Pope sends greetings to Tour de France, calls for respect of moral values in sports

September 9th, 2009 British road race team unveils first membersLONDON — A British road racing team that hopes to produce a Tour de France champion within five years has unveiled its first six riders. The team, backed by the BSkyB broadcasting network and called Team Sky, is managed by British performance director Dave Brailsford.

August 4th, 2009 Vinokourov returns to cycling in FranceCASTILLON-LA-BATAILLE, France — Cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov has raced for the first time since his two-year doping ban ended last month, completing the Castillon-La-Bataille criterium race in France. The 35-year-old Kazakhstan rider competed in the 28-mile race Tuesday.

August 1st, 2009 Pope meets swimming worlds athletesVATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday met athletes participating in the swimming world championships in Rome and urged them to act as role models for fellow youths "in sports and in life." Benedict blessed and shook hands with athletes in the courtyard of his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo in the hills outside Rome, and praised their "exciting performance." He playfully put on sports hats the athletes gave him and triumphantly raised a plush green frog — the mascot of the Rome championships. Among those handing the gifts to Benedict were fellow German Paul Biedermann, who beat American Michael Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday, and Italy's double gold medallist Federica Pellegrini.

July 31st, 2009 Phelps will skip chance to meet with popeROME — Michael Phelps will skip a chance to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, preferring to rest up for his final individual race of the world championships. Benedict is scheduled to host about 100 swimmers Saturday at Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence.

July 27th, 2009 Congratulations Alberto, yes as expected Tour de France 2009 Winner is none other than Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador. He was also the winner of 2007, this is his second victory.

July 22nd, 2009 Beware cyclists, the Tour de France is not just a simple pleasure ride it can also sucks blood, Jens Voigt a German cyclist of team Saxo Bank is out of the race after having  a dabgerous bloody crash, Veteran rider Jens Voigt who was temporarily unconscious for three to four minutes had to be rushed for a hospital and forcefully withdrawn from Tour de France stage 16. While making a second toughest decent from the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard Voigt lost the control and had the nastiest crash that heat the head first.

July 21st, 2009 Pope Benedict sends greetings to Tour de FranceLES COMBES, Italy — Pope Benedict XVI has sent his greetings to riders and organizers of the Tour de France and told them that commitment in sports must always be accompanied by the respect of moral values. The pope sent his message to the Tour participants on Tuesday because they will cross into Italy and pass near the Alpine village where he is vacationing.

July 9th, 2009 GERONA, Spain — Tour de France riders have set off on the sixth stage as cycling's premiere race dips into Spain for two days. The 177 riders are heading southwest along the Mediterranean on a 112.8-mile course along plains, the coast and a few small hills from Gerona to Barcelona.

July 8th, 2009 Armstrong apologizes to Sastre and Vande VeldeMONTPELLIER, France — Lance Armstrong said he was wrong and disrespectful when he called last year's Tour de France a "bit of a joke." In the new book, "Lance — The Making of the World's Greatest Champion" by John Wilcockson, Armstrong is said to have recounted his early musings about a possible comeback after the 2008 Tour, won by Carlos Sastre. "The Tour was a bit of a joke this year.

July 3rd, 2009 Armstrong under doping watch at Tour de FrancePARIS — France's sports minister says Lance Armstrong will be "particularly monitored" for doping during the Tour de France. The seven-time Tour winner has come out of retirement to ride in cycling's showcase.

June 30th, 2009 AP Interview: Armstrong set for Tour support rolePARIS — Lance Armstrong says he's capable of winning an eighth Tour de France but is ready, if necessary, to put his ambitions on hold for teammate and rival Alberto Contador. Contador and Armstrong will ride for the Astana team at the three-week race that starts Saturday.

June 23rd, 2009 Valverde out of Tour de FrancePARIS — Top-ranked cyclist Alejandro Valverde's team says the Spanish rider will not compete in the Tour de France because of a doping ban in Italy. The Caisse d'Epargne team said Tuesday that Valverde met with his lawyers and was told he would have no recourse against the ban before the three-week Tour starts in Monaco on July 4.

June 19th, 2009 PARIS - Organisers of the Tour de France have said they would not allow 2005 world road race champion Tom Boonen to take part in this year's race because he tested positive for cocaine. "Tom Boonen's image and behaviour are incompatible with the image of the Tour de France," the Amaury Sports Orgainzation said Thursday in a statement issued in Paris.

June 16th, 2009 Top court rules Vinokourov ineligible for TourLAUSANNE, Switzerland — Star cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov has been banned from next month's Tour de France. The top court in international sports says the 35-year-old Kazakh rider should have been barred for two years after being caught blood doping during the 2007 Tour.

June 5th, 2009 Lance Armstrong announces birth of son on TwitterLance Armstrong has announced the birth of his son on the social-networking site Twitter. Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven straight years after overcoming testicular cancer, posted a tweet about 11:15 p.m.