Contador: Astana weaker than Armstrong's team

2010-02-23T17:22:40Z

<div id="subtitle">Alberto Contador calls his Astana team weaker than Lance Armstrong's new squad</div><div><p>Tour de France winner Alberto Contador admits his Astana team is weaker with Lance Armstrong'...

French anti-doping chief criticizes UCI Tour testing

2010-02-24T21:51:32Z

<div><p>PARIS (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) did not fully respect the testing procedures during this year's Tour de France and the fact that suspicious drugs were seized also casts doubts over the event, the French anti-doping chief said on...

UCI rejects 'soft touch' claims over Astana tests

2010-02-24T22:35:31Z

<div><p>The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Monday rejected accusations by the French Anti-doping Agency (AFLD) that they showed the Astana team preferential treatment over drug tests at the

Tour winner's team had easy ride on dope tests: report

2010-02-24T22:46:29Z

<div><p>The Astana team of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and third placed Lance Armstrong were given an easy ride during dope tests at the 2009 event, two leading French newspapers said Monday.</p><p&am...

Alexander Vinoukurov

2009-09-08T11:20:52Z

epa01852629 Kazakh cyclist Alexander Vinoukurov of the Astana team is seen in action during the tenth stage of the Vuelta09 cycling race held between Alicante and Murcia over 169,5 km, Spain, 08 September 2009. EPA/TONI ALBIR...

Simon Gerrans

2009-09-08T11:06:00Z

Australian cyclist Simon Gerrans of the Cervelo team is followed by Kazakh Alexander Vinoukurov of the Astana team during the tenth stage of the Vuelta09 cycling race held between Alicante and Murcia over 169,5 km, Spain, 08 September 2009....

Alexander Vinoukurv

2009-09-04T11:50:51Z

epa01847899 Kazakh cyclist Alexander Vinoukurv of the Astana team drinks during the sixth stage of the Vuelta09 cycling race held in Xativa, over 176,8 kilometers, Spain on 04 September 2009. EPA/TONI ALBIR...

Armstrong mobbed at Tour of Ireland

2010-02-25T17:21:25Z

<div><p>US cycling star Lance Armstrong stole the show as he was mobbed by hundreds of fans during the Tour of Ireland here on Friday.</p><p>The seven-time Tour de France champion was competing in the race for the first time in 17 years and fans flocked to the opening stage a...

Lance Armstrong to form U.S.-based team in 2010

2010-02-26T05:41:04Z

<div><p>ANNECY, France (Reuters) - Seven times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will quit Astana and form a U.S.-based team in 2010...

Contador crushes rivals by winning Tour time trial

2010-02-26T05:40:37Z

<div><p>Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Astana team reinforced his hold on the Tour de France yellow jersey after a stunning time trial victory on the race's 18th stage here Thursday.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=55431792&b...

Sparks could fly after Contador attack, admits Bruyneel

2010-02-26T06:05:49Z

<div><p>Johan Bruyneel admitted sparks could fly between yellow jersey holder Alberto Contador and Astana team-mate Lance Armstrong after the Spaniard defied team orders on Wednesday's 17th stage.</p><p>"...

Bruyneel says it's time to quit Astana

2010-02-26T06:36:09Z

<div><p> Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel announced he is set to quit the Kazakhstan-backed outfit.</p><p>"It's time to turn a page in my career," Bruyneel told Flemish language channel VRT just before the 16th stage in Martigny, Lance Armstrong's Astana team-mate Levi Leipheimer has withdrawn from the Tour de France with a broken wrist, his Astana team announced on Friday.</p><p>The 35-year-old American, one of the main rid...

Injured wrist gives Leipheimer cause for concern

2010-02-26T08:35:22Z

<div><p>Lance Armstrong's Astana team-mate Levi Leipheimer, currently fourth in the Tour de France general classification, faces an anxious wait to see if he will be able to ride in Friday's 13th stage.</p><p&...

French minister says UCI must not waver - report

2010-02-26T08:38:10Z

<div><p>French Minister for Sport Roselyne Bachelot hit out Thursday at cycling's world ruling body, calling for a more stringent approach to carrying out the doping controls on the race.</p><p>An incident involving the Astana team of race favourites Alberto Conta...

Slowest Tour stage I can remember, says Armstrong

2010-02-26T09:33:17Z

<div><p>Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said Tuesday's radio-silenced stage was the slowest he could remember after more than a decade of the competition.</p><p>The 37-year-old breezed past waiting reporters after Britain's Switzerland's Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara won the first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday in a time of 19 minutes 32.14 seconds in the 15.5km time-trial around Monaco to claim the yellow jersey.</p>&...

No winning return for Armstrong in opening time trial

2010-02-26T13:29:20Z

<div><p>Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong made his return to the Tour de France on Saturday, but failed to make a winning start at the opening stage time trial held over 15.5km.</p><p>After an absence of four years from the race he won between 1999 and 2005, the 37-year-old American clocked a time of 20min 12.36sec for...

Armstrong's Astana team solves financial woes

2010-02-26T19:32:24Z

<div id="subtitle">Armstrong's Astana team appears set for Tour after solving financial woes in deal with backers</div><div><p>Lance Armstrong's Astana team appears ready to participate in the Tour de France after reaching an agreement with its Kazakh backers to solve...

Astana back on track, team says

2010-02-26T19:40:15Z

<div><p>The Khazakstan government has agreed to back cycling's Astana outfit for the rest of the 2009 season, including the Tour de France, a team spokesman said on Thursday.</p><p>The promise of support guarantees the involvement of seven-times Tour winner Lance Armstrong and ...

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