Roger Walkowiak, 1956 Tour de France champ, dies at 89

Associated PressFeb 7, 2017, 8:48 PM EST

Getty Images

PARIS (AP) Former Tour de France champion Roger Walkowiak has died at the age of 89.

Walkowiak’s wife told The Associated Press her husband died early Tuesday in a hospital near Vichy.

The Frenchman had been the oldest living Tour winner after Ferdy Kuebler died in December at 97.

Walkowiak, the son of a Polish factory worker, created a major upset when he won cycling’s biggest race in 1956. The win was so unexpected that it originated a French expression still in use today: “A la walko,” which translates as “Doing a Walko” and means a surprise win by an unheralded rider.

CAS upholds Nairo Quintana DQ from Tour de France for opioid use

Associated PressNov 3, 2022, 11:43 PM EDT

Getty Images

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The disqualification of two-time Tour de France runner-up Nairo Quintana from his sixth place in the 2022 race for misuse of an opioid was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

CAS said its judges dismissed Quintana’s appeal and agreed with the International Cycling Union that the case was a medical matter rather than a doping rules violation. He will not be banned.

The court said the judges ruled “the UCI’s in-competition ban on tramadol was for medical rather than doping reasons and was therefore within the UCI’s power and jurisdiction.”

Traces of the synthetic painkiller tramadol were found in two dried blood spot samples taken from the Colombian racer five days apart in July, the UCI previously said.

Quintana’s case is among the first to rely on the dried blood spot (DBS) method of collecting samples which the World Anti-Doping Agency approved last year.

Tramadol was banned in 2019 from use at cycling races because of potential side effects. They include the risk of addiction, dizziness, drowsiness and loss of attention.

Quintana finished second in the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015, won both times by Chris Froome. He won the 2014 Giro d’Italia.

Filippo Ganna breaks cycling’s hour world record

Associated PressOct 9, 2022, 5:11 PM EDT

Getty Images

GRENCHEN, Switzerland — Time trial specialist Filippo Ganna broke cycling’s hour record when he covered 56.792 kilometers in 60 minutes.

The Italian extended the record by more than 1.2 kilometers, the biggest jump in seven years.

Asked to describe the pain of the last five minutes, he said, “I lost energy to try to go for 57, but nothing (in the legs).”

He said he was open to another attempt at a different time of the season, when he was fresher.

Ganna took the record from British teammate Dan Bigham, who made his mark at the same Swiss velodrome on Aug. 19.