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Cunego injuries force him to drop out of Tour
After battling his way through the 18th stage of the Tour de France Thursday, despite sustaining potentially serious injuries in a crash, Lampre's Damiano Cunego has pulled out of the race, according to team sources. "It's a miracle I finished this stage," said the Lampre rider, who came over the finish line with blood dripping from a wound under his chin and injuries to his chest and thorax.
Will Frischkorn’s Tour de France diary, stage 18
After yesterday’s insanity on the climb, today’s came at the start area. As we drove down the Alpe, thankfully in cars with the bus waiting at the bottom, there were still hundreds of people camped out roadside.
Prémont, Kabush defend Canadian titles; Paulissen keeps marathon world crown
Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Marie-Hélène Prémont both defended their Canadian national cross-country titles from 2007 during this year’s championships, run June 19 at Mont-Ste-Anne, Québec. Both riders won by slim margins, with Derek Zandstra (3 Rock Racing) and Catherine Pendrel (Luna) taking the runner-up spots. The victory marked the fifth career title for Kabush and the sixth for Prémont. Both will don their national colors at Mont-Ste-Anne’s cross-country World Cup race on July 27.
Marie-Héléne Prémont’s final World Cup race at Mont Ste. Anne
With just a handful of weeks to go until the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the world's top cross-country mountain bikers face two World Cup rounds to get their legs race ready. This weekend’s World Cup race, held at Mont-Ste-Anne resort just outside of Quebec City, is the first test, with Bromont, Quebec, hosting a round on August 2-3. But who, exactly, will show up for the Canadian races?
Duenas denies ‘knowingly’ doping, blames team doctor
Spanish cyclist Moises Duenas, who was kicked out of the Tour de France after failing a drugs test, on Thursday denied knowingly taking any banned substance during the race. Duenas was charged last week in France with "use and possession of plants and poisonous substances,” and dropped by his British-registered team Barloworld. He risks a two-year jail term and a 3750-euro fine.
Tough Tour, but worth it, says O’Grady
Stuart O'Grady finally came through one of his "toughest" Tour de France campaigns as the peloton headed out of the Alps and steadily towards Paris on Thursday. However, the Australian admitted he almost never made it as far as the second mountain range of this year's race after finding out he was carrying a virus three days into the race, "I didn't know it at the time but I was a bit crook. It turned out it was pretty serious," O'Grady told AFP. "When the results came through it was actually a relief."
Winter Park’s first Super-D attracts top riders
Super Downhill racing action burst into the Winter Park Mountain Bike Series in full force on Sunday, with 170 racers ready to try out the inaugural event.
Roche: No marker in new EPO drug
Swiss pharmaceutical giant F. Hoffman-La Roche issued a statement Thursday disputing a recent claim by World Anti-Doping Agency chief John Fahey that it had inserted a “marker” in its new anti-anemia drug Micera. The drug has been the focus of recent attention after Ricardo Riccò, Saunier Duval’s top GC hope at the Tour de France, tested positive for the drug following the stage 4 time trial at Cholet.
Live Coverage – Stage 18 Tour de France, 2008
- 04:29 AM: Tune in Thursday morning at 6:15 a.m. ET
for live coverage of stage 18
- 12:10 PM: Good day and welcome
To VeloNews.com's Live coverage of the 18th stage of the 95th Tour de France, a 196.5km race from Bourg d'Oisans to St. Etienne.
Burghardt wins St. Etienne
After spending almost all of the day on the attack, Team Columbia’s Marcus Burghardt won the 18th stage of the Tour de France, beating Quick Step’s Carlos Barredo in a final kilometer chess match that bore more resemblance to a match-sprint on the velodrome than the end of a 196.5 mile road race. The two joined forces early in the day and cooperated until the final ten kilometers. At that point the two could afford to risk the benefits of cooperation as they enjoyed a healthy 4:50 lead over a group of three chasers and nearly 10 minutes on the peloton.
Blazing Saddles
Retail Price: $24.95 Web site: www.velogear.com Blazing Saddles: The Cruel and Unusual History of the Tour de France is a new book by sports writer Matt Rendell. The book examines the Tour's inspiring and sometimes astonishing history, its whimsical mishaps and astounding feats. Blazing Saddles is available now in bookstores, bike shops, and online.
Inside the Tour, with John Wilcockson – Sastre has ridden the perfect Tour — so far
From virtually every aspect, Carlos Sastre has ridden a perfect Tour de France. As soon as the route for this year’s Tour was announced last October, he said that the race would be decided in the final week, and probably at L’Alpe d’Huez. That’s why he focused his whole season on being at his very best right now, using races as training all season long, and trying to remain anonymous through the first two weeks of the race itself.
Live Coverage – Stage 17 Tour de France, 2008
- 11:23 AM: Good day and welcome
to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the 17th stage of the 95th Tour de France, a stunning 210.5-kilometer race from Embrun to the top of L'Alpe d'Huez.
Nubütte chamois cream
Retail price: $20.00 for 3-ounce jar Web site: www.nubutte.com Nubütte chamois butter is shea butter-based (not water-based), and contains other high quality all-natural ingredients formulated to soothe, heal and prevent saddle sores, including Witch hazel, Comfrey leaf, St. Johns Wort, Tea Tree, Calendula and grape seed oil. Nubütte is Paraben free and not tested on animals.
Who won: Sastre or Evans?
CSC-Saxo Bank’s Carlos Sastre took both the stage win atop L’Alpe d’Huez and the race lead following Wednesday’s massive 210km queen stage of this year’s Tour — but who was the day’s biggest winner? Following this Tour’s final mountain stage, one minute and 34 seconds separate stage 17 winner Carlos Sastre and pre-race favorite Cadel Evans of Silence-Lotto with just four stages remaining. Of greatest interest, of course, is Saturday’s rolling 53km time trial, where the final classification will certainly be determined.