http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling Recent articles about Cycling en-us The director of the Tour de France expects Bradley Wiggins to come roaring back in 2014 after not defending his crown in this year's race that starts in just over a week. ''I think he'll have his motivation back and be back,'' Christian Prudhomme said in an interview Tuesday in his Paris office. Elite athletes, he noted, ''can fall very low but rebound very quickly.'' The first two stages in 2014 run through Yorkshire in northeast England, with the third going from Cambridge to London, so Wiggins will be on home ground. ''I think he'll be very strong,'' Prudhomme said. With a sore left knee ruling Wiggins out of this year's race, Prudhomme identified the Briton's teammate at Sky, Chris Froome, as the rider to beat this July at the 100th edition of cycling's showcase race. ''I think it will be Froome and Sky against the rest of the world.'' Prudhomme warned that the first stages on the French island of Corsica could b Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:27:43 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/entertainment/article_external/ap_interview_wiggins_will_be_strong_in_2014/13863956 http://network.yardbarker.com/entertainment/article_external/ap_interview_wiggins_will_be_strong_in_2014/13863956 AP Interview: Wiggins will be strong in 2014 http://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/ap_interview_wiggins_will_be_strong_in_2014/13863956 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png In October 2005, Lance Armstrong — several months removed from announcing his then-retirement from cycling — hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Of course, armed with a serious case of revisionist history of what’s happened to his career and legacy since, there’s almost too many connections you can make between the humor that was [...]The post When Lance Armstrong Hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ In 2005 appeared first on The Sports Fan Journal. Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:40:18 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/when_lance_armstrong_hosted_saturday_night_live_in_2005/13749962 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/when_lance_armstrong_hosted_saturday_night_live_in_2005/13749962 When Lance Armstrong Hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ In 2005 http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/when_lance_armstrong_hosted_saturday_night_live_in_2005/13749962 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Team Sky says defending champion Bradley Wiggins will not race in this year's Tour de France because of a knee problem. The British rider withdrew before the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia two weeks ago because of a chest infection. Team principal Dave Brailsford says ''with illness, injury and treatment Brad has gone past the point where he can be ready for the Tour. It's a big loss but, given these circumstances, we won't consider him for selection.'' Wiggins calls it a ''huge disappointment.'' He says he ''desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way - but it's not going to happen.'' Wiggins became the first British rider to win the showcase race last year. Fri, 31 May 2013 12:15:58 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_out_of_tour_de_france_with_knee_problem/13733495 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_out_of_tour_de_france_with_knee_problem/13733495 Wiggins out of Tour de France with knee problem http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wiggins_out_of_tour_de_france_with_knee_problem/13733495 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Team Sky says defending champion Bradley Wiggins will not race in this year's Tour de France because of a knee problem. The British rider withdrew before the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia two weeks ago because of a chest infection. Team principal Dave Brailsford says ''with illness, injury and treatment Brad has gone past the point where he can be ready for the Tour. It's a big loss but, given these circumstances, we won't consider him for selection.'' Wiggins calls it a ''huge disappointment.'' He says he ''desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way - but it's not going to happen.'' Wiggins became the first British rider to win the showcase race last year. Fri, 31 May 2013 12:02:33 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_wont_race_in_tour_de_france/13733384 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_wont_race_in_tour_de_france/13733384 Wiggins won't race in Tour de France http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wiggins_wont_race_in_tour_de_france/13733384 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Cycling federation president Pat McQuaid is waiting for a visit and an apology from Lance Armstrong. McQuaid said Armstrong should travel to UCI headquarters in Switzerland to tell all about his doping history and offer to help clean up the sport. ''He should jump on his private plane, come to Switzerland and say, `What should I do?''' McQuaid told reporters. ''He still hasn't apologized to the sport of cycling. If he has information that is valuable to the sport he should come forward.'' McQuaid said Armstrong should also meet with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency to provide full details on how he cheated to win the Tour de France seven times. The American was stripped of all the titles last year after admitting to doping. ''Everyone accepts he has not come clean,'' McQuaid said. ''He should sit down and work with us.'' McQuaid and the UCI have come under fire for failing to catch Armstrong and the federation Wed, 29 May 2013 08:08:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/mcquaid_calls_on_armstrong_to_tell_all_to_uci/13714946 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/mcquaid_calls_on_armstrong_to_tell_all_to_uci/13714946 McQuaid calls on Armstrong to tell all to UCI http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/mcquaid_calls_on_armstrong_to_tell_all_to_uci/13714946 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Nike, which helped build Lance Armstrong's Livestrong cancer charity into a global brand and introduced its familiar yellow wristband, is cutting ties with the foundation in the latest fallout from the former cyclist's doping scandal. The move by the sports shoe and clothing company ends a nine-year relationship that helped the foundation raise more than $100 million and made the charity's bracelet an international symbol for cancer survivors. But the relationship soured with revelations of performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and members of his U.S. Postal Service team. Nike dropped its personal sponsorship of Armstrong last October after U.S. Anti-Doping Agency exposed the team doping program and portrayed Armstrong as its ringleader. And after years of denials, Armstrong admitted earlier this year he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France seven times. Officials at Livestrong, which announced the split on Tuesday, said the foundation remains strong and committed to Tue, 28 May 2013 12:39:26 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/nike_cuts_ties_with_livestrong/13708961 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/nike_cuts_ties_with_livestrong/13708961 Nike cuts ties with Livestrong http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/nike_cuts_ties_with_livestrong/13708961 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png A Comedian, who appeared on Howard Stern on Monday, claims that she was asked by disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong to lick his butt.April Macie says that she and a friend enjoyed a night out in Los Angeles with Armstrong "five or six years ago" where the two returned to Armstrong's hotel room. She went on to describe how things got a little awkward."I went to use the bathroom, and I went in and Lance was bent over a bathtub and [my friend] was just face deep in his asshole. I was terrified. And then he came out and said, "Does your friend want in on a round too?" and I was like, "Of taint tickling? I'm gonna take a pass. I think it's hilarious that he would ask without even knowing my first name -- to eat his asshole. Like, "Do you want in on a round of asshole eating," Macie explained.Add this to the list of major embarrassing stories about Lance Armstrong. Fri, 24 May 2013 04:33:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/comedian_says_lance_armstrong_asked_her_to_lick_his_butt/13684682 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/comedian_says_lance_armstrong_asked_her_to_lick_his_butt/13684682 Comedian Says Lance Armstrong Asked Her To Lick His Butt http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/comedian_says_lance_armstrong_asked_her_to_lick_his_butt/13684682 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png American Levi Leipheimer says he retired from professional cycling when his six-month ban for doping violations ended March 1 and he was unable to sign with a new team. Leipheimer told The Press Democrat (http://bit.ly/17S3JVL ) of Santa Rosa of his decision Sunday. His comments came after watching the final stage of the Tour of California, an event he won three straight times from 2007-2009. The 39-year-old Leipheimer, from Butte, Mont., was fired by the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team in October after confessing to doping as part of the investigation that brought down Lance Armstrong. Leipheimer was Armstrong's teammate for five years during stints with the U.S. Postal Service, Astana and RadioShack teams before joining Quick Step last season. Mon, 20 May 2013 00:35:15 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/levi_leipheimer_announces_retirement_from_cycling/13652395 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/levi_leipheimer_announces_retirement_from_cycling/13652395 Levi Leipheimer announces retirement from cycling http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/levi_leipheimer_announces_retirement_from_cycling/13652395 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/1/c146e96834d1881657e817551cb0d733cd5d6a2c/mini/Amgen_Tour_of_ea6d.jpg Alise Post race to her third straight victory in the USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships on Saturday, and fellow 2012 Olympian Nic Long won his second men's title. Post, from St. Cloud, Minn., won all three motos and semifinals, then held off Arielle Martin of Spanaway, Wash., in the final. ''Today was a lot of fun,'' Post said. ''It was good racing. All the girls were on point. For me, it just felt really great to win three in a row. It's a great accomplishment. On top of that, I made my momma proud. She's been watching from home and wasn't able to make it, being in the hospital. I'm happy to have won for her.'' Long, from Lakeside, Calif., used a quick burst out of the gate to gain an edge over Olympic teammate and defending national champion Connor Fields of Henderson, Nev. ''It was a super long pause on the random gate and I was sitting there thinking about it and followed through and had a good start,'' Long said. '' Sat, 18 May 2013 22:18:48 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/post_wins_3rd_straight_bmx_title/13647487 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/post_wins_3rd_straight_bmx_title/13647487 Post wins 3rd straight BMX title http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/post_wins_3rd_straight_bmx_title/13647487 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins and defending champion Ryder Hesjedal have both withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia before the start of Friday's 13th stage. Team Sky says Wiggins made his decision on the advice of the team physician because of ''a worsening chest infection.'' Sky general manager Dave Brailsford says ''he wanted to continue but he is simply unable to do so on medical grounds.'' Wiggins struggled throughout the Giro, both on rainy descents and on steep climbs. He lost more than three minutes in Thursday's rainy stage and leaves the race in 13th place, 5 minutes, 22 seconds behind overall leader Vincenzo Nibali. The Garmin-Sharp team says Hesjedal, who was more than 32 minutes behind in 38th, withdrew because of a ''deteriorating physical condition.'' Fri, 17 May 2013 04:50:25 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_and_hesjedal_withdraw_from_giro/13636499 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wiggins_and_hesjedal_withdraw_from_giro/13636499 Wiggins and Hesjedal withdraw from Giro http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wiggins_and_hesjedal_withdraw_from_giro/13636499 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) lawyer Bill Bock said earlier this week that, had Lance Armstrong cooperated with the organization’s investigation, the cyclist only would have been stripped of two of his record seven Tour de France titles. In August, the USADA charged Armstrong with performance-enhancing drug use, banned him from competition in any sport that follows the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, and voided all titles won by Armstrong since August 1998.   Armstrong won his first Tour de France in 1999, less than three years after his final chemotherapy treatment for advanced testicular cancer. The USADA’s eight-year statute of limitations only permitted the organization to strip Armstrong of wins dating back to 2004. But when Armstrong refused to cooperate, the USADA was able to waive the statute and eliminate not only the cyclist’s 2004 and 2005 Tour wins, but also his five Tour de France victories from 1999 through 2003. Lance Armstrong would still have a record num... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:42:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/lance_armstrong_could_have_saved_5_of_his_7_tour_de_france_wins_by_cooperating_with_the_usada/13482526 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/lance_armstrong_could_have_saved_5_of_his_7_tour_de_france_wins_by_cooperating_with_the_usada/13482526 Lance could have saved Tour wins? http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/lance_armstrong_could_have_saved_5_of_his_7_tour_de_france_wins_by_cooperating_with_the_usada/13482526 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/b/7b27fe1c667e7e904e8caff0966ce9abc3937cfe/mini/armstrong.jpg Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:30:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/cyclist_peter_sagan_grabs_podium_girls_butt/13285903 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/cyclist_peter_sagan_grabs_podium_girls_butt/13285903 Cyclist apologizes for getting handsy http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/cyclist_peter_sagan_grabs_podium_girls_butt/13285903 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/e/deae067720f95a8d07ac1099bf5267475f95ec19/mini/cyclist.jpg Check out the video. A deer took out a Richmond, Va., mountain biker as he competed in a race at a state park. Cyclist Jeff Plassman was competing in the Monster Cross and Mountain Bike race at Pocahontas State Park when all of a sudden a deer jumped in front of him and knocked him off his bike. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:35:34 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/deer_takes_out_mountain_biker_video/13022254 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/deer_takes_out_mountain_biker_video/13022254 Deer takes out mountain biker during race http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/deer_takes_out_mountain_biker_video/13022254 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/f/4/f40445cac8e715662ec7b4559604ea6940d9aacb/mini/Deer__1_.jpg After coming out and admitting during an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he did INDEED take performance-enhancing drugs during his legendary cycling career, it appears that Lance Armstrong may have lied to the world... ONCE AGAIN. According to investigators, Armstrong claimed during the interview that he stopped doping back in 2005, when in fact he continued up until 2009. During the widely-seen interview with Oprah, Armstrong noted the timetable was the "only thing" that upset him. "The accusation and alleged proof that they say I doped [in 2009] is not true," he said. "The last time I crossed the line, that line was 2005." Investigators revealed that in 2009 Armstrong's blood values showed signs of two transfusions. CNN host Piers Morgan tweeted that the disgraced athlete was a "sniveling, lying, cheating little wretch," and John Fashey, president of the World Doping Agency, said that if Armstrong was "looking for redemption... Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:51:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/lance_armstrong_lied_during_oprah_interview/12706954 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/lance_armstrong_lied_during_oprah_interview/12706954 Armstrong lied to Oprah about lying? http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/lance_armstrong_lied_during_oprah_interview/12706954 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/7/a71e6eb45de7dfdf85c7990cc432dd4fd1840069/mini/Armstrong.jpg Tweet   Lance Armstrong has taken alot of losses as a result of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency finding a significant amount of evidence supporting his involvement in a doping program. He’s been banned for life from competition and had his seven Tour de France titles stripped. His quote was removed from a U.S. Olympic training center. [...] Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:08:44 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/30_ft_tall_lance_armstrong_effigy_to_be_burned_saturday_as_part_of_annual_celebration_in_england/12111268 http://network.yardbarker.com/cycling/article_external/30_ft_tall_lance_armstrong_effigy_to_be_burned_saturday_as_part_of_annual_celebration_in_england/12111268 Lance Armstrong to be burned in effigy http://www.yardbarker.com/cycling/articles/30_ft_tall_lance_armstrong_effigy_to_be_burned_saturday_as_part_of_annual_celebration_in_england/12111268 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/4/e476d0c12739ebdee6fc445a33eaec966a3cdd0d/mini/armstrong-effigy.jpg