The story of Taylor Phinney’s long, cold ride will warm your heart

Taylor Phinney

If you read only one story this week, you should read about Taylor Phinney‘s remarkable last-place finish in a stage of the recent Tirreno-Adriatico stage race.

We know what you’re thinking: “What’s so remarkable about a last-place finish?”

On most days, nothing. On this day, everything. Because on this day Taylor wasn’t just racing for himself or his team. As he soldiered on through the rain and cold on his own — after the group he was in abandoned — Taylor found himself riding for his father, cycling legend Davis Phinney, who has suffered from Parkinson’s disease for much of his life.

It’s the sort of stuff that makes a chilling ride a heartwarming read you will not forget. Read it now.

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The latest on Lance Armstrong, from Tour de France to doping allegations

The United States Anti-Doping Agency presented evidence about Lance Armstrong’s doping.

UPDATE, March 6: Lance Armstrong gives an exclusive sit-down interview with Sports Illustrated. Check it out.

The downfall of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has been one of the most compelling stories of the past year.  Bookmark this page to keep up with the latest news and find previous reports on the disgraced cyclist.

• Armstrong’s use of performance enhancing drugs and other techniques were detailed in Tyler Hamilton’s book The Secret Race. More.
• The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released its doping evidence against Armstrong in October. Read the evidence.
• Numerous sponsors dropped Armstrong in the wake of the USADA evidence was released. More.
• Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his influential non-profit, Livestrong. More.
• The cyclist, now stripped of his seven Tour De France titles, appears in a two-night interview with Oprah Winfrey. More.
• SCA Promotions Inc., which paid Armstrong $12 million in bonuses for three Tour de France victories, filed suit in February, 2013, for the return of its money in the wake of his doping admissions. More.
• The Justice Department, on Feb. 22 of 2013, joins a lawsuit filed in 2011 by another disgraced cyclist, Floyd Landis, which could claim $100 million in damages caused by his used of PEDs while riding with the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team. More.
• In late February two more lawsuits are filed against Armstrong, including one from an insurance company. More.

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Lance Armstrong admits to doping, calls his career “one big lie” in Oprah Winfrey interview

WATCH PART TWO: The second installment of Armstrong’s interview airs on OWN at 9 p.m. ET/PT, 8 p.m. CT, 7 p.m. MT. Or stream it here.

The first night of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Lance Armstrong saw the disgraced rider formally admit to doping and come clean about other details from his career.

In brief, he admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, that he fell victim to his own “mythic” image and, in sum, his success was “one big lie.” Read more.

But Lance’s admissions weren’t the only story: Reaction was swift and, in many cases, outraged from those who know Armstrong and know the sport. The New York Times blogged during the show, then rounded up reaction afterward. Read more.

Hours before his interview with Winfrey aired, the International Olympic Committee announced it has stripped Armstrong of his bronze medal in the Time Trial at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Read more.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

 

Report: Lance admits doping during interview with Oprah Winfrey

UPDATE, Jan. 17: Hours before his interview with Oprah Winfrey aired the International Olympic Committee announced it has stripped Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal in the Time Trial at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Read more.

Jan 16: The director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency tells the Associated Press that while Oprah is a start, Lance Armstrong will need to speak under oath if he wants to start really clearing his name. That will not happen “talking to a talk show host.” Read more.

Jan. 15: The New York Times is quoting sources who say that Lance Armstrong admits to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey taped on Monday.  CBS News is reporting he is in talks to pay back sponsorship money earned while with the Postal Service. Read more.

Jan. 14: Lance Armstrong sure didn’t look or sound like someone facing a public gallows on Sunday.

The seven-time Tour de France winner (since disavowed by the Tour) took a break from an afternoon jog to tell an Associated Press reporter that he was “at ease” and would be “candid” in his scheduled interview on Thursday with Oprah Winfrey.

Learn what sources close to Armstrong told The Associated Press that the cyclist will say (in part) during Thursday’s interview and read more of what he had to say Sunday in this story.

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Lance Armstrong agrees to interview with Oprah Winfrey on Jan. 17

Tyler Hamilton’s memoir discussed doping in pro cycling.

UPDATE, Jan. 9: Will Lance Armstrong confess his doping to Oprah Winfrey? Sounds like he might: 90-minute interview planned for Jan. 17 on Oprah’s Next Chapter. Details.

Jan. 4: The New York Times is reporting that cycling superstar Lance Armstrong is considering whether he should confess to doping while winning his seven Tour de France titles. There are, however, numerous legal hurdles that the American would have to navigate should he confess. Read more.

Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles and banned for life after the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) sanctions against the American. The UCI decision was the latest development in the Armstrong investigation that exploded on

USA Pro Challenge bike race in Colorado announces 2013 route Aug. 19-25

Boulder, Colorado Springs and Durango are out, Longmont and Fort Collins are in for the 2013 Pro Cycling Challenge, set for Aug. 19-25.

One thing has returned for the event’s third year: the iconic time trial in Vail. As it has the first two years, the race ends in Denver. Past champions have been: 2011, Levi Leipheimer; 2012, Christian VandeVelde.

Check out the routes and hear what organizers had to say at the rollout today (Dec. 19) in Aspen. Read more.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Greg LeMond announces bid for presidency of International Cycling Union

Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France, now wants to run the International Cycling Union (UCI) in an effort to clean up pro cycling.

The three-time Tour winner (1986, ’89, ’90) announced that he will challenge current UCI president Pat McQuaid after being asked about it this past weekend at the Change Cycling Now conference in London.

“If we want to restore public confidence and sponsors, we must act quickly and decisively,” LeMond told French newspaper Le Monde. Read the story in Outside Magazine.

For its part, the UCI recently appointed a British judge, a British lawmaker and an Australian lawyer to conduct an independent investigation into the role the sport’s governing body played in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. Read more.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Lance Armstrong formally severs ties with his cancer charity Livestrong

Pat McQuaid, UCI president

UPDATE: Lance Armstrong has formally severed his ties with Livestrong, the cancer charity he founded. Story.

(Nov. 2): The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that it would not appeal the decision by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in its case against Lance Armstrong. Story.

Lance Armstrong has been officially stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life after the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) sanctions against the American, Reuters reports.

“Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling. Lance Armstrong deserves to be forgotten in cycling,” UCI president Pat McQuaid told a news conference.

Read the article to find out how the USADA and Armstrong responded, as well as who might receive the Tour de France titles won by Armstrong. More.

On Oct. 23, former Armstrong teammate Steffen Kjaergaard, who rode on the U.S. Postal Service team in the Tour de France in 2000 and 2001, admitted to doping and was placed on leave as Norway’s cycling federation sports director. Read more.

The UCI decision is the latest development in the Armstrong investigation that exploded on Oct. 10 when USADA released all of its evidence against Armstrong, more than 1,000 pages and sworn testimony from 26 people, about the cyclist’s doping activities while racing with the U.S. Postal Service Cycling team. A 200-page document was made public. Read the document.

Over the course of the following week the fallout continued as Nike ended its contract with Armstrong and a number of other sponsors, including Radio Shack, Trek, Oakley and Anheuser-Busch, followed suit. In addition, Armstrong stepped down as Chairman at Livestrong, his cancer-fighting charity. Read more.

Riders who testified included Armstrong teammates such as Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman called the report “a one-sided hatchet job” that used the testimony of  “serial perjurers.”

The allegations will seem familiar to anyone who has seen recent interviews with Tyler Hamilton or read his book The Secret Race about his life in bike racing before and after he tested positive in 2004 for having someone else’s blood in his system. Among many other things, the book undercuts the argument that, just because someone has passed a drug test, he or she is clean. Read an Outside Magazine Q&A with Tyler Hamilton.

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Doping evidence leads Nike, Radio Shack, Anheuser-Busch to drop Lance Armstrong, who also steps down as chairman of Livestrong

Lance Armstrong has stepped down as Chairman of Livestrong.

UPDATE (Jan. 18): Lance Armstrong admits to using performance enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Read More.

Oct. 17: Nike has ended its contract with Lance Armstrong in the wake of the doping evidence released last week by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. A number of other sponsors, including Radio Shack and Anheuser-Busch, have followed suit.

In addition, Armstrong announced he has stepped down as Chairman at Livestrong, his cancer-fighting charity. Read more.

READ: Here’s a 200-page document made public by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of the evidence against Lance Armstrong released today. Read the document.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has released all of its evidence today (Oct.10) against Lance Armstrong, which includes more than 1,000 pages and sworn testimony from 26 people, about the cyclist’s doping activities while racing with the U.S. Postal Service Cycling team.

Riders who testified included Armstrong teammates such as Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.

Armstrong attorney Tim Herman called the report “a one-sided hatchet job” that used he testimony of “serial perjurers.” Doug Ulman, head of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, reminded reporters of Armstrong’s significant work as a cancer fighter and current rider Samuel Sanchez said “until the contrary is proved, he remains innocent.” Read more.

Many of these allegations will seem familiar to anyone who has seen recent interviews with Tyler Hamilton or read his book The Secret Race about his life in bike racing before and after he tested positive in 2004 for having someone else’s blood in his system. Among many other things, the book undercuts the argument that, just because someone has passed a drug test, he or she is clean.

Read an Outside Magazine Q&A with Tyler Hamilton.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Tyler Hamilton’s book, ‘The Secret Race,’ reveals the doping underbelly of professional bike racing

Tyler Hamilton discussed his book on Today.

UPDATE (Jan. 18): Lance Armstrong admits to using performance enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Read More.

OCT. 16: The Secret Race has been nominated for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize. Learn more in this story from Cycling News.

USADA REPORT: U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released its doping evidence against Lance Armstrong. Read the evidence.

Perhaps you saw Tyler Hamilton on the Today show this week, where he discussed The Secret Race, his confessional book about his life in bike racing before and after he tested positive in 2004 for having someone else’s blood in his system.

The details of the book can be harsh, notes Outside Magazine, which conducted a fascinating Q&A with Hamilton. For example: after Hamilton transfuses blood that has gone bad, he experiences a severe toxic reaction, urinates bright red blood,  but keeps racing. The book also undercuts the argument that, just because someone has passed a drug test, he or she is clean.

Read the Outside Magazine Q&A with Tyler Hamilton.

Hamilton also spoke with the Denver Post and told them he felt “vindicated” by Lance Armstrong’s recent decision not to fight the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency case against him. Find out why.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.