Alberto Contador wins Vuelta al Pais Vasco
Alberto Contador won the final stage time trial to win his fourth Vuelta al Pais Vasco (Tour of the Basque Country) by 12 seconds from Sergio Henao with Nairo Quintana third at 37 seconds.
After the win Contador put retirement plans on hold saying he is enjoying riding and that his form is good after winter training telling spanish newspaper AS “Recently, I have been pondering and thinking about my future with my entourage and most probably I will continue riding. I’m sure this isn’t the last time I come here.”
“It sounds crazy but since I announced I was going to quit I received an incredible amount of messages telling me not to retire,”
“I am rethinking the future and maybe I will continue a little more,” Contador said.
#Itzulia @albertocontador takes Vuelta al Pais Vasco GC victory after masterful TT stage win https://t.co/i90nFeJuEE pic.twitter.com/DXQRBk0bqg
— Tinkoff (@tinkoff_team) April 9, 2016
Top 10 overall Vuelta al Pais Vasco
1. Alberto CONTADOR, Tinkoff, in 22:44:43
2. Sergio Luis HENAO, Team Sky, at :12
3. Nairo Alexander QUINTANA, Movistar Team, at :37
4. Thibaut PINOT, FDJ, at 1:13
5. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Team Katusha, at 1:22
6. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, BMC Racing Team, at 1:29
7. Rui Alberto FARIA DA COSTA, Lampre – Merida, at 2:19
8. Simon SPILAK, Team Katusha, at 2:47
9. Lawson CRADDOCK, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, at 2:52
10. Wilco KELDERMAN, Team Lotto NL – Jumbo, at 3:14
Rhys Gillet wins the 2016 Mt Baw Baw Classic
Rhys Gillet (Van D’am Racing) won yesterdays Mt Baw Baw classic by 56 seconds from Sam Crome (Avanti-Isowhey Sports) with Jason Lea 2 minutes and 24 seconds behind in third place. The Mt Baw Baw classic was the third round of the 2016 Singapore Airlines Victorian Road Series (VRS) and the first one day race of the two opening tours.
Joseph Cooper started the Mt Baw Baw classic as leader of the VRS series ahead of team-mates Chris Hamilton and Oscar Stevenson. Cooper punctured in the race and finished 19th with no increase to his series total of 45 point. Rhys Gillet’s win moves him to second place with Chris Hamilton third.
Top 20 overall 2016 Mt Baw Baw Classic
1. Rhys GILLETT (Van D’am Racing p/b Butterfields) 3h 20:49
2. Sam CROME (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +56
3. Jason LEA (Physiohealth/Focus) +2:24
4. Mark O’BRIEN (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +3:48
5. Jesse FEATONBY (Albury-Wodonga Panthers) +4:18
6. Mitch NEUMANN (Hamilton Wheelers) +4:47
7. Suleiman KANGANGI (Kenyan Riders Downunder) +4:55
8. Geoffery LANGAT (Kenyan Riders Downunder) +5:30
9. Rowan DEVER (St Kilda) +5:30
10. Ethan BERENDS (Total Rush Hyster) +6:30
11. Samwel MWANGI (Kenyan Riders Downunder) +7:31
12. Alastair CHRISTIE-JOHNSTON (Total Rush Hyster) +7:39
13. Timothy CAMERON (Lidcombe Auburn) +7:44
14. Joseph GICHORA (Kenyan Riders Downunder) +8:03
15. Timothy GUY (Orange) +10:23
16. Neil VAN DER PLOEG (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +10:24
17. Allan SATCHELL (Anchor Point South Coast) +11:01
18. Tomarsh LOKI (Alpine) +11:17
19. Joseph COOPER (Avanti IsoWhey Sports) +14:49
20. Jake KLAJNBLAT (Carnegie Caulfield) +14:52
Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Classic elite men's podium and #vrs16 leader @joecooperme #bawbawclassic pic.twitter.com/VgsFkzPDsa
— Baw Baw Classic (@BawBawClassic) April 10, 2016
B Grade men was won by Lionel MAWDITT (Carnegie Caulfield).
Masters A Grade was won by Brett KINGSTON (Hampton Cycles) from Andrew STALDER (MCL Fast) with Andrew GRAY (Kosdown Performance Cycling) third.
Women’s A Grade was won by Justine BARROW (Coburg).
The next round of the 2016 Victorian Road Series (VRS16) is the Tour of the South West in Warrnambool from May 14-15.
Philippe Gilbert attacked by intoxicated driver
Philippe Gilbert and team-mate Loïc Vliegen were attacked by two drunk men in a car while out on a training ride, the men stopped their car before launching the attack on Gilbert and Vliegen with Gilbert suffering a broken finger in his left hand during the assault.
“Philippe was admitted to the hospital where the three fracture lines were detected to a finger,” said the doctor from the American training Max Testa. “He underwent surgery to insert five pins in his major. After the weekend, we should have a better idea of the consequences of his classics campaign. But at this stage it should be able to run the Ardennes classics” added the doctor.
Later it was announced that Gilbert would miss Wednesdays De Brabantse Pijl and may be in doubt for the Amstel Gold race.
The two men were arrested by Belgian police.
Ben Hill wins the 2016 Tour of Thailand
Australian Ben Hill riding for Attaque Team Gusto scored an impressive last stage overall win in the The Princess Maha Chackri Sirindhon’s Cup “Tour of Thailand” from Zhandos Bizhigitov and Siu Wai Ko. Hill started the final stage in fourth place and 9 seconds behind previous leader Kangeun Joo but finished fourth in the final stage in a large bunch of riders over two minutes ahead of the previous podium contenders.
The Tour of Thailand is a round of the 2016 UCI Asia Tour
Top 10 overall 2016 Tour of Thailand
1. Ben HILL (AUS) ATG 23:47:19
2. Zhandos BIZHIGITOV (KAZ) V4E +2:00
3. Siu Wai KO (HKG) HKG +2:05
4. Marcelo FELIPE (PHI) 7ES +2:07
5. Masakazu ITO (JPN) AIS +2:08
6. Ha Jeon JUNG (KOR) SCT +2:09
7. Adne VAN ENGELEN (NED) +2:09
8. Azman ZULKIFLI MOHD (MAS) MAS +2:09
9. Cameron BAYLY (AUS) ATG +2:14
10. Alexandr SHUSHEMOIN (KAZ) V4E +2:18
Hein Verbruggen complains against WADA and USADA officials to IOC Ethics Commission
Hein Verbruggen the former UCI president launched an extraordinary attack on Dick Pound the former WADA Chairman, the outgoing Director General David Howman, USADA CEO and American anti-doping lawyer, Bill Bock complaining about the four officials to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Ethics Commission.
“I have lodged a complaint against Pound, Howman, Tygart and Bock with the Ethics Commission of the IOC, a body that I trust to remain fully objective,” said Verbruggen.
“I am also taking other steps to deal with WADA’s misdeeds.
“It was a serious omission in the past not to create some form of supervisory authority over WADA, such as an Ethics Commission to which an aggrieved party could appeal.
“The former President of the World Anti-Doping Agency Dick Pound is now portraying himself as the great cleaner of athletics.
“However WADA has been aware of the problem that existed in athletics for years – and through all of these years it remained completely silent.
“It took the media to expose the full extent of the problem in athletics before WADA finally roused itself to take any action whatsoever.
“Contrast that attitude to the way that WADA behaved towards cycling, where WADA subjected the UCI and me to a 12-year long hate campaign, in particular from people like Pound and David Howman – latterly joined by USADA with Travis Tygart and Bill Bock.
“Wild and totally false accusations were bandied about in public, including those of complicity in doping and corruption.
“These accusations were recklessly tossed into the public forum without giving me any opportunity to provide my thoughts, views or responses.”
You can read more here
Sir Craig Reedie, President of WADA responded with the following statement:
“Sir Craig Reedie, the President of WADA, is astonished by the complaint made by Hein Verbruggen to the IOC Ethics Commission, and made public, in respect to WADA’s former President and current IOC Representative on WADA’s Foundation Board, Dick Pound. The allegations in the complaint have no merit, are outrageous in their content and obviously defamatory. Reedie calls upon Mr. Verbruggen to publicly retract his complaint immediately. Reedie also suggests to the IOC Ethics Commission that it dismiss his complaint as being totally without merit forthwith; and, consider conducting its own investigation into the malicious conduct of Mr. Verbruggen in relation to a member of the IOC.”
Wada response to Hein Verbruggen
Mathew Hayman wins Paris-Roubaix
Mathew Hayman won a monumental Paris-Roubaix overnight, read the full article here.
Last weeks posts on The Bike Lane
Monday: Peter Sagan wins Tour of Flanders
Tuesday: OMATA One: Analog GPS Speedometer on Kickstarter
Wednesday: Shimano Tiagra Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Thursday: 2016 Paris-Roubaix Preview
Friday: Book Review: Ventoux by Bert Wagendorp
