Tracey Gaudry Organise Aussie Cycling Amnesties !

No secret that UCI President , phat mc sqat , has dragged the UCI , through the mud once again ! Irks me to realise , that i was born in the same country ! YES , everybody has problems , but does the Road Race  Cycling Sport , deserve to continue to be treated , as the source of " Personal Benefit " , to heinous and phat, principal members of the Aigle tag team ?

The only light at the end of the tunnel , that i have seen , in recent times , has been the departure of the " tag Team's , lap dog , mike turtur ! Whether it was always in his best interests , to dance to the " tag team's " tune , or he genuinely thought that he was helping Australian Cycling , or the " Tour Down Under Event " , is unclear . What is clear is that when Tracey Gaudry , was proposed as a replacement , he stood aside before, it was necessary for the vote !

With Tracey taking the Presidency of the " Oceania Region of the UCI " , there are glimmers of a " Brighter Future " for Cycling in that region ! Also heard recently , that the Dane Presidency has changed , not yet taken the time to discover by whom , and whether this also will lead to the betterment of Cycling in that Country ?

Letter by Tweet to Tracey Gaudry !

@GaudryT

With the recent news , that the " Independent Commission of the UCI ( UCIIC ) " , has been terminated by the UCI , Cycling Sport , is once again thrown into confusion !

Strong leadership is a requirement for any Sports Federation . Regretably , this quality does not exist at the UCI !

As President of the Oceania Region , you are in a place , where you are able to gain the attention of the other Regional Presidents . No doubt , you are still trying to find your place amongst those , who have been involved for many years , however , as the CEO of the " Amy Foundation " for many years , you will have the " Street Smarts ", to be able to gain the attention of others and perhaps influence their decisions .

It is pertinent to add Travis Tygarts comment about the decision to close the " Independent Commission , yesterday :
  "The UCI blindfolded and handcuffed its independent commission and now hopes the world will look the other way while the UCI attempts to insert itself into the investigation into the role it played in allowing the doping culture to flourish."

Listed here below , are two " Petitions " that i created over the past months ! They are not perfect , indeed i am sure they could be written in a better way , but achieve similar results . Currently , i am reading of the Dutch Federation , conducting their own " Truth & Conciliation Process " , two Racers having been given a 6 month Sanction , as a result of their disclosures .  Could it not be possible for more countries to follow the Dutch example ?

With John Fahey , Chairman of WADA and Jaimie Fuller , Chairman of Change Cycling Now being Australians , i feel sure that as Australians , you will ALL , wish to act in a way , that helps Australian Cycling to benefit ?

My petitions for your perusal :


http://www.change.org/petitions/wada-create-an-amnesty-in-all-sports …
&
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/office-of-the-governor-general-of-australia-create-the-means-for-a-sports-amnesty-in-australia#invite …

Sincerely 

Skippy Mc Carthy

NB

Some of the Press releases from " Stakeholders "!


John Fahey's Press Release begins with :

 " WADA is dismayed by the press release issued by UCI yesterday, both in terms of its content and its deceit."

The entire Press release here :

http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/statement-from-wada-president-john-fahey-in-response-to-uci-press-release-of-january-28-2013/


Jaimie Fuller of Change Cycling Now , has this to say :

  "  Change Cycling Now today calls on the general sport of cycling, its National Federations and other global stakeholders
to enforce the removal of a manipulative and contemptible administration that is content to drag cycling further into
disrepute in order to safeguard the positions of its leaders.

It is now clear, beyond all doubt, that the UCIIC was never independent"

read more here :

http://www.changecyclingnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CCN_Press_Release_290113.pdf

Statement from " UCIIC " , just released , The Panel members , show their Integrity , with this :

  "  The Commission urges all those who have an interest in cycling to make sure that an independent TRC is established and remains willing to offer assistance in the process if required."

http://www.uciic.org/press-release-29-january-2013/


A Cycling Fan , attended last Friday's session of the " UCIIC Procedural hearing " , in London and reported to CNF Clinic , these observations : titling themselves as " Morbius ":

  "  UCI were due to present their proposals on T&R to WADA by the beginning of this week at the latest.

The UCIIC wanted evidence that WADA had bought into the UCI proposals for T&R before volunarily suspending activity - and at a serious level, not just in principle. UCIIC were very clearly not just going to take the UCI's word that T&R would go ahead on a sensible timescale and not be stalled by other issues.

UCIIC were also concerned that a broader T&R process would kick the investigation into UCI activity around Armstrong / USPS into the "long grass".

The purpose of the meeting due on Thursday was to review whether WADA and UCI had reached agreement. If there was no agreement, the meeting would continue to look at UCIIC evidence processes.

Now it appears UCI have pulled the plug unilaterally. There is no evidence in their press release that the detailed proposals for T&R have been agreed with WADA, or even presented to them. There is clearly no sign that UCIIC agree with UCI about the ending of the investigation.

I really hope that
1) we get comments from UCIIC commissioners,
2) the press follow up the specific concerns of the UCIIC including about the timing of the process, the commitment of WADA, agreements to fund the process and the continued focus on the behaviour of UCI.

I guess the Thursday Meeting , now cancelled , will not be the end of the matter , having just heard " Jaimie Fuller of CCN , speaking by phone , on the SKY TV News Sport segment !

PHIL ANDERSON speaks about " CCN "!

" Change Cycling now " has been in the headlines this week , far more visible than the phats of aigle would feel happy about ! In the ROAR article , Phil speaks out ;
http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/12/06/anderson-big-changes-required-at-the-uci/#comments

My comment as issued , currently  awaiting Moderation !


  "  G'day Phil ,
 You will recall our many meetings at the side of the TDF , when you were shepherding your Client guests ! Last time we spoke , i guess would be at the 2009 TDF ,  in the South of France under the Ville Arrivee  big screen . You and those with you , rode past the Bus Shelter where we were having a cook up prior to driving to the ITT , the next day . The remark of a guest that i was camping there contributed to the decision to set up the tents .

 As i write , the " CCN ( www.Changecyclingnow.org ) Petitioners has passed 3200 , that is in 3 days . Shows that there is need for Cyclists to be able to express their ANGER to the way that " UCI " has been mismanaged these past 20 years . I am on record as saying that ALL RESULTS from 1970 should be set aside !  EPO has been around longer BUT where do you start ?

Regretably " Big Mig " has had the finger pointed at him , numerous times in CNFclinic , Riis has put his hand up , Ulrich paid out money for the German Authorities to drop their action , we all know about Pantani & Armstrong , flandis got displaced by a " doubtful contender , Castre ( No reports against him ) is from Spain and worked for Riis , Contador has served a suspension and is Spanish . Now we come to Evans & Wiggins , both are hard workers and whilst i am sympathetic to their circumstances , both had questionable " Staff " and employers . Brailsford is busy clearing out ALL those who are " tainted " and Andy Rhys ran " Phonak Team ( where all publicity is GOOD ) now employs many question m,arks at BMC !

In setting up the following petitions i looked for ways for a soft landing for the Cycle Racers , many have crossed the line and deserve " redemption "!  Matt white has been " shafted " for being honest and Steve Hodge in trying to be an Exemplary Person has been tarred . Brailsford has worked against solving " OMERTA " by threatening " Dismissal " as did Patrick Lefevre at Quickstep by dismissing Levi ( 1996 was the start of his disgrace , and Quickstep would you believe ? didn't  know ) Leipheimer :

http://www.change.org/petitions/wada-create-an-amnesty-in-all-sports …
&
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/office-of-the-governor-general-of-australia-create-the-means-for-a-sports-amnesty-in-australia#invite …

http://www.facebook.com/AmnestyForAllSportsAthletesNow?skip_nax_wizard=true

Whether you did or didn't cross the line is for you to declare but I WILL ASSUME that if you choose not to sign onto the " GG Petition " that there are questions you choose not to answer !

As one of the premier Aussie Sportsmen , you can influence the fate of others ! It reminds me pof the sheriff whom i have not seen since the TDS when he reminded me of " things he claims i said in 1999 !  Either good memory or choosing to bend my doubts of his past associations ?

Enjoyed your article but would wish to point out that Mike Ashenden was asked to stand but Greg was " cornered ( his words elsewhere ) " , as it turns out , this was the best outcome since Tuesday as it snowed here in Austria , i pedalled in the house and flipped channel from one Major News Network to another , ALL , showed " CCN Meeting facility and Greg . One channel showed "phat mc quack's " back , but whilst you 6 I would notice him , very few others would , nor was he named !

" CCN " is in it's infancy and phat has already tried to derail it with his request for Submissions / help by the 10th Dec , that is like  someone  " dragging a bush across a trail " ?  Problem for ANYONE wishing change is the " UCI ( old boys club/network ) Constitution ! Vested interests will be at work to preserve the " Status Quo "!  You already know how much difficulty there is with Gaudry V Turtur in Oceania , so how much more complex will the " Presidency fight " become ?

Looking forward to your reply , which will be added to this comment that will be posted on  www.skippyaus.blogspot.com  blog  ! "

No doubt you will have views as to the effect on Phil's Legacy of any disparaging remarks made by those inhabiting the " Clinic " where ALL are free to adopt " Psuedenoms and fictitious IP addresses " and throw as much mud as they can find energy or time . Just occasionally there is a Needle in the haystack worth the effort to endure the odour !

Additionally contacted UK ADA  , as i saw a Tweet about David Howman's visit , have previously written to John Fahy with NO RESPONSE so far :

"

 Found the tweet about David Howman's visit : IF he is still there show him these links please , meanwhile encourage others to sign on !

 The "www.changecyclingnow.org " petition has many elements that i have addressed the past years , of course who am i to tell people what to do ?

http://www.change.org/petitions/wada-create-an-amnesty-in-all-sports …

&

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/office-of-the-governor-general-of-australia-create-the-means-for-a-sports-amnesty-in-australia#invite …

http://www.facebook.com/AmnestyForAllSportsAthletesNow?skip_nax_wizard=true

Looking forward to the UCI being RUN CORRECTLY for the BENEFIT OF ALL ATHLETES !

CADEL WON THE 2005 Tour de France

Hein and Phat , listen up ! There are people doing the work that your minions have chosen not to do , YET ! As people will see , some are able to see the wood from the trees , and reach fairly logical conclusions from the existing information available . Of course that tome written by shamilton may change a few things in the information made available by their efforts !

Listed below in date order , are the blogs that i have found presenting their conclusions and worthy of your attention :

http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/if-not-armstrong-who-won-the-tour-de-france-or-tour-dutopia-from-1999-to-2005/

http://150wattsofawesome.blogspot.co.at/2012/09/lance-armstrong-aftermath.html

My coming across these blogs , came through a variety of resources , but i feel sure that the " Clinic " on CNF , had something to do with that . Seems the mushroom farm is good for something worthwhile occasionally .

What a pity that the " UCI " is such a mess of problems that both Cadel , as indicated by the conclusions drawn , for 2005 and Georg Totschnig  in 2004 , will not be presented with their wins when the 2013 edition of " Le Tour " begins on Corsica ! In celebrating the 100th Edition of  " Le Tour ", would it not be great to see ONLY those who are " Clean of Drugs " participate ?

Please take note of what was said by " Scotslawyer ":


 "  What this exercise does, I think, is demonstrate the futility of looking to change the record book by awarding titles, long after the fact, to people who did not win on the track or field.
This is different from disqualifying Ben Johnson the day after his 100m win at Seoul. “Fixing” the result within days, or weeks is probably in order, and in fact even within a year of the event would be possible.
However, going further than that risks creating strange results, not reflective of competition.
If, for example, the first seven finishers in the 2000 Tour had not entered, or had been disqualified as the race proceeded, then Escartín and his Kelme team would, in all probability, have had to ride the race in a totally different way, and the people who were just behind him in the General Classification would have attacked differently too. There is a big difference between how a rider races when 18 minutes behind the yellow jersey, and 18 seconds behind.
That is why my idea, which, when I started this piece, seemed a whimsical one, namely the Tour D’Utopia, could in fact have a place in sport. "


Some people think that the IOC is as badly run as the UCI and with the board of WADA having people like Phat as members of the Foundation Board of WADA , one wonders if there is not a taint of suspicion ? How much linkage is there between WADA and SportsAccord  when WADA funds the Salaries of SportsAccord personnel ?

Governments will listen to the IOC and WADA through their National Branches so it is not difficult to believe that these bodies have the power to seek their cooperation in instituting an " AMNESTY in ALL SPORTS "!  Would it not be worth while for Governments to allow Athletes to avoid " Double Jeopardy " when they choose to cooperate with a " Truth & Reconciliation  Commission " in the allotted Time Span , thus paving the way to discovering and destroying the resources and incomes of Criminals supplying the Products used in Doping ?

With WADA  conducting a meeting in Stockholm concerning " Doping as a Public Health Issues " , attended by World Health experts from the likes of  World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), INTERPOL and WADA . Link for more details here :

http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/wada-calls-for-increased-alliances-during-stockholm-symposium/

Earlier in the week there was another meeting in St Petersburg of the " Athletes Commission " regarding changes to the World Anti Doping Code , link here :

http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/athlete-committee-discusses-code-amendments/

Those at this meeting were concerned with the " Code review process " and their personal experiences will help to shape the 2015 version of the WADA Code ! People such as David Millar will be able to relate their experiences at the sharp end of the WADA experience ! In visiting the following website you will notice the background is of a Wheelchair race which no doubt will remind people that even Paralympians are involved in the collection of data needed to shape the 2015 WADA Code !

http://www.wada-ama.org/en/World-Anti-Doping-Program/Sports-and-Anti-Doping-Organizations/The-Code/Code-Review/

2012 London Paralympics detected several users of HGH , using new testing procedures , only recently introduced .  That they were not used at the 2012 Olympics , was a policy decision by those in the IOC , seeking to avoid controversy . Perhaps they  used the tests but decided not to publish the results ?  " Shamateurs " use whatever they can get their hands on for what purpose ? You guessed right ,  " BRAGGING RIGHTS "!  Of course Professional Athletes would not stoop to these means to inflate their income , prestige or EGO , would they ?  Some years ago i overheard Masters Cyclists " bragging about their " Supplements and bike weights " , they still continue , no doubt with the same methods , to attend events , thinking they need these underhand abilities to enhance their lives ?

AS to the minor placings for the years that LANCE  won , do we need to bother ? Doubtful that anyone cares ! Only Contador seems to have been  replaced in the records and that by a suspected Racer who regularly follows the same training regime as his brother . Mud sticks , so it is not surprising that Andy has not taken the step of returning to racing after his Spinal problems mid year .

Off to watch the end of the Women Road Race and then out on the bike if the rain will only stop for a while .

FOOT in MOUTH disease !

WADA chief John Fahey was the Premier of New South Wales with the Largest Population of the Australia not so many years ago ! The saying that " A day is a long time in Politics  " could not be more true of his recent statement to those practicing " Sports Fraud " !  Politicians have  the habit , of saying , what they believe that the populace want to hear !  Certainly those wishing to see Great Sports Action at the London 2012 Olympics will want an incident free experience !

Can you remember where you were when you heard of Ben Johnson's disgrace in 1988 ? John Fahey may well have used the same escalators in Grace Bros of Broadway , opposite Sydney University , that i was riding , when i saw the news flash on the TV's in the sales area there . Must ask my partner of that time if she recalls that event . Most older Aussies will recall where they were when Alan Bond achieved the " impossible " and won the America's Cup !

Fact is John your warning to those Athletes planning to defraud us is redundant rhetoric ! This warning was no doubt a repeat of earlier warnings which the cheats chose to ignore . Now that they have been selected for their National Teams , there is no escape , even if they lose their nerve ! What do you suppose people will think if they suddenly decide to not appear in London ? Yes , right first time , THEY LOST THEIR NERVE ! They were set to try and cheat their way into the record books .

 Nearly every Olympic Games since 1936 has had some question mark that has detracted from the luster that " TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP " deserves . One wonders what the Athletes selected to take the " OLYMPIC OATH " thinks when they make that declaration ?

John Fahey as the chief of WADA and Jacques Rogge of the IOC , COULD if they wished , put an end to Sporting Fraudsters using PEDs ! All it would take would be a line drawn on the past ! Declaration of the errant ways and the associates involved , WITHOUT SANCTIONS , before the due date would cause a tidal wave of revelations ! Those choosing to ignore the opportunity would when discovered face " Life time Bans " from Sport and Employment in any Sporting Employment . Within a short time after the deadline , those associates , managers , coaches , mechanics etc , that see their proteges had not taken advantage of the " moratorium " and disclosed their misbehavior would need to " blow the whistle and own up to their participation Or they too would suffer the same sanctions of Life Time Bans !

Whilst Sporting Fraud is a crime , very few countries treat it as a punishable offence with Jail penalties being an option . Time that the Sporting bodies acted in concert to make the penalties punishable throughout the World with minimum uniform sanctions of 5 year suspensions !

Laugh of the week was the disclosure of that Cofidis Cycle Racer ! Di Gregorio claimed he acted alone , saw some pigs airborne too ! Realistically , could this guy share a room with a fellow racer whilst being supervised by the team Medic , Seigneur and Director Sportive  , all of whom are supposedly highly intelligent people ? 

Chris Prudhomme chooses not to read my mail , better things to do ,  i suppose ? Wrote him after speaking with him at the Dauphine Libere about the " Cities fit for Cycling " campaign , started by the " Times of London " newspaper . As the face of the " Le Tour " he could have chosen to involve ALL cyclists by encouraging follower of " Le Tour " to be more aware of Cyclists . Seems that ASO the owners of " Le Tour " are too busy raking in the cash to be bothered what the ordinary cyclist think of their creation ? 

Last week the media was full of the leaked story about 5 American Racers at " Le Tour " . Since this news broke , many people are of the opinion that the five are performing at a standard below their usual efforts ? Could it be to the detriment of their teams ? When there was a suspicion of misbehavior in 2006 , some Racers were requested to not appear . Where is the difference on this occasion ?

WADA must be aware of the behavior of USADA and the news reports this past week so surely they should act ? Is it not detrimental to Sport in general for what is taking place to be allowed to continue ?

John Fahey and Jacques Rogge need to seize the initiative and ACT NOW !

Addition :

We all saw Jacques Rogge at the Opening Ceremony , mention " Doping ", not really surprising that he passed over this subject briefly ?

TENNIS DOPING ?

Tennis is a sport that I enjoyed playing whilst living in Sydney .

Over the years I would have the occasional knockabout game with friends but got more serious about the game in 1991 . On moving into a rental house in Longueville with another guy as co lease holders we had a grass tennis court , swimming pool and waterfront access amongst the many features of this five bed roomed house . When we moved there the court had not been used in years so it was necessary to roll the surface and fill a few dimples in the surface as well as remove a few sections of turf that were overgrown with weed . Gardening is not my forte but as this was the winter months we had some time to prepare the area and discover the necessary dimensions to lay out the playing surface to best advantage . At that time I already had the 7m yacht which was moved from it’s mooring in another cove on the Parramatta River to a mooring just off the bottom of the garden grounds . A jetty by the boathouse there proved to be too damaged to put to use so it would require rowing the 50m or so to board the Swanson Dart whenever it would be used . Those days I had no interest in Cycling Road Racing but my co leaser had a racing bike of sorts which I would load into the station wagon and take up to North Ryde National Park a couple of times a week to ride the roads there . Even in the safety of the park I found it necessary to be aware of motorists with no conception of Cyclists rights . The first time I would spend anytime cycling on Sydney roads would be during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games , but by that time I had several years and perhaps 50000kms of road exposure throughout Europe . When we finally got the Tennis Court dimensions laid out and the netting repaired the court was good for use . Coming from playing Squash for a decade or so I thought I was fit but soon discovered the opposite . Certainly with all the running I had been doing with the Hash House Harriers and private training runs the legs were in good shape but the right arm was another story . Gripping the tennis racquet as compared to a squash racket was a whole new experience . Considerable weight difference demanded more effort through the arm and across the shoulders and took time to build the necessary flexibility required for serving and swinging the racket . Of course it was also necessary to avoid flicking the wrist as needed in the squash game . Those days I would only use one handed play so it was soon apparent that the right arm was adding muscle . Nowadays the players are using double handed action on the court . This brings me to the purpose of this blog post . Being fit for a knockabout game or even club competition requires a certain level of fitness but in recent days I have noticed the muscles that some Tennis Players are developing and it appears that those remarking about Tennis Players relying on chemical intervention may have a point . Additionally I came across a web site which tends to show that in the Major Tennis Competitions the players are tested after they are eliminated . Certainly the tables for 2006 show all those tested after they are marked “ L “ for lost and only the winner is highlighted “ W ” for winner . Of course the tests were carried out on the day of competition , but wouldn’t you test the winner of the match , to see that they had won fairly ?

Tennis has some big names and those participating earn large amounts of money , so there is incentive to reach for the podium by fair or foul means . Men’s tennis has always been more profitable than the Women’s game and so it is not surprising to see well developed muscular limbs there , but some of the women’s muscles are also looking manly ! Being an Australian I have been happy to see Sam Stosur doing well in the Majors but the latest photo that came to my attention came as a surprise . Wonder if she is the subject of speculation ?

Some info above on 2006 testing at the Aussie Open that i found in another blog on Tennis . Lifted the following from that blog also : " More Of The Same? Drug Tests At The 2012 Aussie Open " " From the Official website of the Australian Open: " " As if losing in the opening round on a blazing hot day wasn’t bad enough, world No.65 Rebecca Marino was then requested to provide a routine anti-doping sample..." Again, if the test distribution plan is on taking samples from losing players directly after matches (see 2009), there should be little surprise that there are so few positive tests for steroids, synthetic testosterone, EPO, stimulants, etc. You name it. They aren't going to find any. At a minimum, the testing of match winners at random times on off-days is required ! Tennis Admin. is so concerned about an athlete's rights that they don't test the Match winner in cae they test positive ? Those caught using should be withdrawn immediately and the " clean "loser who was also tested allowed to progress to the next round . When the " Doped athlete " is allowed to progress the whole competition becomes " Null and Void " in my opinion . Sport is supposed to be about " the level playing field " not the best pharmacist's efforts . Comments to that Blog : http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-of-same-drug-tests-at-2012-aussie.html " The point of this post was to show that they're testing the player that lost the match rather than the winner " michlobJan 18, 2012 07:02 AM Are you implying that the loser was less likely to have used PEDS by mere virtue of the fact that they lost? Sorry, but I'm not sure if that is what you are arguing, Sen. I think you've missed another possible explanation: If a player tests positive they will receive an immediate provisional suspension, correct? What if the winner of a match tests positive for everything that's banned under the sun? Do you let him or her play another match? Of course you wouldn't but how do you issue a suspension without disclosing this to the public? Embarrassing, right? I think they are trying to avoid this scenario happening. It's called the "head-in-sand" sample selection technique. It's the "modern method" that the ITF has been referring to. michlobJan 18, 2012 07:19 AM I agree that testing should be random, unpredictable and weighted toward high performers. The TADP actually supports these principles. See 5.1.3 2012 TADP: http://www.itftennis.com/antidoping/rules/index.asp Sen no RikyūJan 18, 2012 08:01 AM @michlob, No, I'm not suggesting that the loser is less likely to take PEDs. Winner and loser are equally likely. Also, I think your additional explanation for the test distribution is a valid one. It would be bad for a week 1 test to return a postive result in week 2 of a grand slam event, no? I did, however, misread demisphere's comment. To answer: given that any substances that a player takes will have to wash out through urine, I don't see waiting 3hrs as a way to test clean. Any substance would still be in the sample.

YAHOO/Eurosport & CYCLINGNEWS items on 2011 TDF

This is Yahoo/Eurosport report on the 2011 Tour de France Presentation. Looks like i will be in Europe in July so will ride for the 14th consecutive year.

Whilst i ride alone, i am prepared to have others join me IF they have properly prepared and have their support to fall back on in adverse conditions. I don't mind people drafting when they are able to contribute to an improvement in the overall performance but over the years i have found too many looking to be passengers. Better to join me at Giro, Dauphinee or TDS as a warm up event.








Tour de France - 2011 Tour route to suit climbersTue, 19 Oct 11:22:00 2010

The 2011 Tour de France route will perfectly suit climbers such as Alberto Contador although it remains unclear whether the three-times champion will be allowed to take part.

Related Links2011 Tour de France route Saxo Bank to stay even if Contador is bannedThe Spaniard has been provisionally suspended pending further investigations into his positive test for the anabolic agent clenbuterol.

Should, however, the 2007, 2009 and 2010 champion take part next year he will find the route ideal.

There are four mountaintop finishes - two in the Pyrenees, two in the Alps - for 2011 with a prestigious mountain finale on the Alpe d'Huez two days before the Champs Elysees parade.

"We wanted a balanced route. We tried to keep the suspense for the Alps but also to have a big battle as early as the Pyrenees," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told a few selected reporters before the official unveiling ceremony.


Tour de France 2011 : Prés

The Tour will start on July 2 in Brittany, the heartland of French cycling and Prudhomme is hoping the opening week will be filled with action.

"That is why we have this finish at Mur de Bretagne (known as the Alpe d'Huez of Brittany)," Prudhomme said.

"I'm confident I'll have a strong team to help me win this tour," said this year's runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who left Saxo Bank with his brother Frank to launch a new outfit starting next year.









Schleck, however, did not mention Contador as one of his rivals.

"A lot of riders want to win this Tour, with (Vuelta champion Vincenzo) Nibali, (Ivan) Basso and (Cadel) Evans being strong contenders," he said.

The peloton will then head south through the Pyrenees, where the riders will tackle the testing Col du Tourmalet and also the Col d'Aubisque.

Organisers said they wanted to celebrate the centenary of the Alps in the Tour, with the punishing Col du Galibier section twice on the menu.



The loss of Contador though would be hugely disappointing for organisers.

The Spaniard has claimed that the banned anabolic agent found in his test came from contaminated meat and the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency are investigating the case further before making a final decision.

"It's a very important case and we need to be compeltely sure (of the facts) when the decision is taken," UCI president Pat McQuaid said.

"It's quite complicated. We are waiting for the results to come back and I don't know how long it's going to take.

"In fairness to Contador, to the Tour de France, we need to go into the details to make sure the decision taken is the right one."

Contador was not seen at Tuesday's ceremony at the Palais des Congres in Paris.

Spain's Secretary of State for Sport Jaime Lissavetzky told Telemadrid he was hoping for a quick resolution to the case because any delay was "damaging for Contador, for cycling and for Spanish sport".

"Suspicion does not mean guilt. We are waiting for the conclusions of the UCI and WADA's investigation," said Prudhomme. "We strongly hope that we won't have to wait too long."

Prudhomme said the Tour would not be harmed if Contador fails to take part.

"We still have 250 cities who applied to host a stage, 50 of them being foreign cities. Barcelona, Salzburg, Krakow were candidates," he said.

"Last week I was in Shanghai and I was amazed by the Chinese's knowledge of the Tour, by their passion for the race.

"The Tour is huge. It is broadcast in 137 countries. In France, it is viewed twice more than Roland Garros (French Open tennis), for example."

Prudhomme, who took over the running of the race in 2006, believes the fight against doping is showing results.

"Pierre Bordry, the former head of the French Anti-Doping Agency, said himself that he thought the vast majority of the peloton is clean," he said.

"Cycling is doing more than any other sport in the fight against doping. If (bloodboosters) EPO, CERA are being detected, it is because cycling is a pioneer in the fight against doping."

Tuesday's ceremony began with a video tribute to former Tour champion Laurent Fignon, who died of cancer earlier this year, with the 4,000 spectators applauding after being shown highlights of the Frenchman's career.highlights of the Frenchman's career.

Reuters

Stage 1Saturday, July 2 2011
Location:
Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts - Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers
Distance:
191 km
Stage 2Sunday, July 3 2011
Location:
Les Essarts (TTT)
Distance:
23 km
Stage 3Monday, July 4 2011
Location:
Olonne-sur-Mer - Redon
Distance:
198 km
Stage 4Tuesday, July 5 2011
Location:
Lorient - Mûr-de-Bretagne
Distance:
172 km
Stage 5Wednesday, July 6 2011
Location:
Carhaix - Cap Fréhel
Distance:
158 km
Stage 6Thursday, July 7 2011
Location:
Dinan - Lisieux
Distance:
226 km
Stage 7Friday, July 8 2011
Location:
Le Mans - Châteauroux
Distance:
215 km
Stage 8Saturday, July 9 2011
Location:
Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy
Distance:
190 km
Stage 9Sunday, July 10 2011
Location:
Issoire - Saint-Flour
Distance:
208 km
Rest Day 1Monday, July 11 2011
Stage 10Tuesday, July 12 2011
Location:
Aurillac - Carmaux
Distance:
161 km
Stage 11Wednesday, July 13 2011
Location:
Blaye-les-Mines - Lavaur
Distance:
168 km
Stage 12Thursday, July 14 2011
Location:
Cugnaux - Luz-Ardiden
Distance:
209 km
Stage 13Friday, July 15 2011
Location:
Pau - Lourdes
Distance:
156 km
Stage 14Saturday, July 16 2011
Location:
Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille
Distance:
168 km
Stage 15Sunday, July 17 2011
Location:
Limoux - Montpellier
Distance:
187 km
Rest Day 2Monday, July 18 2011
Stage 16Tuesday, July 19 2011
Location:
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap
Distance:
163 km
Stage 17Wednesday, July 20 2011
Location:
Gap - Pinerolo
Distance:
179 km
Stage 18Thursday, July 21 2011
Location:
Pinerolo - Galibier Serre-Chevalier
Distance:
189 km
Stage 19Friday, July 22 2011
Location:
Modane - Alpe-d’Huez
Distance:
109 km
Stage 20Saturday, July 23 2011
Location:
Grenoble (ITT)
Distance:
41 km
Stage 21Sunday, July 24 2011
Location:
Créteil - Paris Champs-Élysées
Distance:
160 km








CYCLING NEWS COMMENTARY




The 2011 Tour de France map

A centenary celebration of the Alps

After a 2010 edition dedicated to the centenary of the Pyrenees, the 2011 Tour de France will celebrate the centenary of the first time the race climbed the Alps.

At the launch of next year's event in Paris, race director Christian Prudhomme unveiled a parcours ideal f climbers, with only 64 time trial kilometres of which 23 are a team time trial. Again, there will be no time bonuses on the road from the Vendée region to Paris, while a testing third week in the Alps sees the Tour return to the Galibier and L’Alpe d’Huez: two of its most legendary climbs.

A diverse start

The 2011 Tour's Grand Départ is in the windy Vendée region in Western France, on the Atlantic coastline. The first stage will see the peloton cross the famous Passage du Gois before the first uphill finish on the Mont des Alouettes in Les Herbiers, famous for organising the Chrono des Nations time trial.

The team time trial is back after a one-year absence, around the town Les Essarts, the home of Jean-Rene Bernadeau's team. The collective test against the clock has a totally flat profile and will certainly re-shuffle the general classification, even if the distance of 23 kilometres might not open up significant time gaps.

Stage three (Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon) will see the riders gear up for a probable bunch sprint as the Tour heads northwest from Vendée towards Brittany. On the next day, an uphill finish on the steep Mûr-de-Bretagne in central Brittany will suit the Classics riders and strong finishers, with the yellow jersey probably again up for grabs.

The Tour will then move northwards on stage five from Carhaix to Cap Fréhel, finishing on a windy and especially treacherous section of coast line. On the next day, the bunch will move over into Normandy for stage six from Dinan to Lisieux, the Tour’s longest stage with 226 kilometres.

Moving south: the medium mountains

After the first week in north-western France, the Tour route heads south into France's central mountain range via Châteauroux. The stage starts in Le Mans and is another sure bet for a bunch sprint. The first "real" uphill finish is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 in Super-Besse Sancy, followed by a perfect day for audacious escapists on the hilly stage nine from Issoire to Saint-Flour on Sunday July 10. Three Category 3 climbs await the riders, with the Puy Mary located more than 1500 metres above sea level.

The riders will be able to enjoy the first rest day on July 11 in Le Lioran in the Cantal cheese region. Two transitional stages will then pave the way south to the Pyrenees on July 12, with stage 10 from Aurillac to Carmaux and then stage 11 from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur. Many expected a first individual time trial at this point in the race but the 2011 Tour is set to feature even less time trialling than in 2010, with Prudhomme sticking to one race against the clock only as opposed to two in the past.

The Pyrenees: more than an appetizer

Three days in the Pyrenees with two mountain top finishes will provide plenty of climbing action in the second week and will reveal who has a real chance of victory before the Grande Finale in the Alps in the third week.

Stages 12 and 14 will end on top of Luz-Ardiden and the Plateau de Beille respectively, with the hard day from Pau to Lourdes surely to tempt the climbers to chase mountain points for the polka-dot jersey.

Stage 12 to Luz-Ardiden also has the famous Tourmalet on its profile, and stage 14 includes a total of four passes before the final ramps of the Plateau de Beille: Portet d’Aspet, Col de la Core, Latrape and Agnes.

After another transitional stage 15 from Limous to Montpellier, a day that should be marked green on the sprinter’s calendars, the race will head east across the south of France for the second rest day in the Drôme region on July 18 before the 2011 Tour reaches its climax in the Alps in the third week of racing.

A centenary in the Alps: the big showdown

The Tour De France climbed the Alps for the first time in 1911, with a 366km-long stage from Chamonix to Grenoble taking the riders over four testing passes: the Aravis, Télégraphe, Lautaret and Galibier.

100 years later, stage 16 from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Gap serves as a taste of the pain to come and three days in the high mountains begin on July 20 as the peloton departs on a 179km-journey from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy. Three categorized climbs are on the menu: Col de Montgenèvre, Sestrières and the Côte de Pramartino.

Italy will be the only foreign country visited by the 2011 Tour. Riders will return to France on the next day for back to back mountain-top finishes. Stage 18 – the queen stage, no doubt - will finish on the prestigious Galibier (2645m), after crossing some of the most challenging climbs of the Alps: the Col d’Agnel (2774m) and the Izoard (2360m).

The Galibier will be re-visited on the next day via its northern side as the 109km-long 19th stage finishes with the climb to L’Alpe d’Huez. Although a short stage, it seems this one could be just as decisive as the 41km-long individual time trial that will follow on the race’s penultimate day in Grenoble.

No time bonuses, but secondary classifications changed

Again, Prudhomme has prefered a “real-time” general classification without any time bonuses. But the Tour organisers have altered the points systems in the hope of intensifying the fight for the green and polka-dot jerseys.

Prudhomme announced there one single intermediate sprint per stage, awarding half the points on offer at the stage finish. This way, the sprinters will have to sprint twice a day if they want to be a contender for the green jersey. The changes will surely change the pattern of the racing on most days and affect the chances of breakaways making it to the finish.

The mountains classification will also be changed, with double points up for grabs at the four mountain-top finishes of the race. This may be an additional lure for the strong climbers to show off their talent in the high mountains.