Doping

The UCI management committee has approved measures that would prevent anyone who has violated cycling’s anti-doping regulations to be employed in the sport.

The UCI's press releases urges the media and fans to show Contador respect.

The UCI's management committee on Thursday urged fans and the media to show the "utmost sense of responsibility" toward Alberto Contador at the Tour de France.

There has been a lot of Internet chatter about last weekend’s Tyler Hamilton/Lance Armstrong meet-up in Colorado. What’s the big deal?

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced the life-time suspension of former Fly V Australia rider Phil Zajicek after he admitted to a second doping offense for purchasing erythropoietin (EPO), and a third doping offense for providing false testimony at an American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel hearing, as well as encouraging other witnesses to provide false testimony.

Editor's note: This is the second of several essays VeloNews will publish regarding doping in cycling (the first was published last week). We invite readers to offer opinions in the comments below the essay or send in longer pieces that we will consider for publication separately. Send them to sfrothingham@competitorgroup.com.

That questionable Tour de France podium - Updated list and an important postscript

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Lance Armstrong's lawyers asked for an apology from television network CBS on Wednesday for a report looking into doping allegations against the seven-time Tour de France champion.

PARIS (AFP) — Alberto Contador edged closer to taking part in the 2011 Tour de France after his doping hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was set for August 1-3.

Alberto Contador received a hero's welcome Monday in Spain following his Giro d'Italia victory, but remained cautioned on a possible start in next month's Tour de France.

MILAN, Italy (VN) — How far can Alberto Contador go? That's the question that many are asking after Sunday's victory at the 2011 Giro d'Italia, when Contador claimed his sixth grand tour victory in his young, but controversial career.

An essay by LeMond Fitness CEO Mark Handfelt

Tyler Hamilton's attorney Chris Manderson said what has surprised him is the quality of the response from Armstrong and his attorneys following his client's appearance on CBS, one he characterized as “lashing out at the messenger, rather than addressing the charges.”

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Viatcheslav Ekimov could find himself with a gold medal following startling admissions by Tyler Hamilton that he doped to win the 2004 Olympic time trial championship.

SOLVANG, California (VN) ─ Former Lance Armstrong teammate Frankie Andreu spoke out in support of Tyler Hamilton and George Hincapie Friday afternoon, following news reports that both have testified to federal authorities about their former teammate’s use of performance-enhancing drugs.

George Hincapie, one of Lance Armstrong’s closest friends during their time together at the U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams and the only member of all seven of Armstrong’s Tour de France-winning squads, testified before a federal grand jury that he and Armstrong had supplied one another with EPO and testosterone, CBS News reported Friday afternoon.

George Hincapie has added his name to the list of ex-Lance Armstrong teammates who say they saw the embattled American cycling hero use performance-enhancing drugs, CBS News reported Friday.

Alberto Contador's fate will be considered just days after he's set to conclude racing in the Giro d'Italia.

an email Tyler Hamilton sent to friends and family explaining his "long overdue" confession to doping

Retired cyclist Tyler Hamilton has told the CBS program "60 Minutes" that he saw his then-U.S. Postal teammate Lance Armstrong inject EPO and use other doping methods.

STATELINE, Nevada (VN) – After a deal allowing the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to conduct in-competition drug testing at the Amgen Tour of California fell apart this week, the UCI resumed control of the in-competition testing for the race.

PARIS (AFP) — The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Thursday criticized the French sports daily L'Equipe for planning to publish results from anti-doping tests taken on the eve of the 2010 Tour de France.

FIUGGI, Italy (VN) – Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) says he’s being careful in what he eats in Italy as he makes a run for the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia.

A reader wants to know why Floyd Landis is being sued in Switzerland and what would happen if he lost.

Following the announcement by the UCI that it has filed a defamation suit against Floyd Landis, the deposed Tour de France winner says he is ready to fight the case in an effort to expose “the corruption within cycling.”

The UCI announced on Wednesday that the governing body, as well as its current and former presidents, have filed a defamation suit against deposed 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

The UCI has called on the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) to open disciplinary proceedings against Vuelta a España runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera.

The Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Thursday that U.S. investigators are working with their Italian counterparts to review millions of dollars’ worth of financial transactions involving physician Michele Ferrari and several high-profile cyclists.

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands(AFP) – UCI president Pat McQuaid said he and the management of the international governing body of cycling will be following developments in an ongoing Italian doping case “very carefully” as it works its way through the court syste

Media reports signal a massive doping raid in Italy involving up to 1,000 agents.

VALLADOLID, Spain (VN) – Alberto Contador says he is staying focused on racing and leaving his pending legal battle in the hands of his advisors and legal team.

Things are never easy for Alberto Contador these days. The start of Wednesday’s first stage at the Vuelta a Castilla y León was delayed when the president of the jury demanded to see Contador’s racing license.

European sports officials took fresh shots at cycling as the specter of doping once again hangs over to the sport going into the season’s grand tours.

USA Cycling has adjusted results for three masters national road championships following the suspension of Peter Cannell last week.

The slow hand of justice in Spain seems finally to be moving. Nearly six years after police uncovered the Operación Puerto doping ring, officials are pressing for jail time for the leading protagonists.

An Italian prosecutor's final report on a three-year investigation of doping in cycling could result in the indictments of as many as 30 defendants, including riders, team officials and doctors.

North Carolina masters racer Peter Cannell has been suspended for two years for doping and has forfeited his results dating to 2007, including three national age group titles, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Friday.

Q.Dear Explainer, As a follow-up to your answer to an earlier question on the biological passport, I’m curious whether there is any science out there on the relative benefits of micro-dosing EPO and other methods designed to avoid detection in doping controls as compared to more traditional and easily catchable doping methods.

With nearly all the major Tour de France hopefuls lining up this week at the Tour of the Basque Country, Alberto Contador has gone to the mountains.

GENEVA (AFP) - Chile's top cyclist Marco Arriagada, his compatriot Jose Medina Andrade as well as Argentina's Alfredo Lucero have tested positive for doping, the UCI said Monday.

Basque squad Euskaltel-Euskadi plans to welcome back Mikel Astarloza to the team when his racing ban for EPO ends later this summer.

Alberto Contador should know his fate before the start of the Tour de France. That’s according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which promised it would make a ruling on the long-running clenbuterol case before the start of the season’s most important race.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

UCI president Pat McQuaid told The Associated Press that an appeal in Alberto Contador’s doping case was prompted by fears of political meddling within the Spanish cycling federation.

The positive clenbuterol test of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has consumed the cycling world since its announcement in September. While he's never tested positive before, Contador's career has been affected almost from its start by doping allegations — often against others.

PARIS (AFP) - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said Thursday he wants a swift end to the saga surrounding three-time champion Alberto Contador after cycling's governing body revived a doping case against him, despite the Spaniard's acquittal by his own federation.

L VENDRELL, Spain (VN) – Alberto Contador vows to finish the Volta a Catalunya and will keep racing despite the UCI’s decision to appeal his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

So what is the basis for the UCI’s appeal? Are they going to attack the evidence — or lack of it — or are they going to go after Spain’s decision? Where does WADA come in? Why is Contador still racing?

AIGLE, Switzerland (AFP) -The UCI said Thursday that it would appeal Spain's decision to acquit rider Alberto Contador of doping charges stemming from last year's Tour de France.

BANYOLES, Spain (VN) — It’s coming down to the wire on whether or not the UCI will decide to appeal the Spanish federation’s decision to clear Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) on doping charges in his long-running clenbuterol case.

MILAN (VN) — Fans may notice a piece of white tape on the arms of riders at Milan-San Remo Saturday. In a release distributed Friday, the Association of Professional Cyclists said that riders would carry the tape as a symbol of unity over the anti-doping proposals made in the last week by the groups representing teams (AIGCP), doctors (AIMEC) and riders (CPA).

With just days to go before the UCI must decide whether or not it will appeal the Spanish cycling federation's ruling to clear Alberto Contador, UCI president Pat McQuaid says that the three-time Tour de France champion is not receiving preferential treatment.

German rider Patrik Sinkewitz (Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli) is facing a lifetime ban after testing positive for human growth hormones from a blood sample taken during the GP di Lugano in late February.

Dutch mountain bike racer Rudi van Houts, suspended last year after testing positive for a small amount of clenbuterol, has been cleared to race.

At a meeting in Milan Thursday, the Professional Cycling Council decided to recommend a four-year suspension, rather than the current two-years, for the first doping offense "involving a serious substance."

WASHINGTON, D.C. ─ Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) has criticized the ongoing federal probe into seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and allegations of doping.