British rider CHRIS FROOME will ride in the 2015 Tour de France "despite previously warning that the proliferation of summit finishes and lack of time-trialling announced in October had tempted him to focus on the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España instead (LONDON TIMES, 12/3). ... Tinkoff-Saxo rider ROMAN KREUZIGER "has taken the step of publishing his blood data online ahead of his hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport."
The Czech, who finished fifth in the 2013 Tour de France, "was temporarily suspended by his team in June 2014 after the UCI raised questions about abnormalities in his biological passport" (CYCLING WEEKLY, 12/1). ... PELE "is out of intensive care and able to walk around as he recovers from a kidney problem" (GLOBAL TIMES, 12/2). ... The only coach to guide a Hong Kong athlete to an Olympic Gold Medal, windsurfing coach RENE APPEL, decided "not to renew his contract with the Sports Institute."
The Dutchman, who came to Hong Kong in '89, "will leave the elite training centre in Fo Tan when his contract expires in March." It is believed the coach "resigned to spend more time with his family after recently marrying" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 12/2). ... DIEGO MARADONA "was the star attraction at the Dubai Sports Council’s 36-hour ‘Spirit of the Union’ football match that produced a record 352 goals at the Dubai Police Officers Club ground earlier this week" (GULF NEWS, 12/2). ... Pretoria police have confirmed former Springbok HANNES STRYDOM "has been injured in an attempted hijacking, however, a case has not yet been opened." The former Lions player "was driving home from gym" on Monday night when he was attacked (EWN, 12/2).
ON THE SHORTLIST: The shortlist for the FIFA Women's Player of the Year was announced on Monday. MARTA (Brazil), ABBY WAMBACH (USA) and NADINE KESSLER (Germany) were selected as finalists for the award (FIFA). ... The int'l governing body of swimming (FINA) granted on Monday the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) SHEIKH AHMAD FAHAD AL-SABAH "the highest honorary shield for his support to swimming sport around the world" (GULF NEWS, 12/2). ... Olympic Gold Medalist SUN YANG "has been banned from training in Australia," with his Gold Coast coach DENIS COTTERELL "to sever ties with China in the wake of the distance swim star’s drugs scandal."
Swimming Australia high performance boss MICHAEL SCOTT "met with Cotterell last week and advised him Sun was no longer welcome to train at the Miami pool after he tested positive to a banned heart stimulant trimetazidine on May 17" (THE COURIER-MAIL, 12/2).
