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A doping investigation initially targeting two University doctors has now snared four more, albeit on lesser charges, according to German public prosecutor Wolfgang Maier on Monday. Maier confirmed a report, to appear Tuesday in the Badischer Zeitung newspaper, which claimed four other doctors have been actively investigated in the case. Maier did not reveal names but told the SID agency they faced lesser charges to those of Lothar Heinrich and Andreas Schmid, both of whom were sacked two years ago for helping administer doping substances.

Alejandro Valverde's win at the Dauphine solidified his position atop the UCI's world rankings, and also brought hit team, Caisse d'Epargne, and country, Spain, to the top of their respective rankings. Valverde has earned points at Fleche Wallone (where he was seventh), the Tour de Romandie (where he was in the top 10 in three stages) and with his wins at the Volta Catalunya and the Dauphine. The rankings are weighted toward the grand tours, which is how Denis Menchov remains in third with the 218 points he picked up on the way to winning the Giro d'Italia.

French cycling team Cofidis unveiled a nine-man Tour de France team Monday which manager Eric Boyer has shaped principally for success in the mountains. Frenchman David Moncoutie, who won the hilly penultimate stage of the Dauphine Libere on Saturday, will be the team's main hope on the Tour's climbs along with fellow specialists Amael Moinard and Remi Pauriol. Christophe Kern, who also impressed during the Dauphine, has also been given instructions to perform well in the Alps and Pyrenees.

Team Astana has suspended Kazakh rider Assan Bazayev for 15 days for not providing sufficient whereabouts information required as part of the UCI’s biological passport program. The 28-year-old Bazayev was supposed to start the nine-day Tour de Suisse on Saturday, but Astana officials slapped him with an internal, 15-day racing ban Friday because he wasn’t being vigilant enough about informing anti-doping controllers on where he was.

Astana has revealed its short list for the upcoming Tour de France. Fifteen riders are vying for nine spots on the Astana tour squad, which will be anchored by returning seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong and 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. Also all but assured of spots are Tour podium finishers Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden.

Ever since Shimano introduced the 7900 Di2 group at last fall’s Interbike show, it’s been surrounded by questions (as is any revolutionary new product). At first, the major question was simply Shimano’s wisdom in daring to venture down a path previously abandoned by Mavic and Campagnolo. Then the question was: will it pass the litmus test of adoption by professional riders and mechanics, who are historically traditional and resistant to change? Finally, will the parts ever actually become available at retail — and if so, will consumers buy?

Defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre is headed to Switzerland to preview some of the key mountain stages for next month’s race. Sastre, fresh off winning two stages at the Giro d’Italia and finishing fourth overall, will join teammates from his Cervélo TestTeam to train in the Alps until Friday. “The riders who will dispute the Tour are going to take some deep training rides and personally I want to review some of the climbs that I don’t know of the stages that will be featured in the Alps,” Sastre said before traveling to Geneva on Monday.

Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara held on to the lead of the Tour of Switzerland as Britain's Mark Cavendish powered to victory on the 195.4km third stage on Monday. The 24-year-old from the Isle of Man, who won four stages at last year's Tour de France, produced an impressive decisive surge in the dying meters after Norwegian Thor Hushovd's final dash for the line ran out of steam. As Cavendish soaked up the win, Spanish ace Oscar Freire of Rabobank came through late to leave Cervelo's main sprinter Hushovd in third place. [nid:93406]

Tejay Van Garderen moved into the overall lead Monday after stage six at the Circuito Montañes in northern Spain, an important proving ground for up-and-coming pros. The American rider on the Rabobank continental team finished second to Sergio Pardilla (Carmiooro) in the 143.6km stage from Torrelavega to Santo Toribio, some 20 seconds behind the Spanish rider. With just one stage remaining, Van Garderen moves up into the overall lead, now 35 seconds ahead of Jonathan Castroviejo (Orbea), with Pardilla slotting into third at 1:01 back.

It’s looking more likely that a Japanese rider will be at the Tour de France for the first time in more than a decade. Bbox Bouygues Telecom has named Yukiya Arashiro as one of the riders assured to start the 2009 Tour on July 4 in Monaco. The others include Thomas Voeckler, Pierrick Fédrigo, Pierre Rolland and William Bonnet. Bouygues team boss Jean-René Bernaudeau had high praise for Arashiro, a former Japanese national time trial and road champion who’s racing in Europe for the first time this season.

Alejandro Valverde could barely enjoy his victory Sunday at the Dauphiné Libéré when the questions started again: will he or won’t he be at the start line in Monaco on July 4 for the 2009 Tour de France? Since May, Valverde is banned for two years from racing in Italy for what authorities say is clear evidence linking him to the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal. The year’s Tour dips into Italy for about 80km during stage 16, enough to likely torpedo Valverde’s hopes for a shot at the Tour podium despite being arguably in the best form of his career.

The 2009 Nature Valley Grand Prix concluded on Sunday in Stillwater, Minnesota, with a GC shake-up in the men’s race and a win by women’s race leader Kristin Armstrong. Philip Mamos (Amore e Vita) and Armstrong (Cervélo TestTeam) both took stage wins by attacking from small breakaways. Armstrong sealed up her fourth consecutive overall victory with her win, and Rory Sutherland (Ouch) took home his third overall victory in as many years by ousting Tom Zirbel (Bissell) with a late attack.

I’ve probably spent less than 10 hours riding tubular tires. I’m not ashamed to admit that I come from a mostly mountain bike background. I’ve never wanted to bother with gluing tubular tires, despite the significant benefits in lighter weight and supple ride quality.

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Judith Arndt (Columbia-Highroad) won Sunday’s finale and secured the overall at the four-day Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira in Spain. After Columbia-Highroad teammate Mara Abbott and rival Claudia Hausler of Germany had attacked on the last climb, Arndt powered across to the two stage leaders on a dangerous rain-soaked descent. Arndt then outpowered Hausler in the final sprint for the line in the town of Orduña, while Abbott took third. It was Arndt’s third stage win in four days, and her first stage race victory since winning the Tour of Tuscany in Italy last September.