Spain’s Alberto Contador held on to the leader’s jersey in the Tour of Catalonia on Thursday, hours after cycling’s governing body revived a doping case against the three-time Tour de France champion.
Portugal’s Manuel Cardoso of the Radioshack team claimed Thursday’s fourth stage, a 195km race from La Seu d’Urgell to El Vendrell in northeastern Spain.
The 27-year-old edged Italy’s Giacomo Nizzolo of the Leopard Trek team and Spain’s Jose Rojas of Movistar in a mass sprint finish in which all but two of the 179 riders had the same time as the winner.
However, it was Contador who was the center of attention after the International Cycling Union (UCI) earlier announced it would appeal the Spanish federation’s decision to acquit him of doing allegations.
He had tested positive for a tiny amount of the banned muscle-building substance clenbuterol during last July’s Tour de France, which he went on to win.
However, he was cleared to compete when the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) last month rescinded an initial decision to hand down a one-year ban, accepting the rider’s claim that he had unknowingly eaten drug-contaminated meat.
The 28-year-old rider appeared to accept the UCI’s decision.
“I am among those who believe that if things happen it’s because they have to happen and maybe it should go to the CAS who will make my innocence even clearer,” he told reporters in Spain.
“It’s not a situation that I like but I have full confidence in the arguments that my lawyers have presented,” he said.
UCI chief Pat McQuaid said the organization had been left with no choice but to appeal the decision by RFEC to clear Contador.
McQuaid said he believes the case has suffered from political interference in Spain.
He insisted the UCI was doing the right thing by appealing the RFEC decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), to ensure the fairest possible outcome.
“The only way to ensure that we get a credible and just and fair result is to take it to a higher authority, which for us is CAS, that has credibility, that has the capacity to deal with this case and which the sports family will accept,” McQuaid said.
“I’m aware he [Contador] is going to make a strong [defense] case ... but the way the proceedings went in Spain meant that we really had no option to do what we did,” he said.
“They [RFEC] also received a huge amount of pressure from political sources, including the prime minister, saying he shouldn’t be sanctioned,” McQuaid said.
“Obviously he’s an athlete of very high standing in Spain, but when you get the Spanish prime minister and the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee intervening and making statements when they don’t know the facts of the case, it’s just not right,” he said.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
RSS