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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, January 9, 2018

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2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia

Every year is the direct descendant, isn't it, of a long line of proven criminals? - Ogden Nash

Latest completed racing:


ASO announces teams selection for the 2018 Tour de France, Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné

Here's the organizer's release:

Cycling's 50 Triumphs and Tragedies

The organisers of the Tour de France have chosen the teams that will take part in the 76th edition of Paris-Nice (March 4-11), the 70th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné (June 3-10) and the 105th edition of the Tour de France (July 7-29).

In accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale rules, the following eighteen UCI WorldTeams are automatically invited to the race:

In addition to these eighteen teams, the organisers have awarded the following wildcards:

TOUR DE FRANCE 2018

Direct Energie

Direct Energie will be at the 2018 Tour de France

PARIS-NICE 2018

CRITERIUM DU DAUPHINE 2018

Team Sky sending young squad to Tour Down Under

Here's the team's press release:

8th JANUARY 2018: Team Sky will line up with a ‘young and exciting’ squad as the 2018 season gets under way at the Tour Down Under.

Neo-pros Kristoffer Halvorsen and Chris Lawless make their first appearances as Team Sky riders alongside Egan Bernal, who will target the general classification across the six-day WorldTour event (January 16-21).

Halvorsen will have strong leadout support from Brits Jon Dibben and Owain Doull, with the seven-man squad completed by Salvatore Puccio and Lukasz Wisniowski.

Salvatore Puccio

Salvatore Puccio will be the Team Sky road captain at the Tour Down Under

The racing takes place on the roads around Adelaide, with the action kicking off with the now traditional pre-race People’s Choice Classic criterium (January 14).

On the lineup, Team Sky Sport Director Brett Lancaster explained: “It’s a really young and exciting team and we’re keen to see how these guys develop. We’ll be gunning to try and take a stage win. We’ve got Kristoffer as our lead sprinter. His form is a bit unknown coming straight from Norway and stepping off the plane into temperatures of close to 40 degrees.

“Puccio is our road captain and the most experienced rider in the team. He’s been pro since 2012 but he’s only 28 years old, which tells you how young the team is. Egan has already raced in a lot of big races. He’s no longer a neo-pro but he’s very young still. It’s going to be a really good chance to see where he is at, especially against the Australian riders who are in a home race and adapted already. We’ll see what happens come Willunga Hill and we’ll look to put him in a good position.

“It’s Willunga again where the race should be decided. Stage four has a good climb too but it’s similar to what we’ve seen in recent years. That Willunga day will be interesting for sure.”

On the challenge ahead Kristoffer Halvorsen added: “I’ve never been in Australia before so I think it will be really nice. The weather is really good and the stages are not too long, so it suits me well as a first ever World Tour race. Hopefully it will be really good.”

Fellow neo-pro Chris Lawless is understandably itching to get the race under way: “I’m really looking forward to starting the season at the Tour Down Under. Going over there with a young team should be pretty fun. It should be good seeing how we all bounce off each other and I’m sure we’ll all be really enthusiastic to get up there and get stuck in.”

UCI suspends Da Silva and Matzka for doping

Here's the UCI'S press release:

08 January 2018: The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal has rendered its decisions in the cases involving Ralf Matzka and Kleber Da Silva Ramos. Both cases were heard separately before the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal.

The Anti-Doping Tribunal found Ralf Matzka guilty of an anti-doping rule violation (presence of a metabolite of Tamoxifen)* and imposed 2-year period of ineligibility on the rider.

The Anti-Doping Tribunal found Kleber Da Silva Ramos guilty of an anti-doping rule violation (presence of CERA)** and imposed a 4-year period of ineligibility on the rider.

In accordance with the Procedural Rules of the Anti-Doping Tribunal, both decisions will be published on the UCI website in due course.

(*)Tamoxifen is classified as “Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)”.
(**) CERA is classified as “Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics”.

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