The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Cycling set for reform in wake of Armstrong scandal
- Federer opens bid for sixth title with win
- Superb local fan support ensured a great time on and off the track
| Cycling set for reform in wake of Armstrong scandal Posted: 22 Oct 2012 06:55 PM PDT GENEVA: World cycling officials said they could make reforms as early as this week in the wake of ratifying a life ban for global cycling icon Lance Armstrong. The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Monday effectively erased Armstrong from the cycling history books when it decided not to appeal sanctions imposed on the American by the United States Doping Agency (USADA). A damning report by USADA last week concluded that Armstrong helped orchestrate the most sophisticated doping programme in the history of sport. He will now lose all of his results from 1998, the year he resumed racing after successfully battling cancer, and a year before the first of his seven consecutive yellow jersey wins from 1999-2005. Having failed to catch Armstrong in over 200 anti-doping tests, the UCI believes it is now far better equipped and says it has the support of many in the sport, including riders who want to leave the murky doping past behind. But UCI president Pat McQuaid said recent events had forced a rethink on how the entire sport is structured and run. He hinted at proposals to change how the gruelling three-week races, the Grand Tours, are held. "This affair has been hanging over us for quite a while now and I would hope today is the culmination of this affair. We can now put it behind us and move forward," McQuaid told reporters. "We want to take what we can learn from it and put in place measures to make sure it doesn't happen again." The UCI's management committee, which can make changes to the rules of the sport, is set to meet on Friday. As the fall-out from Armstrong's downfall gathers pace, McQuaid said issues like the return of prize money and the re-attribution of placings would be discussed, as well as changes as to how cycling is run. "It's up to the UCI to look at the sport, look at team structures, look at race structures and try to create an environment for this to not happen again," he added. "Let's face it, most of our problems revolve around our teams in Grand Tours. Let's look at that. "I have some ideas I'm going to put forward on Friday, and we may make some decision on Friday with relation to this." Asked if that would include the reduction in the number of nine-man teams, McQuaid said: "Possibly." After an in-depth investigation into his former team US Postal by federal agent Jeff Novitzky, Armstrong's fate was virtually sealed by the 11 former teammates who gave damning evidence against him. Some of those riders, according to the USADA, were coerced and, in some cases, according to McQuaid, "forced" into taking performance-enhancing drugs to support Armstrong's Tour de France campaigns. "When reading the affidavits, you realise that most of the guys who were on that (Armstrong's) team had no intention getting into doping," McQuaid told AFP. "They were coerced into it, and even one or two were forced into it." David Zabriskie, a former US Postal rider who was told he must take EPO if he wanted to remain on the team, was one of the riders who testified against Armstrong. "The way he (Zabriskie) was coerced and forced into doping is just mind-boggling. I just found it hard to understand," said McQuaid after reading the report. Another American, Christian Vande Velde, was put in a similar corner before having to adhere to a programme organised by Armstrong's notorious sports doctor, Italian Michele Ferrari. "I was in the doghouse and the only way forward with Armstrong's team was to get fully on Dr. Ferrari's doping programme," Vande Velde said in evidence against Armstrong. The UCI's aim is now to "ensure that riders are not put under the type of pressure that these riders were put under, or can be put under, to demand results or deliver for a big star," said McQuaid. In a later interview with AFP, McQuaid said the landscape has changed significantly. "The athletes of today don't want to get into doping, and the structures that are being built around athletes by their professional teams now are much better than they were in those days," he said. "Structures of support, not structures of doping as they were in the USPS (US Postal) team, who assist athletes, when they get into trouble physically or emotionally. "I think the sport is in a very good place at the moment, we've had to deal with this crisis but I look upon this as an opportunity. "When you look at the fantastic London (Olympic) Games as an example, the public and the fans were there and they understand what is going on and that a lot of work is being done in the anti-doping field at the moment. "I'm not going to say this will definitely change things for the good. But I am confident that more and more of our teams and riders and stakeholders realise they don't want to go into a situation like this." -AFP |
| Federer opens bid for sixth title with win Posted: 22 Oct 2012 07:01 PM PDT BASEL, Switzerland: Roger Federer began his bid for a sixth title at the Swiss Indoors by beating substitute opponent Benjamin Becker 7-5, 6-3 on Monday to reach the second round. The German ranked 83rd with one career title had replaced injured Frenchman Jeremy Chardy as the first opponent for the Swiss home hero and world number one. Federer, who has won five of the last six editions at the St Jakobshalle where he got his start in tennis as a ballboy at the tournament almost two decades ago, needed to work to get past the persistent Becker, whom he beat in their last two meetings, the last in 2010. "I was well-prepared to play Becker instead of Chardy," said Federer, bidding for his 77th career title this week and after more than 300 weeks spent as the ATP number one. "You have to keep the game of these guys in mind, You don't play them that much but you need to know how they play," The winner advanced in just under 90 minutes after a first set which took an hour and fired 10 aces in victory. But the Swiss didn't have it all his own way, missing on six break points in the opening set and going down a break in the second before finally settling in, taking charge and running out the winner. "I don't know exactly how I changed it around," said Federer, playing his first match since losing a Shanghai semi-final nine days ago to Andy Murray, sitting out this tournament with a back injury. "He broke me at 2-3 but I was able to get it straight back. It all went so fast at the end, but the first set was really tough." Federer's win was his 65th of the season against nine losses. He owns an ATP-leading six titles in 2012. "It is just so great to play at home as world number one after the season I've had," said Federer. "It's a wonderful feeling to be here playing at the top of my game. "Sometimes things just all come together." Federer is making his 13th appearance in his hometown tournament and now stands 44-7 at the event. Besides his five titles he also played finals in 2000-01 and 2009. The winner will await an opponent from Brazilian Tomaz Bellucci, finalist at the weekend in Moscow, and Japan's Go Soeda. Elsewhere in the first round, Julien Benneteau of France beat Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 while Pole Lukasz Kubot advanced over Slovak Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4. -AFP |
| Superb local fan support ensured a great time on and off the track Posted: 22 Oct 2012 05:26 PM PDT IT WAS definitely the most exciting weekend in my 13 years of covering races at Sepang. I believe the record-breaking 77,178 spectators who braved the torrential rain on Sunday for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix will agree with me. Most of them were soaked getting back to their vehicles – and then had to endure the nightmare of a terrible jam on the exit road to the main highway. But I am sure they will remember this memorable day for as long as they live for they were part of an historic occasion. Yes, it was the day where not just one but two youngsters showed the world that Malaysians can be challengers on the world stage. Who would have imagined that a Malaysian rider would start on pole position in a FIM World Motorcycle Championship race? But that's what happened last weekend. Banting-born Zulfahmi Khairuddin not only did that but he even had the audacity to lead the exhilarating Moto3 race and was only passed by German's Sandro Cortese on the final lap. Zulfahmi, who fittingly romped to pole position on his 21st birthday, still ended up a history-maker as his second placing was not only a career first for him but also the country's first-ever in any world championship in motorsport. His young German rival Cortese, whose win saw him crowned the Moto3 world champion with two races to spare, later apologised to Malaysians for ruining Zulfahmi's hopes of winning in his own backyard. Cortese even paid tribute to Zulfahmi for the great fight he put up. The excitement in the paddock had hardly died down when another enthralling race unfolded before our eyes in the Moto2 race. Malaysia's 18-year-old Hafizh Syahrin, riding on a wildcard ticket, slithered his way through the grid from 27th position to end up fourth. He even led the race at one point before tyre wear held him back. And mind you, this was a wet race where even the most seasoned riders got caught out. To put it into perspective, Hafizh's performance is nothing short of breathtaking considering the fact that it is so much more competitive in the Moto2 class. His achievement is even more astonishing when one considers that Hafizh collected 13 points to surpass Thai's Ratthapark Wilairot, who has earned only eight points as a full-season rider. It was only a few years back that many felt we did not have anyone good enough to be given the wildcard slot to ride in our home race. The slots are usually taken up by the Thais or Indonesians but credit should be given to the Sepang International Circuit and Two Wheels, the organisers of the Malaysian Cub Prix, for joining forces to initiate the Malaysian wildcard programme in 2009. That was how Zulfahmi got his break to ride in the 125cc class in the Malaysian race that year before earning his full stripes the following year. Hafizh was already earmarked as a future champion by Petronas and was absorbed into their talent development programme two years ago. It takes many years and often more lows than highs before the fruits of labour are seen. Many other riders had also shown promise but just as many too have fallen by the wayside due to the lack of proper support and guidance. There are also the critics who do not have faith in the abilities of Malaysians in motorsports, hence, the difficulty in securing sponsorship. But all that is in the past. Zulfahmi and Hafizh made everyone proud to be a Malaysian at the track on Sunday. The roars that greet them each time their bikes blazed past are a testament to that. Well done, boys! |
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