Poland contributes $50,000 to WADA for 'intelligence gathering and investigations activities', Bouhanni out of Paris-Nice
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Bob Jungels in Tirreno-Adriatico's jersey for best young rider(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rui Costa (UAE Emirates) in the leader's red jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb)(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Director General of the WADA, David Howman(Image credit: AFP)
Cofidis keeps Nacer Bouhanni in the race(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Several teams unveiled their official rosters for Italy's Tirreno-Adriatico on Monday. The WorldTour seven-day trek across Italy gets underway with a team time trial Wednesday in Lido di Camaiore.
Quick-Step Floors will make the start with options for stage victories and the general classification alike. Fernando Gaviria will lead the way in the sprints, with 2016 third-place finisher Bob Jungels in charge of the squad's overall aspirations.
Quick-Step Floors for Tirreno-Adriatico: Tom Boonen (Bel), Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col), Bob Jungels (Lux), Iljo Keisse (Bel), Zdenek Stybar (Cze), Niki Terpstra (Ned), Matteo Trentin (Ita) and Julien Vermote (Bel)
Sunweb will hope Tom Dumoulin can score a solid GC result, with fellow Dutch all-rounder Wilco Kelderman forced to skip the race due to injuries sustained at a crash during Strade Bianche. Ramon Sinkeldam will look for opportunities in the sprints.
Team Sunweb for Tirreno-Adriatico: Søren Kragh Andersen (Den), Tom Dumoulin (Ned), Chad Haga (USA), Georg Preidler (Aut), Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned), Mike Teunissen (Ned), Albert Timmer (Ned) and Max Walscheid (Ger)
Fresh off an overall win at the Abu Dhabi Tour, Rui Costa will lead the charge in Italy for UAE Team Emirates in the battle for the overall title. The team can count on an impressive group of speedsters for the fast finishes, with Roberto Ferrari, Marko Kump and Sacha Modolo all capable of being in the mix on the flatter stages.
UAE Team Emirates for Tirreno-Adriatico: Rui Costa (Por), Roberto Ferrari (Ita), Filippo Ganna (Ita), Marko Kump (Slo), Vegard Stage Laengen (Nor), Marco Marcato (Ita), Sacha Modolo (Ita) and Matej Mohoric (Slo).
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Pro Continental squad Bardiani-CSF called the upcoming Tirreno-Adriatico "the most demanding race to prove riders' condition so far" in a team press release. Nicola Ruffoni will feature as the main sprinter in a squad likely focusing on stage wins.
Nippo-Vini Fantini also named its line-up for the race, with off-season addition Julián Arredondo at the helm on the climber's days and Eduard Grosu eyeing the sprints.
Nippo-Vini Fantini for Tirreno-Adriatico: Julian Arredondo (Col), Eduard Grosu (Rom), Marco Canola (Ita), Hideto Nakane (Jpn), Kohei Uchima (Jpn), Iuri Filosi (Ita), Ivan Santaromita (Ita) and Alan Marangoni (Ita).
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Poland contributes $50,000 to WADA dedicated toward 'intelligence gathering and investigations activities'
WADA announced via a press release Monday that the Republic of Poland had contributed $50,000 to the global anti-doping organisation.
"WADA is grateful to the Republic of Poland for having responded to the Agency's November 2015 call to Governments of the World for additional contributions towards its Special Investigation Fund," said Craig Reedie, the president of WADA. "The contribution, which reflects Poland's partnership and ongoing commitment to the protection of clean athletes worldwide, will be put to good use towards the Agency's enhanced Intelligence and Investigations activity."
Poland pointed to the impact of WADA's efforts in recent years as a sign of the organisation's important position in the battle for clean sport. "The alarming outcomes of WADA's independent Pound Commission in 2015 and McLaren Investigation in 2016 prove that anti-doping investigations play an ever increasing role in the fight against doping in sport," said Poland's Minister of Sports and Tourism, Witold Bańka. "The Republic of Poland acknowledges WADA's efforts on the investigative front over the last two years.
"Via this contribution, Poland is encouraging the Agency to carry out additional intelligence gathering and investigative work aimed at catching more people and/or organizations that attempt to undermine the values of fair play and sportsmanship."
Weather gets the better of Nacer Bouhanni at Paris-Nice
Two wet and cold stages of Paris-Nice was too much for Nacer Bouhanni with the Cofidis rider abandoning the WorldTour event Monday. Bouhanni, a stage winner at the 'race to the sun' last year, will be forced to now adjust his passage to his big early season goal of Milan-San Remo.
"Already on Sunday, as soon as he got out of the bus, he was cold," Cofidis general manager Yvon Sanquer said. "He fought on these two complicated stages but he could not finish the second stage. This is a situation that will force us to change his approach to Milan-Sanremo.
One has to think and decide how to prepare for this objective in another way, by way of training. The condition of Nacer was very good before the departure of Paris-Nice, so we will do the maximum to bring it in the best conditions at the start of this great classic."
The 'race of the two seas', Tirreno-Adriatico has again attracted a packed field headlined by Grand Tour winners Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali.
World champion Peter Sagan is sure to challenge for stage wins and resume his rivalry with Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet.
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