Team Radio Shack Developments (Ongoing Thread)

Lance Armstrong Foundation | July 23, 2009 | Various

[Ready4Freddy]

Smart move by Paulinho, I think. No telling where Contador will end up next year, and the Spanish teams tend to be a bit insular as far as riders go.

[Ready4Freddy]

This just in from AFP via VeloNews:

http://www.velonews.com/article/97132/rosseler-steegmans-reportedly-sign-with-radioshack

European newspapers are reporting that Belgians Sébastien Rosseler and Gert Steegmans have signed deals to ride with Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack team in 2010.

According to Het Nieuwsblad, the 28-year-old Rosseler will leave the Quick Step team at season’s end, having signed a two-year deal with the RadioShack team, managed by former Discovery and Astana director Johan Bruyneel.

Steegmans, who made headlines ahead of this year’s Tour de France for his refusal to sign an anti-doping agreement with his Katusha team, has reportedly signed a one-year deal with RadioShack, according to the Gazet van Antwerpen.

Rosseler, a stage winner at this year’s editions of the Four days of Dunkirk and Tour of Belgium, recently finished second in the Belgian national time trial championship.

Steegmans, also 28, has been without a team since his contract dispute with Katusha. Steegmans objected to provisions of a contract addendum that included language that would force riders to pay five times their salary if they’re caught for doping.

Steegmans – who won the final stage on the Champs Elysées in the 2008 Tour – was the only Katusha rider who refused to sign off on the new language.

[Ready4Freddy]

Syringes found: Armstrong’s team (Astana) investigated

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33290416/ns/sports-other_sports/

[nutmeg]

Thanks for the ping and update, FRiend.

[max americana]

Just let Lance show up at the Tour next year and see the Fwench heads explode..

[green iguana]

Well, he’s on the team at least. If his pelvis is good and he can stay off the tarmac, there’s a good shot.

Thanks for the ping.

[SouthTexas]

They should have enough of Lance’s blood to tag half the syringes in France!

[Sir_Ed]

I hope they hire Chris, too...he’s a great guy, I’ve heard.

Ed

[Ready4Freddy]

A little more from Cycling News

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/astana-under-investigation-in-france

(Updated) Team’s syringes disposed at Tour de France being analysed

Two and a half months after the Tour de France, public prosecution in Paris has opened a preliminary investigation against the Astana team, whose rider Alberto Contador won the event. The object of the investigation is the content of several syringes that the squad disposed of at the event, according to L’Equipe.

At the Tour de France, organiser Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) provides the teams with special containers to collect medical waste. The Central Office against environmental damage and public health (OCLAESP) has opened the proceedings after discovering several “suspect” syringes in the containers that belonged to the Astana team during the race.

The content of the syringes is currently being analysed by expert judiciary laboratory Toxlab in Paris. It is not known when the results are being expected.

Team Astana reacted to the news with surprise. “These reports are the first we as a team have heard of an investigation,” read an official statement. “According to the press articles, the investigation involves a number of cycling teams having participated in the 2009 Tour de France.”

“The Astana Cycling Team has nothing to hide, the riders use no forbidden substances. The Team is confident in the result of analyses performed or to be performed by a Parisian laboratory and is prepared to cooperate.”

Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

[Mr. Blonde]

Sounds like a huge chain of evidence issue here.

[stylin_geek]

Yeah, and I’m sure these containers of medical waste had tamper proof seals on them, locked in a guarded area and the chain of custody can be verified all the way back to their origin.

In other news, I have a winning lottery ticket for sale on E-Bay. Bidding starts at $100,000 for my $10,000,000 ticket. I’m not greedy, which is why I’m selling it cheap.

[Mom MD]

At least until they were discovered in the trunk of a french official just prior to being brought forward.

[Mr. Blonde]

2010 Tour Route released. ESPN article. No team time trial. Lots of time in the Pyrenees.

[Ready4Freddy]

Thanks, Mr Blonde!

Folks, 2010 TdF Route released, Mr Blonde has the link in #94.

[Ready4Freddy]

No team time trial. Lots of time in the Pyrenees.

I hate that there's no TTT.

'bout time they headed back into the Pyrenees, it's been a couple of years. All that time spent in the Alps this year was f'n gorgeous, though!

[Ready4Freddy]

Tour de France 2010

Running from Saturday July 3rd to Sunday July 25th 2010, the 97th Tour de France will be made up of 1 prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.

These stages have the following profiles:

1 prologue,
9 flat stages,
6 mountain stages and 3 summit finishes,
4 medium mountain stage,
1 individual time-trial stage (51 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race

le Tourmalet climbed twice,
a hint of the Classics and cobblestones,
2 rest days,
23 level 1, level 2 and highest level mountain passes.

Stage by Stage:

http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html

[lainie]

(why are they climbing the Col du Tourmalet twice?)

[Ready4Freddy]

Because it’s there...

[Ready4Freddy]

But seriously, they climb it then descend in one direction on the stage from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau, take a rest day, then climb it again from a different direction from Pau to a summit finish on Col du Tourmalet.