Stories by John Wilcockson

• Posted: Thu, Dec 6th
  Grand tours seek a dope-free 'promised land'
  When the director of the Vuelta a España, Victor Cordero, unveiled the route of next year’s race at a ceremony in Madrid on Wednesday, he said in a fiery speech: “We must stop the unending suspicions and conflicts. We share the same ideas as our colleagues at the Giro and ...
• Posted: Wed, Nov 28th
  Inside Cycling: A 20-year dynasty comes to an end
  Hamid Akhavan, the CEO of T-Mobile International, is probably glad that the name of his company won’t continue to be trashed by the German media, which has made dope-tainted cycling its principal target over the past 18 months. This 46-year-old Iranian, who has held the top ...
• Posted: Tue, Nov 13th
  More teeth in 2008 Tour of California
  After two years of testing the waters in their Amgen Tour of California, race owner Anschutz Entertainment Group and race organizer Medalist Sports are ratcheting up the difficulties for the third edition next February. Until now the highest climb on the course was the 2155-foot ...
• Posted: Wed, Nov 7th
  Slipstream-Chipotle bosses planning Tour debut
  With such Tour de France veterans as Magnus Bäckstedt, Julian Dean, David Millar, Christian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie on its 2008 roster, Slipstream-Chipotle appears to be a certain starter at next year’s Tour — taking over the role as “the American team” ...
• Posted: Fri, Oct 26th
  2008 Tour de France: A classic course with many unknowns
  “We want to create a race that is not predictable.” So said Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme Thursday inannouncing the course for the 95th Tour, which takes place next year fromJuly 5 to 27. Prudhomme should get his wish because the 21-stage, 3554kmroute ...
• Posted: Thu, Oct 25th
  The 95th Tour: Polemics still simmering as challenging route unveiled
  When, earlier this week, the Tour de France directors Patrice Clerc and Christian Prudhomme embraced an initiative by the Union Cycliste Internationale and World Anti-Doping Agency to create a biological passport in the fight against doping, there was hope that three years of ...
• Posted: Wed, Oct 24th
  The new passport: A conversation with Anne Gripper
  There was almost unanimous support for the proposed biological passport at the well-attended International Meeting Against Doping in Cycling held in Paris Monday and Tuesday. The meeting resulted in an agreement being signed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Union Cycliste ...
• Posted: Tue, Oct 23rd
  Cycling’s leaders agree on major anti-doping initiative
  A brighter, cleaner future for cycling emerged Tuesday from a two-day summit in Paris formally called “An international meeting against doping in cycling,” The two-day conference ended with UCI president Pat McQuaid, World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound and French ...
• Posted: Sat, Oct 20th
  Cunego takes Lombardy, Evans the ProTour
  While Damiano Cunego of Lampre-Fondital returned to his sensational best on Saturday to win a second Tour of Lombardy, three years after he took his first, Cadel Evans was left ruing what might have been. Predictor-Lotto’s remarkable Aussie crossed the line in sixth place, 10 ...
• Posted: Fri, Oct 19th
  Tour of Lombardy: Bettini and Evans set
  While two-time defending world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetic) is heavily favored to score his third consecutive Tour of Lombardy victory on Saturday, the venerable 242km fall classic is not the only title in play. The 2007 ProTour series is also up for grabs ...
• Posted: Wed, Aug 22nd
  Leipheimer closing in on '08 contract
  Levi Leipheimer says he is “sad” that the Discovery Channel team won’t continue after this year and that he is having to look for a new team, especially as he is enjoying his “best season ever.” But after finishing on the podium at the Tour de France and winning the ...
• Posted: Tue, Jul 24th
  Vino’ positive: Is the Tour in peril?
  On my way to the press room in Pau today I decided to take a quiet country road rather than the highway. I stopped to fill up with diesel. It’s cheaper than unleaded gas but a tank still cost $68. After paying I noticed a small local newspaper in the gas station’s rack. The ...