2012 Cycling Thread

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Marcato wins Paris-Tours after breakaway
Marco Marcato of Vacansoleil won the Paris-Tours Classic after a thundering sprint to the finish line.

Marcato, who was edged into second place in the same race last year, came out on top of a three-way sprint against Laurens de Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).
The trio had escaped from the peloton with 15km to go on the final series of short hills towards the end of the 236km course.
John Degonkolb (Argos-Shimano) was the best of the rest, finishing six seconds back in fourth place after having attacked with 5km to go in an unsuccessful attempt to catch the breakaway.

 

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Ekimov to lead Katusha

Triple Olympic champion Viatcheslav Ekimov has been named new general manager of Pro Tour cycling team Katusha.

 

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Viviani takes Beijing stage

Elia Viviani won the opening stage of the Tour of Beijing, the last World Tour race of the season.

 

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Martin takes lead in Beijing

Tony Martin put himself in pole position to retain his Tour of Beijing title as he claimed stage two.

 

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USADA report "proves" Armstrong used drugs

Lance Armstrong and his team ran the most sophisticated doping programme in sport according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency which released its report on the case against the US Postal cycling team on Wednesday.
USADA said it was sending the report, which was more than 1,000 pages long and contained the sworn testimony of 26 people, including 15 riders, to the International Cycling Union, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the World Triathlon Corporation before making it available on its website.

"The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," USADA said in a statement.

"The evidence also includes direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS Team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding."

Armstrong has denied cheating and never failed a doping test but the seven-times Tour de France winner was banned for life by USADA in August after announced he would not fight the charges.

 

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Italy’s Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) won stage three of the Tour of Beijing, in a close uphill sprint finish at the Great Wall on Thursday.

 

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Haller shocks big name sprinters in Beijing

Katusha's Marco Haller won stage four of the Tour of Beijing, the last World Tour race of the season.

 

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Cummings wins sprint as Martin takes Beijing victory

Briton Steve Cummings won the final stage of the Tour of Beijing as Tony Martin claimed overall victory.

 

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Fiorenzo Magni, one of the biggest and most controversial names from the golden age of post-war Italian cycling, died on Friday at the age of 91.
RIP Fiorenzo Magni

Rabobank ends cycling sponsorship over doping
Dutch lender Rabobank said it will end its sponsorship of men's and women's professional cycling teams at the end of this year as the repercussions of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal continued to reverberate around the world.

Cavendish leaves Team Sky, joins Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Mark Cavendish has left Team Sky to "pursue different goals" at Omega Pharma-Quick Step and has signed a three-year contract with the Belgian outfit.

 

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Tony Martin defends Chrono des Nations

World time trial champion Tony Martin defended his Chrono des Nations title in Les Herbiers, France, on Sunday.The German time trial specialist, who also defended his 2011 world title in Limburg last month, completed the 48.5km course in 58:07, 41 second ahead of Omega Pharma-Quick Step team-mate Sylvain Chavanel.
BMC Racing Team’s 22-year-old American Taylor Phinney was third, one second behind Frenchman Chavanel.
French pair Jeremy Roy and Lazlo Bodrogi – the 2007 winner - were fourth and fifth respectively.
The Chrono des Nations is a one-day time trial in the Vendee region of France.

 

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Tour de France - Prestige route for centenary
While the sports world comes to terms with the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, Tour de France organisers unveiled a mountainous, prestigious route for the 100th edition of the world's greatest cycling race.
The 2013 Tour, which will start from Corsica, will take l'Alpe d'Huez's 21 hairpins twice in the same stage, go up the gruelling Mont Ventoux (pictured, below) and end at dusk on the Champs Elysees.

Next year's route is expected to suit top climbers with Spain's Alberto Contador and Britain's Chris Froome the likely favourites.

Defending champion Bradley Wiggins confirmed after the official unveiling that he would concentrate on the Giro d'Italia next year and do his best to support Team Sky colleague Froome, confirming that he will definitely start the race.
And he laughed off suggestions that he would find it hard playing second fiddle.
"I haven't got that much of an ego. It was always about winning one Tour de France for me and I'm proud of the way that I did it," he said.
"Cycling's a team sport and I wouldn't have won last year if it hadn't been for the help of my team-mates, so if I can play a part in one of them winning next year that would be great.
"If everything goes to plan and I get the nod to do the Giro, that's what is going to happen."
Froome would be Team Sky's leader on the Tour, which will feature four mountaintop finishes and some 65km of individual time trial compared to this year's 101.4km. Wiggins's victory was built on his pre-eminence in time trials; this year, that skill will be far less important than strength in the Alps and Pyrenees.

 

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New deal for van Garderen
Tejay van Garderen, the winner of best young rider jersey at this year's Tour de France, has extended his contract with BMC.

Julich leaves Team Sky
Team Sky have announced that Bobby Julich has left the team as a race coach.

 

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No Tour de France winner from 1999-2005, says UCI

No one will replace Lance Armstrong as winner of the Tour de France from 1999-2005 after the American was stripped of the titles for doping, and the disgraced cyclist has also been told to repay his prize money.

 

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Dowsett leaves Team Sky for Movistar
British time trial champion Alex Dowsett has joined Movistar from Team Sky.

Wiggins scoops Velo d'Or award
Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins won the prestigous Velo d'Or award as the best rider of 2012.

 

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Ferrari joins Lampre
Giro d’Italia stage winner Roberto Ferrari has joined Lampre-ISD from Androni-Venezuela for the 2013 season.

 

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IOC to investigate Armstrong's Olympic medal
The International Olympic Committee will launch an investigation into Lance Armstrong's 2000 Olympics bronze medal after the American was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in the biggest doping scandal to hit the sport.

 

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Lampre-ISD sign sprinter Richeze

Argentine sprinter Maximiliano Richeze has signed for Lampre-ISD to give the Italian squad a boost ahead of the 2013 season.

 

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Vandborg returns to Liquigas
Brian Vandborg will be reunited with Ivan Basso after the Danish rider was snapped up by Liquigas-Cannondale for the 2013 season.

Alessandro Petacchi has signed a new one-year contract to stay with Lampre-ISD.

 

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Danilo Hondo has announced he will leave Lampre-ISD at the end of the season after three seasons with the Italian team.
The German told Handelsblatt: "I will remain active in the peloton, but no longer with Lampre. You have kept me happy in the team, but it's once again time for a change. I think I need this stimulus."
Alessandro Petacchi's lead-out man, 38, claimed just one victory during his time at Lampre - the 2010 Giro di Sardegna.
Hondo has been linked with RadioShack-Nissan, who have lost number one sprinter Daniele Bennati for next year.

 

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Giro d'Italia - Time bonuses on mountain stages return in 2013 Giro

Every stage of the 2013 Giro d’Italia with the exception of the time trials will feature time bonuses for the top three finishers.
The three riders who cross the line first will be awarded 20, 12 and eight seconds respectively.
The 96th Giro will also see the addition of a second intermediate sprint on each stage, with five, three and two seconds awarded for the first three riders to cross the line.