Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2018 Tour de France | 2018 Giro d'Italia
The only change is that baseball has turned Paige from a second class citizen to a second class immortal. - Satchel Paige
Latest completed racing:
- November 1: Cyclocross Koppenberg
- October 28: Cyclocross Ruddervorde
- October 23 - 31: Tour of Hainan
- October 21: Japan Cup
- October 9 - 14: Presidential Tour of Turkey
- October 14: Chrono des Nations
- October 13: Il Lombardia
- October 11: Gran Piemonte
- October 10: Milano-Torino
- October 9: Tre Valli Varesine
Yves Lampaert wins Flandrien of the Year
Note: Lampaert's Quick-Step team posted this news about the award from the Flemish Het Nieuswblad newspaper. The award is currently the result of a vote from members from within the cycling world and now goes only to Belgian riders.
Yves Lampaert was awarded his maiden Flandrien of the Year prize on Tuesday evening, in Ostend, the cherry on the top of a season that saw the native of Izegem become the first rider in history to win Dwars door Vlaanderen on consecutive years, a triumph followed just two months later by the National Road Race Title in Binche, where he led home a brilliant Quick-Step Floors 1-2-4.
Yves Lampaert enjoys his 2018 Dwars door Vlaanderen victory. Sirotti photo.
In September, less than two months after making his debut at the Tour de France – where he played a big part in the team's success and even came close to a stage victory twice, in Roubaix and on the famous Champs-Élysées avenue – Yves helped Quick-Step Floors win the gold medals at the World TTT Championships in Innsbruck, one of our squad's highlights during a year that we concluded at the top of the World Tour Team Classification after scoring 73 UCI victories and amassing over 13 000 points.
"This trophy means a lot to me, especially as it comes at the end of my best season since turning pro, one on which I am very motivated to build in 2019. I want to thank Patrick Lefevere and Quick-Step Floors for their trust and opportunities I get here, because without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I will continue to ride for the team and seize every chance that arises. I'm young, can still improve and I am confident that many more satisfactions will come in the near future", a delighted Lampaert said after taking home the trophy.
Yves Lampaert became the third Quick-Step Floors rider to pick up the Flandrien of the Year award, after Paolo Bettini (2003, 2006, 2007) and Tom Boonen (2004, 2005, 2012).
World Anti-Doping Agency responds to open letter from the Movement for a Credible Cycling
We posted Mr. Legeay's original open letter here
Roger Legeay, president of the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) forwarded the World Anti-Doping Agency's letter (posted below) to me.
WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
SIR CRAIG REEDIE
5 November 2018
Mr Roger Legeay
President
Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC)
Dear Mr Legeay,
I acknowledge receipt of your second letter to me dated 31 October 2018.
Please note that I will not reiterate WADA’s position on the matters that I have already addressed in my response to your first letter of 24 October; and, regarding which there is obviously a difference of opinion between the Movement for a Credible Cycling (MPCC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
I find it important however to set the record straight in relation to some of your latest questions by emphasizing just how instrumental WADA has been in establishing strong mechanisms of collaboration between anti-doping organizations (ADOs) and law enforcement authorities.
WADA has always been a strong advocate for closer cooperation between law enforcement and anti-doping authorities and has played a critical role in many of the operations and cases you mentioned. This strategy was formalized; in particular, by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with INTERPOL ten years ago, in November 2008. This agreement formalized both parties’ commitment to work together in combating performance-enhancing drugs and tracking doping; in particular, in the areas of evidence gathering and information sharing. Since then, this cooperation has led to many concrete advances.
WADA also built its own capacity for investigations after the Agency was granted powers of investigation under the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code. In June 2016, we appointed Gunter Younger, former INTERPOL officer and Head of Cyber Security with the Bavarian police, to set up and head WADA’s Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Department. This Department is now comprised of seven staff, and, in line with an I&I policy that was approved in May 2017, is fully independent from the WADA Executive Committee, Foundation Board and Management to ensure that there is no political interference whatsoever with its investigations. The policy dictates that, annually, the I&I Department is audited by an independent auditor to ensure full compliance of the work that they carry out.
These are not the only steps taken by WADA in this field. At the end of 2016, we implemented a Whistleblower Policy and Program; and, in March 2017, we launched Speak Up!, a secure, digital platform via which athletes and others can report alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violations, non-compliance by ADOs, or any act or omission that can undermine the fight against doping in sport.
We also developed a network of investigators employed by other ADOs; and, for over a year and half now, WADA’s I&I Department has received, treated or forwarded to ADOs an extensive amount of valuable information.
The landscape has now entirely changed with investigations having become an integral part of the fight for clean sport. In fact, investigations and science were complementary when it came to revealing, for example, doping practices at the Beijing and London Olympic Games with more than one hundred cases being exposed upon re-analysis. It is also important to remember that it was positive results for Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton that supported the outcome vis-a-vis Lance Armstrong.
We are convinced that these actions speak louder than words.
Should you wish, WADA Management would be pleased to meet with you to discuss these matters further.
Yours sincerely,
Sir Craig Reedie
President
Draft Proposal: EU To Impose 79% Anti-Subsidy & Dumping Duty on China E-Bikes
Bike Europe posted this important piece:
BRUSSELS, Belgium – Yesterday, a report emerged in Brussels on a draft proposal prepared by the investigators who carry out the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations that relate to imports of electric bicycles from China. This draft proposal indicates that the European Union is to impose an overall combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty of 79.3 percent on the import of e-bikes made in China.
MLex reported that it has seen this draft proposal. MLex is an independent media organization providing exclusive market insight, analysis and commentary on regulatory risk. This media organization is linked to LexisNexis, the world’s database on legal information owned by the RELX Group, previously known as ReedElesevier.
According to the MLex report the draft proposal speaks of anti-subsidy tariffs of up to 16.4 percent that is to be imposed on the e-bike export of Giant, Fuji-Ta, Geoby and other electric-bike makers in China.
The MLex report also states “The commission has drafted five-year anti-subsidy duties of up to 16.14 percent, with some companies facing lower tariffs. This includes Bodo Vehicle Group with tariffs of 13.3 percent, Giant Electric Vehicle with 3.86 percent and Jinhua Vision Industry with 7.96 percent. Trade officials have also cut the overall duty rate that Chinese e-bike makers will face, by tweaking the level of injury caused to the EU industry from 83.6 percent to 79.3 percent. Under old EU trade rules — which apply to this case — combined dumping and countervailing measures cannot exceed the level of injury the EU industry feels from the unfair pricing methods.”
You can read the entire story here.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary