Reading Cycling Club

Androni Giocattoli rider Massimo Giunti has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) after testing positive for EPO in a targeted out-of-competition test carried out last month. Giunti, 35, had been scheduled to start Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday morning, but was pulled out of the race following news of his positive result for the illegal blood-booster. "It's a bitter blow and I'm shocked but it's strange too," said Androni Giocattoli principal Gianni Savio. ...

The riders of Paris-Nice will face a shorted stage three from Saint-Junien - Aurillac after the first 53 kilometres were cut from the stage due to snow. The peloton will race the final 155 kilometres. The snowstorm struck at early Wednesday morning in Limoges and means the first two category 3 climbs of the day, the côte des Cars and the côte de la Croix de Teulet, will not be contested. Race organisers ASO are confident the remaining 155 kilometres to Aurillac will be covered without ...

Rabobank's Robert Gesink must have felt more like an arctic explorer than a pro cyclist on Monday as he attempted to make his way to Italy for this week's Tirreno-Adriatico. The Dutchman had expected to take his regular taxi journey from Girona, Spain, to the local airport for a flight to Livorno, Italy, but hadn't counted on the weather working against him. A late winter storm dumped up to 25 inches of snow on the Costa Brava and Barcelona, the first snow in the region in 40 years. The chaos was ...

HTC-Columbia's Andre Greipel and Tony Martin have described the frustration of the opening days of Paris-Nice, which have seen both riders involved in crashes and miss out on hoped-for stage wins. Stages one and two looked tailor-made for the team's sprinter, Greipel, to contest mass sprint finishes, but in Monday's stage one, “the strong crosswinds made things difficult,” Greipel said on his website. “Unfortunately I crashed around 25 kilometres before the finish, so I didn't ...

German women's race Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen is firmly in female hands, with former riders Vera Hohlfeld named the event's new Race Director and Franziska Rippin appointed to the role of Sport Director. Hohlfeld, 38, was named earlier this year to take over from Nico Kleinert. She had served as Sport Director for the race for several years. "I'm excited by the task at hand, especially since I know that I can rely on a well-rehearsed and proven management team which has run the Thüringen ...

Liquigas-Doimo's Peter Sagan has continued his phenomenal introduction to the ProTour ranks with a second place finish behind William Bonnet (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) on the second stage of Paris-Nice, from Contre to Limoges. Riding in just his second world calendar event, the 20-year-old Slovakian has already proven that he can ride fast in circuits, strongly in the hills, efficiently in time trial and be competitive in bunch sprints as well. At the Santos Tour Down Under earlier this year, his ProTour ...

Floyd Landis will compete for the Bahati Foundation in 2010 after the team announced its recent signing of the 34-year-old and US National Cyclocross Team rider Josh Berry. Landis will serve two roles - as rider and ambassador for the Bahati Foundation, with the organisation aiming to 'support inner-city youth and garnering positive attention through his [Landis'] success on the bike'. The move comes after Landis had made moves to join Rock Racing in an attempt to return to European racing given ...

Spanish track sprinter José Antonio Escuredo has announced his retirement at the age of 39. After almost three decades of racing that has brought him a silver medal in the keirin at the 2004 Athens Olympics, silvers at the World Championships in the same discipline in 2004 and 2006, 10 World Cup victories and no fewer than 31 Spanish titles, three of which he still holds, Escuredo has decided to quit having been hampered in recent months by persistent injuries. "I haven't been able to ...

Lampre-Farnese Vini rider Grega Bole was forced to withdraw from Paris-Nice after crashing during the second stage to Limoges, won by William Bonnet (Bouygues Telecom). Despite falling quite heavily the Slovenian should have no lingering injuries from the accident. "No fracture or internal damage, but only a small pneumothorax that won't need to be drained," explained team doctor Matteo Beltemacchi. Bole had started the day in 12th place on general classification after finishing second ...

The day after crashing towards the end of stage one at Paris-Nice, Alberto Contador wasn't exactly smiling in the morning but he indicated that he could continue racing. "You have to put things into perspective," said Astana's general manager Yvon Sanquer prior to stage two. "There was a small loss yesterday; sometimes in Paris-Nice 17 seconds can be significant but what happened is also no catastrophe. I'm not saying everything is fine but in Mende on Thursday there will be a possibility ...

Australian cycling legend Lionel Cox died overnight at the age of 80 following a bout of pneumonia. The Olympic gold medalist suffered a stroke last year and never fully recovered good health. Cox rose to prominence by winning gold in the tandem with Russell Mockridge at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics before taking silver in the sprint behind legendary Italian star Enzo Sacchi at the same meet. What made his performance so outstanding was that the young New South Welshman had never ridden a tandem, ...

A rare snowfall that blanketed much of the Mediterranean coast this week means Tirreno-Adriatico may start in near-arctic conditions in Tuscany on Wednesday. It's not expected to force the cancellation or shortening of any stages, however. Despite the cold weather, the 148km stage from Livorno to Rosignano Solvay could still see some teams go on the attack to try immediately gain time on their rivals. Androni Giocattoli team manager Gianni Savio predicted the opening stage would be like a Belgian ...

A rare snowfall that blanketed much of the Mediterranean coast this week means Tirreno-Adriatico may start in near-artic conditions in Tuscany on Wednesday. It's not expected to force the cancellation or shortening of any stages, however. Despite the cold weather, the 148km stage from Livorno to Rosignano Solvay could still see some teams go on the attack to try immediately gain time on their rivals. Androni Giocattoli team manager Gianni Savio predicted the opening stage would be like a Belgian ...

For the past six years, Travis Smith has been the top-ranked Canadian sprinter. Winning two Commonwealth Games medals, seventeen national championships and traveling to countless international competitions – Smith has focused primarily on Sprint and Keirin events. This year, Smith’s focus for the World Championships in Copenhagen is leading the Canadian Team Sprint team. This change is due primarily to hiring of Richard Wooles as the Canadian Cycling National Track Coach. “When ...

Bradley Wiggins was perhaps disappointed not to win the time trial stage and secure overall victory at the Tour of Murcia but after a month of early-season racing he must be quietly satisfied with his early form and that he looks set to build on his fourth place in last year's Tour de France. This time last year Bradley Wiggins still thought he was only a track world champion and time trial specialist, who was happy to help to help his Garmin teammates target the Tour de France. Now, after his bitter ...

Mark Cavendish is still trying to make up for the training he missed due to early-season dental problems, but will start Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday. The HTC-Columbia sprinter has made it clear he will ride Milan-Sanremo even if his form is not as good as it was in 2009 when he won the first Monument of the season on his very first attempt. Cavendish was in the dentist chair again on Tuesday morning before traveling to Livorno for the pre-race press conference. He has recently had a full ...

Organizers of the Richmond Twilight Grand Prix have postponed their event for one year to allow more time to secure sponsorship funding. Organizers will reschedule the event to return to the National Racing Calendar (NRC) event in 2011. The event is formerly known as CapTech Classic, notorious for its challenging course situated in downtown Richmond, Virginia. The event was canceled four years ago but was scheduled to return this year as the Richmond Twilight Grand Prix on June 10 under the ownership ...

Frenchman William Bonnet defied expectations in the Paris-Nice bunch sprint on stage two to Limoges, handing his Bouygues Telecom team its biggest victory since last year's Tour de France when it took home two stage wins. It was an important step in his 6th year as a professional, not the least of which is his team's uncertain future. For the relatively unknown sprinter from Vierzon, today was his first victory since the 2008 GP of Isbergues when he was declared winner over Wesley Sulzberger who ...

RadioShack's Gert Steegmans says he still hopes to compete at the 2010 Paris-Roubaix, despite an indication from doctors that his recovery from a broken collarbone suffered during the prologue of Paris-Nice could take up to eight weeks. "I hope all the way to ride Paris-Roubaix. That's my big goal for the year," said Steegmans at a press conference on Tuesday, according to Het Nieuwsblad . "If the pain is bearable, I hope to ride on the rollers tomorrow. Depending on the progress ...

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) will start Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday despite crashing heavily in training on Monday. The Italian sprinter had five stitches applied to a wound in his forehead and hurt his right ankle but is determined to start because he knows Tirreno-Adriatico is vital preparation for Milano-Sanremo, the biggest objective of his season. "I tried to ride my bike this morning. The pain in my ankle was still there and won't disappear quickly, just like pain where ...