Monday’s Newsbriefs: Getting ready Down Under; Swiss court upholds Hondo suspension; Murn injured

By VeloNews Interactive

Veterans Robbie McEwen and Stuart O’Grady are among the favorites whenthey saddle up for Australia’s Tour Down Under on Wednesday.

Sprint king McEwen is well known for his exploits at the Giro d’Italiaand his three points jersey wins at the Tour de France. But McEwen, whowill debut his Predictor-Lotto team’s new pink and black jersey this week,has big obstacles to overcome if he hopes to extend his record tally of11 stage wins at this five-day home race. The Belgium-based Australianfailed to win any stages last year, when the speed of Allan Davis, ridinghere for the UniSA team, twice kept the 34-year-old McEwen off the podium.Former two-time race winner O’Grady meanwhile returns with renewed ambition,a new pedaling cadence to try out and a motivated CSC team which includesfellow Aussies Luke Roberts, and new boy Matthew Goss.Hailing from the host city, O’Grady is one of the main draws for a racewhose five stages, which begin a day after a carnival 50km criterium onTuesday, meander over the Barossa wine-growing valley as well as snakingaround some spectacular coastline.After dominating the state championships recently, the 33-year-old O’Gradyis hoping his team will reward the hard work that he put into their successful2006 season.”Third time (winning) would be great. We’ve got a good team here andI think I got a lot of respect for the work I put in for the team thislast season,” O’Grady said Monday. “Hopefully they’ll repay that with (helpingme to) victory or at least a stage win.”When he was still with the Credit Agricole team, O’Grady won the racein 1999 and in 2001.Simon Gerrans, a fellow Aussie riding with a French team, Ag2r, is thedefending champion, and he knows who he will have to watch in the comingweek.”I think the guy on my right (O’Grady) will push me all the way, althoughI feel the pressure to perform, and that’s motivating,” said Gerrans, whohas more than proved his credentials in the tough European scene. “I’vebeen really in focus the past few weeks and the motivation is there.”The French squad includes Cyril Dessel, who wore the yellow jersey fora day at the Tour de France in 2006, and diminutive French sprinter SamuelDumoulin.Gerrans said that Ag2r riders have a few aces up their sleeves.”We have a ‘give-take’ relationship in the team. Cyril rode hard tohelp me win last year and so we’ve got options. There’s guys who have experienceof the race, as well as a few fresh faces who are just as hungry.”Wednesday’s first stage is over an undulating course of 155.5 km betweenthe towns of Mawson Lakes and Tanunda.Swiss Court upholds Hondo ban
The Swiss Supreme Court has upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency’s rightto issue a two-year suspension against German Danilo Hondo.The former Gerolsteiner faileda drug test for the stimulant carphedon during the Vuelta a Murciain early March of 2005 where he won two stages and was suspended for twoyears. Hondo embarked on a protracted legal battle that had apparentlyended with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,Switzerland. But Hondo also took the case to the Swiss judicial system.The Swiss Supreme Court has ruled that CAS was within its authorityto issue the sanction, bringing to an end a legal fight that has lastednearly the length of Hondo’s two-year ban.Hondo, who now rides for the Russian-Italian Tinkoff team, said he wasdisappointed by the outcome, but it will not detract from his focus onpreparation for the upcoming season.“I am focused on April 1, because my suspension expires on March 31,”Hondo said in a note posted on his website on Sunday. “I am working towardthe new season at 110 percent.”Hondo joins American Tyler Hamilton whose own two-year suspension forblood-doping expired in September of last year.Murn injured in Slovenia
Discovery Channel’s Uros Murn was injured while training on the roads near his home in Slovenia on Sunday January 14th. The injury occurred when Murn and a training group were struck by a car from behind.

According to reports, Murn was the first of the group to be hit by the car and sustained three breaks in the same leg. He immediately underwent surgery to repair the breaks and at last notice the surgery was successful. Murn was scheduled to be a key rider in the team’s spring classics campaign.

“This is obviously a terrible accident and right now I am only concerned about his current status and well being,” Discovery director Johann Bruyneel said. “We have a large team with many riders who can race in his absence. The difficult thing is finding a rider that has the talent and experience in the Classics. The whole team wishes Uros a speedy recovery.”
Discovery team release

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