Lance Armstrong was apologetic and avoided launching into a verbal war with race organizers following the protest that marred the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia.
“It’s an unfortunate situation, an accumulation of days and days of frustration and I think fear on a lot of people’s parts and then this war of words and this war of power afterwards that we have to avoid,†Armstrong said in a video message posted late Monday, the Giro’s first rest day.
Armstrong played an integral role in a group protest that ended up annulling times in Sunday’s stage because riders considered the city circuit through downtown Milan overly dangerous.
Armstrong was seen discussing the perils of the circuit with the race organization’s car as he pedaled through Milan… Details
Regular readers of this blog know that it’s rare that Lance Armstrong and I see eye to eye on much, but whether he was the primary instigator of the rider protest that shut down Sunday’s Giro d’Italia stage or merely one of many voices, he (and the others) were right. I just wish they’d get their act together.
I tuned in to the Universal Sports’ live feed online that morning and, for a moment, was confused about whether they were actually showing the Giro d’Italia. The first few minutes of race footage showed a pack of riders cruising along at a stately 24 mph or so – even I might’ve been able to hang at the back of that pack. Well, maybe on a really good day.
As they rode the streets of Milan …Â Details
Prosecutors in Austria are investigating whether banned cyclists Bernhard Kohl of Austria and Michael Rasmussen of Denmark helped other athletes with blood doping.
Kohl and Rasmussen—both serving two-year bans for Tour de France doping offenses—allegedly possessed a centrifuge for blood enrichment.
“We are investigating everyone who took part in the purchase of this equipment,†Vienna State prosecution spokesman Gerhard Jarosch said Monday.
If the cyclists lent the equipment to other athletes, they could face criminal charges under Austria’s anti-doping laws. If found guilty, they could face prison terms of up to five years.
Police found …Â Details
Lance Armstrong and all but one of his Astana team mates protested at unpaid salaries by blanking out the sponsor’s name on their shirts for Friday’s seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia.
Team members were not paid salaries last month and the International Cycling Union (UCI) has said Astana’s Pro-Tour licence could be withdrawn if the problem continues.
“We don’t want to pretend that everything is okay. It’s not okay. The riders only received two months of salary in 2009. I hope the shirt change will provoke an effect,†team manager Johan Bruyneel told reporters.
“We will race with these (blanked-out) shirts until everything is fixed.â€Â … Details
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