Cycling Headlines

• Kazakhs pledge $22 million for Astana cycling team Posted Nov 20 8:47a ET By Associated Press Kazakhstan’s state sovereign fund pledged $22 million in financial backing to the Astana cycling team Friday, ensuring the squad stays alive and Tour de France champion Alberto Contador remains in its ranks.
• Meares, Meyer win gold to open World Cup meet Posted Nov 20 8:19a ET By Associated Press Australia’s Anna Meares won the women’s sprint to open the Melbourne round of the cycling World Cup series on Thursday, beating China’s Guo Shuang by 2-0 in the best-of-three gold medal ride off.
• Contador agrees to finish contract with Astana Posted Nov 19 11:11a ET By Reuters Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has agreed to see out the final year of his Astana contract on condition that the team receives its Pro Tour license.
• German cycling union: Pollack 'B' sample positive Posted Nov 19 9:17a ET The German cycling union says Olaf Pollack’s “B” sample confirmed the former track Olympic champion tested positive for doping.
• Rebellin to appeal to CAS in doping case Posted Nov 19 8:25a ET By Associated Press Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being stripped of his Olympic silver medal for doping.
• Cycling aims for gender equality at 2012 Olympics Posted Nov 18 11:53a ET By Associated Press Cycling’s governing body will deliver proposals to the IOC next month for a track race program at the 2012 London Olympics that offers equal gold medal opportunities for men and women.
• Australian mountain biker loses appeal against jail term Posted Nov 18 7:54a ET By Associated Press Former Australian mountain bike champion Chris Jongewaard has lost his appeal against a two-year jail sentence over a hit-and-run driving accident, local media reported on Wednesday.
• Evans expects big things from Armstrong Posted Nov 18 7:18a ET By Associated Press “He’s going to be bigger and more dangerous than in 2009—we’ll see Armstrong at another level in 2010,” world champion Cadel Evans said Wednesday during a promotional tour in Australia.
• Rebellin stripped of Olympic silver for doping Posted Nov 17 10:21a ET By Associated Press Davide Rebellin, who finished runner-up in the men's road race last summer in Beijing, will lose his Olympic silver medal due to a postive test for CERA in April, Italian officials said. Rebellin, 38, a noted classics rider with victories at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Amstel Gold Race during his career, will also have to return $110,000 in prize money.
• Vuelta could return to Basque Country in 2011 Posted Nov 17 7:29a ET By Reuters Spain's biggest cycling race could make a return to the troubled Basque region in 2011, says the race's director. The three-week Vuelta a España hasn't paid a proper visit to the autonomous Basque Country, where competitive cycling enjoys a huge following, since 1978 but is likely to return after this year's successful elections.
• New England Cyclocross Posted Nov 13 11:18a ET By Adam Craig Adam picks up some valuable UCI points during a whirlwind weekend of cyclocross in Massachusetts.