Treasure Valley Cycling Club

Bejnamen Martel, a participant in the Québec provincial road championships on August 28, 2011, has been sanctioned for testing positive for the banned substance testosterone.

January 23, 2012, the Sport Dispute Resolution Center of Canada announced the decision after Martel’s hearing.

“We remain concerned that any rider would resort to doping and know that we need to focus testing at all levels,” said CCA Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General Greg Mathieu.

Editor’s note: This piece is the final installment of a three-part series. Before reading this, be sure to check out Part I and Part II

Excerpt from Part II:

As riders in their mid-30s retire, McQuaid feels “there’s less and less pressure on the younger ones to dope.” That said, he is realistic that as age starts to affect today’s younger riders‘ ability to perform, they will again face temptation. “The ones who are 22, 23 and 24, when they get to 30 and 31, as they are maybe over the top of their career, they may once again be faced with choices in order to try to extend their career a year or two.”

So while he is optimistic that the generation born in the late 1980 and early 1990s—the Taylor Phinneys, Andrew Talanskys and Tejay van Garderens—are growing up in a culture where doping is not a de facto part of their job description, he is realistic that later in their career they may have to make decisions about shortcuts. “It’s not just a question of when they come into the sport first; its also when they first get to be a Grand Tour contender, and then when they are in their later years. You have to make that choice several times, at several stages of your career.”

Asked to assess his greatest successes over his tenure as UCI president so far, McQuaid says “the most important one for me is changing the culture of doping. We are not there yet. It’s still going to take a couple more years. But we are on the right road and we are on the right path and we are going in the right direction.”

When it comes to his shortcomings, McQuaid reflects, somewhat allusively, that he is unhappy with “some things I see happening on a daily basis, which indicates to me that there are still people who don’t think exactly the same way as I do in relation to sport and fair play.” He also says work remains to be done to further globalize the sport. “I think in the next two or three years it will snowball a little bit and grow fairly rapidly.” Expansion of cycling into countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China is a signature McQuaid goal and he says that only when pro racing is established in these growing economies will he be able to look back with satisfaction.

Other disappointments include the battles the UCI waged with the Grand Tours that took place beginning in 2005. He explains these struggles as “basically a clash of philosophies. The UCI had a philosophy of globalization and developing the sport around the world and the Grand Tours had a philosophy which was purely pan-European, so to speak.” He says the UCI also wanted to “give some stability and guarantees to the teams” that they would be included in the Grand Tours, “but the Grand Tours didn’t want to do that.” He recalls this time as “four very hard years which were very damaging to the sport.”

Today, he says, “we are in the process of rebuilding a relationship which had broken completely.” The Grand Tours in France, Italy and Spain “realize that the sport is growing rapidly around the world and that there are actually opportunities for them as well as highly-respected organizers to work in that environment.” Indeed, Tour de France organizer ASO now assists with the organization of events including the Amgen Tour of California and the Santos Tour Down Under. He concludes that the Grand Tours “are prepared to work with us and we are prepared to work with them on the future development of the sport and we have a very good working relationship and that’s something we will continue.”

• 1. Tom BOONEN , (BEL) Opq, in 3:03:14
• 2. Tom VEELERS , (NED) Pro, +0
• 3. Fabian CANCELLARA , (SUI) Rnt, +0
• 4. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI , (ESP) Sky, +0
• 5. Gert STEEGMANS , (BEL) Opq, +4
• 6. Nikolas MAES , (BEL) Opq, +11
• 7. Yoann OFFREDO , (FRA) Fdj, +14
• 8. Bernhard EISEL , (AUT) Sky, +14
• 9. Tyler FARRAR , (USA) Grm, +14
• 10. Ian STANNARD , (GBR) Sky, +36
• 11. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS , (LTU) Grm, +37
• 12. Aidis KRUOPIS , (LTU) Gec, +37
• 13. Adam BLYTHE , (GBR) Bmc, +42
• 14. Baden COOKE , (AUS) Gec, +42
• 15. Arnaud DEMARE , (FRA) Fdj, +54
• 16. Greg HENDERSON , (NZL) Ltb, +54
• 17. Matthias FRIEDEMANN , (GER) Css, +54
• 18. John DEGENKOLB , (GER) Pro, +54
• 19. Mark RENSHAW , (AUS) Rab, +54
• 20. Johan VAN SUMMEREN , (BEL) Grm, +54
• 21. Giacomo NIZZOLO , (ITA) Rnt, +54
• 22. Francesco CHICCHI , (ITA) Opq, +54
• 23. Jonas VANGENECHTEN , (BEL) Ltb, +54
• 24. Thomas DEKKER , (NED) Grm, +54
• 25. Daniel OSS , (ITA) Liq, +54
• 26. Filippo POZZATO , (ITA) Far, +54
• 27. Marcel SIEBERG , (GER) Ltb, +54
• 28. Robbie MCEWEN , (AUS) Gec, +54
• 29. Koen DE KORT , (NED) Pro, +54
• 30. Danilo WYSS , (SUI) Bmc, +54
• 31. Mark CAVENDISH , (GBR) Sky, +54
• 32. Allan DAVIS , (AUS) Gec, +54
• 33. Michael SCHÄR , (SUI) Bmc, +54
• 34. Tony GALLOPIN , (FRA) Rnt, +54
• 35. Taylor PHINNEY , (USA) Bmc, +54
• 36. Klaas LODEWYCK , (BEL) Bmc, +54
• 37. Ramon SINKELDAM , (NED) Pro, +1:00
• 38. Jacob RATHE , (USA) Grm, +1:00
• 39. Frederik WILLEMS , (BEL) Ltb, +1:03
• 40. Thomas LEEZER , (NED) Rab, +1:03

Dear Lennard,
I live in Holland and today the temperature plummeted to -18 degrees C. But being the diehard MTBer that I am, my mate and I hit the trails with enough body protection. We did not do any extreme riding because there was fresh snow in the forest so you can’t see any roots or obstacles in your path.

I have a Carbon Frame and at a certain point I heard “crack!!!”  I immediately feared the worst, and indeed, I now have a crack in my frame
at the triangular point where my seat post enters the frame … damn.

Now my question … I have done much more extreme riding and have never experienced this before. Is Carbon affected by the cold temp we are experiencing, and could it be that it was weakened by this?

I am going to have to see if the factory guarantee will cover this, otherwise I shall buy a new frame and transfer all the components.

But I need to know if the cold affected my frame, if so…I am never buying carbon again…I don’t cycle in active volcanoes, I don’t Cycle in reactor containment buildings…or even close to the sun for that matter.., read this in an earlier posting..  …

But I do cycle in -18 Celsius.
— Pieter

Dear Pieter,
I’ve answered the question about storage of carbon bikes in cold temperatures before, and that does not damage them, according to a number of carbon frame engineers.

As for riding in the cold, I’m surprised it happened, and I can’t say for sure that the cold was to blame. It sure would have been a remarkable coincidence, though.

It’s possible to imagine the carbon matrix becoming more brittle as the epoxy holding the layers together became brittle with cold. But I don’t think the fibers themselves would be affected by the cold. And it is possible to make a carbon matrix that does deal well with cold, since there are now lots of skis and ski boots (probably ice skating boots as well, but I’m not familiar with that sport) made with carbon layers in them, and they don’t snap at -18 Celsius.
— Lennard

Dear Lennard,
My question is in regards to a carbon fiber bicycle frame.  Recently the frame was submerged in water due to a flood.  Are there any concerns that I should in regards to damage to the frame because of it being under water?  Obviously the frame can get wet because of washing and normal riding conditions just mainly concerned about internal part of the frame.  Thank you for time.
— Eric

Dear Eric,
If the frame has aluminum inserts in the bottom bracket, head tube, seat tube, or has aluminum dropouts, then you have cause for concern. The glue bonds holding those parts to the carbon could be weakened, and the aluminum itself could have corroded.

But if the frame is completely carbon, I don’t see any cause for concern after submerging it.
— Lennard

Dear Lennard,
I have a 2009 Trek Madone 5.2 with a somewhat oval seat mast which the seat post comes over. As I understand it, this was a one year only design feature and Trek moved away from at least the oval shape the following year. Trek offers three posts with varying amounts of rear offset. I have the one with the most offset but want to get my saddle back further yet to get my knees closer to being over the spindles. Are you aware of anyone who makes such a post or whose lawyers would let them modify one to meet my needs? Or do you have any other suggestions? I’m already using 175 mm crank arms.
— John

Dear John,
I don’t know where to get a seat mast cap with additional setback. I know Trek made some of those caps with a lot more offset for Taylor Phinney when he was on Livestrong and RadioShack, but I never have seen them available for sale.

You might experiment with different saddles that allow you to both move it back further as well as has the wide part further back (the new Turbomatic comes to mind), thus allowing you to sit further back.

Another option is a longer crank. I assume you’re a tall guy, hence the problem, or you at least have very long femurs. Either one could justify a crank longer than 175mm.
— Lennard

Dear Lennard,
Would it be possible to use a 52×34 chainring combination on a double crank?  I currently have a 50×34.  I would like to use a 52 big ring since I live in Mississippi, and it is flat, but would like to keep the 34 when I travel and ride some mountains.
— Dennis

Dear Dennis,
You can definitely do this. I saw a number of teams setting up their riders with that same chainring set for the Monte Zoncolan stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2010.
— Lennard

Dear Lennard,
What are your recommendations for someone buying their first tool kit for maintenance at home? I would like to spend under $300.
— Vernon

Dear Vernon,
I actually have starter tool kits listed in Chapter 1 of both Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance and Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.

You can find the books at your local library, bookstore, bike shop, or online.

For a more professional setup, check out Nick’s column where he discusses the contents of his toolbox.
— Lennard

Followup on last week’s column:
Dear Lennard,
I just read the recent “Tech FAQ” and I have a follow-up question regarding the removal of the glued Vittoria tubular.  I’m a big fan of Continental tubies myself, and I’ve been faced several times with the task of re-gluing tires/rims between the road and cross seasons.  After I’ve removed my cross tubulars, which I have just done, I now must re-glue my road tubulars.  Since they have a bit of dried glue on them, as does the rim, is it proper procedure to do a general cleaning on the rim before re-gluing it?  That is what I do, and it’s simple enough, but my real concern is with the tire itself.  I’ve been hesitant to use any solvents or cleaners on the tire to remove excess dried glue, and I’m just wondering the proper procedure to glue and mount a previously glued and used tire and rim.  What’s your recommendation?
— Peter

Dear Peter,
You’re wise in avoiding using solvents on your tubulars. You can cause the base tape to loosen and eventually peel off that way. Not good.

Just scrape the big hunks of glue off and generally smooth the lumps off with something like a butter knife. Then re-glue it.
— Lennard

Dear Lennard,
Thank you very much for your column and always excellent advice. As a 6’8″ cyclist I appreciate the most your insights when it comes to clydesdales in a world of jockeys

Regarding the letter about a continuously slipping seatpost on a Kestrel Talon, I’ve experienced this issue on 2 bikes and in the end solved it with Loctite. I completely degrease/depaste the seatpost and the inside of the seat tube and apply Loctite liberally. No slippage, no creaking, and the seatpost can still be removed if needed. Might be something to try before using a more permanent solution.
— Stéphane

Dear Lennard,
Our mounting spray Carbogrip is normally solving similar problems, as it provides a good adhesion when it sets (two minutes after spraying it)… the big advantage is that you can still remove the seatpost if you need to, unscrewing the bolts. All the details here: 
www.effettomariposa.eu. There’s also a tech video available (the video shows also how to use it for mtb grips):

Cantitoeroad.com should have some Carbogrip in stock.
— Alberto

Dear Lennard,
I read David’s account of the problems he’s had with the Campy UT press fit cups migrating in his Cervelo.

Unfortunately it is a problem common with many frames, and the UT BB30/PF cups do seem on the smaller side. An additional problem is that the PF cups seem to result in a slightly narrowing spacing. Why, I’m not sure, but I’ve observed it in several frames.

A quick fix, which will also ensure the cups stay put, is to use a second Campy UT wave washer on the non-drive side. Without this, the cups may still migrate even if bonded in.
— Paul

Dear Lennard,
I put in an FSA BB30 adaptor (to use a Shimano crank in an Orbea Orca Silver) with the instructions requiring the use of Loctite Bearing Mount 609.
— Chris

Dear Lennard,
I was looking at your December story about leaking valve stems. What Wayne S. was referring to is the AC valve.

See www.amclassic.com. In stock, tubeless tape and valves.
— Ellen Kast
General Manager
American Classic
www.amclassic.com

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The head of Spain’s Olympic committee stepped up to defend Spanish sport Wednesday in the wake of champion cyclist Alberto Contador’s two-year ban for doping.

The committee president Alejandro Blanco defended Spanish sport against its detractors, including a French satirical television show that lampooned Spain’s sporting heros in a sketch about doping.

“The successes of Spanish sport are solely due to hard work, dedication and planning,” Blanco told a news conference.

“We are the biggest defenders of cleanliness in sport and we can hold our head high,” he said, citing Spain’s 2006 anti-doping law.

“We have a large number of tests per year: more than 11,000 in 2011. All this means Spain is in the front line of those countries fighting against doping,” he added.

The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday handed a two-year ban to two-time Tour de France winner Contador after he tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Contador says it was due to a contaminated steak eaten during the 2010 Tour de France. He said on Tuesday that his lawyers were looking into a possible appeal. “We will continue to fight until the end,” he said in a news conference.

The ban prompted widespread indignation in Spain, with many in the public and media branding it unjust.

Contador’s fans said they will don masks of their hero on Sunday and hold a symbolic bike ride in his home town of Pinto to support him.

The sanction is backdated to August 2010, meaning Contador can return to competition on August 6, 2012.

As well as ruling him out of this year’s Tour de France and the Olympic Games in London, he will be stripped of several wins, including his 2010 yellow jersey, one of his three victories in the French race.

Blanco hit out on Wednesday at the Guignols de l’Info, a French television sketch show.

Spain’s tennis federation said Wednesday it would sue French TV broadcaster Canal+ over the comedy sketches which implied that Contador, tennis player Rafael Nadal and other Spanish athletes use performance-enhancing drugs.

The sketch featured a puppet likeness of world number two Nadal filling the gas tank of his car from his own bladder. “These are very harsh images which do not correspond at all to reality,” Blanco said.

Editor’s Note: The leaked images have been been altered at SRAM’s request

Images of SRAM’s upcoming hydraulic road lever, hydraulic rim brake, and road-specific hydraulic disc caliper have been leaked online by UK website Road.cc.

The “spy shots” come from a brief PowerPoint presentation given to media at the 2012 SRAM Red launch in Mallorca last week. The images were put under embargo until the official launch later this year, a common practice. Thanks to the leak, we are now free to detail the new components and provide images.

SRAM road product manager Bill Keith insists that the hydraulic lever shown in these images is not final, but given the mid-summer release timeframe we can assume it is quite close.

The hydraulic lever is based off the new Red shift mechanism (so no hydraulic shifting, sorry), meaning no trim for the front shifter and the longer and more ergonomic brake and shift levers. It uses a new master cylinder, completely redesigned around road and cyclocross use, and is designed to work with both the new disc brake caliper and the new hydraulic rim brake.

The hood shape changes compared to a regular Red lever to allow room for a hydraulic master cylinder, extending upwards considerably more than the mechanical version. SRAM marketing manager Michael Zellman noted that SRAM has been working to minimize this tall knob since the engineering process began.

SRAM’s Charles Becker claimed that the new lever would remain at a competitive weight during the presentation last week. “It’ll be a bit heavier, but not as much as you think,” he said. We have no further information on weights at this time.

“This isn’t just a mountain brake stuck on a road bike,” insisted Becker. “It’s designed specifically around 700c use.” It doesn’t even carry the Avid brand name, but rather fits the style and graphics of the new Red group.

From that we can infer that the whole system will be slightly less powerful than SRAM’s top mountain brakes, with a greater focus on improved modulation. Such a change becomes vital with a road disc system due to drastically decreased tire contact patch and subsequent ease of overpowering the tire and locking up a wheel.

Rotor sizes will stay 140/160, same as most current cross country brakes. SRAM says that going any smaller negates some of the benefits of going to discs in the first place, and so 140 is as small as they’ll be going in the near future.

As of now, the caliper will use a regular post mount, but Becker hinted that SRAM is working with frame manufacturers to develop a road-specific mount. Don’t wait for it though — any changes on that front are at least a year or two away.

This fall, cyclocross star Tim Johnson became the first American to win a UCI race on discs since their legalization, doing so on SRAM’s BB7 road brakes. But even he hasn’t had much time on the new setup, though SRAM says he’ll be experimenting with a set soon.

Magura debuted its new RT8 TT brake just weeks ago, and we already have another option. Like Magura, SRAM is sticking to a regular mounting bolt, but the design of the brake itself is drastically different.

While the RT8 essentially works by pushing a wedge in between two levers, SRAM’s offering is a single-pivot brake that functions much like its mechanical brethren. It even has a quick-release lever and, though I couldn’t get anyone at SRAM to confirm it last week, appears to have a barrel adjuster as well. As the slides say, tires up to 28c will fit without issue, and the power curves are designed around wide rims like Zipp’s Firecrest models.

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Fans of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador will don masks of their hero on Sunday and hold a symbolic bike ride in his home town to support him over his two-year doping ban, organisers said on Wednesday.

The town hall in Pinto, south of Madrid, said it was collaborating with Surbike, a cyclists’ association, in the demonstration under the slogan ‘We are all Alberto.’

“The event is open to participants of all ages and will take place on Sunday, February 12,” it said in a statement. Surbike published on its website a downloadable mask of Contador’s face, with holes to cut out for the eyes and mouth.

The march is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm local time (1100GMT) on Sunday in a park and wind up at the Plaza de la Constitucion, where Contador celebrated his three victories in the Tour de France.

The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday handed him a two-year ban after he tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol. He says it was due to a contaminated steak eaten during the 2010 Tour de France.

Contador said on Tuesday that his lawyers were looking into a possible appeal, which must be lodged within 30 days.

“We will continue to fight until the end,” he told a packed news conference in Pinto.

The ban is backdated to August 2010, meaning Contador can return to competition on August 6, 2012. As well as ruling him out of this year’s Tour de France and the Olympic Games in London, he will be stripped of several wins, including his 2010 yellow jersey.

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Organizers of the Giro d’Italia lashed out Wednesday against the time taken to reach a decision on two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador’s doping charge.

Contador has been stripped of last year’s Giro win, with Michele Scarponi crowned in his place, due to the Spaniard’s back-dated two-year doping ban for testing positive for clenbuterol, which was handed down on Tuesday following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In a statement, RCS, the company that runs the Giro d’Italia, said it regretted the time taken to reach a decision. Contador failed a test during the 2010 Tour de France.

“The time taken to arrive at a final decision, a long period after the affair, has affected events such as the Giro,” said RCS’s statement. “We hope that in the future the judicial process will ensure that the Giro does not face an equivalent situation, which shows a lack of respect for the fans, riders and participants in this race.”

Contador was also stripped of the 2010 Tour de France title he won ahead of Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck, who has been awarded the victory in his place.

DOHA, Feb 8, 2012 (AFP) — Belgium’s Tom Boonen, riding for Omega Pharma-Quick Step, won the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar on Wednesday, a 147km ride from Al Thakira to Madinat Al Shamal, as he tightened his grip on
the race leadership.

Boonen won a sprint finish to see off Dutchman Tom Veelers and Swiss Fabian Cancellara.

Thursday’s fifth and penultimate stage is a 160km ride from Camel Race Track to Al Khor.

GRENOBLE, France (AFP) — French police on Wednesday arrested Patrice Ciprelli, the husband and coach of champion cyclist Jeannie Longo, over the alleged purchase of the banned performance-enhancing drug EPO (erythropoietin).

They also confirmed that police had spent several hours seaching the couple’s chalet at the village of Saint-Martin-Le-Vinoux near Grenoble.

The 53-year-old Longo was not detained along with her husband, although a friend of Ciprelli, Michel Lucatelli, who is the head of the French skicross team, was.

The police operation was part of an investigation into Ciprelli’s activities launched last September.

This followed a report in L’Equipe newspaper alleging that Ciprelli had bought Chinese-made samples of the banned blood-booster EPO in April 2007, using a US website and with the help of retired US cyclist Joe Papp, who was
banned for doping himself.

The French Cycling Federation subsequently banned Ciprelli, but he took the case to court and the ban was overturned in October.

Longo, who is widely expected to retire after the London Olympics in 2012, is a 59-time national champion who has won the women’s Tour de France three times and who enjoys huge popularity in her own country. She has won a total of 30 medals from the Olympics and world championships combined.

There has never been any proof that the athlete ever saw or used the banned drugs in question.

ALCUDIA, Spain (VN) — Snow and icy roads prompted officials to cancel the final day of the four-stage Mallorca Challenge on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s 160km Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana was the hardest of the four days of racing and featured five rated climbs, including the Cat. 2 Coll de Soller and the first-category Puig Major.

The Mediterranean island, which typically enjoys mild winter temperatures, was belted with a freak winter storm this week, leaving its capitol, Palma de Mallorca, dusted in snow for the first time in more than 50 years.

The higher mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana received nearly a foot of snow in some areas, making it impossible to take the race over the narrow mountain roads.

Officials were hoping that sunny skies over the past few days would help clear roads, but rain and snow moved back over the island to create more weather problems. Efforts to find an alternative route did not play out in time to hold the race.

The race was earlier forced to trim its race days from five to four due to budgetary restraints for this year’s edition. So with the weather stoppage, only three of the planned four days were held.

Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) won the first two days while Lars Petter Nordhaug (Sky) won Tuesday’s third day in a hilly route to Deia.

The race saw several big names making their respective season debuts, including Tour de France champion Cadel Evans (BMC) and the Schleck brothers (RadioShack-Nissan-Trek).

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) raced Sunday’s opener just hours before hearing he would receive a two-year ban for his clenbuterol case dating back to 2010.

Contador will be allowed to return to competition on August 6.

The Amgen Tour of California will see new challenges in 2012, including an individual time trial with an eight percent climb.

The course will pass some of California’s iconic landmarks, such as Big Bear Lake and Mt. Baldy, as well as Sunset Boulevard and Beverly Hills.

Stage 1: Santa Rosa to Santa Rosa (Sunday, May 13)
3rd St. to Santa Rosa Ave.

The race begins in Levi Leipheimer’s home of Santa Rosa, California. Stage one features seven sprints and will pass through the Sonoma County vinyards and along the coast. There will be a technical descent into Occidental and a dramatic finish straight to the line, without the final circuits through Santa Rosa that have been featured here previously.

Stage 2: San Francisco to Aptos in Santa Cruz County (Monday, May 14)
Marina Green at Marina Boulevard in San Francisco to Cabrillo College on Cabrillo College Drive in Aptos

Stage two will have a dramatic race start heading to the break wall of San Francisco Bay against a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Marin Headlands. The race will follow stunning coastline. The Aptos finish will be a KOM opportunity and may be an opportunity for a dramatic sprint.

Stage 3: San Jose to Livermore (Tuesday, May 15)
Berryessa Community Center on Berryessa Road in San Jose to Livermore (M Street and 1st Street)

San Jose, where the stage begins, is the only city that has hosted the Amgen Tour of California all seven years of the race. Stage three will feature the highly anticipated Mt. Diablo climb for the first time in the history of the race. The stage will likely finish in a sprint in historic downtown Livermore.

Stage 4: Sonora to Clovis (Wednesday, May 16)
Sonora (Yaney and Washington) to Clovis (Bullard and Pollasky Aves.)

The stage begins at the gateway to nearby Yosemite National Park in the town of Sonora. This stage will offer numerous KOMs, technical descents and very few flat sections. The stage ends in Clovis, paying tribute to the town’s 100th anniversary.

Stage 5: Individual Time Trial (Thursday, May 1)
Bakerfield (Bakersfield College – Panorama Drive)

The Bakersfield circuit, back by popular demand, will return as an individual time trial in 2012. With very few flat sections, the ITT will prove a challenge for riders and a great spectacle for spectators. The stage will likely be hot and windy with consistent 100-foot rollers and a 300-foot bluff with an eight percent climb near the stage finish. From there, they will turn hard left to an uphill finish.

Stage 6: Palmdale to Big Bear Lake (Friday, May 18)
Marie Kerr Park, 2723 Rancho Vista Boulevard, Palmdale to Snow Summit Ski Area on Summit Boulevard in Big Bear Lake

Big Bear Lake returns to the 2012 route after being skipped in 2011. The stage’s first KOM will be at Mountain High ski area after a 12-mile climb to a 7,000-foot sumit, then move toward Big Bear area. The stage finishes over 7,000 feet in elevation at Snow Summit ski area.

Stage 7: Ontario to Mt. Baldy (Saturday, May 19)
Ontario Convention Center to Mt. Baldy Ski Resort

Often known as the “Queen’s Stage” because it resembles a stage from a European Grand Tour, stage 7 has never been so late in the race after such consistently strenuous stages. It features three KOMs, technical and fast descents and a sprint. Toward the end of the stage, the climbing gets so steep it has proven impassable for some race vehicles. According to the organizers, “This will be the stage where legends are made and winners are decided.”

Stage 8: Beverly Hills to L.A. LIVE – Los Angeles (Sunday, May 20)
Start Location: Beverly Hills – (Rodeo Drive and Brighton Way)
Finish Location: Los Angeles – L.A. LIVE (Figueroa Street and Chick Hearn Court)

The final stage begins in the famous Beverly Hills where “Designer dresses will give way to high-tech lycra,” according to race organizers. The stage will include Santa Monica Boulevard, Doheny Drive, Sunset Boulevard and West Hollywood.

• 1. Tom BOONEN , (BEL) Opq, in 9:50:50
• 2. Tyler FARRAR , (USA) Grm, +31
• 3. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI , (ESP) Sky, +34
• 4. Gert STEEGMANS , (BEL) Opq, +36
• 5. Bernhard EISEL , (AUT) Sky, +45
• 6. Tom VEELERS , (NED) Pro, +1:00
• 7. Fabian CANCELLARA , (SUI) Rnt, +1:06
• 8. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS , (LTU) Grm, +1:09
• 9. Aidis KRUOPIS , (LTU) Gec, +1:10
• 10. Adam BLYTHE , (GBR) Bmc, +1:14
• 11. Mark CAVENDISH , (GBR) Sky, +1:15
• 12. Johan VAN SUMMEREN , (BEL) Grm, +1:19
• 13. Thomas DEKKER , (NED) Grm, +1:19
• 14. Baden COOKE , (AUS) Gec, +1:20
• 15. Mark RENSHAW , (AUS) Rab, +1:32
• 16. Tony GALLOPIN , (FRA) Rnt, +1:33
• 17. John DEGENKOLB , (GER) Pro, +1:40
• 18. Frederik WILLEMS , (BEL) Ltb, +1:45
• 19. Ramon SINKELDAM , (NED) Pro, +2:02
• 20. Mikhail IGNATYEV , (RUS) Kat, +2:15
• 21. Rudiger SELIG , (GER) Kat, +2:16
• 22. Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK , (BEL) Opq, +2:17
• 23. Matthias FRIEDEMANN , (GER) Css, +2:19
• 24. Aliaksandr KUSCHYNSKI , (BLR) Kat, +2:19
• 25. Philippe GILBERT , (BEL) Bmc, +2:23
• 26. Maarten WYNANTS , (BEL) Rab, +2:27
• 27. Yoann OFFREDO , (FRA) Fdj, +2:28
• 28. David BOUCHER , (FRA) Fdj, +2:30
• 29. Maarten TJALLINGII , (NED) Rab, +2:34
• 30. Ian STANNARD , (GBR) Sky, +2:47
• 31. Francesco CHICCHI , (ITA) Opq, +2:52
• 32. Svein TUFT , (CAN) Gec, +2:55
• 33. Sebastian LANGEVELD , (NED) Gec, +2:55
• 34. Daniel OSS , (ITA) Liq, +2:58
• 35. Giacomo NIZZOLO , (ITA) Rnt, +2:59
• 36. Klaas LODEWYCK , (BEL) Bmc, +3:01
• 37. Marcel SIEBERG , (GER) Ltb, +3:02
• 38. Greg HENDERSON , (NZL) Ltb, +3:02
• 39. Arnaud DEMARE , (FRA) Fdj, +3:08
• 40. Dominique ROLLIN , (CAN) Fdj, +3:08

Associated Press: The World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) requested the evidence that the U.S. federal agencies collected in the Armstrong investigation that has recently been called off.

“There has been significant evidence taken on anti-doping areas, on what may have occurred in the way of doping. It would be very, very helpful if that information was handed over,” Fahey said of the U.S. probe that was led by federal agent Jeff Novitzky, who also investigated baseball players Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

“The United States anti-doping organization is keen to get hold of that evidence and we would like to see that happen because there could well be some very relevant information there,” Fahey said.

Caley Fretz tells you what you need to know about the new SRAM Red

• 1. Lars Petter NORDHAUG, (NOR) Sky, in 3:55:27
• 2. Rui Alberto FARIA DA COSTA, (POR) Mov, +26
• 3. Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA, (COL) Sky, +28
• 4. Jakob FUGLSANG, (DEN) Rnt, +35
• 5. Tiago MACHADO, (POR) Rnt, +45
• 6. Salvatore PUCCIO, (ITA) Sky, +57
• 7. Xavier FLORENCIO CABRE, (ESP) Kat, +57
• 8. Jérémie GALLAND, (FRA) Sau, +57
• 9. Greg VAN AVERMAET, (BEL) Bmc, +57
• 10. Gerald CIOLEK, (GER) Opq, +57
• 11. Maxime MONFORT, (BEL) Rnt, +57
• 12. Julien SIMON, (FRA) Sau, +57
• 13. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, (ESP) Mov, +57
• 14. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, (ESP) Kat, +57
• 15. José Ivan GUTIERREZ PALACIOS, (ESP) Mov, +57
• 16. Jose Joaquin ROJAS GIL, (ESP) Mov, +57
• 17. Danail ANDONOV PETROV, (BUL) Cjr, +1:02
• 18. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Ltb, +1:02
• 19. Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, (ESP) Eus, +1:06
• 20. David DE LA FUENTE RASILLA, (ESP) Cjr, +1:06
• 21. Stephen CUMMINGS, (GBR) Bmc, +1:06
• 22. Garikoitz BRAVO OIARBIDE, (ESP) Cjr, +1:06
• 23. Juan HORRACH RIPPOLL, (ESP) Kat, +1:09
• 24. Jérôme BAUGNIES, (BEL) App, +1:12
• 25. Xabier ZANDIO ECHAIDE, (ESP) Sky, +1:12
• 26. Giovanni VISCONTI, (ITA) Mov, +1:14
• 27. Damien GAUDIN, (FRA) Euc, +1:14
• 28. Andre Fernando S. Martins CARDOSO, (POR) Cjr, +1:14
• 29. Bart DE CLERCQ, (BEL) Ltb, +1:14
• 30. Thomas LÖVKVIST, (SWE) Sky, +1:14
• 31. Kanstantsin SIVTSOV, (BLR) Sky, +1:14
• 32. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, (ESP) Rnt, +1:14
• 33. Bruno PIRES, (POR) Sax, +1:14
• 34. Sergio Miguel Moreira PAULINHO, (POR) Sax, +1:14
• 35. Frank SCHLECK, (LUX) Rnt, +1:21
• 36. Steven KRUIJSWIJK, (NED) Rab, +1:21
• 37. Mikel ASTARLOZA CHAURREAU, (ESP) Eus, +1:24
• 38. Vicente REYNES MIMO, (ESP) Ltb, +1:29
• 39. Amaël MOINARD, (FRA) Bmc, +1:33
• 40. Dries DEVENYNS, (BEL) Opq, +1:49

Pinto, Spain (AFP) — A visibly indignant two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador said on Tuesday he “totally disagreed” with his two-year doping ban but vowed to pursue his career.

Speaking for the first time since the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s sanction handed down on Monday, the 29-year-old Spaniard said he had lived through torment.

“I cannot understand the sanction that has been imposed on me,” the cyclist told a news conference at a hotel in his hometown of Pinto just south of Madrid. “As for the decision, I totally disagree,” he said, wearing a dark jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar.

“I am going to continue cycling. I am going to continue practicing it cleanly, the way I have my entire life. My mood right now is not the best but I know this will make me stronger in the future.”

Contador said he had committed no crime and yet had been hit with the heaviest penalty of a two year ban. ”Anyone who reads the decision will see clearly that I did not take drugs,” he said. He said his lawyers were looking into a possible appeal.

“There have been speculations, leaks, it is been a real torment. But the hardest thing has been to see my family, the suffering they have had, my wife, for what they have accused me of,” Contador said. ”And it is for something that goes against everything that has been instilled in me.”

The Spaniard said he even gave evidence under polygraph — popularly known as a lie detector. “That is five hours sitting in a chair answering questions like a real criminal.”

Contador thanked his fans and his sponsor for their support, after Saxo Bank chief Bjarne Riis told the news conference he backed the cyclist “100 percent” because he clearly did not deliberately take drugs. He was repeatedly applauded by the crowd.

Considered the most gifted racer of his generation, Contador was handed a two-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a positive test for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Backdated to August 2010, when he announced the news of his positive test weeks after his third yellow jersey triumph, the ban means Contador can return to competition on August 6, 2012.

As well as ruling him out of this year’s Tour de France and the Olympic Games in London, he will be stripped, among other wins, of his 2010 yellow jersey which will now be handed to runner-up, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

His determination to carry on means he may compete at the Tour of Spain in September, a race Contador won in 2008 when he also won the Giro d’Italia.

Two months after his positive test, the Spaniard, claiming he was the victim of a contaminated steak eaten during the Tour de France, and had said he would consider quitting if banned.

If he is to find any kind of succour from the CAS decision, it is the fact doping experts believe he did not ingest clenbuterol intentionally. They deemed the Spaniard was likely a victim of a contaminated food supplement.

The loss of Contador could also have huge ramifications for his team. Run by Riis, a former Tour de France winner who owned up to cheating with drugs to win the race in 1996, Contador is the team’s marquee rider in stage races. But more importantly, his WorldTour ranking points are crucial.

Affiliation to the WorldTour series — via a system governed by ranking points, financial viability and sound ethical principles — guarantees entry to cycling’s biggest races. On his own, Contador has racked up a massive amount of the points required by the team for entry to the series — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The sport’s ruling body was also due to ask its licenses commission on Tuesday to gauge whether Saxo Bank has the right to remain in the UCI WorldTour.

PARIS, France (AFP) — Disgraced former 2010 Tour de France champion
Alberto Contador was on Tuesday braced to piece together his future as a
professional cyclist a day after being handed a two-year doping ban.

Considered the most gifted racer of his generation, Contador was handed a
two-year ban Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a
positive test for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Backdated to August 2010, when he announced the news of his positive test
weeks after his third yellow jersey triumph, the ban means Contador can return
to competition on August 6, 2012.

As well as ruling him out of this year’s Tour de France, the 29-year-old
from Pinto will also be stripped of his 2010 yellow jersey
which will now be handed to runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, among other wins.

Despite the possible lure of competing at the Tour of Spain in September, a
race Contador won in 2008, it is not yet known what plans Contador has for his future.

Two months after his positive test, the Spaniard, claiming he was the
victim of a contaminated steak eaten during the Tour de France, said he would
consider quitting if banned.

“If this is not resolved favourably and in just fashion then I would have
to consider whether I would ever get back on a bike,” Contador told Spanish
broadcaster Telecinco in October 2010.

If he is to find any kind of succour from the CAS decision, it is the fact
doping experts believe he did not ingest clenbuterol intentionally. They
deemed the Spaniard was likely a victim of a contaminated food supplement.

Reports from Spain late Monday, citing his brother and manager Fran,
suggested Contador would return to the sport — a possibility that can only
boost the hopes of his Saxo Bank team.

Run by Bjarne Riis, a former Tour de France winner who owned up to cheating
with drugs to win the race in 1996, Contador is the team’s marquee rider in
stage races. But more importantly, his WorldTour ranking points are crucial. Affiliation to the WorldTour series — via a system governed by ranking
points, financial viability and sound ethical principles — guarantees entry
to cycling’s biggest races.

On his own, Contador has racked up a massive amount of the points required
by the team for entry to the series — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by
the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The UCI said Monday said: “If we do not take into account the points
contributed by Contador, amounting to around 68 percent of his team’s total
points, Saxo Bank will no longer appear to satisfy the sporting conditions to
remain part of the WorldTour.”

While Contador outlines his future plans later Tuesday, the sport’s ruling
body will simultaneously be asking its licences commission to guage whether
Saxo Bank has the right to remain in the UCI WorldTour.