Doping: Why we should be looking to cycling's future and not its past

Doping has always been a tense issue in cycling probably ever since people stated racing them in the 1800s.

Over the past month it has been three names that have kept cycling in the news, for all the wrong reasons. Alberto Contador, Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong have all been subject to doping investigations, which have all come to some sort of conclusion.

So far, the results of all of these cases have pretty much sent me to despair with the doping authorities. No matter if you believe they are innocent or guilty, I don’t think anyone can be in any doubt that the handling of these three cases has been nothing more than a shambles.

Contador ban: why this isn't the end

Finally comes the news that we were waiting for, CAS made their decision on the Alberto Contador clenbuterol case.

It has been 19 months since Contador gave that now infamous positive test and we may still not have a conclusive answer. The Spaniard has 30 days to appeal and could announce his intentions, in a press conference on 7^th February.  If he does choose to appeal, he could have competed through his entire ban and not feel the effects of it.

Whether you think Contador is innocent or guilty, you have to admit that this case has been handled as badly as it possibly could have been. I personally lean towards the side of the two/three-time Tour de France winner. However, if he is going to be punished it should be done properly and should actually be a punishment.

Fabian Cancellara discusses Alberto Contador's ban

Alberto Contador's Clenbuterol Timeline

Alberto Contador has announced his intentions to compete in the 2012 Tour de France and Olympic Games. However his entry hangs in the balance, depending on the verdict in his pending Clenbuterol case. In case you have been under a rock for the past year, here is a timeline from failed test to CAS hearing.

21^st July 2010  – Contador takes a test on the second rest day, during the Tour de France, after dinner with the team.

30^th September 2010 – It is revealed that the test taken on 21^st July, during the Tour de France, had tested positive for micro levels of Clenbuterol. Contador immediately calls a press conference and says the stray clenbuterol came from contaminated steak.

6^th October 2011 – Dr Jordi Segura, who developed the testing method that found the minimal levels of Clenbuterol in Contador’s blood, says the plasticizers also found are a certain indication of a blood transfusion. It has never been officially confirmed that plasticizers were found, however, the New York Times and L’Equipe printed these claims.

Tour de Clock - Will Andy Schleck be the bridesmaid again?

The hearts of both the Schleck brothers collectively dropped, when they discovered the route of the 2012 Tour de France.

Frank and Andy put on a brave face at the unveiling of the next Tour route, despite it having 100km against the clock. 2012 looks to be a very different year for the Grand Tours, with the Giro much flatter than its predecessor. The Olympic Games has probably got something to do with it, with riders not wanting to tire themselves out before the Games. The Grand Boucle will start a week earlier than normal to accommodate the games.

2012 Giro d'Italia Swaps Mountains for Sprints

Reigning champion Alberto Contador has given to 2012 Giro d’Italia his seal of approval, after calling it ‘more human’.

New Giro boss, Michele Acquarone, has gone for a completely different approach, to his predecessor Angelo Zomegnan. Compared with this year, which contained only four flat stages, 2012 will have a massive seven flat stages. With so many flat stages, there are sure to be plenty of sprinters hopeful of the red sprinter’s jersey. Mark Cavendish might look for the triple in 2012, with the Giro, Tour and Olympics. It could be possible, with the flatter nature of all of the events.

Is Cavendish's move to Sky a good choice?

Cycling’s worst kept secret has finally been revealed, with Mark Cavendish confirming he is heading to Team Sky; but is the Manx missile making the right choice?

There have long been rumours that Cav was heading to the British-based team, but his hand was forced when HTC decided to pull out of cycling. The newly crowned World Road Champion will be joining some of the men who helped him take the title in Copenhagen. Including this year’s Vuelta successes, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, and Welshman Geraint Thomas. Other Grand Tour are Edvald Boasson-Hagen and, for the first time, another Manxman Peter Kennaugh. So, do Sky have the mother of all teams or the mother of all nightmares?

2012 Tour de France route accidentally revealed

The official tour website accidentally leaked what looks like next year's route map and some lucky soul got a couple of screen shots. There will be a few happy campers like Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador, Samuel Sanchez and Bradley Wiggins, with two individual time-trials and the prologue is back. The Schleck brothers won't be best pleased. Andy will have to work even harder on his TT skills, if 2012 is to be his year.

La Sexta Interview with Alberto Contador (With Subtitles)

Video: La Vuelta 2011 - Stage 21

So I popped down to Madrid and took in the final stage of this year's Vuelta a Espana and I wasn't dissapointed. Juanjo Cobo's fans were out in force, with their drums and cowbells, making a brilliant atmosphere. I even managed to find a few of the riders after the stage and took a lot of pictures. So here are a few of the pictures I took, set the the Vuelta's theme tune Como Yo, by La Fe de Manuela. I am currently uploading my pictures to Flickr and they should all be on the blog by tomorrow, so enjoy the video.

TdF: Saxo Bank's Tour de France after party

So it might be a few months ago, but here is how Saxo Bank celebrated the end of the Tour de France

Contador: The Giro-Tour double is possible, but I need a stronger team

Alberto Contador hasn’t been deterred from trying the Giro-Tour double, despite failing to do it this year.

The Spaniard has come out saying he can do the double, provided he has a stronger team around him. Contador was involved in a flurry of crashes, during the tour, but also looked tired from his victory in the Giro. He went on to say that if there were enough stages that suited him, it would be possible, but that the team-time trial wasn’t a strong point.

El Pistolero said if next year’s tour had a mountain time-trial or possible to flatter time-trials, he could win both in the same year. Contador won the Giro d’Italia by a whopping 6 minute gap, to Michele Scarponi, but finished almost four minutes down on Cadel Evans.

Mosquera could be cleared of doping on a technicality, in time for the Vuelta

Ezequiel Mosquera could be let off, on a technicality, after the Spaniard tested positive in last year’s Vuelta a Espana.

Mosquera finished second in the 2010 Vuelta, but it was later revealed he had tested positive for, masking agent, Hydroxyethyl. He has consistently denied using it, but now his team have gone for the technicality over the innocence. His lawyers have discovered that the starch is only illegal if it is intravenously injected, which could lead him to being let off.

His team are certainly holding out for a victory in the courts, as they have already put him on their provisional list for this year’s Vuelta. Unfortunately for cycling it is very difficult to tell how the substance was put in to the body.

Tour de France: Good Tour / Bad Tour - Losers

Alberto Contador

Contador struggled to stay on his bike on several occasions, during the first week, and it seemed that combined with his Giro exploits was a bit too much. He was caught up in the huge crash, on stage one and lost over a minute and was later, allegedly, pushed over by Vladimir Karpets. He did look like he might be catching on the main contenders, but bonking on the Galibier spelled the end for the 2010 champion. He did earn respect of fan, especially after thumping a rude spectator, but he will have to look at his calendar hard next year, if he hopes to win another tour.

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Alberto Contador looks forward ot 2012

TdF: Cadel Evans storms in to yellow as Tony Martin wins Stage 20

Cadel Evans put on a stunning performance, to become the first Australian to win the Tour de France, as Andy Schleck cracked under pressure.

Evans came in to the individual time-trial with a 57 second deficit to the younger Schleck, after failing to make any time during the mountains. Many people predicted he would overhaul the gap, but nobody would have believed how much time he did take. The Australian had already taken 30 seconds out of the Luxembourgish rider, by the 15km mark.

By the final intermediate check he was only two seconds down on, the stage’s eventual winner, Tony Martin. He eventually crossed the line seven seconds down, but put a massive 2 minutes 31 seconds on Andy Schleck. Emotional scenes on the podium followed, as Evans had tears in his eyes, while the crowd gave him a huge cheer. The Australian will be the first from the Southern Hemisphere to win the tour, if he can stay on his bike until Paris.

Video: 2011 Tour de France - Eddy Merckx talks about today's stage and the important time-trial

TdF: Pierre Rolland wins on the Alpe D'Huez as Andy Shcleck takes yellow

Pierre Rolland rode to the biggest victory of his career, on the Alpe d’Huez, as Andy Schleck finally took the yellow jersey, on stage 19.

Rolland, who has been Thomas Voeckler’s work horse in the mountains, rode away from Samuel Sanchez and Alberto Contador, in the final 3 kilometres. The young Frenchman, who is in his first tour, attacked as the main group reached the Alpe d’Huez. He was quickly followed by Ryder Hesjedal, but the Canadian couldn’t keep up with him and was soon dropped.

The Europcar rider wasn’t alone for long, as the main group began to attack each other and he soon had Contador for company. Contador looked like he was on his last legs, but put in a dig to put some time on the GC contenders. While Rolland was now trying to catch the Spaniard, the following group were trying to bridge the gap.

TdF: Andy Schleck wins on the Galibier as Voeckler clings to yellow on Stage 18

Andy Schleck rode to a very tough victory on the Col du Galibier, but missed out on the yellow jersey, as Thomas Voeckler hung on to the lead.

Schleck, who finished second in last year’s tour, launched a stinging attack, as the group reached the Col d’Izoard. The younger of the two Schleck brothers has so far been in the shadow of his elder sibling, but he left the other GC contenders with no answer to his attack. With only 2 kilometres left to the top, Andy had his hands on the yellow jersey. Voeckler had to put in a massive performance to close him down.

TdF: Boasson Hagen doubles his money as Voeckler loses time on Stage 17

Edvald Boasson Hagen doubled his victory tally, to make it four for Norway this year, as Thomas Voeckler escaped two scares, to cling on to his yellow jersey.

Boasson Hagen came back from the disappointment of yesterday, after being pipped to the line by Thor Hushovd, to blow the rest of the field away. The young Norwegian left his breakaway companions, with 11km of the stage still to go, before pulling out an impressive 40 seconds. Norway have enjoyed a rich vein of form in the 2011 tour, with Boasson Hagen taking stages 6 and 17 and Hushovd winning on stages 13 and 16.