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Denis Menchov announces his retirement

Russian says knee injury that kept him out of the Giro lies behind decision to call it a day

Denis Menchov, winner of the 2009 Giro d’Italia and the 2005 and 2007 editions of the Vuelta a Espana, has announced his retirement from professional cycling with immediate effect.

The Russian, aged 35, riding since 2012 with Katiusha and prior to that Rabobank, then Geox-TMC, had been expected to continue riding until at least the end of the current season, but says that missing the Giro d’Italia – his main goal for 2013 – due to a knee injury is the chief reason for his decision to call it a day now.

The first of Menchov's Vuelta victories came in 2005 after race winner Roberto Heras of Liberty Seguros was stripped of the title after testing positive for EPO.

Last December, Spain's Supreme Court found in favour of Heras, who had claimed that his samples had been wrongly stored and mishandled. It was expected at the time that he would be reinstated as winner, although to date that has not happened.

However, Menchov himself has been dogged by allegations of doping in recent months, which is bound to fuel speculation about the real reason for his retirement.

In the wake of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s publication of its Reasoned Decision in the Lance Armstrong case, French sports daily L’Equipe claimed he was one of the riders singled out by Levi Leipheimer as a client of banned doctor Michele Ferrari.

The newspaper said in December that it was Menchov’s presence within the Katusha team that had led to it being refused a WorldTour licence for the 2013 season, a decision it subsequently successfully appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport has also linked Menchov to Ferrari in connection with the ongoing investigation being conducted by magistrates operating out of Padua.

Meanwhile Menchov’s former Rabobank team mate Michael Rasmussen said in March that the Russian, along with Michael Boogerd and Thomas Dekker – both of whom have subsequently made confessions – was among riders who were part of organised doping at the Dutch team during the middle of the last decade.

There has also been speculation that Menchov may be the former Grand Tour winner whom the anonymous professional rider who blogs as The Secret Pro on the Australian website Cycling Tips said was the subject of gossip in the peloton due to his being “about to be taken down for a biological passport irregularity.”

Writing earlier this month, the Secret Pro added: “I can’t say who it is but when the news breaks you’ll know who I’m talking about.”

The claim ignited speculation on Twitter and elsewhere as to the identity of the rider in question, and inevitably given the timing of Menchov’s announcement, some will be putting two and two together.

While doubts have been cast on whether The Secret Pro is a real person – notably by blogger Saddleblaze, writing on CyclismasWade Wallace of Cycling Tips insists the ghostwritten column is exactly what it purports to be.

As for the identity of the former Grand Tour winner, Wallace says: “If the suggestions are proven to be true the UCI will announce the violation through its official channels; it’s not up to us to do that.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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14 comments

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fuzzywuzzy | 11 years ago
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The only thing I'll miss about him is his ability to crash so often, used to liven up some otherwise dull stages.

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dino | 11 years ago
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unicorns aren't real?  39

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Wookie replied to dino | 11 years ago
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dino wrote:

unicorns aren't real?  39

The IPU would disagree  19

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Some Fella | 11 years ago
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I think this is what is called 'Doing a Vinokurov'.

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Roberj4 | 11 years ago
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Great pleased he's gone with 'Levi' Jeans...what's his name I've forgotten already

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jollygoodvelo | 11 years ago
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His middle name might as well be Omerta. With his - admittedly impressive - palmares you would expect him to be mentioned among the favourites for every race. But clearly the commentators and everyone in the sport knows the score.

So, Katusha were blocked from entering the Giro, and then entered the race without Rodriguez and Menchov. Can anyone else smell a rat?

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scaramanga | 11 years ago
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Is Menchov the Grand Tour winner with irregular blood values that "The Secret Pro" was talking about?

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Municipal Waste | 11 years ago
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 39 I didn't know he was....

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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"kept hom" in the title....spell checked  3

I thought you might have had a story about Levi "retiring" aswell, because no team will take him on. Which I see as a great step in the right direction. He was still a decent rider, but no-one wants an ex doper anymore.  4

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The Claw | 11 years ago
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Ditto the above comment. Another one out the door.

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Decster | 11 years ago
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Good riddance to a doper

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Wookie replied to Decster | 11 years ago
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Decster wrote:

Good riddance to a doper

Guilty of doping or guilty by association?
 39

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Decster replied to Wookie | 11 years ago
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 26

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Decster replied to Wookie | 11 years ago
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Wesselwookie wrote:
Decster wrote:

Good riddance to a doper

Guilty of doping or guilty by association?
 39

Believe in unicorns if you wish.

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