch the mountain stage, on a school day … Read more
Damien Monier should never have won today’s stage of the Giro. It was Tristan Valentin’s late withdrawal that saw Monier was drafted in with just three days to go. No matter, Monier said after the stage that he was feeling strong for the third week. Twice a pursuit champion of France, Monier is from Clermont-Ferrand, … Read more
Footon-Servetto don’t get the best of press. The team is the successor to the disgraced Saunier Duval outfit, it has the worst kit in the bunch and its riders seem like pack fodder. Except for one. Fabio Felline. He’s 20 years old and from Turin. The young rider had a very promising amateur career, often … Read more