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5 August 2006

7 August News ...

Vuelta Unlikely as Basso's Case Moves Forward

Yesterday the anti-doping lawyer for CONI (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano), Franco Cosenza, commenced the examination of the dossier from the Spanish Guardia Civil regarding the position of Ivan Basso in Operación Puerto. CONI and Cosenza were handed the papers from the FCI (Federazione Ciclistica Italiana), who were given the papers from the UCI 31 days after their first request (3 July). The 28 year-old Varesino, suspended 30 June from Team CSC according to the ethical codes of the UCI ProTour, will be summoned to the Olympic Stadium in Roma 29 August.

We reported yesterday that there was the possibility of the Italian Stallion racing in the Vuelta a España, starting 29 August from Málaga. Cosenza has said that he would be available for a possible earlier date if one was requested by Basso and his lawyer, Massimo Martelli. After a meeting on Thursday night, it appears unlikely that Basso or Martelli (of Crema) will rush the case.

The possibility to see the 2006 Giro d'Italia winner race the Vuelta a España are slim to none, even though Basso was listed on the preliminary start list released yesterday by Unipublic (organizers of the Vuelta). We will have to wait for 29 August, when Cosenza can either archive Basso's case or defer it to the disciplinary commission of the FCI.

Read:
Basso Case Arrives in Italy, 4 August
Di Rocco on Basso, 27 July
Operación Puerto: National Federations Receive Names, 26 July
Basso Comments on Spanish Case, 3 July
Operación Puerto: The Dismissed Tour Riders, 30 June
Bam! Tour Shaken and Basso Gone, 30 June
Basso, Ullrich and Others Asked to Leave Tour, 30 June

451 Days Later: Di Luca Races Lazio

It was 451 days ago, 12 May 2005, the Giro d'Italia stage to L'Aquila, when Danilo Di Luca last won a race. A lot has changed since that Giro win; Di Luca of Liquigas spent the winter dreaming of only two goals: the Maglia Rosa of Giro d'Italia overall winner and the World Championships. A out of tune spring spelled disaster for the Giro, and then the Tour de France, but now The Killer has recuperated and is prepared, starting with today's Giro del Lazio, to take the rainbow jersey of World Champion.

"The [day of the] prologue I felt the inability to breathe, getting out of bed and returning straight to bed," recalled Di Luca of his Tour de France. "... [the last stage, stage 2] I said good bye to everyone and then climbed on a airplane for home. I passed three weeks of antibiotics to cancel everything that had made me sick. The first week I was off the bike and then I started fresh, with the fixed objective: The Worlds."

Di Luca, aiming for the Worlds in Salzburg on 24 September, started his return two days ago with the GP Camaiore. "I had good sensations. I still lack a little bit of base and a little bit of brilliance, but I am on a good road."

Today The Killer will race the 196 kilometer Giro del Lazio, followed by tomorrow's Trofeo Matteotti, Due Giorni Marchigiana (8 - 9 August), Clásica San Sebastián (12 August), Vuelta a España (29 August - 3 September) and then the major goal, the World Championship (24 September).

"I am not able to promise anything," said Di Luca, with his usual icy-cold glare, regarding Lazio. "I will continue to try to remain with the front. My objective is to build gradually for the Worlds. But if there is an occasion, I will not be restrained."

"The thing that is missing is a victory," said Di Luca in response to those 451 days. "I was not able to understand why it is has been so long without this happiness. But I have faith. I have the desire. I have the bravery. I have prepared myself to make a grand finale to the season."

Di Luca will be one of a handful of Italians fighting for the right to lead the Squadra Azzurra on the Salzburg roads. For sure, the Killer will not be given sole leadership and will have to share leadership with Paolo Bettini. Franco Ballerini, Italian national DS, will formulate a plan of action to ensure a favorable Worlds for gli Italiani.

"The course will be a nervous, interesting and selective... not very hard," said Di Luca after having previewed the Salzburg parcours. "I think there will be seven to eight racers that will go on to play out the finale. And from those seven to eight I see myself."

Landis' B is Illin'

The UCI confirmed Floyd Landis' urine B sample had an excessively high T/E (Testosterone/Epitestosterone) ratio during his stunning Tour de France stage 17 win, where he finished solo in Morzine. With this confirmation, Landis is closer to losing his Tour de France overall, his stage win and being given the ax from team Phonak.

UCI officials confirmed the B Sample result today, stating:

The UCI communicates that the analysis of the sample B of Floyd Landis’s urine has confirmed the result of an adverse analytical finding notified by the Anti-doping laboratory of Paris on 26th July, following the analysis of the sample A.

In accordance to the Anti-doping rules, the Anti-doping Commission of the UCI will request that the USA Cycling Federation open a disciplinary procedure against the rider.

Landis' stage 17 win in Morzine lifted him back into the classification battle after suffering from a huge defeat on the day before, losing over 10 minutes before the finish of La Toussuire. After his dramatic stage win on 20 July, No-Fuss Floyd was subject to testing that produced a high indicator for T/E.

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) allows up to a 4:1 T/E ratio in tested cyclists. Normal males have a T/E of 1:1.

Landis' title could now likely be handed to Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), who finished second in the Tour, and the American will likely mount a long legal battle.

Read:
Landis on Booze Binge, 29 July
Landis Wants to Clear Name, 28 July
Tour Positive is Landis, 27 July
Tour de France Positive, 27 July

This Kid Ciolek Rocks!

2005 German Champion, Gerald Ciolek, hammering ahead of Erik Zabel to take Deutschland Tour stage three, scored a big win for his non-ProTour Wiesenhof-Akud squadra. T-Mobile must be feeling justified; earlier this week they signed the 19 year-old sprinter for the 2007 season.

A passing of the German sprint guard? Aging Erik Zabel, now at 36 years-old, ruled the sprint roost for so many years but with the win by Kid Ciolek, 17 years younger, we could see a new German sprint king. Expect to see a lot more of this young-gun when he is in the colors of T-Mobile for 2007.

Meanwhile, Zabel, taking second place at every sprint in yesterday's race (intermediates and final), managed to move within a fraction of a second from GC leader Vladimir Gusev (Discovery Channel). Today, before the following two mountains days, Zabel could have another chance; the peloton will face 203K kilometers from Heidenheim to Bad Tölz.

Read:
Di Rocco on Basso, 27 July
Operación Puerto: National Federations Receive Names, 26 July
Basso Comments on Spanish Case, 3 July
Operación Puerto: The Dismissed Tour Riders, 30 June
Bam! Tour Shaken and Basso Gone, 30 June
Basso, Ullrich and Others Asked to Leave Tour, 30 June

93rd Tour de France - presented by , 1 - 23 July

4 August News ...