"It's a real scandal. This has to stop." - Bernard Hinault

French retired cyclists Bernard Hinault has aired his thoughts on Chris Froome's win at the Giro d’Italia victory on Tuesday, saying that the Team Sky rider does not belong in the pantheon of cyclist such as himself and Eddy Merckx. In Rome on Sunday, Froome joined those two famous names by winning Grand Tours consecutively, having won last year’s Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

Bernard Hinault completed his wins between the 1982 and 1983 seasons, went as far as saying that Froome should not have even been on the start line  "Froome does not belong on that list," Hinault said, according to Belgian publication Het Laatste Nieuws. "He returned a positive test at the Vuelta and afterwards his B-sample proved positive, so he has used doping and he has to be suspended.

"He should never have been allowed to start in the Giro. Why do we have to wait so long for a verdict? Those two Italians who had the same thing [Alessandro Petacchi and Diego Ulissi -ed.] were suspended much faster. With what right does Froome get so much time to find an explanation? Is it because Sky has so much money?"

Froome is currently under investigation after an anti-doping test during the 2017 Vuelta a España, which he went on to win, showed him to have double the permitted levels of the asthma drug salbutamol in his urine. It remains for the British rider and his legal team must now prove that he did not exceed the allowed dosage in order to avoid a suspension. As salbutamol is a 'specified' substance on WADA's banned list, Froome is allowed to compete while the investigation is going on. Both Petacchi and Ulissi received immediate bans for elevated levels of salbutamol even though it took nine months for a verdict to be reached in Ulissi’s case.

Last week, UCI president David Lappartient told the emdia that he could not guarantee that Froome’s case would be resolved by the time the Tour de France begins in July. Also, could also not confirm whether or not the results that Froome earns during the time of the investigation will be removed if he is handed a suspension.

"This is all very sad," added Hinault. "Froome is not part of the legend of the sport, because what image does he give cycling? He may also start the Tour later."

"It’s a real scandal. This has to stop."

Bernard Hinault Bio

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Football's New Eastern Promise

Carlos Tevez

The football war is on with the news this week that Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down a €300 million transfer offer to play football in the China Super League. It seems the Real Madrid striker could be the next name on a list that has already claimed Carlos Tevez from his boyhood club Boca Juniors in Argentina to sign for Shanghai Shenhua. The Brazilian star Oscar, albeit in the twilight of a glittering career, who is also moving for a €420,000 per week deal. These developments no doubt sending shivers through the Premier League so very accustomed to bringing stars from abroad to England for what have been to date record breaking wages.

Throughout Europe the feeling will be the same as club presidents contemplate the fees that could be earned from selling, not only key assets, but unloading peripheral ones on lengthy and unaffordable deals. In a sport constantly seeking more cash to run expensive operations the new China option clearly will make 2017 a very happy new year for many. Which already impacted on Liverpool a year ago, when they missed out on Brazilian Alex Teixeira. However, Juergen Klopp believes clubs like Liverpool still carry lustre for those whose priority is football over wages. But he may very well being walking alone with that assessment when he explained: “Nobody has to leave Liverpool because of money,” said Klopp. “Maybe there are a few clubs in world football who can play better and if you can go there, these few clubs, yes then do it. But for all the rest this should be the best place to be.”

A touch of wishful thinking no doubt.

Given that the Premier League has just established its global value thanks to the generosity of Sky Sports and BT Sport which to date has allowed many clubs claim overseas players with their loosened cheque books. And indeed, big name managers. No different to what the Italian league did decades ago. Or La Liga in Spain where FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have hired nothing but big names on record breaking fees over the years. And still do with Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Neymar all enrolled in Spanish football for many years. So, the China influence will cause concerns in a game that is driven by agents for the most part, all of whom will now be seeking eastern clubs for more of their assets. The fees quoted this week make the Paul Pogba move to Manchester United paltry.

Although the traditionalists will baulk at the thought of having to watch games on TV at three am to see some of their favourite stars. The stark commercial truth is that it will all be streamlined should the European audience be of value. However, with the population in China western viewership and their sleeping habits will be of little concern. But having been accustomed to seeing the big names every Saturday on a Match of the Day, live or indeed during Champions league clashes these audiences will fade if the bigger names and younger starts chose to move east. In Europe, Real Madrid could see their big names become very attractive also. Albeit Gareth Bale has just extended his deal for another few years with an official buy-out clause at €1bn – as a deterrent. Not a problem if any Chinese club fancied him in their roster.

The names also include managers; with Luiz Felipe Scolari joining Guangzhou Evergrande; former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson now with Shanghai SIPG and Dan Petrescu manages Jiangsu Guoxin Sainty. Just to mention a few.  Unlike the MLS, or indeed its previous iterations, the USA is no longer the automatic graveyard choice for retiring names. Or those seeking a juicy pension as China is attracting a younger age demographic that the US was never able to achieve. The dangers for the Premier League are obvious.

In 2016 Premier League clubs started to share the £5.136 billion from Sky Sports who broke the bank to retain most the UK television rights. A massive increase for the 2016-2019 rights from the outgoing deal of £3.018bn deal and could not have factored the impact of the China money that is already making senior professionals to start looking east. Not only for the twilight years but for their last major deal. Undoubtedly the flights to China are chocker with hungry agents, would be agents and the football cognoscenti chasing these life changing financial rewards. It could not come at a worse time for the Premier league already facing the wider uncertainty of Brexit and freedom of movement in the EU.

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F1 - Susie Keeps Wolff from Door

Susie Wolff - Getty Images

Former Williams test driver Susie Wolff has defended Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone after his controversial comments about female drivers.

Ecclestone said they would "not be taken seriously" and are "not physically" able to drive a car fast.

Wolff set up Dare to be Different, an initiative which aims to increase the number of women in motorsport.

"After hearing Bernie's comments in context and speaking to him it's clear we both have the goal," she tweeted.

"Last week he agreed to come onboard with @D2BDofficial and support the next generation of girls aiming for the top, on and off the track.

"Through my years in motorsport he was supportive of my mission to make it onto the starting grid. For me, actions always speak louder than words. @D2BDofficial is about driving female talent and Bernie is with us."

In so-far unreported comments in the interview, after being challenged by interviewer Sir Martin Sorrell on his remarks, Ecclestone went on to say that he would "love" to see a woman driver in F1 and that he would even be prepared to financially contribute to making it happen.

Meanwhile, USA's Leilani Munter, who races stock cars in the ARCA Racing Series, described Ecclestone as "an embarrassment" and "just a sad, pathetic, sexist old man with pre-historic views of women".

Wolff, 33, started working with Williams in 2012, after racing for seven years in the German Touring Car Championship, before retiring last year.

She spent three years involved in test and development work and drove in four practice sessions over the 2014 and 2015 seasons - becoming the first woman to take part in a grand prix weekend for more than 20 years.

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Thorpedo Reveals Depression History

Ian Thorpe has revealed his years as a teenage swimming prodigy were affected by mental health issues.

The five-times Olympic gold medallist opened up about his struggle with depression in a blog post detailing how the illness was often at odds with the expectations of a gifted young athlete with a “boundless” future.

“I am someone who has struggled with mental health issues since I was a teen,” Thorpe said in the Huffington Post Australia piece. “From the outside, many would not see my pain nor be able to relate to the sometimes-daily struggle I was facing.

“What may appear at face value is a stark difference from the agony that lies within.”

The swimming great, who rose to international prominence with four gold medals as a 15-year-old at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, admitted to battling depression and alcohol use in his 2012 autobiography.

His desire to not allow the struggle with mental health issues to “define” him have driven his efforts to build resilience to the illness, revealing a burning desire to accomplish more “great things” in his life after swimming.

He also encourages others to maintain their own battles. “I believe that each of us has the ability to shape and create our own reality,” the 33-year-old said. “We may be in the grips of our depression but we do have some control over how it impacts us.

“If you concede to your illness and accept its reality you fall into the trap of not only being depressed but also taking on the depressed mindset.”

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BBC Olympics Coverage New Discovery

The BBC will broadcast the next five Olympics - Summer and Winter - on its television, radio and online platforms.

It had already secured the rights for the 2016, 2018 and 2020 Games.

Now an "innovative" partnership with Discovery Communications ensures the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing and the Summer Games two years later will also be broadcast by the corporation.

The announcement ensures the BBC will continue to be the free-to-air home of the Olympics until 2024.

"The Olympic Games is one of the nation's most treasured sporting events," said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport.

"This is an extensive package of rights that ensures we can offer the best of the Games, across TV, radio, online and digital, maximising the reach and impact of the BBC.

"This ground-breaking partnership also shows how the BBC can collaborate and work with others to continue to bring the very best in sport to licence fee payers."

The next four Olympics take place in Rio de Janeiro (2016), Pyeongchang (2018), Tokyo (2020) and Beijing (2022).

The venue for the 2024 Games is yet to be decided.

The 2012 Games in London were watched on the BBC by more than 50 million people in the United Kingdom.

Seven million people accessed the BBC website every day, with 111 million requests for video and more than two million people downloading the app.

UK Sport recently predicted Britain could win as many as 79 medals in Rio, where the Games begin on 5 August

Mo Farah will be attempting to win another Olympic double after taking 10,000m and 5,000m gold in London, while Jessica Ennis-Hill will defend her heptathlon crown.

"The BBC prides itself on bringing the biggest sporting moments to the public," said Tony Hall, director general of the BBC.

"I'm delighted that through our new partnership with Discovery, the BBC will continue to carry the torch for great sporting coverage right through to the 2024 Games.

"While the BBC has had to take some tough financial decisions, this partnership underlines our commitment to making world class sport available to all."

As part of the agreement, Discovery will sub-license from the BBC exclusive pay-TV rights to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of Discovery Communications, said the deal was "a win for UK sports fans".

He added: "For 30 years, our two organisations have charted new frontiers with co-production partnerships in factual and natural history programming.

"Now we join together once again to bring the most compelling stories of human ambition, sacrifice and achievement to people across the UK."

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Seb Coe Faces More Questions

IAAF president Lord Coe has denied a report he alerted UK Athletics (UKA) to allegations of bribes before the vote for the 2017 World Championships.

UKA boss Ed Warner said he was warned by a "very senior IAAF person" about envelopes of cash being handed out before the vote, which London won.

The Daily Mail claims two witnesses recall Coe warning the bid team.

Coe has repeatedly denied he knew about major corruption within athletics during his time as IAAF vice-president.

Now, following the latest accusations, the IAAF has been forced to issue a statement insisting Coe, who became president in August last year, had "no knowledge of bribes being offered or received".

The IAAF, which governs world athletics, and a number of its key officials have come under fire for their governance of the sport.

An independent World Anti Doping-Agency report recently claimed that "corruption was embedded" within the organisation.

The report's authors also suggested the bidding process for the World Championships should be investigated.

Coe led London's final presentation bid before it beat Doha in a 2011 vote for the right to host the 2017 championships.

The Qatari capital was subsequently awarded the 2019 event.

The Qatar Athletics Federation has always denied any wrongdoing during the voting process, but Warner told British MPS this week that the IAAF's ethics commission is looking into both Doha bids.

French prosecutors are already investigating the decision to award the 2021 World Championships to Eugene, Oregon.

The town, which has strong associations with sportswear giant Nike, for whom Coe was a paid ambassador until last month, appears to have been awarded the rights to stage the event without a full bidding process.

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Serie A and Serie B Investigation - Reports

Reports in Italy are suggesting that around 60 managers, players and agents involved with 35 Serie A and B clubs are being investigated for alleged tax evasion and false invoices.

The news agency Ansa reported on Tuesday that agents were searching offices at Milan’s headquarters.

Lawyers for Milan confirmed that the club vice-president Adriano Galliani was among those under investigation. In a statement posted on the team’s website, the lawyers dismissed the allegations as unfounded and said they expected the case to be dismissed.

Italian financial authorities are looking into events which took place between 2009 and 2013 and may have involved a number of high-profile figures in the game.

The investigation reportedly goes by the name “Fuorigioco” – “Offside” in English – and is being conducted by the Naples public prosecutor, the biggest prosecutorial institution in Italy.

The allegations are that agents improperly billed the teams for transaction services rendered on behalf of players, allowing teams to declare a deduction for the services while players received an undeclared fringe benefit by having the teams cover their agents’ fees.

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