Tinkoff (cycling team)
2006 season
#### 2006 season

In 2006, with sponsorship for several years, the focus was to win all three Grand Tours, with Ivan Basso riding both [Giro d'Italia](/wiki/2006_Giro_d%27Italia "2006 Giro d'Italia") and the [Tour de France](/wiki/2006_Tour_de_France "2006 Tour de France"), and Carlos Sastre the [Vuelta a España](/wiki/2006_Vuelta_a_Espa%C3%B1a "2006 Vuelta a España").[Team Team CSC (CSC) – DEN](http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/SUCI/TEAMS/TeamDetails.asp?id=Mw&RefDate=31.05.2006&MenuId=MTY5Ng&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI2%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuId%3DMTY5Ng) , *UCI*, 2006 They had come second in the 2005 in the Tour and Vuelta, respectively. The team had several time trialists, including Zabriskie, who had won time trials at the Giro and the Tour, Julich, as well as [Fabian Cancellara](/wiki/Fabian_Cancellara "Fabian Cancellara"). Others included Jens Voigt and [Stuart O'Grady](/wiki/Stuart_O%27Grady "Stuart O'Grady") from Australia, the only sprinter name in the team.

The first victory of the [2006 UCI ProTour](/wiki/2006_UCI_ProTour "2006 UCI ProTour") season was in the prologue of Paris–Nice by Julich. The spring was plagued with injuries hitting a third of the team, most notably O'Grady.Alhan Keser, [O'Grady goes broke](http://eurosport.com/cycling/tirreno-adriatico/2006/sport_sto847764.shtml), *[Eurosport](/wiki/Eurosport "Eurosport")*, 10 March 2006 Cancellara won the time trial at [Tirreno–Adriatico](/wiki/Tirreno%E2%80%93Adriatico "Tirreno–Adriatico") and then [Paris–Roubaix](/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Roubaix "Paris–Roubaix"). [Fränk Schleck](/wiki/Fr%C3%A4nk_Schleck "Fränk Schleck") won the [Amstel Gold Race](/wiki/Amstel_Gold_Race "Amstel Gold Race") a week later.

Team CSC surprised by announcing[Sastre in Giro line\-up](http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=890) , *Team CSC*, 2006 that Sastre would ride the Giro as helper for Basso, that he would ride all three Grand Tours. 2005's winner [Paolo Savoldelli](/wiki/Paolo_Savoldelli "Paolo Savoldelli") was strongest in the first stages, and [Jan Ullrich](/wiki/Jan_Ullrich "Jan Ullrich") took a surprise win in the time trial ahead of Basso, but Basso dominated with three wins on mountain finishes and in the team time trial. Basso won by 9'18''.

On 30 June 2006, the Tour de France announced that Basso would not ride the 2006 Tour after apparent involvement in the [Operación Puerto](/wiki/Operaci%C3%B3n_Puerto_doping_case "Operación Puerto doping case") doping scandal. Sastre took over as captain and was the strongest in the favorite group on the last mountain stages, but a poor last time trial placed him fourth overall. The team scored two stage wins, the most impressive Fränk Schleck's win on [Alpe d'Huez](/wiki/Alpe_d%27Huez "Alpe d'Huez"). Voigt had already won a flat stage after a long break.

The autumn was dominated by the Basso's involvement in Operación Puerto. His contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and the case against Basso was eventually dropped by the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana for lack of evidence, but without him authorizing a DNA test that could have cleared him conclusively. Basso adamantly denied being involved. (On 7 May 2007 Basso admitted involvement in Operación Puerto). Team CSC have since started an ambitious anti\-doping program together with the Danish anti\-doping expert Rasmus Damsgaard. Meanwhile, on the road, Voigt dominated the [Deutschland Tour](/wiki/2006_Deutschland_Tour "2006 Deutschland Tour"), winning overall and three stages, including a mountain finish and a time trial. Sastre came fourth in the Vuelta after starting in the lead when CSC won the initial team time trial. It was Sastre's fifth [Grand Tour](/wiki/Grand_Tour_%28cycling%29 "Grand Tour (cycling)") in a row.


What was the outcome of Fränk Schleck's mountain finish at Alpe d'Huez?