OLYMPICS
Road cycling told to clean up its act The future of men's road cycling in the Olympics could be threatened unless the sport cleans up its doping record.
Thomas Bach, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, said Tuesday the latest Tour de France doping revelations have further damaged the sport's credibility and called its Olympic status into question.
If the entire sport doesn't pull together to improve the situation, "then you have to consider giving men's road cycling a pause" from Olympic participation, Bach told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Pat McQuaid, the head of world cycling, called Bach's suggestion "completely unacceptable" and said the sport was weeding out the drug cheats.
Anti-doping and cycling officials said Monday that Leonardo Piepoli of Italy and Stefan Schumacher of Germany had tested positive during this year's Tour de France for CERA, an advanced version of the blood booster EPO. Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco previously admitted to CERA use.
In another development, Luxembourg's anti-doping agency expanded an investigation against cyclist Frank Schleck, who wore the yellow jersey for three days during the Tour and was suspended by his team last week.
Schleck said he transferred money to a Swiss bank account held by a Spanish doctor at the heart of a major doping scandal. Schleck denied direct contact with the doctor and reiterated he never engaged in doping.
TENNIS
Italian beats Venus Venus Williams was beaten in the opening round for the second time in 12 tournaments this season, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to Flavia Pennetta of Italy at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
