Must Reads: Landis v. Verbruggen; Boogerd blisters Landis; Dowsett eager for Qatar; Peraud eyes Olympics, Tour
Boogerd blisters Landis; Dowsett eager for Qatar; Peraud eyes Olympics, Tour
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Cyclocosm: Landis v. Verbruggen
The back-and-forth between Floyd Landis’ lawyer and the UCI over unpaid wages from 2001 drew a haughty response from then-UCI President Hein Verbruggen, who wrote: “Such an aggressive approach might perhaps work in the USA, but it does not in Europe, and most definitely, not with me. … I have given order to our legal department to take the tone of your approach into account when it comes to following up on your request.”
HLN: Boogerd denies Landis allegations
Michael Boogerd denied doping allegations slung at him by Floyd Landis, who mentioned the retired Dutch star in an interview with Paul Kimmage. Speaking to Dutch radio and picked up by the Belgian dailies, Boogerd denied the claims. “He’s insinuated that I doped, he did dope and assumes that I did too. Maybe he’s mad because of an argument during the 2006 Tour. He didn’t show respect for the yellow jersey and I called him an arrogant jellyfish.”
BBC: Dowsett heading to Qatar
Alex Dowsett is ready for his Team Sky debut at the Tour of Qatar on Sunday. The time trial silver medalist at the Commonwealth Games says he’s fitting in nicely with his new team. “It is a step up, but whilst the camps were hard I didn’t struggle, so I think I’ve settled in well so far. I know what I need to do and the team is really good to me, it’s quite a relaxed environment.”
Velo 101: Peraud wants Olympics, Tour
Jean-Christophe Peraud talks about his goals for the upcoming season and his switch to Ag2r-La Mondiale. “I will race the first two mountain bike World Cup rounds to assure that I can become selected for the 2012 Olympics and then focus on the Tour de France. I will fight for a good GC performance, but you have to be really fit.”
Kleine Zeitung: Positive for Austrian rider
Austrian cyclist Daniel Baldauf tested positive for testosterone at his regional championships when he won a gold medal and two silvers in September. The Austrian cycling federation has handed down a two-year ban. “I have never doped. The level was just above the limit, which must have been provoked by a contaminated nutritional supplement, but there’s no way to prove it.”