BiciRace.com :: News :: April 2005

News :: April 2005

17 April 2005

Monday: A Day Of Announcements

An arbitration panel in Denver, Colorado is expected to announce its decision Monday regarding Tyler Hamilton's blood doping case. The case stems from last year's positive test for alleged blood transfusion during the Vuelta a España.

Olympic champion, Tyler Hamilton, has stated his innocence from the start. Fighting the USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) and training at the same time, Tyler expects a favorable result and a return to racing, perhaps even at the Tour of Georgia on Tuesday.

Monday is also the day of the Lance Armstrong "press-conference", which has many wondering what the long-awaited news will be. Whatever Lance's news is, it will surely add some extra spark to the start of the Tour of Georgia. Retirement, Giro d'Italia, new wrist bands...the rumors run wild.

BiciRace.com will keep you in the loop as it happens on Monday.

T-Mobile Preview Amstel Gold Race

Vino Leads, photo: T-Mobile Team

Saturday afternoon Vinokourov, Zabel and the T-Mobile team scouted some of the Amstel Gold Race's key-climbs. Alexander Vinokourov said "It's not really my race. In fact, Liège-Bastogne-Liège next week suits me better. I don't really like the roads here so well. But today we went over the climb, where I attacked two years ago. It gave me a good feeling." Good luck to Vino and the T-Mobile boys.

A Plaza Win

Ruben Plaza (Comunidad Valenciana), who had a fine run in Paris-Nice, took the mountain TT stage in yesterday's Vuelta a Aragón. Plaza finished ahead of mountain-man Charly Wegelius (Liquigas-Bianchi). Read more about Charly in the BiciRace.com interview.

The stage was an 11.2 K test that was coated in bad weather. Plaza battled wind and some snow for the stage win and overall win. Plaza now has a 20 second lead over Luis Perez (Cofidis), and 21 seconds over Charles Wegelius. Tomorrow is the last stage, and the overall standings are subject to change due to the Cat. 1 Alto de Aguarón.

Notable rider, Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile), rode his second stage race of 2005, and finished a 1'50" down on Plaza.

GC:
1 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana
2 Luis Perez (Spa) Cofidis, 0.20
3 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas-Bianchi, 0.21

88th Giro d'Italia

The 88th Giro d'Italia flourishes with all the beauty of a grand tour. The race consists of 20 seriously long, challenging and diverse stages. Beginning in the hot and mellow South, the race moves to the mountainous and the painful North. The final stage will end in Milano, where the next great champion will wear the pink winner's jersey (la maglia rosa). Read more.

16 April News ...