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Bradley Wiggins reportedly awarded 2009 Tour de France podium spot

Reported confirmation follows yesterday's anouncement by UCI that 1999-2005 Tour results won't be reassigned...

Bradley Wiggins will be awarded third place in the 2009 Tour de France, replacing Lance Armstrong, according to a report by AFP which says it confirmed the position with “official sources” after yesterday’s statement by the UCI that it would not reallocate results in the seven editions of the race won by the American between 1999 and 2005. As yet, Armstrong’s name continues to appear in third place for 2009 on the Tour’s website.

However, it looks a though the record books will now show that 2009 is when Wiggins became the first British rider to clinch a podium place in the Tour, although official recognition of that comes of course after his Tour de France victory this summer in which Sky team mate Chris Froome was runner-up.

On Monday, UCI president Pat McQuaid said that he did not believe that the United States Anti Doping Agency, which stripped Armstrong of all results dating from his return to the sport in 1998 after battling cancer, had proved that the 41-year-old had been involved in doping after coming out of retirement to ride for Astana in 2009, although the governing body decided not to challenge the decision.

With its statement yesterday only talking about 1998-2005, there was therefore some confusion about the implication for the period from 2009 onwards, although if AFP’s sources are correct, that now appears to have been laid to rest.

The 2009 Tour was the race in which Wiggins, then with Garmin-Slipstream, achieved his breakthrough as a GC rider, digging deep on the penultimate stage on Mont Ventoux to pip Frank Schelck to fourth place. At the end of the season, he made his controversial move to Team Sky, which had to buy out the remainder of his contract with the US-based outfit.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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atlaz | 11 years ago
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The Schleck's have both been linked to doping with brother Frank currently under investigation having tested positive for using a masking agent - both riders names were linked to Operation Puerto although naturally they both insist that they were only after coaching advice

Crazylegs - can you provide any article linking Andy Schleck to Puerto other than his elder brother? I've yet to see one; in fact, considering of the two, only Frank has appeared before the Lux doping agency, I'm inclined to believe that it's a made up fact. However, happy to be proved wrong.

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atlaz | 11 years ago
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I am pretty sure that it has only been Frank so far, maybe Andy is now tainted by association. I think that it is quite sad that we will instantly assume that the british rider is the only clean rider at the top.

I think until anyone has any proof to the contrary, we have to assume he's clean. His career has not suddenly become stellar, he's always been a talented rider who excels when it gets steep.

The reason people assume the British rider is the only clean rider is not "quite sad" it's jingoism. We have exactly the same level of proof that Schleck and Wiggins dope (i.e. none) but because Schleck is not British the fact his brother has an interesting past/present is deemed as proof. Wiggins was on Cofidis when there were arrests and has worked with admitted dopers at Garmin and Sky but people don't apply feel that's a good reason for him to be suspected. I'd agree. But we have to hold the same standards to riders we may not feel that bond with. Unless they're very suspicious or found doing something, they should be treated as clean.

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Morpheus00 | 11 years ago
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EPO testing has improved since the 90s, and its use is consequently not nearly so rife. Whilst the peloton is not totally clean, drug taking does not seem to be as systematised and individual cheats tend to get caught. So, IMHO, I think it'd be a mistake to start saying Bradley won as the others are bound to have cheated.

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mick intherain | 11 years ago
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It's all very simple really, they are are big boys now and they all new exactly what they were doing when theyhad a dodgy transfusion or pump illegal drugs in their bodies - they were cheating pure and simple. And there is NO excuse for it ever. The only way to rid the sport of cheats and cheating is zero tolerance. If you are caught bye bye you screwed up go get a job.

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Leviathan | 11 years ago
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Oh no, not Andy! Apparently he is guilty because his brother may or may not have taken something or been spiked with something that might or might not cover something else. I understand Bradley was once seen having a strong coffee with Paul Weller so strike him out too.

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jorysmith | 11 years ago
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Should of had the top spot, he is the only clean one in the list.

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Stumps replied to jorysmith | 11 years ago
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jorysmith wrote:

Should of had the top spot, he is the only clean one in the list.

No doubt i will be corrected if i'm wrong, but i dont think Andy Schleck has been associated with drugs ?

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djb123 replied to Stumps | 11 years ago
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stumps wrote:

No doubt i will be corrected if i'm wrong, but i dont think Andy Schleck has been associated with drugs ?

I am pretty sure that it has only been Frank so far, maybe Andy is now tainted by association. I think that it is quite sad that we will instantly assume that the british rider is the only clean rider at the top. personally, I don't think that even Frank was doping this year, if he was then it didn't really help him much.

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andyp | 11 years ago
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yes, it matters.

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Karbon Kev | 11 years ago
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oh for gods sake, does it actually matter, y-a-w-n ...

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Karbon Kev | 11 years ago
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Karbon Kev wrote:

oh for gods sake, does it actually matter, y-a-w-n ...

I can think of at least 30,000 reasons why it does.

Sorry, that should be €30,000  3

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Simon_MacMichael | 11 years ago
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Thanks Nevman.

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ventoux3 | 11 years ago
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Should be second at the very least and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Brad was the first clean rider.

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BigBear63 replied to ventoux3 | 11 years ago
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ventoux3 wrote:

Should be second at the very least and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Brad was the first clean rider.

Until this whole debacle I wanted to give Contador the benefit of the doubt and I was unsure about Schleck. But not now.
Wiggo should be in top spot, which is probably why the rumour he will be shunted up may not happen. We are in danger of going through the whole of racings back catalogue of palmares and writing them off. What a nightmare.
If I was Wiggo I would refuse to accept the promotion on the basis of no confidence in any of the road events he had taken part in during the Noughties. I can't imagine how he must feel about this situation.

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chokofingrz replied to ventoux3 | 11 years ago
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If Contador could have doped, and Schleck could have doped, why rule out Wiggins? Because you like him, he's British, and he says he's clean?

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crazy-legs replied to chokofingrz | 11 years ago
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chokofingrz wrote:

If Contador could have doped, and Schleck could have doped, why rule out Wiggins? Because you like him, he's British, and he says he's clean?

Other than the minor fact that Wiggins has never been linked to or associated with doping in any way you mean?

Contador has already served a doping ban although the piss taking and length of time that took made a mockery of the whole process.

The Schleck's have both been linked to doping with brother Frank currently under investigation having tested positive for using a masking agent - both riders names were linked to Operation Puerto although naturally they both insist that they were only after coaching advice.

Wiggins - no links yet (and long may it stay that way) so therefore, yes, I'd say Wiggins is clean.

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nevman | 11 years ago
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Typo in last para there-2009 not 1999 Tour.Just demonstrates the real casualties from doping,the riders denied results that might have advanced careers.But not Wiggo mind.

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