Dumoulin Wins Opening Giro Stage

Dumoulin in Apeldoorn - Getty Images

Tom Dumoulin won the opening individual time trial of the Giro d’Italia by the finest of margins in Apeldoorn on Friday. At the end of the flat 9.8km route the Dutchman beat Primoz Roglic of Slovenia by one hundredth of a second.

“It’s incredible. I can almost not describe it in words,” said Dumoulin, who added that he felt sick afterwards. “A hundredth of a second is a breath of air and that’s it.

“It’s better than I could have imagined. In front of my home crowd to get the most beautiful jersey in cycling is very special. I did no big mistakes. You always think you could have done this corner a bit better or that one … it wasn’t my best time trial but I’m wearing this jersey now. I will defend this as long as possible. I don’t think I have the level to compete in the real big mountains.”

Roglic took the lead off Dumoulin’s Giant-Alpecin team-mate, Tobias Ludvigsson, who had been in the hot seat for around 90 minutes. Ludvigsson eventually finished fourth, eight seconds behind the leading pair and two seconds behind the Costa Rican Andrey Amador.

Another time trial specialist, Fabian Cancellara, was hoping for a victory that would have handed him the first maglia rosa of his long career. But he was hampered by stomach flu and finished eighth, 14 seconds behind Dumoulin.

The overall favorite Vincenzo Nibali, the 2013 champion, was 19 seconds behind in 16th. “It was a very explosive time trial. I had to make a really big effort,” Nibali said. “It’s one stage out of the way now.

“I can be more than satisfied by what’s happened but let’s just keep our feet on the ground. One or two days before a Grand Tour you can feel nervous and I’m just happy we’re under way now.”

The Swiss rider Stefan Kung threatened to challenge Dumoulin’s lead as he was only one second slower at 4.8km but he crashed into the barriers and finished 16 seconds behind.

The 99th Giro continues in the Netherlands with two sprint stages before an early rest day and a transfer to Italy. The race ends in Turin on 29 May.

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Demare Wins Milan San Remo

Arnaud Démare claimed the biggest win of his career when the Frenchman sprinted to victory in the Milan-San Remo despite having crashed earlier in the 295km classic. The FDJ rider held off several big names in the final sweep into the Mediterranean resort, crossing the line ahead of Team Sky’s Ben Swift and the Belgian Jürgen Roelandts. Démare is the first French rider to win the opening monument of the season since Laurent Jalabert in 1995.

Coming off the final climb and with the peloton strung out, Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowsi burst into the lead and stayed out in front until the final two kilometres. The Pole was reeled in, though, by the Swiss veteran Fabian Cancellara before Démare powered through to win.

The Colombian Fernando Gaviria (Etixx-Quick Step) had looked in prime position to claim victory but crashed heavily and rolled across the line in tears. The world champion, Peter Sagan, was also in the mix but again failed to deliver a victory on one of the sport’s classics.

A landslide had caused the race to be rerouted, with the riders sent on to the A10 motorway, before it reverted to the usual route that hugs the Italian coast. Eleven riders formed a breakaway but Tinkoff and BMC drove the peloton which swallowed up the front-runners with 25km left.

The race was littered with crashes, one of which, with 30km remaining, took down Démare but he quickly recovered.

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van den Driessche Faces Sanctions

Femke van den Driessche faces a severe punishment by the Union Cycliste Internationale in the first case against a rider for competing on a bike allegedly containing a hidden motor.

On Monday Van den Driessche, 19, opted not to defend herself at Tuesday’s UCI disciplinary hearing in Switzerland into her use of the machine in the women’s under-23 race at the world cyclo-cross championships in Zolder in January.

She had maintained the confiscated bike belonged to an acquaintance and was in the pits because of a mix-up by a mechanic, but on Monday she said would not contest the matter and added that she had retired from cyclo-cross.

In a statement the UCI said: “The Union Cycliste Internationale confirms that the disciplinary commission hearing regarding the Femke van den Driessche case took place today at the UCI World Cycling Centre, headquarters of the international federation in Aigle, Switzerland. A decision will be rendered and announced in due course and, until then, the UCI will not be making any further comment.”

The UCI president, Brian Cookson, said in March that cycling’s world governing body would request the toughest possible sanctions. Regulations, recently strengthened, provide for a minimum suspension of six months and a fine of up to 200,000 Swiss francs (£141,000) for an offence of “technological fraud”, while coaches, mechanics and other officials could also be sanctioned.

Bikes have been scanned by the UCI at major competitions across all disciplines and events, including the Tour de France, in recent years because of speculation regarding motors hidden in bike frames. At the track world championships in London on 2-6 March 274 bikes were scanned.

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Cookson Denies Verbruggen Claims

The president of cycling’s governing body has denied his predecessor Hein Verbruggen’s claims that they have reached an agreement to end legal proceedings which would have seen the Dutchman retain his role as honorary president of the UCI.

Verbruggen, who left his post as president in 2005, had threatened legal action against cycling’s governing body over what he described as an “outrageously biased, misleading and frequently wrong” investigation into the sport’s doping past.

The current president, Brian Cookson, has previously called for Verbruggen to step down but the Dutchman has told insidethegames.biz that they had reached an agreement which means: “Mr Cookson renounces definitively from asking me to resign from my honorary presidency and agrees not to mention this question any more publicly or privately.” According to insidethegames, the UCI also paid £29,000 towards Verbruggen’s legal costs.

However, Cookson has denied that is the case and stated that any agreement with Verbruggen was now void.

“I was elected to change the way the UCI conducts itself and therefore, following a request from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), I indeed met with Mr Hein Verbruggen last summer,” read a statement. “We came to a confidential agreement which was to ensure, amongst other things, that he would stop using his influence to criticise and cause trouble for the UCI. Since Mr Verbruggen never respected his commitments, the agreement is considered null. No money has ever been paid to Mr Verbruggen since I became President.”

A 227-page report into cycling’s doping culture said that the UCI colluded with Lance Armstrong to cover up positive tests at the 1999 Tour de France, when Verbruggen was in charge of the organisation.

Verbruggen, 73, said he started a court case against the UCI and Cookson, as well as lodging a complaint to the International Olympic Committee ethics commission which resulted in the IOC mediating between the parties with an agreement signed to end legal proceedings.

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Cookson Starts UCI Changes

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New International Cycling Union (UCI) president Brian Cookson has contacted the World Anti-Doping Agency to start talks over an independent investigation into the sport's governing body.

Cookson based his recent election campaign on restoring trust in the UCI which has had acrimonious relationships with doping authorities.

"We've started the work of establishing dialogue with Wada to plan how we will proceed with the independent investigation into the UCI's past," said Cookson.

"We have also been making contact with other key stakeholders in this area, including Usada [United States Anti-Doping Authority], other national anti-doping organisations and the French sports ministry."

Englishman Cookson, 62, who was the former president of British Cycling, also confirmed the decision to "revoke the age limit of 28 that existed for UCI women's teams".

Up until now most riders in a women's team competing at a UCI event have had to be aged below 28. He also said there were plans to form a new commission for women's cycling "to help facilitate the growth of women's elite racing".

Meanwhile, Cookson said the UCI had withdrawn legal action against journalist Paul Kimmage.

In January 2012, former UCI presidents Pat McQuaid, who Cookson replaced, and Hein Verbruggen initiated legal proceedings against Kimmage, claiming they were defamed by articles in the Sunday Times and L'Equipe which discussed doping and the governing body.

Kimmage said: "I am very relieved, it has been a very difficult 20 months and I hope this means things have turned a corner.

"Brian Cookson has my every best wish but he is going to need some time and space to clear up the mess.

"I do believe however that Hein Verbruggen should be removed absolutely from any position at the UCI."

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Cookson Wins UCI Vote

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Brian Cookson has been elected president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), beating incumbent Pat McQuaid in a vote on Friday.

After a campaign dominated by acrimony between the two candidates, Cookson, 61, defeated Irishman McQuaid by 24 votes to 18 in Florence, Italy.

McQuaid, 64, was seeking a third term in the role he had held since 2005.

Cookson has been in charge of British Cycling since 1997, presiding over the turn-around of the sport in Britain.

He will step down from that role to take up his new position.

"It is a huge honour to have been elected president of the UCI by my peers and I would like to thank them for the trust they have placed in me today," said Cookson.

"My first priorities as president will be to make anti-doping procedures in cycling fully independent, sit together with key stakeholders in the sport and work with Wada [World Anti-Doping Authority] to ensure a swift investigation into cycling's doping culture.

"It is by doing these things that we will build a firm platform to restore the reputation of our international federation with sponsors, broadcasters, funding partners, host cities and the International Olympic Committee.

"Ultimately, this is how we grow our sport worldwide and get more riders and fans drawn into cycling."

Under Cookson's leadership, Great Britain won 19 Olympic gold medals and 28 Paralympic golds.

He also oversaw Britain's first win in the Tour de France, Sir Bradley Wiggins tasting success in the 2012 race, followed by Chris Froome a year later.

Cookson served as UCI international commissaire for 23 years between 1986 and 2009, helping to organise, co-ordinate and officiate international cycling races.

Cookson had previously backed McQuaid's re-election campaign, but criticised the Irishman for his handling of the Lance Armstrong doping affair, with Armstrong himself calling McQuaid "pathetic".

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and given a lifetime ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in August last year after admitting that he had used performance-enhancing drugs.

McQuaid was originally nominated for another term as UCI president by Cycling Ireland, only for the Irish body to then reconsider its decision at an extraordinary general meeting in Dublin.

Switzerland, where he lives, also withdrew support, but he was ultimately allowed to run for re-election with nominations from Thailand and Morocco.

However, there was a long debate over McQuaid's eligibility before the election with numerous delegates speaking from the floor after a series of lawyers addressed the case.

Discussions were finally ended, though, when Cookson got up to urge the 42 UCI delegates to press ahead and cast their votes.

Cookson factfile

Age: 61

Club level cyclist at road, track, cyclo-cross and mountain biking

UCI International commissaire (1986-2009)

President of British Cycling Federation (1996-present)

Awarded OBE for services to cycling in 2008

Has overseen 19 Olympic gold medals, 28 Paralympic medals and a first British Tour de France win

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McQuaid Promises to Walk

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Pat McQuaid has promised not to prolong the bitter battle over the presidency of the International Cycling Union if he is deposed from office by British challenger Brian Cookson in Friday's vote.

The winner requires at least 22 of the 42 votes to prevail in Florence and, although he is confident of being elected to serve a third four-year term in office, McQuaid will accept the result if it does not go his way.

He hopes Cookson will do the same after a presidential race that has featured numerous verbal barbs, criticisms and controversy over the legislation and its interpretation.

McQuaid, UCI president since 2005, said: "I would hope that the vote would bring an end to all that. I know if I lose I certainly won't be looking to make a legal challenge. I would walk away. I would hope my opponent would do the same."

Cookson has publicised his endorsements - from national federations to high-profile ex-riders such as Sir Chris Hoy - while McQuaid has opted to take a different tact.

"I do have a lot of support from within the sport itself, but I'm not going around listing names every day of people who are supporting me," McQuaid said.

"I have enough to be doing to continue my job in running the UCI than looking for endorsements, or whatever."

McQuaid's bid for re-election suffered a blow when delegates of the European Cycling Union, which has 14 votes, opted to back Cookson.

McQuaid said: "It wasn't a big surprise to me, because one of his supporters is Igor Makarov, the Russian oligarch [president of the Russian Cycling Federation and member of the UCI management committee].

"He carries a lot of influence within the European federations. He also provided Europe with a one million Euro sponsorship deal some months ago. I think his influence was brought to bear."

Europe snub

Makarov is one of those to have publicly backed Cookson, along with Bernard Hinault.

Five-time Tour de France winner Hinault said: "No organisation should accept people having more than two consecutive terms. That is not democracy.

"That is being asleep when life has to be a permanent evolution, and cycling must be like that, too. We need to clean what is in place. Cycling needs news ideas, new solutions."

McQuaid insists he is already cleaning up cycling and that he requires a third and final term to complete unfinished business.

"I want to tidy it up and then, at the end of the four years, to step away," the 64-year-old said.

Le Tour Entier Launched

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A manifesto has been published as campaigners step up attempts to reintroduce a women's Tour de France.

Le Tour Entier's document calls for a women's event, last held in 2009, to be run alongside the men's race from 2014.

More than 93,000 have signed a petition by the group, led by cyclist and writer Kathryn Bertine, World Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington,and cyclists Marianne Vos and Emma Pooley.

"We must revamp the entire structure of women's cycling," Bertine said.

The manifesto - which has been sent to the International Cycling Union (UCI) and Tour de France owners Amaury Sport Organisation - also requests that three women's tours are established, and race and stage length restrictions for women abolished.

Bertine told BBC Sport that sponsors are in place to back the proposals. A women's race was first run in 1984 but the last event took place four years ago, when Pooley won.

She believes this month's UCI presidential election will play a "huge role" and insisted that should Brian Cookson defeat the incumbent Pat McQuaid it would be a catalyst for change.

Bertine added: "We have to elevate all of women's cycling so it is sustainable. It's about having a Tour de Everything, all the opportunities that the men have as well.

"Right now, we need change. We believe that Brian Cookson, in his manifesto, presents an opportunity for women's cycling to move forward.

"If Pat McQuaid wins [a third term], my biggest fear is that nothing will happen."

Olympic and World road cycling champion Vos, the most successful female cyclist of all time, added: "My dream is to give women's cycling a bigger platform, to help it have a brighter future and to show the world the beauty of the races."

Le Tour Entier means "The Whole Tour".

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