CYCLING
Lance snubs doping queries
Lance Armstrong refused to comment on Wednesday on the latest doping allegations that are marring the seven-times Tour de France champion’s farewell ride at the Tour Down Under in Mannum, Australia. On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated magazine published fresh accusations against the 39-year-old American, who has been under scrutiny since former teammate Floyd Landis accused him and other prominent figures in the sport of doping last May. “I have nothing to say,” Armstrong told reporters when asked about the article before the start of the second stage. The media, however, did not back down and continued to quiz the Texan, who has faced several allegations of taking illegal substances throughout his career, although he never tested positive. “Like I said, I have nothing to say.” he said, before admitting he had read the report. “I perused it ... there’s nothing there,” he said. When asked once again about the report, Armstrong told a reporter: “Dude, are you that stupid? What part of ‘I’m not commenting’ is not clear to you?”
Photo: AFP
CYCLING
Landis calls for legal doping
Disgraced Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has called on cycling authorities to legalize doping because he believes testers will always struggle to uncover the cheats. Landis, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, lost his 2006 Tour title after testing positive for testosterone. He now believes the fight against doping is one that cannot be won. “You’ve got to legalize doping. They [the testers] are so far behind in the testing organizations that there’s no way to change it now,” Landis told Cyclingnews Web site on Wednesday. “Just accept that it’s here, that it’s not going away and that it’s just going to get more complicated and the fact that it’s not that complicated yet compared to what it will be,” Landis said. “Ten years from now it’s going to be four times as hard as it is now to test for things.”
CYCLING
RFEC to decide on Contador
The Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) will decide between Feb. 10 and Feb. 15 whether to suspend Tour de France champion Alberto Contador over a positive doping test during last year’s race, president Juan Carlos Castano said on Wednesday. An RFEC spokesman confirmed the comments. Three-times Tour winner Contador, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, has been suspended since August pending the RFEC’s ruling on a positive test for the anabolic agent clenbuterol. The case could drag on longer as either the Spaniard, the International Cycling Union (UCI) or the World Anti-Doping Agency can appeal against the decision if any of the three deem it too harsh or too lenient. Castano also said the UCI’s medical committee would decide on Monday whether Contador’s claim that the failed test was because of contaminated meat was credible.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
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