Philippe Mauduit has told French newspaper La Nouvelle Republique that his departure from Tinkoff-Saxo came about because his approach did not chime with that of team owner Oleg Tinkov. Mauduit and Fabrizio Guidi will leave their positions as directeurs sportifs at the end of this year, to be replaced by Sean Yates and Bobby Julich.
“It wasn’t a big surprise. The team was bought by Mr. Tinkov at the end of 2013 and quite quickly, it turned out that we didn’t share the same way of working or the same values,” Mauduit said. “We couldn’t find common ground on management methods, and that made our collaboration difficult. But he’s the boss, he’s the one with the money, so he does what he wants with his team, his strategy and his communication. He’s the one who decides and I respect that.”
Mauduit said that his approach to management relied on “a strong psychological and relational dimension” and he defended its results. “I can admit that it mightn’t suit every owner. But the methods I followed with our team brought some very good results,” Mauduit said. “We had our best season in four years with a group of riders that hadn’t been fundamentally overhauled, but had grown together.”
Mauduit had worked particularly closely with Alberto Contador during the first three years of his time at Tinkoff-Saxo, and he said that the Spaniard and Roman Kreuziger were among the first to contact him when they learned of his departure. “I’ve received a lot of messages from the whole profession and I’m very touched.”
Currently at the Japan Cup, his final race with Tinkoff-Saxo, the 46-year-old said that he plans to remain in cycling. Mauduit previously worked as a directeur sportif with Bouygues Telecom and Cervélo TestTeam. “I’m in contact with a lot of teams but I want to give myself some time to reflect,” he said.
Alex Rasmussen to try Hour Record
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Danish rider Alex Rasmussen is the latest rider to express interest in taking on the Hour Record. The former Garmin-Sharp rider spent the earlier part of this year riding on the track, but moved to Continental team TREFOR-Blue Water on Thursday. He told Danish website dr.dk that he would attempt to beat Jens Voigt’s record of 51.1 next autumn.
“Now is the time (to do it). I am not on the national track team any more, and therefore I am missing some new goals,” he said. “Jens Voigt has restarted discipline in a bold way, and there is now prestige in it again.”
He added. “Under the right circumstances and with the right bike, it is possible."
Moolman-Pasio nominated for award
After a successful season that has seen her take the national road race and time trial titles, and bronze at the Commonwealth Games, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has been nominated for South African Sportswoman of the year.
“I am very honoured and excited about my Sports Woman of the Year nomination. The publicity that an award of this nature brings to cycling, and more specifically women's cycling is great for the growth of our sport in South Africa,” said Moolman-Pasio. “I feel that an award like this is a great way of rewarding all the hard work that often goes unnoticed, especially for the sports that don't always receive as much main stream media as they deserve.”
Javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen and wrestler Mpho Madi have also been nominated for the award. Moolman-Pasio will join Bigla Cycling Team next season, alongside Annemiek van Vleuten and Shelly Olds, as she targets South Africa second gold medal on the road at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Italian magistrate to investigate Pantani’s failed haematocrit test from 1999
A magistrate in Forlì will re-open an investigation into Marco Pantani’s failed haematocrit test at Madonna di Campiglio at the 1999 Giro d’Italia, according to reports in Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica on Friday. In particular, the case will re-examine an old allegation that Pantani’s elevated haematocrit came about due to the influence of an illegal gambling ring.
The accusation was first made public in a book written 15 years ago by the career criminal Renato Vallanzasca. He claimed that a member of the Camorra had approached him in prison in Milan in May 1999 and told him to place money on Ivan Gotti or Laurent Jalabert to win the Giro as Pantani would not finish the race.
A separate investigation into the Madonna di Campiglio affair in Trento in 2000, which focused on sporting fraud, summoned Vallanzasca on the matter but he did not respond to questions.
Earlier this summer, magistrates in Rimini confirmed that they would re-visit the investigation into Pantani’s death in 2004.
