Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

Mmmm, steak.

Cycling is in a good state at this point despite the doping scandals. It seems that there is now shortage of sponsors lining up to replace Saunier Duval after the Ricco/Piepoli debacle in the Tour. Saunier Duval is dropping sponsorship almost immediately. Scott bicycles decided to step in as title sponsor and a few secondary sponsors kicked in at the same time including American Beef. What better association would you have with drug filled bovines than drug taking athletes? Ouch.

Beef from the States has not had a great reputation in recent years and the association with cycling is interesting especially as the team is recovering from a doping scandal. American Beef has been banned from Europe and other countries because of the hormones used in the US.

Most U. S. beef cattle are implanted with synthetic hormones in feedlots prior to slaughter. On January 1, 1989 the European Economic Community (EEC) placed a ban on hormone-treated U. S. meat, preventing U. S. meat products from being sold in any European nations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has challenged the ban and accused the EEC of unfair trade practices, but the action of European governments raises some important questions about American meat.

– Prevent Cancer

So a product with a problem with drugs is sponsoring a sport with a perceived issue with drugs? Maybe they are drawn to the aspect of cycling that is cleaning up doping and they want to be associated with a “clean” sport? The choice is a bit tenuous, but Amgen sponsors the Tour of California, so no problem there.

In general, I applaud the new sponsor ready to take over a team. It shows that cycling has a far reach and is a relative deal in terms of cost compared to other sports. Now prepare with lots of puns based on beef, cows, “What’s for dinner” etc. Perhaps the team will excite the peloton as the sizzle sells the steak.

Cyclingnews had a quick interview with a doping expert Michel Audran who dropped some interesting tidbits. I was stunned at almost every response. Just when you think that maybe doping is being driven out of cycling, the riders are simply staying one step ahead with drugs that aren’t yet detected.

Ricco used CERA/Micera which is not detected by any doping tests. It is thought that riders in the Giro were using CERA/Micera because it is not detectable by the tests.

Doping expert stunned by Riccò news

Professor Michel Audran is one of the world’s leading experts on blood doping. He is also one of nine independent experts chosen to act as consultants in the formulation of the UCI’s biological passport. Daniel Friebe, Procycling features editor spoke to Audran this morning within minutes of L’Equipe’s website announcing that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO derivative after stage four of the Tour de France, the individual time trial around Cholet.

Riccò’s case stuns doping expert Michel Audran

Daniel Friebe: In the last twenty minutes we’ve heard that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO-like product. The early reports suggest that Riccò used CERA or Micera. a so-called third generation EPO. What’s your reaction?

Michel Audran: Wow. I’m stunned. I’m amazed they’re saying it’s Micera, simply because there’s no validated test for that yet. The World Anti-Doping Agency is working on a test, but it certainly doesn’t exist yet.

DF: What exactly is CERA, or Micera to give it its commercial name?

MA:It’s a delayed-action EPO, which has a different molecular mass from EPO. It’s only been commercially available since the start of the year. We can tell when someone’s used it but we can’t declare them positive. In that respect it’s like Dynepo, another EPO-like product. We know that Micera was being used on the Giro, so I’m not surprised that it’s also turned up at the Tour. But I would be very surprised if they AFLD had declared Riccò positive for Micera, for the reasons I’ve just mentioned. Maybe they searched Riccò’s room and found the product itself…

DF: What’s the difference between Micera and traditional EPO?

MA: It’s more convenient for clinical patients. They might only have to take Micera once a fortnight or once a month. EPO has to be administered much more often. The effect for an athlete is the same: raised haematocrit, raised haemoglobin, more oxygen to the muscles. It’s funny, because Riccò has UCI certification for his high haematocrit already.

DF: You talked about the differences between EPO and Micera, and also the fact that the latter is visible in tests, even if it, until now, it couldn’t lead to a positive test. Could you talk a little more about that?

MA: Well, you see synthetic EPO in urine the form of bars on an electrophoregram. If a rider’s taken Micera, the bars are located in a different place to those you see in a simple containing synthetic EPO.

DF: This is the third positive since the start of the Tour. Does that suggest to us that the testing being carried out by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) is more rigorous that the UCI’s?

MA: What the AFLD have done very well is target particular riders. I don’t think their tests themselves are any more rigorous, though. They’ll be adopting the same criteria for positive tests as WADA. I would say, though, that if the UCI’s biological passports had been ready, which they should be soon, Riccò would never have started this Tour.

Cyclingnews: Doping expert stunned by Riccò news

Ricco’s bike is put away on the SD Team Truck: PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images

Beyond words-or actual words would be only expletives-would describe my reaction to Riccardo Ricco’s positive test for EPO and a newish EPO like drug called CERA.

Like synthetic erythropoietin (rEPO), CERA was developed to as a treatment for the anemia that results from chronic kidney disease. Unlike single injections of rEPO, CERA interacts with erythropoietin receptors and has a longer-lasting effect.
Velonews: Riccardo Ricco tests positive; Saunier Duval team withdraws from Tour de France

It is incomprehensible that a rider would take such a chance in this current environment and dope to win a race. Ricco raised suspicions with his Pantani like performance causing many to immediately warn the young Ricco not to emulate Pantani in his methods of preparation for racing in addition to his racing style. Apparently those warnings were too late since Ricco thought that taking EPO and/or CERA was a smart thing to do and would help his career. Now Ricco sits in a police station in France and will most likely face a two year ban. His Saunier Duval team will have to pay a heafty fine. Ricco must also pay back his salary too. The fines are probably not devastating to Ricco especially since most Italian men will live at home until married, so financially he won’t be out on the street.

Ricco’s astounding performances in the Tour had many cheering for the brash Italian who talked as much as he attacked during the Tour. Ricco had few friends in the peloton since his brashness would be directed to other racers including Vincenzo Nibali and Fillippo Pozzato to name a few.

Last year Ricco was mentored by Gilberto Simoni on the Saunier Duval team. Simoni has often been critical of dopers such as Pantani and Ivan Basso in the past. Simoni who himself had a positive drug result for cocaine (blame Grandma’s gift from a South American trip) seemed to be the cross bearer for Itralian non–dopers. Simoni’s insinuation that Ivan Basso was an Extra-Terrestrial in the 2006 Giro was seen as sour grapes at first, but was later vilified when Basso was implicated as part of the Operation Puerto affair. Naturally as Ricco was brought on and mentored by Simoni you would think that a strong anti-doping ideal would be part of Ricco’s racing ethic. When you choose to be brash and speak out against others you must make sure you own house is in order so that one day you are not a hypocrite. Unfortunaly Ricco at the brash indestructible age of 24 thought that he had it all figured out. Going to the Tour and dominating the climbs would boost his career. All he needed was a little “helper” and you have some great performances to go down in Tour history. Now Ricco is joining the pantheon of racers such as Alexandre Vinokourov and Floyd Landis who brought instant shame to them selves in the biggest race of the year.

Now when anyone has an unusually spectacular performance such as an upset time trial win, or gaining back 8 minutes in a solo mountain break or dropping everyone Pantani style in the mountains will bring instant speculation. I was a little perturbed that Ricco’s performance brought more suspicion than praise, but rumors were already swirling at the Tour that Ricco’s numbers were a little shady.

Now let’s hope Ricco goes into his two year ban and goes to a trade school or something else. Just don’t come back to cycling please Mr. Ricco, you have done your damage now go away.

JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Riccardo Ricco flash visions of Marco Pantani with the vicious atacks up the Col D’Aspin to claim his second stage win of the Tour. Ricco’s attack came up the final climb but before several kilometers of downhill. The main favorites in the select bunch that was left behind seemed to halt their attacks for the day once Ricco was off deciding to save their energy for the tough day to Hautcam tomorrow.

Team Columbia let the reigns of pace-making go to Euskatel Euskadi for most of the race and Caisse D’Epargne showed that they are the strongest team in the race by controlling the pace when things got dicey. Lampre also took up the chase at times, either to help control things for Cunego or limit the gains of another Italian Ricco. Vincenzo Nibali showed some strength with a follow up attack to Ricco that did not gain much time but put folks on notice to watch the young Sicilian.

JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Both of the two main favorites Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans had mediocre days. Valverde looked like he could be in trouble at times, but may have been taking things easy by resting for tomorrows tough stage. Valverde is still nursing inuries from a fall a few days ago. Cadel Evans hit the deck and paid a visit to the rolling doctor with some nasty looking bruises.

PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images

Riccardo Ricco put his stamp on the Tour with a nice win st Super Besse during stage 6. With the help of Leonardo Piepoli who joined an attack by Christian Vande Velde with 5km to go in the stage Ricco was able to take advantage of a counter attack.

Alejandro Valverde showed that he is the man to beat in the Tour with a strong second place and a very strong Caisse D’ Epargne team. Black jerseys were ever present and former Tour winnder Oscar Periero help push the pace of the group in the final kms. Valverde did not have enough speed in the end to get around the hard charging Ricco who is riding his first Tour de France.

Kim Kirchen gets the Yellow Jersey helped slightly by an unfortunate touch of wheels with Stefan Schumacher. Schumi hit the deck, but did not get any forgiveness for time since the stage finished on an uphill. Team Columbia gladly takes the Yellow Jersey from Schumi and Gerolsteiner. The Yellow today and a stage win yesterday by Mark Cavendish are giving the new sponsor some nice exposure making Columbia happy to sign on just in time for the Tour.

Garmin-Chipotle got some exposure today as Christian Vande Velde’s attack put him up to fourth place only 44 seconds behind Kim Kirchen with some more medium difficulty stages to come. This year’s Tour is very unpredictable so the final result is anyone’s guess.

(AFP/Pascal Pavani)

Alejandro Valverde wasted no time in taking the Yellow Jersey during the Tour de France’s first stage today. The Tour started with a road stage for the first time since 1967. The very open Giro like Tour featured a tough final kilometer that brought all of the main contenders to the front and left the sprinters behind. The first road stage without a Yellow Jersey was not as nervous or crash filled as usual. Mauricio Soler was the only major victim of the carnage as he lost about two minutes to Valverde after a crash. Most of the peloton finished with the same time.

Riccardo Ricco was in fifth place today showing he has some good form to at least contend the numerous middle difficulty stages that dot the Tour route this year. Cadel Evans was up near the front more than likely shadowing Valverde so as not to give up too much time.

The final kilometer was as action packed as a finish of Amstel Gold race with the tough finish. Kim Kirchen took advantage of a Team Columbia leadup that featured Adam Hansen pushing 800 watts at the front of the peloton to get his teammate into position. Kirchen’s move had a glimmer of hope until Valverde rocketed up to Kirchen’s back wheel. Valverde took a moment and then sligshot his way to the front leaving a sizable gap to second place Phillipe Gilbert.

Now that Valverde has the Yellow, the question is will the team defend it, and if so for how long. Valverde may be riding a peak form right now, but the final week features some brutal climbing, can Valverde keep it up to the end?

AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati

It’s down to four seconds between the reigning Tour de France champion and the young “Cobra” Ricco going into an epic weekend that features a brutal mountain stage and final time trial in Milan. This Giro could be one of the closest in memory after a week that featured a brutal uphill time trial.

Riccardo Ricco unleashed his frustrations at Emmanuele Sella and Domenico Pozzovivo when he saw that he missed the Maglia Rosa by only four seconds. Sella and Pozzovivo were defending their GC places and by that effort helped Contador pace back in. Ricco likes to talk and wear his heart on his sleeve which endears him to many Italian cycling fans. The fire is fun to watch especially when so many other cyclist tend to watch what they say and speak in metered tones.

Ricco and DiLuca attacked Contador and now look to be in contention. The next stage features some brutal climbs up the Gavia Pass and the Mortirolo. The problem is that these climbs may not be decisive enough since they are far from the finish.

Ricco and DiLuca need some more time between themselves and Contador for the final TT which favors Contador.

(AFP/Damien Meyer)

One of the exciting aspects of the Giro are these brutal climbing circuit finishes that bring out the small Italian sprinting/climbing types. The Davide Rebellin’s Danilo Diluca’s and Paolo Bettini type of racers that can power up brutally steep climbs and sprint to win in a small pack. The new kid on the block is brash and already has a viscious nickname of ‘Il Cobra’ Ricardi Ricco powered his way to a win in Agrigento in front of Davide Rebellin to take a well deserved win.

The day showed that Team LPR is serious in helping Danilo DiLuca defend his Maglia Rosa. LPR has some good racers including Paolo Savoldelli a former Giro winner himself. After Slipstream set the pace for most of the day with big man Magnus Backstedt in the front, LPR took over when the roads started getting steeper.

Slipstream meanwhile is suffering a double whammy mojo loss of the Maglia Rosa off of Christian Vande Velde’s back by a measly one second to Franco “porno Hair” Pellizotti. And David Zabriske could not use his mustache mojo to avoid a bad crash that hurt his vertebrae. The injury is not to serious, but will take some time to recover.

(Alessandro Petacchi of Fassa Bortolo wins in 2005)

Scroll to the end for the full start list for Milan-San Remo from tuttobiciweb.com

Filippo Pozzato gets the number one for being defending champ. Danilo DiLuca will not be lining up at the start due to the flu. Liquigas have a strong lineup featureing Enrico Gasparotto and Franco Pellizotti.

Tom Boonen and Paolo Bettini will be ready, but their recent form does not indicate that they will put in a spectacular performance. Bettini and Boonen are “gamer” type riders who get up for the big races. So it will not be a surprise to see these two in a good position on the Via Roma. I would not bet against the killer “B”s.

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(pic from http://www.gazzetta.it

Andreas Kloden won Tirreno-Adriatico on the penultimate stage, but the big story is the performance by several young riders. Ricardo Ricco, Vincenzo Nibali, Enrico Gasparotto, Giovanni Visconti and Matteo Bono are just a few riders who differentiated themselves in the “Race of the two seas”.

Bono won a tough stage to San Giacomo which features some brutal 10% climbs. Ricco won two stages.

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