Friday's EuroFile: Hamilton signs a contract; Race organizers consider anti-trust challenge

Friday's EuroFile: Hamilton signs a contract; Race organizers consider anti-trust challenge: "This report filed November 24, 2006

Tyler Hamilton has signed a one-year deal with the Italian/Russian Tinkoff cycling team it was announced in Rome on Friday.

Hamilton is back, with a one-year deal with the continental Tinkoff squad.

photo: Agence France Presse (file photo)
The year-old continental team is bankrolled by Russian brewery magnate Oleg Tinkov and has recently been working to sign German Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich.

Hamilton, once one of the sport's top stars, completed a two-year ban for blood doping in September. Hamilton had hoped to sign with a ProTour team and return to the top level of the sport, but settled for a contract with the Continental squad as that option appeared unrealistic. In recent months UCI officials made it clear that they would strictly interpret the ProTour code of ethics, which requires that riders be banned from the top level of the sport for a period twice as long as their original doping suspensions."