BiciRace.com :: News :: April 2005

News :: April 2005

18 April 2005

Hamilton Receives Two-Year Suspension

Today in Colorado, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced the decision that Tyler Hamilton "committed a doping violation for transfusing another person's blood." The case stems from last year's positive test for alleged blood transfusion during the Vuelta a España (11 September 2004).

For Tyler Hamilton, who is 34, it appears to be the end of his cycling career. He received the maximum two-year suspension for a first-time doping offense. There is no news on any back-dating of the suspension. The USADA statement read that the "period of suspension ends on April 17, 2007."

Tyler's case was referred to USADA by the UCI. Now it is up to USA Cycling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, to carry out the sanction.

Armstrong Announces Retirement

Lance Armstrong (6x Tour de France champion) announced that he will retire on July 24, the day after the Tour de France finishes. In Atlanta, Georgia Armstrong announced that he would not be continuing next year, and will put the breaks on the yellow jersey express after the Tour this year.

Lance Armstrong said in Georgia ... "I have decided the Tour De France will be my last race as a professional cyclist. I have thought a lot about it, I have gone back and forth."

One has to wonder about Lance Armstrong's hunger for a seventh Tour de France victory. Everyone has that feeling, when they are on their last few weeks of a job, and they just don't seem to care. Armstrong says he is "fully committed to winning my seventh tour." It remains to be proven if Lance Armstrong, a campionissimo, will have huge last-day-of-work party in the yellow leader's jersey.

"Una Gara Molto Strana"

Danilo Di Luca with Bianchi, photo: Liquigas-Bianchi

Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) confirms his star status by winning the 40th Amstel Gold Race, in an impressive style. Di Luca was able to beat the Rabobank team, Davide Rebellin, Mirko Celestino and others. Di Luca said after his victory, that the race was "a very strange race." Referring to the low-visibility, humidity, and large pack of finishers.

Di Luca does not underrate this Amstel win or the red-hot season he is enjoying. "The significance of this victory to me? 2004 was the worst year of my career, while this season has begun in a much better manner. I won the Pais Vasco in great condition, racing the TT like has not occurred since I was an amateur."

And can the "killer" win the Amstel-Flèche-Liège triple? "I believe that to repeat the success of Rebellin is really very difficult. After the competition of today I am above all aiming for Liège."

But Liège-Bastogne-Liège always brings out the top riders, many of whom are grand tour contenders. "The level of the participants is really very high, but I will be able to count on the support of an extraordinary squad, today the Liquigas-Bianchi blockade was decisive. I will do everything to win "La Doyenne", it is my dream. Personally I regard it as the most attractive of the classics and it is a course made deliberately for my characteristics."

"I Think That I Was Best"

"I think that I was best," Michael Boogerd said after the race, finishing for the fourth time in second. Boogerd went on to explain Danilo Di Luca's win, "Freire said to me that he was good, consequently I rode for him."

What did Boogerd have to say about yesterday's winner? "Di Luca was not the strongest. That was me. If I had started in the wheel of Di Luca, then perhaps." Regarding Boogerd's second, "Of all second places, this is the most disillusioning"

Merckx On Target For The Ardennes

Axel Merckx (Davitamon-Lotto) after the race ... "I had two times in the brakes during the climbs. And explosiveness is not all my specialty. But I am really satisfied with how I finished. Naturally, I want to be there in La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège."

Davis Scores Win

Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros-Würth) showed his all around abilities by taking the final stage of the Vuelta a Aragón. The stage 5 finish in Illueca was after 139K of hard racing. All of the pure sprinters were dropped out of the picture, but it was the 24 year old sensation, Davis, that was able to polish off the uphill sprint finish.

The Australian achieved his third victory of the season, after two in the Vuelta a Murcia. Allan also won the final points jersey, which he wore for the majority of the race. Ruben Plaza's Comunidad Valenciana team was able to control affairs, keeping him in the action for a nice stage race GC win.

Allan will take some time off and train in Italy, then he will reappear in the Dauphiné Libéré (5 June).

Stage Results, 3'30" :
1 Allan Davis (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
2 Ricardo Serrano (Spa) Kaiku 0.02
3 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
4 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana
5 Jose Luis Carrasco Gamiz (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne 0.04

GC:
1 Ruben Plaza (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana
2 Luis Perez (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone 0.22
3 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas-Bianchi 0.26
4 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Barloworld-Valsir 1.03
5 Javier Pascual Llorente (Spa) Comunidad Valenciana 1.09

17 April News ...