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LATEST NEWS: ROAD BIKE ACTION NEWS NOVEMBER 5, 2008
Road Bike Action & AFP
November 5, 2008
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Piepoli Demands Counter Test
Italian Leonardo Piepoli, one of seven riders to fail drug tests at the Tour de France, has demanded a counter-test, according to the French national anti-doping agency (AFLD).
Piepoli, one of four who tested positive for a new strain of a banned blood booster EPO called CERA, will be controlled in the coming weeks AFLD said, without giving further details.
Last month Austria's Bernhard Kohl became the seventh positive doping case after being controlled retroactively for CERA, joining Piepoli, Riccardo Ricco and Germany's Stefan Schumacher.
During the Tour Ricco, the winner of two climbing stages was ejected along with his Saunier Duval team after urine samples belonging to the Italian revealed traces of CERA. Ricco followed Spanish duo Manuel Beltran, of Liquigas, and Barloworld rider Moises Duenas in leaving the race, both of whom tested positive for EPO.
On the race's final day it was revealed that Dmitri Fofonov, a Kazakh who rides for Credit Agricole, tested positive for a banned stimulant. He has since been banned for three months. The AFLD recently pioneered a new blood test for CERA, which is notoriously difficult to detect.
 Boonen's hair analysis reportedly shows repeated use of cocaine
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Boonen Used Cocaine "Repeatedly"
According to the Belgian news source sportwereld.be, hair tests have reported shown that Tom Boonen used cocaine "repeatedly" over a period of several months.
Boonen tested positive for cocaine at an out-of-competition control in May. He claimed he was innocent, saying someone spiked his drink at a club. According to sportwereld.be, the investigating judge did not believe Boonen’s account of how the cocaine got in his system and ordered the hair analysis.
The results showed that Boonen had not used the drug recently. "This is not a single use. For a few months he has repeatedly taken to coke," an investigator told sportwereld.be. "After he was caught he stopped. We infer that from the fact that hair grows one centimeter per month and there is no drug trace in the latest pieces."
Boonen does not face any sports ban since the results come from out of competition test, but the judicial investigation is continuing.
 Bernhard Kohl plans to make his comeback at the 2010 Vuelta a España (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Kohl Working On Comeback
Speaking to nachrichten.at, Bernhard Kohl’s trainer, Werner Zanier said that Kohl is making plans to come back for the 2010 Vuelta a España. "I really think it is possible that Bernhard will be among the best riders again after his suspension," Zanier said. "Bernhard will change the minds of everyone who believes that he rode so well in the Tour de France only because of the CERA." Kohl is looking at a two-year ban, which would end July 4, 2010. This would make it too late for him to start that year’s Tour de France
Zanier went on to say that Kohl will stay training over the winter by riding his mountain bike, and is planning a training camp for March 2009.
 Ben Jacques-Maynes will again lead the Bissell team in 2009 (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Bissell Continues To Build For 2009
While many teams are scaling back their programs, Bissell is heading into 2009 with a mix of strong veterans and promising young riders. Returning to the team in 2009 are time trial powerhouses Ben Jacques-Maynes and Tom Zirbel. Other returning veterans include Burke Swindlehurst, Jeremy Vennell, Omer Kem, Joao Correia and Graham Howard.
Major additions to the 2009 roster include two-time U.S. criterium champion Kirk O’Bee from the Health Net-Maxxis team, Peter Latham from Albi Velo Sport, and Andy Jacques-Maynes from the California Giant Strawberries Team. Andy joins his older brother Ben after proving to be one of the strongest riders on the domestic circuit. 2008 saw Andy finish second in the elite national road championships and third in the elite time-trial championships.
In addition to the new riders joining the squad next year, the team will also undergo a management change with Glen Mitchell taking over. Recently retired Eric Wohlberg will also join the management team, taking on the role of sport director.
"The team has had a fantastic year and has surpassed the goals that we had in the beginning of the year," said Mitchell. "I am very excited about becoming more involved with the team, and I look forward to the challenges ahead in building this team to the next level.
Erik Zabel and Leif Lampatar on their way to winning the Six-Days of Dortmund
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Zabel Wins Six Day
Retiring German sprinter Erik Zabel and partner Leif Lampater have won the 67th Six-Days of Dortmund event with compatriots Robert Bartko and Andreas Beikirch finishing second.
Danish pair Alex Rasmussen and Michael Morkov finished third as Team Milram veteran Zabel won the indoor cycling event in the North Rhine-Westphalian city for the sixth time on 394 points with Lampater.
Bartko and Beikirch were second with 391 points while Rasmussen and Morkov managed 386 points to take third.
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