Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack team will be without manager Johan Bruyneel for important races in March after he lost an appeal to change the start date of a suspension imposed because he insulted officials at the Tour de France.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said yesterday it dismissed Bruyneel’s challenge to an International Cycling Union ruling which ordered him to serve his two-month ban next month and March.
The full reasons for the court’s emergency decision would be published later, the CAS said in a statement.
Bruyneel wanted the suspension applied this month and next month before the top-tier European road races begin.
STAGE RACES
A ban through March forces Bruyneel to miss three stage races, including Paris-Nice, and one-day classics Milano-Sanremo and Gent-Wevelgem.
However, Bruyneel can work with Armstrong at the Jan. 16 to Jan. 23 Tour Down Under in Australia, which is scheduled to be the seven-time Tour de France winner’s farewell professional ride outside the US.
Armstrong rode his final Tour de France in July and was involved in a controversy before the final stage to Paris.
RadioShack riders arrived at the start line wearing black jerseys with “28” on the back to support Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation. The number honored the 28 million people worldwide fighting cancer.
UNOFFICIAL UNIFORM
Bruyneel’s team did not seek permission to wear the unofficial uniform and the stage start was delayed by 20 minutes while the riders changed into approved jerseys.
The Belgian manager posted a message on Twitter that Tour de France officials “don’t need brains,” though he soon removed the post and apologized.
The International Cycling Union, which said the delayed start jeopardized broadcasters’ schedules, ruled in October that Bruyneel insulted officials. It imposed a two-month ban and fined him 10,000 Swiss francs (US$10,167).
Armstrong and his teammates were each fined 2,500 Swiss francs.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
RSS