World cycling’s governing body, the UCI, has appealed the decision of the Russian cycling federation, the FVSR, not to ban Katusha rider Alexander Kolobnev following his positive test for hydrochlorothiazide during this year’s Tour de France.
Instead, the FVSR fined the 30-year-old rider, who has always maintained that he ingested the substance innocently, 1,500 Swiss Francs, equivalent to a little over £1,000. He also received a warning as to his future conduct.
Kolobnev withdrew voluntarily from July’s race after it was revealed he a sample taken on the day of Stage 5 from Carhaix to Cap Frehel had returned a positive result. Subsequently, his B sample also tested positive. Kolobnev was the only rider to fail a doping control during this year's race.
Confirmation that the case had been appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was made yesterday by UCI President Pat McQuaid, reports Eurosport. The UCI is likelt to ask CAS to suspend the rider for two years.
Since winning the Montepaschi Eroica (now the Strade Bianche) and one stage of Paris-Nice in 2007, Kolobnev’s career has been marked by near missed in a string of big races.
In 2007 and again in 2009, the Russian finished runner-up in the world championship road race. In between, he finished fourth in the Olympic road race in Beijing in 2008, but was subsequently promoted to bronze medal position after silver medallist Davide Rebellin failed a drugs test.
He also finished second in the Clasica de San Sebastian in 2008 and in the 2010 edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, as well as third in the Giro di Lombardia in 2009.
While I always have lights on day and night and wear fluro, I have a friend that wears all black all the time and doesn't use lights ever. His...
A sad case, and one with no winners. The driver can thank her lucky stars that the cyclist wasn't more seriously injured and that the court was...
Bloody hell... How are you doing now?
And I liked endura too. Got a nice long sleeve mostly merino long sleeve a little while back, in orange.
No, the Ebay lights have been around for several years, this Lezyne light just appeared.
They shouldn't worry - the second part of the "tariff" refrain is "they can make it in US and they'll do very well".
"At the going down of the sun, it will get in our eyes and cause us to crash into things."
Been living in the area thirty years now and Brixton Cycles (and local riders wearing their famed Rastafarian colours jersey) has been an iconic...
Indeed - but again these are perhaps questions we should keep asking. Even if the immediate answer is "well we are where we are" or "how on earth...