Tour de France director Prudhomme praises Discovery team for suspending Basso - International Herald Tribune

"Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has praised the Discovery Channel cycling team for suspending its top rider, Ivan Basso, after the Italian Olympic Committee reopened its investigation into a Spanish doping scandal.
Giro d'Italia champion Basso was barred from riding for Discovery on Tuesday after the Italian committee summoned him to a doping hearing May 2 on charges of having used or attempted to use a banned substance or method.
Discovery decided to sideline 2005 Tour runner-up Basso, who signed a two-year contract in November, upon learning of the renewed investigation.
'It is a responsible decision on behalf of Discovery Channel,' Prudhomme told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday. 'Everything we have learned in these last days goes in the right direction.'"

Landis Defends Self Against Doping Report

"Tour de France champion Floyd Landis went on the defensive Tuesday against the French lab that conducted follow-up tests on his backup urine samples and reportedly found traces of synthetic testosterone.
'If it's going to be objective, the least you could do is send it to a lab that doesn't have motivation to confirm their work in the first place,' Landis said on CBS' Early Show.
He said the report on the Web site of French newspaper L'Equipe on Monday was yet another result of unethical maneuvers engineered by those who want him stripped of the Tour title."

"American cyclist Floyd Landis brought his aggressive campaign against a French lab report saying he tested positive for an abnormal level of synthetic testosterone in the 2006 Tour de France to Scottsdale on Saturday night.

A crowd of 70 paid $35 a person to listen to Dr. Arnie Baker and view a slide show pointing out what Baker called numerous flaws in the French lab, LNND, testing process and interpretation."

tour de france - Google Image Search

Tour de France - Google Image Search

"Former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich insisted Sunday that he is above reproach despite blood bags seized in a Spanish doping scandal having been proven to be his by German prosecutors.
DNA tests on blood seized in the offices of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes last year have proven that the samples are Ullrich's, say Bonn prosecutors, who are investigating the rider for possible fraud."

YouTube - Maria Sharapova -Canon

Maria Sharapova: Canon

Radio New Zealand News : Latest Sport : 200704040628 : Tour of France champion linked to blood doping

Radio New Zealand News: Tour of France champion linked to blood doping: "A DNA sample taken from Germany's former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich has been matched to blood bags seized in last year's Spanish anti-doping investigation.
Ullrich, who announced his retirement last month, has always denied doping, but he was withdrawn from last year's Tour of France when he was linked with the Spanish investigation.
Ullrich agreed on February to give a DNA sample and the state prosecutor's office in Bonn has confirmed the analysis had established the connection with blood seized in last year's raids."

Lance Armstrong, 7 times Tour de France Champion to go on with new challenge - Speed-Skating.net - your news in all speed

Lance Armstrong, 7 times Tour de France Champion to go on with new challenge - Speed-Skating.net - your news in all speed:



"In an interview yesterday, Lance Armstrong stated he has a new challenge in mind: “I have done some speed skating lately with my friend Chad Hedrick, and I really love it. I don’t know how far I can go, but this new challenge is really driving me.”

Chad Hedrick says Armstong can have great success if he starts training: “Lance could win the world allround championships in 2-3 years. He has an enormous potential as an athlete. Of course, he would need hard work, but anything is possible.”

Even if Armstrong is no longer at the age many of these skaters when they started, many think he can do great things in speed skating, but to be honest, the switch from cycling to speed skating is not as easy as the one from inline like his friend Hedrick."

Inside Bay Area - Landis struggles against obstacles

Inside Bay Area: Landis struggles against obstacles



"Physicians for Floyd Landis, the disputed winner of the 2006 Tour de France, don't need to worry that the world-class athlete will push himself too hard just six months after his hip surgery.
"It's a self-solving problem," said Landis, speaking at an athletic training center here on Friday evening. "The time I spend with all this crazy stuff prevents me from riding anywhere near enough to be in shape."

The cyclist was referring to charges by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that he used performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France competition in July, following positive results from a test taken during the race. Landis, who is technically still the winner, is challenging those charges. A hearing to determine if he'll retain the title begins on May 14."