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Welcome back, as you are checking our weekly Shijie Monday, the exciting Tour de France has already kicked off...Let's all enjoy the race!
The last Tour for Lance
France: Looks like it will be the end of the road for Lance as he said on Twitter: “And yes, this will be final Tour de France. It's been a great ride. Looking forward to 3 great weeks.” Followed by the correction “Doh, sorry, meant 'my' final Tour.” He had said earlier this week on Twitter from his training camp that: “Last hard ride before the TdF, Test on the Col de la Madone. Record time? No. Close to it? Yes. I'm ready.” He may have some unwanted publicity as there is to be more allegations of doping in the press. The Landis show will roll on through the Tour - that’s for sure!
Surprises with who will not be starting the 2010 Tour de France
NOT Going 1!
Astana are leaving 2006 Tour winner, Oscar Pereiro at home for the Tour de France and the Galician has said this will be his last season saying: “For sure this is the last year I race a bike. During the season I always said that it was possible to continue for another year, but obviously not being at the Tour is a step down for me.” He said he might aim at La Vuelta a España as his “Adios” to the sport.
Not GOING 2!
Tom Boonen is not going to the Tour with Quick-Step because of his knee; this is good news for Francesco Reda who will be filling his space (not likely). It’s his first Tour de France, but he has ridden two Giro’s previously. It will be a strange Quick-Step team without “Tornado Tom” and the new Belgian National Champion Stijn Devolder . . . what were they thinking?
Skype Join HTC-Columbia
You will see a different HTC jersey at the Tour as internet communications company Skype are joining the list of sub-sponsors for the Highroad team. Team boss Bob Stapleton said: "Skype offers innovative communication products and has ambitious marketing objectives. Our team hails from 20 different countries worldwide, so taking the decision for us to join the millions of people and businesses around the world that use Skype was simple.” Skype have agreed to back the team on a long-term basis, but only as a minor sponsor.
Française des Jeux till 2014
Good news for the lottery sponsored team; Français des Jeux, it has guaranteed backing for the next 4 years. A spokesman for the team said they may have another main sponsor, but that it is not necessary, the team will receive 7 million euro’s per year.
Riccò Fined and Suspended
Ricardo Riccò (DOPE!) had to answer charges in France to his use and possession of drugs at the 2008 Tour de France. He didn’t go, but his lawyers managed to lower the sentence from a possible 2 year prison sentence to a 2 month suspended sentence and a 3,000 euro fine.
Riccò had already paid 5,710 euro’s in Italy and been banned for 20 months, but the French court were not interested in the Italian sentence as the offences had been in France and so they rejected any pleas.
Riccò rode rather well in the Italian National Championships last Saturday; he was in the winning break and made numerous attacks, let’s hope he has changed his ways?
Switzerland: Swiss rider Thomas Frei has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for the banned EPO in March, the Swiss Olympic committee announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old, who tested positive in an out-of-competition test on March 21, admitted two previous offenses. Following the announcement of his positive test, Frei was withdrawn from the Tour of Trentino and sacked by his team BMC. Apart from his suspension, the start of which has been backdated to April 22, Frei was also fined 1,500 Swiss francs and ordered to pay 4,440 Swiss francs in costs.
Frei was Swiss junior champion in 2002, spent two years with Astana before joining BMC in 2009.
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