Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, November 20, 2015

Lance Armstrong's doctor to stand trial in biathlon doping case

This piece was in the U.K.'s Guardian:

Lance Armstrong’s former physician Michele Ferrari has been ordered to stand trial for allegedly providing doping assistance to a biathlete.

The Italian biathlete Daniel Taschler and his father, Gottlieb, a vice-president of the international federation were also indicted by a preliminary judge in Bolzano, northern Italy, on Wednesday.

The older Taschler is accused of recommending that his son use Ferrari for doping, and contacting the doctor.

Ferrari was banned for life by the Italian Cycling Federation in 2002. He recently appealed to a regional court to have the ban lifted, with a decision expected in the coming months. Ferrari was also banned for life by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in the 2012 case that led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. The trial is slated to start in April.

Doping is a crime in Italy and Ferrari was cleared on appeal in 2006 of criminal charges of distributing banned products to athletes.

Here's the full story

Bardiani-CSF to have first training camp

Here's the news from the team:

After the sponsorship renewal announcement, pro cycling team Bardiani-Csf and Acqua & Terme di Fiuggi make official today the hospitality of the thermal resort for the first team camp in view of 2016 season.

From Sunday, December 6, to Wednesday the 9th, the 17 riders together with team management and staff will stay at Hotel Fiuggi Terme Resort & Spa. The program of these four days includes all the planning activities to prepare the new season of the #GreenTeam. Technical meetings, medical examinations, sponsors meeting, photograph shooting and, for the first time, a team building activity in the beautiful scenario of Fiuggi.

Bardiani-CSF at the 2015 Giro

“The #GreenTeam camp has become a pleasing tradition for Fiuggi. The town has taken to heart the team and this is a great success for our purposes” said Francesco Pannone, Chief Executive A&T Fiuggi. “We’re proud to join our brand with a young and excting team like Bardiani-Csf. We hope to bring good luck to the guys to achieve new and great results in 2016.”

“We’re really happy to make again the first of step of the season in Fiuggi” added Bardiani-Csf team manager Roberto Reverberi. “The first team camp is a key moment to lay the basis for a new season. We have to plan almost ten months of activity but, first of all, it’s the moment to strength the team spirit. We couldn’t ask for a better location than Fiuggi to do this with calm and serenity.”

Marcin Mrożek to join CCC Sprandi Polkowice

Here's the team's release:

Marcin Mrożek will join CCC Sprandi Polkowice on a 2-year deal. He is the fifth new rider to sign with the “orange squad”.

We have been watching him following his development for a long time – Piotr Wadecki, sporting director of CCC Sprandi Polkowice, says. – He is a rider who feels comfortable in the hard terrain. After many years spent in Italy and racing in demanding, hilly races, we believe he is ready for professional cycling. Maybe he is not well known among the Polish fans, but he has a big potential and we think he will quickly showcase his great talent to the bigger audience – he adds.

25-year old Mrożek has been racing mostly for the Italian teams. This season was his third on the team Vejus – TMF – Cicli Magnum. In the second part of 2014 he was a trainee at Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela and participated in few one-day, 1.1 and 1.HC events.

Before joining Vejus – TMF – Cicli Magnum Mrożek was representing another Italian squad, U.S. Fracor. While he was still competing in Poland, he was wearing TC Chrobry Felt Głogów colors and was selected to the Polish National Team in youth categories on few occasions. He started his cycling career at KS Sokół Kęty.

His biggest achievements include victories in hard, hilly one-day events, such as Coppa Bologna Montallese (2015) or Giro delle Valli Aretine (2014). He would often finish races held in Italy in the top 10 and made the podium in Giro delle Valli Cunees and Gran Premio Valdaso, among others.