Found this photo on Facebook could not resit republishing, how stupid can these two be ! I was at Mori for the  ITT and briefly met De Luca, just shook his hand and wished him luck!
Luca Scinto the Team Manager is said to be devasted both have had a past were given another chance with this team

 A little bit of text from cyclingnews.com.................

Citracca, team manager Luca Scinto and team doctor Daniele Tarsi were appearing before the Italian Cycling Federation’s disciplinary committee on Monday afternoon to discuss the Di Luca affair when news of Santambrogio’s positive test broke.
“[Santambrogio] didn’t respond to my telephone calls, so I sent him a text message and told him to be a man and respond,” Scinto told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Then he called to say ‘sorry, I betrayed you.’ And this is enough for him? He’s putting 38 people out into the street.”
Scinto said that he already tackled Santambrogio on the doping rumours circulating about him in the build-up to the Giro after the dramatic upturn in his performances following his transfer from BMC during the off-season.
Vini Fantini’s doctor Daniele Tarsi, meanwhile, claimed that the team could not be blamed for Santambrogio’s actions as his biological passport was in order.

What a Trophy !

Now the TDU, Qatar and Oman are behind us riders will start preparing for a Classics season or an attack on one of the Grand Tours.
The Giro starts on May 4 and all the talk has been about Wiggins and Froome, it appears that Froome will be the leader for Sky at the Tour and Bradley will contest the Giro and if succesfull could he have a go at the Giro/Tour double? or so some of the rumor mills would have you believe!
Wiggins would not have it all his own way at the Giro either, last years winner Ryder Hersjedal is certain to defend and there are plenty of other names that could front including last years 2nd & 3rd places Joaquim Rodriguez & Thomas de Gendt.
What will Nibali do with his new team ?
Other riders that should not be discounted include Rigoberto Uran (7th & Best Young Rider last year) Paolo Tiralongo, Giovanni Visconti or even Taylor Phinney ?
What will Contador do ? I believe he will miss the Giro and save it all for the Tour .Will Basso or Sanchez front?
But a rider can not win alone, all of the above will need a strong team to put Wiggins under presure, Is there a Team that could do this? The sheer strenght of Sky could see them win two Grand Tours?
I believe Cav.will front for another slant at the sprinters jersey, which he lost by one point last year!
There is a strong line up of sprinters in 2013, especially with Griepel looking strong but Australian sprinters may have a difficult year.
The Giro is one of my favourite sporting events of the year and 2013 looks set to be a ripper !!

WADA: We would welcome Armstrong talks

Howman open to discussions with Armstrong

David Howman, Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has said his agency would welcome any approach from Lance Armstrong in relation to information he can share on his career and doping in cycling.
Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by USADA in October of last year but told Cyclingnews that he was willing to cooperate with WADA under the umbrella of a truth and reconciliation amnesty. While WADA have welcomed the sentiment, they have told Cyclingnews that it’s far too early to discuss particular aspects but stressed that an independent commission could be set up.
“I’m happy to talk to Mr Armstrong at any time,” Howman told Cyclingnews.
“If Mr Armstrong is prepared to talk to me in that regard then the sooner the better. That’s my reaction to the interview on Cyclingnews.”

Do you agree with Graham Waston

Watson: Armstrong "did what he had to do"

Photographer defends banned ex-pro

Photographer Graham Watson has defended Lance Armstrong, saying “Outright angels do not win a Tour de France. That is the domain of the most talented, hard, driven, ruthless and selfish riders. Lance did what he had to do to win, and he clearly did it very well.” Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in 2012 and was handed a life time ban.
Watson, who has long been associated with Armstrong, admitted on his blog that “I’m not likely to utter any bad words about a cyclist who helped so much to escalate my earnings way back then (....) Don’t go looking for criticism because it just won’t be there – if Lance did what he’s been accused of doing, then that’s his issue to deal with.
“All I do know is he’s not the manipulative ‘bully’ certain members of the media have tried to portray him as in their tabloid stories. He was ambitious, ruthless, highly talented, tough, he knew how to lead his teammates and intimidate his rivals to make sure he won. But is he any different from a President, an army General, a corporate leader of industry, a career politician, or any other sporting great?”

Read Morehttp://www.cyclingnews.com/news/watson-armstrong-did-what-he-had-to-do

Now can this be done

Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) has hinted that he may target victory at both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 2013, using cycling's most difficult double as inspiration after his Tour de France and Olympic double this year.
Only seven riders have won the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same season: Fausto Coppi (1949, 1952), Jacques Anquetil (1964), Eddy Merckx (1970, 1972, 1974), Bernard Hinault (1982, 1985), Stephen Roche (1987), Miguel Indurain (1992, 1993) and Marco Pantani (1998).
Wiggins has admitted that it will be impossible to better his 2102 season but seems keen to target the double, while his big rivals are likely to focus on just one grand tour in 2013.
Read more http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-hints-at-giro-tour-double-attempt

Change Cycling Now calls for LeMond to replace McQuaid

Now this would be a good move !



The Change Cycling Now (CCN) movement, at a press conference in London on Monday, has called for Pat McQuaid to resign from his post as the president of the UCI. The CCN organisation has also advocated that former cyclist Greg LeMond - an existing member of the CCN panel - should stand as an interim president while the UCI conducts its investigation into allegations of corruption and bribery during the Lance Armstrong era.

Read more http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/change-cycling-now-calls-for-lemond-to-replace-mcquaid

What wheel set should I get?

One of the most often asked questions in the Cycling industry is Wheels!

I want something light and strong; I keep breaking spokes, what’s the best climbing wheel, Carbon or Alloy? Radially laced, 2 cross, 3 cross and on and on.

The truth is there is no one wheel that meets all the criteria. Generally people comprise, if they use the same wheel set every day. There are good choices here and bad. A good choice for a roadie is something like a Mavic Open pro with an Ultegra hub, 32 spoke, a good all round wheel, almost bullet proof and not too heavy! For a road commuter that may need something fairly robust,  Velocity have a great range of wheels including the Chucker, Dyad and some deep V rims that are heavier, take a lot of punishment and accommodate  the  larger Rider and reasonably priced.

If you buy a light wheel to ride every day and in all weather, economically it may not be a good decision, A high end wheel will be light but they attain that weight saving buy reducing materials in the wheel, they have less spokes, they could run an extremely light Hub and the rim /braking service could or will be thinner. Less material on the braking surface means the rim will wear quicker, especially if ridden in all conditions, You will have heard that noise when braking in the rain, that’s all the road grime embedded in your brake pads chewing your rims out!

I run a set of Shimano Dura Ace C24’s they have been a great all round wheel, although the braking surface on the rear is well worn & due for replacement. They would have done around 50k (including Ventoux, Tourmalet & Alpe d Huez!) and ridden in all conditions These wheels are well priced around $1200 (even cheaper from the UK). Remembering now all Shimano wheels will be provided with an 11 speed free hub. (they do provide a spacer for 10 speed)

So the solution to all this is to have two sets of wheels (or even 3!) Many roadies run a training wheel during the week and pull there nice wheels out for the Saturday Crit or the Coffee Shop thrash around the River! Nothing like turning up to the Muz with those Zipp 808’s or the latest Lightweights to really impress. It matters not that the winner did it on some Mavic Aksiums!

There are unlimited choices if you are after a nice wheel, especially if money is no object, many will have specific traits, Time Trialling, Sprinting and Climbing, Remember many of these wheels do not have longevity in mind. Wheels can make up to 30% of a bicycles weight, so saving here can reduce a bike weight significantly.

Rider weight is a significant factor; it is rare to see a weight rating for a wheel these days, they used to be published on the manufactures web site (some still do). If you are over 90kg be careful with selecting your high end wheel set! (Zipp make a Clydesdale for a larger rider) alternately a 55gk rider could probably ride any wheel all day!

There are many mid-range wheels that should suit the majority of riders (mid-range meaning weight, longevity & price) I have mentioned the C24’s, others include DT Swiss, Roval wheels are said to have a lifetime warranty? (there would have to be conditions there?) and then there’s Mavic who make a wheel for every occasion and general supplied on a lot of new bikes.

I am interested in any good stories on your favourite wheel set.