Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Old Salt

Here's one of those cycling pictures only Graham Watson would think to shoot: Benoit Joachim's shorts display the salt stains of a day's hard work during the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana. Danilo Di Luca won the stage to La Covatilla and is the overall leader.

I Bet Erik Zabel Doesn't Dope

German sprinter Erik Zabel won the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana in Caceres Tuesday, just ahead of Norway's Thor Hushovd, who retained the overall lead.

“It's a special day after a long time of not having won anything,” said Zabel, 36, of his three-year absence from the podium. Zabel has won about 200 stages in his professional career, including 10 in the Tour de France and six in the Vuelta.

Here's a story from Crankset friend Sal Ruibal of USA TODAY:
-- Danielson's reign in Spain could be Tour answer for Discovery team

Erik Zabel of the Team Milram celebrates on the podium.
(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Basso Watch

Giro d'Italia cycling champion Ivan Basso, who was excluded from the Tour de France after being implicated in the Spanish doping investigation, denied using banned substances in his first appearance before Italian anti-doping authorities in Rome on Tuesday.

The hearing was adjourned to Sept. 12, when a decision on whether to refer the case to the Italian Cycling Federation is expected, said Massimo Martelli, Basso's lawyer.

Tooth is waiting with baited breath ...

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

More World Cup Adventures to Come....

Stay tuned for the Cat 5 slips and slides and...




the World Cup Year in Review!


(well, let's just say it didn't go to the dogs)


-Sleepy 53rd Signing Off

You Can Eat THAT on a Bike in the Middle of a Major Stage Race (Don't Tell Jan)?

Paolo Bettini has found himself a tasty bocadillo, but he'd probably prefer a tomato and mozzarella panini instead during Stage 4 of the Vuelta (photo and cutline by Graham Watson).

ZIP-ity DO DAH!



8.26.06 - PA Junior State Championships - Trexlertown, PA

Okay, admit it. We've all had the fantasy. No I'm not speaking of Elizabeth Hurley, scantily clad, seeking your every desire. Wait, maybe that's just mine. Anywho...

The fantasy I speak of is the one when you were a teenager. Daydreaming of being the sporting envy of not only your peers but the entire STATE. That's right, 1 of the 50. A place so big that, well, you simply now call your kingdom. Forget Penns Woods. It's Zips Woods now. Senator, I propose we rename this Commonwealth...Zippsylvania!

Why this rant you ask? How could I not? How could not gush a wee bit about my 15 year old teammate, who with great humility, poise and grace cruised into his first win of the year. Not any win mind you! The win that COUNTS! The win that crowned OUR BOY ZIP...
Junior (15-16 men) PA State Champion!!!

Dare I remind you that this win was not a walk in the park Kasinski. It required all the usual skills of a winner such as smart race tactics, cat like reflexes to fend off frequent attacks and of course my personal favorite, POWER. Oh was there POWER. Zip, who proclaims he's not a sprinter happened to overtake his arch rival from the Red Rose Rockets in a, you guessed it, sprint.

One full bike length and category separated these two. Did I forget to mention that number 2 was a Cat 3 and Junior?? Zip not only took the prize but took it from a full cat above him. Ouch. All that's left is the girl.....(sorry bike mom, we won't go there)

Proud Parents of "the boy" - Mike and Shelley Putt

Not having witnessed too many finer finshes in my day, I couldn't be happier for a kid more deserving. Congratulations to Zach and an incredible first year of racing! Just remember one ting about Zip...you heard about him here, first!

-All 53 Teeth reporting

The Poop on the Tour of Britain

The Tour of Britain is getting more attention this year, and for good reason.

First, the peleton will include Belgians Tom Boonen and Nick Nuyens, from Quickstep, and T-Mobile's Andreas Kloden of Germany and Michael Rogers of Australia.

Second, the London finale incorporates sections of the 2007 Tour de France route and the 2012 Olympic road-racing course.

Third, the stages look interesting, especially the key stage on Thursday from Bradford to Sheffield which traverses the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District and includes several steep climbs.

And fourth, cycling has the mountain of credibility to climb, writes Jeremy Whittle of the Times of London:

"The British race may not yet have the cachet of the Tour de France, but with the established European scene in crisis after a traumatic summer of doping scandals, the Tour of Britain is one of several shorter and less commercialised events that may prove to be more ethically sustainable than its gladiatorial cousins."

Here's some other stories on this interesting race that will challenge the ongoing Vuelta a Espana for attention (but not Tooth's) this week:
-- Tough test can bring the best out of a tarnished sport
-- British tour hopes to blow away cloud of controversy
-- Boonen and chums have the pedigree
-- Tour of Britain stage guide
-- Cycling: Tour ace backs Cooke award

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Departing Malaga

The Vuelta makes a tranquil exit from Malaga at the start of the second stage of the Vuelta a Espana Sunday (photo by Graham Watson).

Sunday Wheelings and Dealings

As I follow the first stage of the Vuelta a Espana on VeloNews' live race blog, let me share some thoughts on the prologue and a couple other stories that have passed this way.
Assuming that at least some cyclists like Carlos Sastre rides clean, I shared in Team CSC's satisfaction with his crossing the finishing line first in the unusual team-time trail prologue Saturday in Malaga on Spain's Costa del Sol (just the names make you wish you were there!).

This is Sastre's third major tour of the year. Sastre's unselfish work in the mountains helped the currently disgraced Ivan Basso win the Giro de Italia in the Spring. A poor time trail, however, cost Sastre a shot at the podium (he finished fourth) in the Tour de France last month.

It is unusual to ride (and perform well) in all three major tours, but there was Sastre again. According to the VeloNews, "Team CSC had already decided it was going to put Sastre first across the line and roared over the flat 7.3km course."

Said Team CSC sport director Bjarne Riis (photo by Graham Watson): "We made the decision to let Carlos finish first. If anyone deserves it, it's him. He works harder than anyone and he makes more sacrifices. We won't defend the jersey now, but I believe Carlos can win this Vuelta."

A nice story.

In some other stories:
-- If you're following the Vuelta on the VeloNews blog, you picked up this little nugget:
"Jan Ullrich has apparently accepted his dismissal by T-Mobile following doping accusations prior to this year's Tour de France and will not seek financial compensation from the German team, according to a report in Der Spiegel magazine."

-- Interesting commentary in the Times of London by Matt Cooper about the ballyhoo in advance of special events (like the upcoming Ryder Cup in Ireland, the start of the '98 Tour de France in Ireland and, no doubt, the start of the '07 Tour in London) instead of directing resources in more lasting sports infrastructure. Cooper writes:

"Yet our complaints [about the Tour] were well founded. Those with only a passing interest in the sport probably had some inkling that illegal drug use had pushed the performances of some cyclists beyond credible limits in the preceding years. We felt this was a corrupt sport, with widespread cheating; one that should be condemned and discarded, not feted."
Obviously, the fallout from continued drug scandals in cycling continues. And rightly so.

-- The Tour of Britain sets off from Glasgow on Tuesday. Despite overlapping the Vuelta, it features some outstanding riders: Tom Boonen, Andreas Kloden and Michael Rogers. But no cycling event takes place now without the spectre of doping and implied guilt by association.

"It pisses you off more than anything else," says 25-year-old Evan Oliphant. "People think all cyclists are on it, so it doesn't do any of us any good. But you just have to get on with it; it's not really something you think about while you're racing. I reckon [doping] will always be a problem -- you won't be able to stop it completely -- but I definitely think there should be life bans. Even for first offences - a life ban."

Won't be able to stop cheating completely? I guess that would be naive. But that is cycling's challenge. So far, sadly, it has not been up to it.

-- If you really want to watch the Tour of Britain, there will be daily highlights on Cycling.tv starting Tuesday. A viewer has been inserted on the Tour of Britain website. There will be highlights of the start and finish of every stage, and interviews with the daily stage winner and race leader shortly after each stage.

-- Testosterone is good. Cycling is bad. Find out why in this Boston Globe story.
-- And it appears that Paolo Bettini has won a sprint finish in Cardoba to take the first stage of the Veulta. The new overall leader: Thor Hushovd.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Tour of Spain Itinerary

Here's the itinerary for the Tour of Spain which starts in Malaga on Saturday (* denotes mountain finish):

Saturday, Aug. 26: first stage, Malaga - Malaga (7.3 km) - team time trial
Sunday, Aug. 27: second stage, Malaga - Cordoba (176 km)
Monday, Aug. 28: third stage, Cordoba - Almendralejo (219 km)
Tuesday, Aug. 29: fourth stage, Almendralejo - Caceres (135 km)
Wednesday, Aug. 30: fifth stage, Plasencia - La Covatilla* (178 km)
Thursday, Aug. 31: sixth stage, Zamora - Leon (177 km)
Friday, Sept. 1: seventh stage, Leon - Alto de Morredero* (154.2 km)
Saturday, Sept. 2: eighth stage, Ponferrada - Lugo (181.6 km)
Sunday, Sept. 3: ninth stage, A Fonsagrada - Alto de la Cobertoria* (207.4 km)
Monday, Sept. 4: rest day
Tuesday, Sept. 5: 10th stage, Aviles - Museo de Altamira (199.3 km)
Wednesday, Sept. 6: 11th stage, Torrelavega - Burgos (173.6 km)
Thursday, Sept. 7: 12th stage, Aranda de Duero - Guadalajara (169.3 km)
Friday, Sept. 8: 13th stage, Guadalajara - Cuenca (180 km)
Saturday, Sept. 9: 14th stage, Cuenca - Cuenca (33.2 km) - individual time trial,
Sunday, Sept. 10: 15th stage, Motilla del Palancar - Almussafes (182 km)
Monday, Sept. 11: rest day
Tuesday, Sept. 12: 16th stage, Almeria - Calar Alto* (145 km)
Wednesday, Sept. 13: 17th stage, Adra - Granada (166.7 km)
Thursday, Sept. 14: 18th stage, Granada - Sierra de la Pandera* (153.1 km)
Friday, Sept. 15: 19th stage, Jaen - Ciudad Real (205.3 km)
Saturday, Sept. 16: 20th stage, Rivas Vaciamadrid - Rivas Vaciamadrid (27.5 km) - individual time trial
Sunday, Sept. 17: 21st stage, Madrid - Madrid (142.2 km)

Total distance: 3,213 km


Also:
La Vuelta's Colorful History
Spanish rider Gil excluded from Tour of Spain

Leading Tour of Spain contenders

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Lance Armstrong Really a Space Alien

I'm not even going to try to explain this one.
Figure it out for yourself ... if you can.

'Dark Days'? I'll Say!

In the upcoming issue of VeloNews:

A QUESTION OF TESTOSTERONE

SHADOWLANDS:
Doping positive casts Landis's Tour win into doubt

A DARK LEGACY:
Phonak's doping track record

THE CHEMICAL OF MAN:
Testosterone 101

A HISTORY OF CHEATING:
Banned Tour winners and testosterone positives are nothing new

Beating Basso Like a Drum

We haven't heard much about or from Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso (at left/photo by Graham Watson) since his CSC team dropped him from their Tour de France lineup.
Now, even if his name is cleared in the Spanish doping investigation, team manager Bjarne Riis says he could be dropped from the team altogether.

"Not everything is about the law," Riis told Danish daily Politiken on Tuesday.

"Basso must not only prove his innocence in court, he must also prove it to us. I find it difficult to believe Basso has a future with CSC -- unless he is totally cleared."

Basso was one of nine competitors withdrawn before this year's Tour De France after being implicated in the scandal which surfaced in May after the Spanish Civil Guard found anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment and frozen blood in several raids.
"It's not so crucial what I think but it is crucial that the evidence he is up against is very incriminating," Riis said.

"The way I see it, even if Basso has just been in contact with Fuentes, he has lied to me and betrayed the team and our values. Then he's finished with us," Riis said.

Jake is Lance, Matthew is Not

Our Boy Lance has confirmed speculation that Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) will portray him in a biopic (that's movie-speak for a film bio). Matthew McConaughey had been up to play the part (and Matt Damon before him) but lost out to Gyllenhaal.

"He said that's why he has been spending so much time with them both this summer," said some unidentified source who probably also talks with Tooth. There are plenty of stories about this silliness if you care. The Daily Blabber (the name says it all, eh?) did have this interesting pespective:

"This begs the question: Does anyone really want to see a Lance Armstrong biopic at this point? Maybe back when he fresh off winning seven Tour de France titles. Or when he was married to his ex, Kristin, and they appeared to be the perfect little family with their towhead little kiddies. But in the last eight months since he dumped Sheryl Crow he's gone from heroic to horndog, hitting the Playboy mansion and trolling for chicks with Matthew. As a longtime fan, I really think he's lost his appeal."

Frankly, I think Greg Lemond should play Lance!
So, would you go to see the movie?

Vuelta Preview

Yeah, Tooth, the Vuelta begins on Saturday with a 7.3km team time trial in Malaga and finishes in Madrid on Sept. 17.

You remember the Vuelta, Tooth. That's the race that Russian Denis Menchov won when Roberto Heras was stripped of the title following a positive test for the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO).

And cycling has been just a joy from there with one doping scandal after another.

"I'd love to win the race, but the Vuelta is a secondary objective this year after the Tour (de France) and I don't feel as fresh this time," Menchov was quoted as saying in the Spanish sports daily Marca.

Menchov (pictured above by Graham Watson winning Stage 11 of the Tour) finished sixth in this year's Tour de France behind Floyd Landis. Of course, that could be fifth, too, if Landis is stripped of his title following his positive test for excessive levels of the hormone testosterone.

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Other riders to watch: Alejandro Valverde, Carlos Sastre, Alexander Vinokourov and and maybe even Iban Mayo.

There are some tough mountain stages in the early part of the Vuelta this year, so the likely contenders could be revealed in the first week of the race.

"The mountains will be the key. There are a lot at the start, not many in the middle and a lot at the end. The time trials are short and I don't think they will be decisive," Menchov said.

Monday, August 21, 2006

It All Started on the W&OD Trail

On your left ... on your left. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/Washington Post)

Just another day on Northern Virginia's W&OD Trail?

OK, well maybe it's not quite that bad, but the 45-mile paved trail that Mike Armellino and I usually ride weekends is picking up increased traffic, according to a front-page story in last Friday's Washington Post.

Three cyclists have been killed on the trail in the last year, and that is the kind of thing that tends to attract media attention.

Mike and I usually start out in Reston, at about the 17-mile mark, and head west to Leesburg. The roundtrip to Leesburg is about 34 miles; through Leesburg about 41 miles; and to Purcelville and back 56 miles. There's less traffic going west than east, and fewer road crossings as well. The roundtrip ride east from Reston, or Vienna, to Alexandria (home of Mike's restaurant, Bilbo Baggins), ranges from about 48 to 60 miles, and takes you along the Potomac River, with the famous Washington D.C. monuments just across the river. Very pretty, but it's dangerous to exceed about 15 mph along the river, where the trail passes Reagan National Airport and gets fairly congested with riders, runners, rollerbladers and walkers. Going west, a good speed for me is about 17 mph; Mike could easily do 20 by himself.

I have my own W&OD story, of course. Nearly four years ago, on Nov. 20, I was struck by a van in a crosswalk across Belmont Ridge Road. The driver clipped my rear wheel and send me flying like ET on that bike ride with the moon as a backdrop. It was seven months before our big Trek Travel trip, and I wasn't recovered enough to resume training until the end of March. So the climbs in the Pyrenees were something of a triumph for me. I suffered some cracked ribs and a small crack in my pelvis, and as Mike knows, I worked hard to get in reasonable shape for the wonderful week of riding with Granny, Tooth and Mike.

There was more to the triumph, of course. Cyclists are always at fault in Virginia, and an unsympathetic Loudoun County policeman issued me a ticket for failure to yield (the way I flew through the air, I'd say I yielded plenty!). To this day, I still don't know how that van got that close to me, especially if it was doing the speed limit, but I know I didn't bolt into the road, as the officer assumed -- certainly not onto a road on which the speed limit is 45 and cars and trucks often approach 60 mph.

I took the case to court, and for about $2,200 (I could have paid the $50 ticket and been done with it), my superb attorney, Fred Greco, got the charges dismissed when the driver admitted for the first time in court that he was "blinded by sun" and never saw me. Who knows what he saw or how fast he was going; the officer never questioned that. The judge was not amused with the driver or the officer and scolded them both. And I won the first court case involving a cyclist in Virginia state history.

But that is all behind me now. I thought a lot about Our Boy Lance during my recovery, and I've never been as strong on a bike as I was that summer. I was never happier on a bike than I was during those wonderful rides in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux and the great finale on the streets of Paris. And I never enjoyed a group of riders more than our Trek Travel group.

I returned to Belgium and France for the first week of the 2004 Tour; got to ride with Jonathan Vaughters and Eddie Mercxx. But there will never be a week quite like we all enjoyed in '03.

So this weekend, I'll be back on the W&OD. Maybe you'll all join Mike and me one of these weekends.

On your left ...

Sponsorships At Risk III

The Tour de Georgia is looking for a new title sponsor.
Even before the summer's drug scandals surrounding the Tour de France, the Ford Dealers Advertising Association of Georgia told organizers it was dropping sponsorship of the 2007 stage race, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Tyler Diaries...'Everybody Cheats'

It is stories like these that leave me thinking and feeling like Tooth ...
I can't think of anyone who has been more adament about his innocence on testing positive for doping than Tyler Hamilton.
Not even Bad Boy Floyd.
I can remember back in '03 while riding along the Tour de France with Trek Travel with Tooth and Granny just how proud we were of Hamilton's effort and stage win despite a broken collarbone suffered early in the race.
Hamilton, like Landis, is the kind of guy you want to believe -- and believe in.
And then I read this from Deutsche Presse-Agentur:

Spanish authorities have uncovered a diary that reveals that U.S. rider Tyler Hamilton, gold medallist at the 2004 Olympics, actively used EPO, growth hormones, testosterone and insulin on 114 of 200 days during the 2003 season, according to the Danish newspaper Politiken.
The report said the programme of doping described in the diary was so extensive that an entire team of helpers must have been involved.
Hamilton finished fourth in the Tour de France in 2003 when riding for the Danish team CSC, and took gold at the Olympics in Athens a year later.
He tested positive for the stamina-enhancing drug EPO in September 2004 and received a two year ban from the sport.
The doping diary has been uncovered by Spanish police investigating a sports doping ring allegedly run by Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and said to involve several leading riders.
Team CSC director and former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis meanwhile denied any knowledge of Hamilton's use of banned substances.
'I'd like to remind people that we were living in hotels and not in prison. When a stage is over, the riders have free time. Then, everyone looks after himself," he said.

A couple comments:
-- Riis's comments are disingenuous at best and insulting at worse. Everyone looks after himself? Indeed.
-- You know what? These guys are guilty until proven innocent.

I paraphrase a little story, compliments of my friend Sal Ruibal, the cycling writer from USA TODAY:

Remember Dave Stoller (Dennis Christopher) from the 1979 movie, "Breaking Away"? Dave is wrapped up in a fantasy world where he's an Italian bike racer. He has an opportunity to race against an Italian cycling team visiting Bloomington, Ind., that he has worshiped from afar. But when he shows that he can keep up with them, naively believing they will admire the purity of his effort, they throw him into a ditch and his fantasy world comes crashing down. "Everybody cheats," he says resignedly.

If you still want to believe, than check out James Raia's open letter to Floyd Landis.
If you want some excellent perspective, then read the New York Times' Harvey Araton's column, "Another Positive Test, Another Test of Faith."

Friday, August 18, 2006

You Go, Robin!

Our Boy Lance demonstrated his support for his biking buddy, Robin Williams, by visiting him in rehab in New York this week.
Lance told People magazine that no one event set Williams off and Williams "was not spiraling down fast." He says he asked Williams what he needed to do as a friend to support him, and Williams said, "I just need to be more mellow [is that possible?]."

Armstrong says that means Williams has to curb his "natural need to do everything times 10." Armstrong says he asked Williams if he should not drink in front of him, and Williams said, "No, not at all. This is a job for the individual with the problem."

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Up Next: The Vuelta Aug. 26-Sept. 17

The Vuelta, or Tour of Spain, is next.
(Sorry, Tooth: I care.)

Spain's Oscar Pereiro, the No. 2 finisher in the Tour de France who could be No. 1 without pedaling another mile, won't be sneaking up on anyone in a breakaway in the Vuelta, he admits in a story I found on Reuters.

"We have a fantastic team for the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) but in my case I will no longer have the benefit of the element of surprise," the Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears rider says. "When the others see me a minute or two in front the alarm bells will start ringing and I don't like that as I prefer to try and catch people off guard."

Pereiro, who is just 29, bolted into the Tour leadership when the peleton chose not to chase him down and granted him a 30-minute breakaway. Without it, Andreas Kloden or Carlos Sastre might be the champion-in-waiting.

"We were delighted with second place because it was an important triumph for the team but right now we can't celebrate second or first place," Pereiro said. "We are ready to savour the triumph but our celebrations are being put on hold by what is happening. It shouldn't take much for everything to be confirmed and for victory to be ours."

Pereiro is likely to have to share team leadership in the Vuelta with Alejandro Valverde, who was forced to quit the French race after breaking his collarbone in a crash.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

It IS Gonchar, NOT Honchar

I love this little story by Tim Maloney on CyclingNews.com about Sergei Gonchar:

One of the side-benefits of Gonchar's two [Tour de France time trial] stage wins and stint in the yellow jersey was that he got his name back. A typing error on his passport condemned him to being referred to as "Honchar" for years. The fame that Tour success brings finally allowed him to set the record straight. "Yeah! In the last few years, people got used to calling me Honchar, especially in Italy, but that is not my name," he said.
"So during the Tour De France, when I was team leader for a few stages, it was even more important to get my right name out there. It was the fault of a secretary in the passport office back home in Ukraine and I have had to live with this. But finally I was able to say 'my name is Gonchar, so call me that'. When my passport arrived with the wrong name, there was nothing I could do. That's the way it is and you can't complain. So when I came back to Italy from Ukraine with a passport that had the wrong name, I had to change all of my other documents. Otherwise if you show up at the airport with two different names, it's a mess."

On the Death of Phonak

Floyd Landis celebrates with owner Andy Rihs and other members of the Phonak cycling team on the day Landis won the Tour de France. ( Javier Soriano/Agence France-Press)

Andy Rihs, owner of Phonak Cycling, which will be disbanded at the end of the year:

"As a passionate cyclist, I am bitterly disappointed that the sport of cycling apparently has become a synonym for doping. For this reason, today [Tuesday] I see myself forced to do something I have never done in my whole life as a businessman: I have given up.

"I'm deeply disappointed because what he [Floyd Landis] did was what led to this decision. I would never say this is a bad person because he played bad. I regret what he's done for him, too."

How Things Have Changed

Remember this? It's the cover you'll never see.

This is the cover you will see.

Worthwhile reading:
John Eustice in the IHT:
What if Floyd Landis were innocent?
Juliet Macur in the NYTimes: Landis’s Fall in France Brings Down Teammates
IHT Samuel Abt on Cycling: Shunned by sponsors, Landis's team dies

Hey, Let's Hit the Freedom Trail!

From Adventure Cycling:
After two years of planning, field research, and in-house cartography, we are proud to announce the completion of maps for the southern section of Adventure Cycling's newest routing project, the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. Starting in Mobile, Alabama, the southern section of the UGRR traverses the Deep South on scenic back roads, traveling 868 miles to Owensboro, Kentucky, located on the Ohio River.

A heritage route in the spirit of the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail, the UGRR follows one of the many historic paths of the Underground Railroad, the fabled trek to freedom undertaken by thousands of enslaved persons prior to the Civil War.

"The Underground Railroad Route celebrates the bravery of freedom seekers who escaped, and the countless Americans who offered them aid on their way to freedom," says Carla Majernik, director of routes and mapping. "It also happens to have lots of incredible riding." Discover more about this unique historic route by exploring our website.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Julich On Floyd

This column by Bobby Julich is a week old but well worth reading if you haven't seen it:

"I don't feel betrayed. I just feel disappointed that, again, we finally build up a guy everyone seems to really like and support and rally behind, then he's thrown into the same category of so many of the other big riders of late: being under suspicion for doping. That definitely takes some of the glamour away from his accomplishments. "

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Tour Sponsorships At Risk II

According to VeloNews, Phonak owner Andy Rihs is ready to throw in the towel. He has no sponsor for his team for the coming year after too many doping cases, topped off by Floyd Landis testing positive after his Tour de France victory.

iShares, a division of Barclay Bank, was scheduled to take over as the main sponsor. USA Cycling President Jim Ochowicz, who works for Barclays and is a consultant to Rihs' ARcycling AG, was supposed to manage the team. Butut according to Blick magazine, the company has backed out.
Rihs is looking for a new sponsor to save the team. You may remember that Landis dedicated his Tour vidtory to Rihs. There will be a press conference on Tuesday to announce Phonak's future.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Lance's Advice to Floyd

Bad Boy Floyd is over-exposed.
So says none other Our Boy Lance, our own over-exposed fav:
"The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media," Lance Armstrong said in Indianapolis. "I would have encouraged him just to lay low."

Lance continues to stand by his former teammate.

"It's obviously not a good situation for cycling," Armstrong said. "Everybody would admit that. Floyd would admit that. It's certainly not a good situation for American cycling. But I am a fan and supporter of Floyd Landis. I believe in him."

Armstrong said cycling's testing policies are among the strictest in sports.

"That's why so many people are out there getting caught, or supposedly getting caught, because we're really aggressive," he said. "If the NFL had the same policy that cycling has, we'd be talking about something different than Floyd Landis right now. It would be a huge story."

Merely Coincidence?

Here's a thought-provoking read from Eurosport:
"Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras and now Floyd Landis -- the former lieutenants of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong are falling like flies. Felix Lowe looks into this uncanny phenomenon and asks if it is merely coincidence or if there's something more untoward under the surface."

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more in the press on the subject to date.

Tour Sponsorships At Risk

According to a story on a London business site, several Tour de France and general cycling sponsorships are at risk. This shouldn't come as a big surprise, of course. Phonak has already dropped out, as has Skoda.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Maxim-um Stupidity?

TMZ.com -- the folks who brought you the Mel Gibson story first -- pointed me to this story on Maxim.com and its "Today's Girl" feature. I don't read Maxim, and I have no idea what "Today's Girl" is all about or why Bad Boy Floyd is "Today's Girl." But here it is:

Floyd Landis

The alleged crime: Floyd cried like a Frenchman after Tour officials found Jose Canseco-esque amounts of testosterone in his urine.
His excuses: I always have high testosterone, I got wasted the night before on a 12 pack of Testoster-Ale, Mennonites have huge balls (full of testosterone), Hulk smash urine sample judge…

Our verdict: You can't get away with using steroids. Unless you play baseball.

Horse Racing Needs Its Own Floyd Landis

Who'da thunk it?

Bad Boy Floyd a role model?

That's what Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer is thinking: Can't horse racing follow cycling's lead?

"Both are plagued by the use of performance-enhancing drugs," he writes. "Both are being spoiled by public cynicism; fans suspect that any brilliant or extraordinary achievement might be the result of cheating. … These happen to be the two sports that I love the most. I watched the Tour every day for three weeks and cheered for Landis; I felt betrayed when he was exposed as a cheat who, according to test results, had won with an illegal boost of testosterone. Despite the fact that professional cycling is tarnished by scandal, I believe that the thoroughbred industry should emulate the way cycling has confronted the drug issue. The International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport's governing body, is making a serious effort to confront illegal drug use and punish cheaters. Horse racing tends to sweep its problems under the rug.

"What horse racing needs, in short, is its own Floyd Landis."

Lookin' Good?

These days, there is no privacy. You can take a picture of anybody almost anywhere. And the website that posted this picture and report isn't exactly reputable mainstream media. But after his less-than-elegant ESPY performance, you have to say that Our Boy Lance is living large these days. At least his Austin/Hollywood buddy Matthew McConaughey is still wearing his yellow wrist band. Maybe this is the new Bad Boy Floyd Jack Daniels training program? From Jaunted (The Pop Culture Travel Guide):

"That new Dynamic Duo, Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong, were out and about in Miami this past week -- looking like a pair of overgrown frat boys, to be honest. One night in particular was a testament to their "we've still got it"-ness, as they bounced around town hitting up clubs both awesome and not so."

And more silliness from TMZ.com:
Miami Beach's Beach Patrol Ocean Rescue had to insist that Our Boy Lance and his buddy Matt get out of unsafe water. According to TMZ, "A fierce rain storm was pounding the coast, and the water was extremely choppy and rough."

Best part: There's video!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

'This Stuff is Not Popeye's Spinach'

The Washington Post has the best story I've seen on the impact testosterone may have -- or not have -- had on Floyd Landis in the Tour de France:

A lot isn't known yet about what Landis took and when he took it. But a lot is understood about testosterone, the naturally occurring hormone that makes males men. And none of it suggests that it would have helped Landis much if he had binged on a synthetic form of the man-juice right before his comeback ride.

Testosterone's abilities to enhance performance when taken at high doses accrue gradually, so athletes who abuse it usually do so over an extended period, experts say. This stuff is not Popeye's spinach.

Voigt Uber Deutschland Tour

Jens Voigt of Germany and CSC won the Tour of Germany, finishing ahead of American Levi Leipheimer (Gerosteiner) in the eight-stage race. Andrey Kashechkin from Kazakhstan was third. (AP/Daniel Maurer)

Voigt on the doping scandal:
"I know how I win, it's by hard work, not by cheating.

"But we need more controls and more testing to make sure this sport is as free of drugs problems as possible."

Sue Floyd?

Patrick Lefevere is angry.
The President of the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams and the Belgian manager of Quick Step has raised the idea of legal action against Bad Boy Floyd to protect the image of cycling.
The image of cycling?
"We should take him to court for what he is now doing to cycling," said Lefevere. "Why not? Why not take the American approach of dealing with things and apply it here? As long as Landis continues to maintain that he knows nothing, this sort of scenario becomes more likely. I feel like throwing up when I hear him. Landis has turned the clock back 20 years."
The American approach?
They don't sue in Belgium?
I sure hope Quick Step is clean.

Not Very Funny

I didn't stay up to watch Bad Boy Floyd on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, but according to this story on MSNBC, Leno played it pretty straight. Guess the whole thing isn't very funny.

Leno joked in his monologue, “Tonight we have a man on this show who has way too much testosterone — Bill Maher.”

From the MSNBC story:
At one point during the exchanges between Leno and Landis, Mahler chimed in, “It seems like we’re having a giant debate about a sport no one gives a ... about. Does anyone ever watch people bicycle racing, except for the last 10 seconds?”
Landis spoke up, “He has a hard time getting guests here. Leave the guy alone.”
The crowd laughed and applauded.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Skoda Goes Off-Road

Here's a familiar sight you won't be seeing at the 2007 Tour de France -- and no, we aren't talking about Floyd Landis!

Czech car manufacturer Skoda has withdrawn from sponsoring the Tour de France.

Guess why?

As a result of the current doping scandal involving winner Bad Boy Floyd.

As you might remember, Skoda succeeded the Italian company Fiat as vehicle sponsor in 2004.
A Skoda spokesman said: "The recent scandal involving Floyd Landis [is] not good for our image."

Hey, it's not good for Floyd's image, either!

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

Mike Keefe, The Denver Post

TV Silliness

So, who was supposed to have Floyd Landis on the air first Monday during his media blitz?
Landis says that "The Today Show" breached its interview agreement with them. It seems that "Good Morning America" was supposed to be first.

(The networks fight over these things.)

"I'm disappointed that NBC's 'The Today Show' chose the tact of pre-empting the live segment we offered 'Good Morning America' and ABC. In a gesture of courtesy, we said we would pre-tape NBC's segment with Matt Lauer only if it ran after GMA, who provided us the original opportunity. It's unfortunate they breeched our agreement, which questions NBC's integrity," Landis said in a prepared statement.

NBC's answer: "I find it interesting in light of Mr. Landis' situation that he would question anyone's integrity right now," an NBC source said.

Read more.

Tuesday Update

Bonnie DeSimone of the Boston Globe, one of the better cycling writers around, has an excellent summary of the "Landis defense" today.

Alan Abramson of the Los Angeles Times, who has been a frequent contributor on NBC and MSNBC, has more of the same. But there's a particularly interesting part of his story that more specifically describes Landis's evening after the near-fatal 16th stage of the Tour and the morning of the miraculous 17th:

"This morning he was so angry … so mad at himself," wrote Landis physiologist Allen Lim in a Bicycling.com blog post. "He had the music cranked to max as he paced around his tiny hotel room like a wild animal, foraging for his belongings so he could pack his suitcase for the transfer. His appetite for redemption was so raw and you could see his thirst for blood as he proclaimed, 'I'm the strongest guy in the race! And yesterday was crap! I may lose this Tour but it's going to cost them!'"

Monday, August 07, 2006

And The Winner Is ...

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star

Floyd's Monday Media Blitz

At some point -- and maybe you've already reached it (Tooth did long ago) -- the ongoing saga of Bad Boy Floyd's own personal hell is going to begin to bore you.
Personally, I don't know what to think. I don't know Floyd Landis. I don't know what he would do if driven to desperation, as he no doubt was on the decisive 17th stage of the Tour de France.

I want to believe.

It isn't hard to imagine.

But there is an old saying: If something is too good to be true, then it probably isn't.
There are two stories of interest this morning:

My friend Sal Ruibal of USA TODAY appears to be the only journalist to have interviewed Floyd on Sunday. Basically, Landis says that the UIC and WADA are treating him unfairly and not giving him sufficient time to defend himself.

And John Spivey has an interesting opinion piece on BlogCritic.org based on Daniel Coyle's chapter on Landis ("The Book of Floyd") in his book, "Lance Armstrong's War."

Finally, Floyd and his wife, Amber, were interviewed by Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" on ABC-TV this morning. As it turned out, it was the first a number of morning show interviews (see links below). While Roberts asked several direct questions, and Landis answered directly, the interview didn't really add anything. Floyd is sorry he (and his lawyers) answered developments piecemeal; it made him sound like he was offering excuses. He also feels there is an "agenda" against him.

Armen Keteyian of CBSNews conducted the best of the interviews, and Landis came across most naturally and comfortably during that session. Keteyian, not surprisingly given his journalistic background, asked the most precise and intelligent questions, so if you watch just one interview, watch this one.

I would like to understand why Landis tested positive just once for high, external levels of testosterone. Where did it come from? And why just this once? Could the sample have been tampered with? If not, why was Landis positive just this once, and what could he have done that would have resulted in a one-time, one-stage boost? Those are the questions I need answered.
So, the saga continues. If you read this blog, tell the Cranks what you think.

MSNBC video: 'Nobody in their right mind would take testosterone just once,' cyclist says
FoxNews video: Floyd Landis Defends Himself to Media, Maintains Innocence on Doping Charges
CBSNews video on Landis: I Earned Tour Title
IHT's Samuel Abt on Cycling: Landis on offensive 'to defend myself'
NYTimes Harvey Araton: The Burden of Failure Puts Athletes at Risk
Rocky Mountain News Bernie Lincicome: To tell the truth? Outlandish excuses rule

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Happy, Greggie?

This is a Greg Lemond bike: The Victoire.
Frame: LeMond Triomphe Min/Max Carbon
Fork: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon/150GSM w/carbon crown
Wheels: Bontrager Race X Lite
Group: Shimano Dura Ace
Greggie would like you to buy his bikes.
Greggie is jealous that Our Boy Lance is more successful and better known than he is.
So Greggie is constantly sniping at OBL, taking every opportunity he can to stick his face in front of a camera and sell his bikes.
Bad Boy Floyd is the best thing to happen to Greggie in a l-o-n-g time.
So, here's your plug, Greggie.
Now, LAY OFF, eh?

And congratulations to the Crankset: This is our 300th post since our debut in March.

Kissy, Kissy, Make Nice to the Cyclist

Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) won the 5th stage of the Tour of Germany from Bad Toelz, Germany, to Seefeld, Austria, Sunday. Jens Voigt is the overall leader.
(AP/Daniel Maurer)

Read 'Em and Weep

AP: French press seemingly indifferent to Landis' positive doping test
On the front page of the Washington Post: Landis's Second Positive Test Is Latest Incident in Doping 'Epidemic'
Sarah Kaufman essay in the Washington Post: Driven to Win, Floyd Landis May Lose It All
Editorial: Did Floyd Landis cheat his own legacy?
Mike Lupica: The Tour de Fraud
Mike Downey: Floyd Landis on a rollercoaster ride
George Vecsey: The Final Stage and the Last Straw
Dan Shaughnessy: Public's trust tested too often to believe

Saturday, August 05, 2006

The Devil Made Him Do It

You knew this was coming! German fan Didi Senft, nicknamed El Diablo, ran after Floyd Landis during the 14th stage of the Tour de France. Looks like he may have caught him.
(Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images)

The Real Winner?

It appears that Spain's Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), who celebrated the yellow jersey as overall leader following the 200.5 km 17th stage of the Tour de France, might ultimately be declared the winner. Pereiro said on Saturday that he felt like the true Tour de France champion after confirmation of a drug test for Floyd Landis. Pereiro finished second overall, thanks to a 30-minute gift by Landis and the rest of the peleton earlier in the race. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

AP: Backup Landis Test Confirms 'Adverse' Finding

The news, as expected, was not good for Floyd Landis -- or professional cycling -- this morning.
Here's the story.

And so far, Floyd is sticking by his story -- well, stories. Like Tyler Hamilton, the continuing story will not be good for cycling. But this situation is even worse. True, Hamilton won the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. But the Tour de France is cycling's ultimate test and most public event. And now, the champion is in question -- and so is the entire sport. Again.

Here's a question Greg Lemond must be asking: What do Roberto Heras, Tyler Hamilton and now Floyd Landis all have in common?
Keep 'em comin', Greggie.

AP: Runner-up Pereiro says he feels like the real Tour winner
AP: Anger, dismay over Landis' second positive doping sample
CBS/Philadelphia: Cyclists React To Landis Controversy
Europsport: Landis sacked after positive B sample
Prudhomme: "Landis is no longer winner"
NYTimes Julie Macur: Backup Sample on Landis Is Positive
Cycling News: Landis' counsel issues statement on B sample finding
VeloNews Andrew Hood & Charles Pelkey: Landis's second sample confirms original finding
Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald: Landis result won't solve the real mystery
Scotsman.com: Landis affair is a 'slap in the face', says Millar

Friday, August 04, 2006

Floyd Landis: Out of This World

By Mike Luckovich/Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Special Thursday Night At The Track

Oude Granny has been meaning to write something up about track racing for quite some time now. And I couldn't have picked a more perfect time (or night) to head out to the Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome for the Roger DeLanghe Trophy Race. Directly from the Northbrook Velodrome website:

"This premier race is a salute to Roger DeLanghe who has made countless contributions to cycling over the years. Brutally fast, this 50 lap scratch race contest pays the top 25 riders and offers the largest total purse of the season. The Trophy Race honors the legendary Roger DeLanghe, an icon on the Midwest race scene. Since his emigration from Belgium years ago, Roger has worked tirelessly to promote bike racing throughout the region, culminating in the addition of the Quad Cities Criterium to the USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar. In recognition of his achievements, Roger takes a lap of honor at the beginning of his race each year."

And this year, Mr. DeLanghe looked as good as ever leading out the 58 rider field. Yes that's not a typo, a 58 rider field. That may seem like an exceptionally overabundant field, but because of the way the Northbrook Velodrome was constructed, its probably one of the only velodromes in the country that could accomodate such a large mass of humanity.

Roger DeLanghe (Center) Still Going Strong

Wondering about the competition of the field? Well it sported all the local big names, including the 2001 Champion, Robbie Ventura. Yes, that's right, former US Postal rider, current coach of Floyd Landis, OLN Tour de France commentator, and owner of VisionQuest Coaching Services, was back in Illinois to participate in this annual speedfest.

Robbie Ventura - 2001 Winner of the Roger DeLanghe Trophy
Getting Numbers Pinned On

But perhaps the biggest treat of Granny's night had to be watching Natalie Klemko. A member of America's Dairyland Cycling Team, this 19 year old from Bristol, WI was clearly the class of the Womens' field. But the high school senior wasn't out on the track merely to collect easy prizes, cash, or medals last night. She came to race! If you look closely at the photo of Roger Delanghe above, you'll see Natalie to the right (kit trimmed in pink). She mixed it up with the big boys, placing in the front of the pack for the 50 lap scratch race, and immediately following the cool down/neutral lap, Natalie jumped right into the next Women's scratch race. Udderly AMAZING! (Sorry Granny couldn't resist the pun)

Natalie Klemko - Breezing To An Easy Victory

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Old Salt

Here's one of those cycling pictures only Graham Watson would think to shoot: Benoit Joachim's shorts display the salt stains of a day's hard work during the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana. Danilo Di Luca won the stage to La Covatilla and is the overall leader.

I Bet Erik Zabel Doesn't Dope

German sprinter Erik Zabel won the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana in Caceres Tuesday, just ahead of Norway's Thor Hushovd, who retained the overall lead.

“It's a special day after a long time of not having won anything,” said Zabel, 36, of his three-year absence from the podium. Zabel has won about 200 stages in his professional career, including 10 in the Tour de France and six in the Vuelta.

Here's a story from Crankset friend Sal Ruibal of USA TODAY:
-- Danielson's reign in Spain could be Tour answer for Discovery team

Erik Zabel of the Team Milram celebrates on the podium.
(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Basso Watch

Giro d'Italia cycling champion Ivan Basso, who was excluded from the Tour de France after being implicated in the Spanish doping investigation, denied using banned substances in his first appearance before Italian anti-doping authorities in Rome on Tuesday.

The hearing was adjourned to Sept. 12, when a decision on whether to refer the case to the Italian Cycling Federation is expected, said Massimo Martelli, Basso's lawyer.

Tooth is waiting with baited breath ...

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

More World Cup Adventures to Come....

Stay tuned for the Cat 5 slips and slides and...




the World Cup Year in Review!


(well, let's just say it didn't go to the dogs)


-Sleepy 53rd Signing Off

You Can Eat THAT on a Bike in the Middle of a Major Stage Race (Don't Tell Jan)?

Paolo Bettini has found himself a tasty bocadillo, but he'd probably prefer a tomato and mozzarella panini instead during Stage 4 of the Vuelta (photo and cutline by Graham Watson).

ZIP-ity DO DAH!



8.26.06 - PA Junior State Championships - Trexlertown, PA

Okay, admit it. We've all had the fantasy. No I'm not speaking of Elizabeth Hurley, scantily clad, seeking your every desire. Wait, maybe that's just mine. Anywho...

The fantasy I speak of is the one when you were a teenager. Daydreaming of being the sporting envy of not only your peers but the entire STATE. That's right, 1 of the 50. A place so big that, well, you simply now call your kingdom. Forget Penns Woods. It's Zips Woods now. Senator, I propose we rename this Commonwealth...Zippsylvania!

Why this rant you ask? How could I not? How could not gush a wee bit about my 15 year old teammate, who with great humility, poise and grace cruised into his first win of the year. Not any win mind you! The win that COUNTS! The win that crowned OUR BOY ZIP...
Junior (15-16 men) PA State Champion!!!

Dare I remind you that this win was not a walk in the park Kasinski. It required all the usual skills of a winner such as smart race tactics, cat like reflexes to fend off frequent attacks and of course my personal favorite, POWER. Oh was there POWER. Zip, who proclaims he's not a sprinter happened to overtake his arch rival from the Red Rose Rockets in a, you guessed it, sprint.

One full bike length and category separated these two. Did I forget to mention that number 2 was a Cat 3 and Junior?? Zip not only took the prize but took it from a full cat above him. Ouch. All that's left is the girl.....(sorry bike mom, we won't go there)

Proud Parents of "the boy" - Mike and Shelley Putt

Not having witnessed too many finer finshes in my day, I couldn't be happier for a kid more deserving. Congratulations to Zach and an incredible first year of racing! Just remember one ting about Zip...you heard about him here, first!

-All 53 Teeth reporting

The Poop on the Tour of Britain

The Tour of Britain is getting more attention this year, and for good reason.

First, the peleton will include Belgians Tom Boonen and Nick Nuyens, from Quickstep, and T-Mobile's Andreas Kloden of Germany and Michael Rogers of Australia.

Second, the London finale incorporates sections of the 2007 Tour de France route and the 2012 Olympic road-racing course.

Third, the stages look interesting, especially the key stage on Thursday from Bradford to Sheffield which traverses the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District and includes several steep climbs.

And fourth, cycling has the mountain of credibility to climb, writes Jeremy Whittle of the Times of London:

"The British race may not yet have the cachet of the Tour de France, but with the established European scene in crisis after a traumatic summer of doping scandals, the Tour of Britain is one of several shorter and less commercialised events that may prove to be more ethically sustainable than its gladiatorial cousins."

Here's some other stories on this interesting race that will challenge the ongoing Vuelta a Espana for attention (but not Tooth's) this week:
-- Tough test can bring the best out of a tarnished sport
-- British tour hopes to blow away cloud of controversy
-- Boonen and chums have the pedigree
-- Tour of Britain stage guide
-- Cycling: Tour ace backs Cooke award

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Departing Malaga

The Vuelta makes a tranquil exit from Malaga at the start of the second stage of the Vuelta a Espana Sunday (photo by Graham Watson).

Sunday Wheelings and Dealings

As I follow the first stage of the Vuelta a Espana on VeloNews' live race blog, let me share some thoughts on the prologue and a couple other stories that have passed this way.
Assuming that at least some cyclists like Carlos Sastre rides clean, I shared in Team CSC's satisfaction with his crossing the finishing line first in the unusual team-time trail prologue Saturday in Malaga on Spain's Costa del Sol (just the names make you wish you were there!).

This is Sastre's third major tour of the year. Sastre's unselfish work in the mountains helped the currently disgraced Ivan Basso win the Giro de Italia in the Spring. A poor time trail, however, cost Sastre a shot at the podium (he finished fourth) in the Tour de France last month.

It is unusual to ride (and perform well) in all three major tours, but there was Sastre again. According to the VeloNews, "Team CSC had already decided it was going to put Sastre first across the line and roared over the flat 7.3km course."

Said Team CSC sport director Bjarne Riis (photo by Graham Watson): "We made the decision to let Carlos finish first. If anyone deserves it, it's him. He works harder than anyone and he makes more sacrifices. We won't defend the jersey now, but I believe Carlos can win this Vuelta."

A nice story.

In some other stories:
-- If you're following the Vuelta on the VeloNews blog, you picked up this little nugget:
"Jan Ullrich has apparently accepted his dismissal by T-Mobile following doping accusations prior to this year's Tour de France and will not seek financial compensation from the German team, according to a report in Der Spiegel magazine."

-- Interesting commentary in the Times of London by Matt Cooper about the ballyhoo in advance of special events (like the upcoming Ryder Cup in Ireland, the start of the '98 Tour de France in Ireland and, no doubt, the start of the '07 Tour in London) instead of directing resources in more lasting sports infrastructure. Cooper writes:

"Yet our complaints [about the Tour] were well founded. Those with only a passing interest in the sport probably had some inkling that illegal drug use had pushed the performances of some cyclists beyond credible limits in the preceding years. We felt this was a corrupt sport, with widespread cheating; one that should be condemned and discarded, not feted."
Obviously, the fallout from continued drug scandals in cycling continues. And rightly so.

-- The Tour of Britain sets off from Glasgow on Tuesday. Despite overlapping the Vuelta, it features some outstanding riders: Tom Boonen, Andreas Kloden and Michael Rogers. But no cycling event takes place now without the spectre of doping and implied guilt by association.

"It pisses you off more than anything else," says 25-year-old Evan Oliphant. "People think all cyclists are on it, so it doesn't do any of us any good. But you just have to get on with it; it's not really something you think about while you're racing. I reckon [doping] will always be a problem -- you won't be able to stop it completely -- but I definitely think there should be life bans. Even for first offences - a life ban."

Won't be able to stop cheating completely? I guess that would be naive. But that is cycling's challenge. So far, sadly, it has not been up to it.

-- If you really want to watch the Tour of Britain, there will be daily highlights on Cycling.tv starting Tuesday. A viewer has been inserted on the Tour of Britain website. There will be highlights of the start and finish of every stage, and interviews with the daily stage winner and race leader shortly after each stage.

-- Testosterone is good. Cycling is bad. Find out why in this Boston Globe story.
-- And it appears that Paolo Bettini has won a sprint finish in Cardoba to take the first stage of the Veulta. The new overall leader: Thor Hushovd.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Tour of Spain Itinerary

Here's the itinerary for the Tour of Spain which starts in Malaga on Saturday (* denotes mountain finish):

Saturday, Aug. 26: first stage, Malaga - Malaga (7.3 km) - team time trial
Sunday, Aug. 27: second stage, Malaga - Cordoba (176 km)
Monday, Aug. 28: third stage, Cordoba - Almendralejo (219 km)
Tuesday, Aug. 29: fourth stage, Almendralejo - Caceres (135 km)
Wednesday, Aug. 30: fifth stage, Plasencia - La Covatilla* (178 km)
Thursday, Aug. 31: sixth stage, Zamora - Leon (177 km)
Friday, Sept. 1: seventh stage, Leon - Alto de Morredero* (154.2 km)
Saturday, Sept. 2: eighth stage, Ponferrada - Lugo (181.6 km)
Sunday, Sept. 3: ninth stage, A Fonsagrada - Alto de la Cobertoria* (207.4 km)
Monday, Sept. 4: rest day
Tuesday, Sept. 5: 10th stage, Aviles - Museo de Altamira (199.3 km)
Wednesday, Sept. 6: 11th stage, Torrelavega - Burgos (173.6 km)
Thursday, Sept. 7: 12th stage, Aranda de Duero - Guadalajara (169.3 km)
Friday, Sept. 8: 13th stage, Guadalajara - Cuenca (180 km)
Saturday, Sept. 9: 14th stage, Cuenca - Cuenca (33.2 km) - individual time trial,
Sunday, Sept. 10: 15th stage, Motilla del Palancar - Almussafes (182 km)
Monday, Sept. 11: rest day
Tuesday, Sept. 12: 16th stage, Almeria - Calar Alto* (145 km)
Wednesday, Sept. 13: 17th stage, Adra - Granada (166.7 km)
Thursday, Sept. 14: 18th stage, Granada - Sierra de la Pandera* (153.1 km)
Friday, Sept. 15: 19th stage, Jaen - Ciudad Real (205.3 km)
Saturday, Sept. 16: 20th stage, Rivas Vaciamadrid - Rivas Vaciamadrid (27.5 km) - individual time trial
Sunday, Sept. 17: 21st stage, Madrid - Madrid (142.2 km)

Total distance: 3,213 km


Also:
La Vuelta's Colorful History
Spanish rider Gil excluded from Tour of Spain

Leading Tour of Spain contenders

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Lance Armstrong Really a Space Alien

I'm not even going to try to explain this one.
Figure it out for yourself ... if you can.

'Dark Days'? I'll Say!

In the upcoming issue of VeloNews:

A QUESTION OF TESTOSTERONE

SHADOWLANDS:
Doping positive casts Landis's Tour win into doubt

A DARK LEGACY:
Phonak's doping track record

THE CHEMICAL OF MAN:
Testosterone 101

A HISTORY OF CHEATING:
Banned Tour winners and testosterone positives are nothing new

Beating Basso Like a Drum

We haven't heard much about or from Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso (at left/photo by Graham Watson) since his CSC team dropped him from their Tour de France lineup.
Now, even if his name is cleared in the Spanish doping investigation, team manager Bjarne Riis says he could be dropped from the team altogether.

"Not everything is about the law," Riis told Danish daily Politiken on Tuesday.

"Basso must not only prove his innocence in court, he must also prove it to us. I find it difficult to believe Basso has a future with CSC -- unless he is totally cleared."

Basso was one of nine competitors withdrawn before this year's Tour De France after being implicated in the scandal which surfaced in May after the Spanish Civil Guard found anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment and frozen blood in several raids.
"It's not so crucial what I think but it is crucial that the evidence he is up against is very incriminating," Riis said.

"The way I see it, even if Basso has just been in contact with Fuentes, he has lied to me and betrayed the team and our values. Then he's finished with us," Riis said.

Jake is Lance, Matthew is Not

Our Boy Lance has confirmed speculation that Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) will portray him in a biopic (that's movie-speak for a film bio). Matthew McConaughey had been up to play the part (and Matt Damon before him) but lost out to Gyllenhaal.

"He said that's why he has been spending so much time with them both this summer," said some unidentified source who probably also talks with Tooth. There are plenty of stories about this silliness if you care. The Daily Blabber (the name says it all, eh?) did have this interesting pespective:

"This begs the question: Does anyone really want to see a Lance Armstrong biopic at this point? Maybe back when he fresh off winning seven Tour de France titles. Or when he was married to his ex, Kristin, and they appeared to be the perfect little family with their towhead little kiddies. But in the last eight months since he dumped Sheryl Crow he's gone from heroic to horndog, hitting the Playboy mansion and trolling for chicks with Matthew. As a longtime fan, I really think he's lost his appeal."

Frankly, I think Greg Lemond should play Lance!
So, would you go to see the movie?

Vuelta Preview

Yeah, Tooth, the Vuelta begins on Saturday with a 7.3km team time trial in Malaga and finishes in Madrid on Sept. 17.

You remember the Vuelta, Tooth. That's the race that Russian Denis Menchov won when Roberto Heras was stripped of the title following a positive test for the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO).

And cycling has been just a joy from there with one doping scandal after another.

"I'd love to win the race, but the Vuelta is a secondary objective this year after the Tour (de France) and I don't feel as fresh this time," Menchov was quoted as saying in the Spanish sports daily Marca.

Menchov (pictured above by Graham Watson winning Stage 11 of the Tour) finished sixth in this year's Tour de France behind Floyd Landis. Of course, that could be fifth, too, if Landis is stripped of his title following his positive test for excessive levels of the hormone testosterone.

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Other riders to watch: Alejandro Valverde, Carlos Sastre, Alexander Vinokourov and and maybe even Iban Mayo.

There are some tough mountain stages in the early part of the Vuelta this year, so the likely contenders could be revealed in the first week of the race.

"The mountains will be the key. There are a lot at the start, not many in the middle and a lot at the end. The time trials are short and I don't think they will be decisive," Menchov said.

Monday, August 21, 2006

It All Started on the W&OD Trail

On your left ... on your left. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/Washington Post)

Just another day on Northern Virginia's W&OD Trail?

OK, well maybe it's not quite that bad, but the 45-mile paved trail that Mike Armellino and I usually ride weekends is picking up increased traffic, according to a front-page story in last Friday's Washington Post.

Three cyclists have been killed on the trail in the last year, and that is the kind of thing that tends to attract media attention.

Mike and I usually start out in Reston, at about the 17-mile mark, and head west to Leesburg. The roundtrip to Leesburg is about 34 miles; through Leesburg about 41 miles; and to Purcelville and back 56 miles. There's less traffic going west than east, and fewer road crossings as well. The roundtrip ride east from Reston, or Vienna, to Alexandria (home of Mike's restaurant, Bilbo Baggins), ranges from about 48 to 60 miles, and takes you along the Potomac River, with the famous Washington D.C. monuments just across the river. Very pretty, but it's dangerous to exceed about 15 mph along the river, where the trail passes Reagan National Airport and gets fairly congested with riders, runners, rollerbladers and walkers. Going west, a good speed for me is about 17 mph; Mike could easily do 20 by himself.

I have my own W&OD story, of course. Nearly four years ago, on Nov. 20, I was struck by a van in a crosswalk across Belmont Ridge Road. The driver clipped my rear wheel and send me flying like ET on that bike ride with the moon as a backdrop. It was seven months before our big Trek Travel trip, and I wasn't recovered enough to resume training until the end of March. So the climbs in the Pyrenees were something of a triumph for me. I suffered some cracked ribs and a small crack in my pelvis, and as Mike knows, I worked hard to get in reasonable shape for the wonderful week of riding with Granny, Tooth and Mike.

There was more to the triumph, of course. Cyclists are always at fault in Virginia, and an unsympathetic Loudoun County policeman issued me a ticket for failure to yield (the way I flew through the air, I'd say I yielded plenty!). To this day, I still don't know how that van got that close to me, especially if it was doing the speed limit, but I know I didn't bolt into the road, as the officer assumed -- certainly not onto a road on which the speed limit is 45 and cars and trucks often approach 60 mph.

I took the case to court, and for about $2,200 (I could have paid the $50 ticket and been done with it), my superb attorney, Fred Greco, got the charges dismissed when the driver admitted for the first time in court that he was "blinded by sun" and never saw me. Who knows what he saw or how fast he was going; the officer never questioned that. The judge was not amused with the driver or the officer and scolded them both. And I won the first court case involving a cyclist in Virginia state history.

But that is all behind me now. I thought a lot about Our Boy Lance during my recovery, and I've never been as strong on a bike as I was that summer. I was never happier on a bike than I was during those wonderful rides in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux and the great finale on the streets of Paris. And I never enjoyed a group of riders more than our Trek Travel group.

I returned to Belgium and France for the first week of the 2004 Tour; got to ride with Jonathan Vaughters and Eddie Mercxx. But there will never be a week quite like we all enjoyed in '03.

So this weekend, I'll be back on the W&OD. Maybe you'll all join Mike and me one of these weekends.

On your left ...

Sponsorships At Risk III

The Tour de Georgia is looking for a new title sponsor.
Even before the summer's drug scandals surrounding the Tour de France, the Ford Dealers Advertising Association of Georgia told organizers it was dropping sponsorship of the 2007 stage race, according to the Macon Telegraph.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Tyler Diaries...'Everybody Cheats'

It is stories like these that leave me thinking and feeling like Tooth ...
I can't think of anyone who has been more adament about his innocence on testing positive for doping than Tyler Hamilton.
Not even Bad Boy Floyd.
I can remember back in '03 while riding along the Tour de France with Trek Travel with Tooth and Granny just how proud we were of Hamilton's effort and stage win despite a broken collarbone suffered early in the race.
Hamilton, like Landis, is the kind of guy you want to believe -- and believe in.
And then I read this from Deutsche Presse-Agentur:

Spanish authorities have uncovered a diary that reveals that U.S. rider Tyler Hamilton, gold medallist at the 2004 Olympics, actively used EPO, growth hormones, testosterone and insulin on 114 of 200 days during the 2003 season, according to the Danish newspaper Politiken.
The report said the programme of doping described in the diary was so extensive that an entire team of helpers must have been involved.
Hamilton finished fourth in the Tour de France in 2003 when riding for the Danish team CSC, and took gold at the Olympics in Athens a year later.
He tested positive for the stamina-enhancing drug EPO in September 2004 and received a two year ban from the sport.
The doping diary has been uncovered by Spanish police investigating a sports doping ring allegedly run by Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and said to involve several leading riders.
Team CSC director and former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis meanwhile denied any knowledge of Hamilton's use of banned substances.
'I'd like to remind people that we were living in hotels and not in prison. When a stage is over, the riders have free time. Then, everyone looks after himself," he said.

A couple comments:
-- Riis's comments are disingenuous at best and insulting at worse. Everyone looks after himself? Indeed.
-- You know what? These guys are guilty until proven innocent.

I paraphrase a little story, compliments of my friend Sal Ruibal, the cycling writer from USA TODAY:

Remember Dave Stoller (Dennis Christopher) from the 1979 movie, "Breaking Away"? Dave is wrapped up in a fantasy world where he's an Italian bike racer. He has an opportunity to race against an Italian cycling team visiting Bloomington, Ind., that he has worshiped from afar. But when he shows that he can keep up with them, naively believing they will admire the purity of his effort, they throw him into a ditch and his fantasy world comes crashing down. "Everybody cheats," he says resignedly.

If you still want to believe, than check out James Raia's open letter to Floyd Landis.
If you want some excellent perspective, then read the New York Times' Harvey Araton's column, "Another Positive Test, Another Test of Faith."

Friday, August 18, 2006

You Go, Robin!

Our Boy Lance demonstrated his support for his biking buddy, Robin Williams, by visiting him in rehab in New York this week.
Lance told People magazine that no one event set Williams off and Williams "was not spiraling down fast." He says he asked Williams what he needed to do as a friend to support him, and Williams said, "I just need to be more mellow [is that possible?]."

Armstrong says that means Williams has to curb his "natural need to do everything times 10." Armstrong says he asked Williams if he should not drink in front of him, and Williams said, "No, not at all. This is a job for the individual with the problem."

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Up Next: The Vuelta Aug. 26-Sept. 17

The Vuelta, or Tour of Spain, is next.
(Sorry, Tooth: I care.)

Spain's Oscar Pereiro, the No. 2 finisher in the Tour de France who could be No. 1 without pedaling another mile, won't be sneaking up on anyone in a breakaway in the Vuelta, he admits in a story I found on Reuters.

"We have a fantastic team for the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) but in my case I will no longer have the benefit of the element of surprise," the Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears rider says. "When the others see me a minute or two in front the alarm bells will start ringing and I don't like that as I prefer to try and catch people off guard."

Pereiro, who is just 29, bolted into the Tour leadership when the peleton chose not to chase him down and granted him a 30-minute breakaway. Without it, Andreas Kloden or Carlos Sastre might be the champion-in-waiting.

"We were delighted with second place because it was an important triumph for the team but right now we can't celebrate second or first place," Pereiro said. "We are ready to savour the triumph but our celebrations are being put on hold by what is happening. It shouldn't take much for everything to be confirmed and for victory to be ours."

Pereiro is likely to have to share team leadership in the Vuelta with Alejandro Valverde, who was forced to quit the French race after breaking his collarbone in a crash.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

It IS Gonchar, NOT Honchar

I love this little story by Tim Maloney on CyclingNews.com about Sergei Gonchar:

One of the side-benefits of Gonchar's two [Tour de France time trial] stage wins and stint in the yellow jersey was that he got his name back. A typing error on his passport condemned him to being referred to as "Honchar" for years. The fame that Tour success brings finally allowed him to set the record straight. "Yeah! In the last few years, people got used to calling me Honchar, especially in Italy, but that is not my name," he said.
"So during the Tour De France, when I was team leader for a few stages, it was even more important to get my right name out there. It was the fault of a secretary in the passport office back home in Ukraine and I have had to live with this. But finally I was able to say 'my name is Gonchar, so call me that'. When my passport arrived with the wrong name, there was nothing I could do. That's the way it is and you can't complain. So when I came back to Italy from Ukraine with a passport that had the wrong name, I had to change all of my other documents. Otherwise if you show up at the airport with two different names, it's a mess."

On the Death of Phonak

Floyd Landis celebrates with owner Andy Rihs and other members of the Phonak cycling team on the day Landis won the Tour de France. ( Javier Soriano/Agence France-Press)

Andy Rihs, owner of Phonak Cycling, which will be disbanded at the end of the year:

"As a passionate cyclist, I am bitterly disappointed that the sport of cycling apparently has become a synonym for doping. For this reason, today [Tuesday] I see myself forced to do something I have never done in my whole life as a businessman: I have given up.

"I'm deeply disappointed because what he [Floyd Landis] did was what led to this decision. I would never say this is a bad person because he played bad. I regret what he's done for him, too."

How Things Have Changed

Remember this? It's the cover you'll never see.

This is the cover you will see.

Worthwhile reading:
John Eustice in the IHT:
What if Floyd Landis were innocent?
Juliet Macur in the NYTimes: Landis’s Fall in France Brings Down Teammates
IHT Samuel Abt on Cycling: Shunned by sponsors, Landis's team dies

Hey, Let's Hit the Freedom Trail!

From Adventure Cycling:
After two years of planning, field research, and in-house cartography, we are proud to announce the completion of maps for the southern section of Adventure Cycling's newest routing project, the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route. Starting in Mobile, Alabama, the southern section of the UGRR traverses the Deep South on scenic back roads, traveling 868 miles to Owensboro, Kentucky, located on the Ohio River.

A heritage route in the spirit of the Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail, the UGRR follows one of the many historic paths of the Underground Railroad, the fabled trek to freedom undertaken by thousands of enslaved persons prior to the Civil War.

"The Underground Railroad Route celebrates the bravery of freedom seekers who escaped, and the countless Americans who offered them aid on their way to freedom," says Carla Majernik, director of routes and mapping. "It also happens to have lots of incredible riding." Discover more about this unique historic route by exploring our website.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Julich On Floyd

This column by Bobby Julich is a week old but well worth reading if you haven't seen it:

"I don't feel betrayed. I just feel disappointed that, again, we finally build up a guy everyone seems to really like and support and rally behind, then he's thrown into the same category of so many of the other big riders of late: being under suspicion for doping. That definitely takes some of the glamour away from his accomplishments. "

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Tour Sponsorships At Risk II

According to VeloNews, Phonak owner Andy Rihs is ready to throw in the towel. He has no sponsor for his team for the coming year after too many doping cases, topped off by Floyd Landis testing positive after his Tour de France victory.

iShares, a division of Barclay Bank, was scheduled to take over as the main sponsor. USA Cycling President Jim Ochowicz, who works for Barclays and is a consultant to Rihs' ARcycling AG, was supposed to manage the team. Butut according to Blick magazine, the company has backed out.
Rihs is looking for a new sponsor to save the team. You may remember that Landis dedicated his Tour vidtory to Rihs. There will be a press conference on Tuesday to announce Phonak's future.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Lance's Advice to Floyd

Bad Boy Floyd is over-exposed.
So says none other Our Boy Lance, our own over-exposed fav:
"The best is just to let the process play out and get out of the media," Lance Armstrong said in Indianapolis. "I would have encouraged him just to lay low."

Lance continues to stand by his former teammate.

"It's obviously not a good situation for cycling," Armstrong said. "Everybody would admit that. Floyd would admit that. It's certainly not a good situation for American cycling. But I am a fan and supporter of Floyd Landis. I believe in him."

Armstrong said cycling's testing policies are among the strictest in sports.

"That's why so many people are out there getting caught, or supposedly getting caught, because we're really aggressive," he said. "If the NFL had the same policy that cycling has, we'd be talking about something different than Floyd Landis right now. It would be a huge story."

Merely Coincidence?

Here's a thought-provoking read from Eurosport:
"Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras and now Floyd Landis -- the former lieutenants of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong are falling like flies. Felix Lowe looks into this uncanny phenomenon and asks if it is merely coincidence or if there's something more untoward under the surface."

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more in the press on the subject to date.

Tour Sponsorships At Risk

According to a story on a London business site, several Tour de France and general cycling sponsorships are at risk. This shouldn't come as a big surprise, of course. Phonak has already dropped out, as has Skoda.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Maxim-um Stupidity?

TMZ.com -- the folks who brought you the Mel Gibson story first -- pointed me to this story on Maxim.com and its "Today's Girl" feature. I don't read Maxim, and I have no idea what "Today's Girl" is all about or why Bad Boy Floyd is "Today's Girl." But here it is:

Floyd Landis

The alleged crime: Floyd cried like a Frenchman after Tour officials found Jose Canseco-esque amounts of testosterone in his urine.
His excuses: I always have high testosterone, I got wasted the night before on a 12 pack of Testoster-Ale, Mennonites have huge balls (full of testosterone), Hulk smash urine sample judge…

Our verdict: You can't get away with using steroids. Unless you play baseball.

Horse Racing Needs Its Own Floyd Landis

Who'da thunk it?

Bad Boy Floyd a role model?

That's what Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer is thinking: Can't horse racing follow cycling's lead?

"Both are plagued by the use of performance-enhancing drugs," he writes. "Both are being spoiled by public cynicism; fans suspect that any brilliant or extraordinary achievement might be the result of cheating. … These happen to be the two sports that I love the most. I watched the Tour every day for three weeks and cheered for Landis; I felt betrayed when he was exposed as a cheat who, according to test results, had won with an illegal boost of testosterone. Despite the fact that professional cycling is tarnished by scandal, I believe that the thoroughbred industry should emulate the way cycling has confronted the drug issue. The International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport's governing body, is making a serious effort to confront illegal drug use and punish cheaters. Horse racing tends to sweep its problems under the rug.

"What horse racing needs, in short, is its own Floyd Landis."

Lookin' Good?

These days, there is no privacy. You can take a picture of anybody almost anywhere. And the website that posted this picture and report isn't exactly reputable mainstream media. But after his less-than-elegant ESPY performance, you have to say that Our Boy Lance is living large these days. At least his Austin/Hollywood buddy Matthew McConaughey is still wearing his yellow wrist band. Maybe this is the new Bad Boy Floyd Jack Daniels training program? From Jaunted (The Pop Culture Travel Guide):

"That new Dynamic Duo, Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong, were out and about in Miami this past week -- looking like a pair of overgrown frat boys, to be honest. One night in particular was a testament to their "we've still got it"-ness, as they bounced around town hitting up clubs both awesome and not so."

And more silliness from TMZ.com:
Miami Beach's Beach Patrol Ocean Rescue had to insist that Our Boy Lance and his buddy Matt get out of unsafe water. According to TMZ, "A fierce rain storm was pounding the coast, and the water was extremely choppy and rough."

Best part: There's video!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

'This Stuff is Not Popeye's Spinach'

The Washington Post has the best story I've seen on the impact testosterone may have -- or not have -- had on Floyd Landis in the Tour de France:

A lot isn't known yet about what Landis took and when he took it. But a lot is understood about testosterone, the naturally occurring hormone that makes males men. And none of it suggests that it would have helped Landis much if he had binged on a synthetic form of the man-juice right before his comeback ride.

Testosterone's abilities to enhance performance when taken at high doses accrue gradually, so athletes who abuse it usually do so over an extended period, experts say. This stuff is not Popeye's spinach.

Voigt Uber Deutschland Tour

Jens Voigt of Germany and CSC won the Tour of Germany, finishing ahead of American Levi Leipheimer (Gerosteiner) in the eight-stage race. Andrey Kashechkin from Kazakhstan was third. (AP/Daniel Maurer)

Voigt on the doping scandal:
"I know how I win, it's by hard work, not by cheating.

"But we need more controls and more testing to make sure this sport is as free of drugs problems as possible."

Sue Floyd?

Patrick Lefevere is angry.
The President of the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams and the Belgian manager of Quick Step has raised the idea of legal action against Bad Boy Floyd to protect the image of cycling.
The image of cycling?
"We should take him to court for what he is now doing to cycling," said Lefevere. "Why not? Why not take the American approach of dealing with things and apply it here? As long as Landis continues to maintain that he knows nothing, this sort of scenario becomes more likely. I feel like throwing up when I hear him. Landis has turned the clock back 20 years."
The American approach?
They don't sue in Belgium?
I sure hope Quick Step is clean.

Not Very Funny

I didn't stay up to watch Bad Boy Floyd on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, but according to this story on MSNBC, Leno played it pretty straight. Guess the whole thing isn't very funny.

Leno joked in his monologue, “Tonight we have a man on this show who has way too much testosterone — Bill Maher.”

From the MSNBC story:
At one point during the exchanges between Leno and Landis, Mahler chimed in, “It seems like we’re having a giant debate about a sport no one gives a ... about. Does anyone ever watch people bicycle racing, except for the last 10 seconds?”
Landis spoke up, “He has a hard time getting guests here. Leave the guy alone.”
The crowd laughed and applauded.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Skoda Goes Off-Road

Here's a familiar sight you won't be seeing at the 2007 Tour de France -- and no, we aren't talking about Floyd Landis!

Czech car manufacturer Skoda has withdrawn from sponsoring the Tour de France.

Guess why?

As a result of the current doping scandal involving winner Bad Boy Floyd.

As you might remember, Skoda succeeded the Italian company Fiat as vehicle sponsor in 2004.
A Skoda spokesman said: "The recent scandal involving Floyd Landis [is] not good for our image."

Hey, it's not good for Floyd's image, either!

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

Mike Keefe, The Denver Post

TV Silliness

So, who was supposed to have Floyd Landis on the air first Monday during his media blitz?
Landis says that "The Today Show" breached its interview agreement with them. It seems that "Good Morning America" was supposed to be first.

(The networks fight over these things.)

"I'm disappointed that NBC's 'The Today Show' chose the tact of pre-empting the live segment we offered 'Good Morning America' and ABC. In a gesture of courtesy, we said we would pre-tape NBC's segment with Matt Lauer only if it ran after GMA, who provided us the original opportunity. It's unfortunate they breeched our agreement, which questions NBC's integrity," Landis said in a prepared statement.

NBC's answer: "I find it interesting in light of Mr. Landis' situation that he would question anyone's integrity right now," an NBC source said.

Read more.

Tuesday Update

Bonnie DeSimone of the Boston Globe, one of the better cycling writers around, has an excellent summary of the "Landis defense" today.

Alan Abramson of the Los Angeles Times, who has been a frequent contributor on NBC and MSNBC, has more of the same. But there's a particularly interesting part of his story that more specifically describes Landis's evening after the near-fatal 16th stage of the Tour and the morning of the miraculous 17th:

"This morning he was so angry … so mad at himself," wrote Landis physiologist Allen Lim in a Bicycling.com blog post. "He had the music cranked to max as he paced around his tiny hotel room like a wild animal, foraging for his belongings so he could pack his suitcase for the transfer. His appetite for redemption was so raw and you could see his thirst for blood as he proclaimed, 'I'm the strongest guy in the race! And yesterday was crap! I may lose this Tour but it's going to cost them!'"

Monday, August 07, 2006

And The Winner Is ...

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star

Floyd's Monday Media Blitz

At some point -- and maybe you've already reached it (Tooth did long ago) -- the ongoing saga of Bad Boy Floyd's own personal hell is going to begin to bore you.
Personally, I don't know what to think. I don't know Floyd Landis. I don't know what he would do if driven to desperation, as he no doubt was on the decisive 17th stage of the Tour de France.

I want to believe.

It isn't hard to imagine.

But there is an old saying: If something is too good to be true, then it probably isn't.
There are two stories of interest this morning:

My friend Sal Ruibal of USA TODAY appears to be the only journalist to have interviewed Floyd on Sunday. Basically, Landis says that the UIC and WADA are treating him unfairly and not giving him sufficient time to defend himself.

And John Spivey has an interesting opinion piece on BlogCritic.org based on Daniel Coyle's chapter on Landis ("The Book of Floyd") in his book, "Lance Armstrong's War."

Finally, Floyd and his wife, Amber, were interviewed by Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" on ABC-TV this morning. As it turned out, it was the first a number of morning show interviews (see links below). While Roberts asked several direct questions, and Landis answered directly, the interview didn't really add anything. Floyd is sorry he (and his lawyers) answered developments piecemeal; it made him sound like he was offering excuses. He also feels there is an "agenda" against him.

Armen Keteyian of CBSNews conducted the best of the interviews, and Landis came across most naturally and comfortably during that session. Keteyian, not surprisingly given his journalistic background, asked the most precise and intelligent questions, so if you watch just one interview, watch this one.

I would like to understand why Landis tested positive just once for high, external levels of testosterone. Where did it come from? And why just this once? Could the sample have been tampered with? If not, why was Landis positive just this once, and what could he have done that would have resulted in a one-time, one-stage boost? Those are the questions I need answered.
So, the saga continues. If you read this blog, tell the Cranks what you think.

MSNBC video: 'Nobody in their right mind would take testosterone just once,' cyclist says
FoxNews video: Floyd Landis Defends Himself to Media, Maintains Innocence on Doping Charges
CBSNews video on Landis: I Earned Tour Title
IHT's Samuel Abt on Cycling: Landis on offensive 'to defend myself'
NYTimes Harvey Araton: The Burden of Failure Puts Athletes at Risk
Rocky Mountain News Bernie Lincicome: To tell the truth? Outlandish excuses rule

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Happy, Greggie?

This is a Greg Lemond bike: The Victoire.
Frame: LeMond Triomphe Min/Max Carbon
Fork: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon/150GSM w/carbon crown
Wheels: Bontrager Race X Lite
Group: Shimano Dura Ace
Greggie would like you to buy his bikes.
Greggie is jealous that Our Boy Lance is more successful and better known than he is.
So Greggie is constantly sniping at OBL, taking every opportunity he can to stick his face in front of a camera and sell his bikes.
Bad Boy Floyd is the best thing to happen to Greggie in a l-o-n-g time.
So, here's your plug, Greggie.
Now, LAY OFF, eh?

And congratulations to the Crankset: This is our 300th post since our debut in March.

Kissy, Kissy, Make Nice to the Cyclist

Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) won the 5th stage of the Tour of Germany from Bad Toelz, Germany, to Seefeld, Austria, Sunday. Jens Voigt is the overall leader.
(AP/Daniel Maurer)

Read 'Em and Weep

AP: French press seemingly indifferent to Landis' positive doping test
On the front page of the Washington Post: Landis's Second Positive Test Is Latest Incident in Doping 'Epidemic'
Sarah Kaufman essay in the Washington Post: Driven to Win, Floyd Landis May Lose It All
Editorial: Did Floyd Landis cheat his own legacy?
Mike Lupica: The Tour de Fraud
Mike Downey: Floyd Landis on a rollercoaster ride
George Vecsey: The Final Stage and the Last Straw
Dan Shaughnessy: Public's trust tested too often to believe

Saturday, August 05, 2006

The Devil Made Him Do It

You knew this was coming! German fan Didi Senft, nicknamed El Diablo, ran after Floyd Landis during the 14th stage of the Tour de France. Looks like he may have caught him.
(Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images)

The Real Winner?

It appears that Spain's Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears), who celebrated the yellow jersey as overall leader following the 200.5 km 17th stage of the Tour de France, might ultimately be declared the winner. Pereiro said on Saturday that he felt like the true Tour de France champion after confirmation of a drug test for Floyd Landis. Pereiro finished second overall, thanks to a 30-minute gift by Landis and the rest of the peleton earlier in the race. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

AP: Backup Landis Test Confirms 'Adverse' Finding

The news, as expected, was not good for Floyd Landis -- or professional cycling -- this morning.
Here's the story.

And so far, Floyd is sticking by his story -- well, stories. Like Tyler Hamilton, the continuing story will not be good for cycling. But this situation is even worse. True, Hamilton won the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. But the Tour de France is cycling's ultimate test and most public event. And now, the champion is in question -- and so is the entire sport. Again.

Here's a question Greg Lemond must be asking: What do Roberto Heras, Tyler Hamilton and now Floyd Landis all have in common?
Keep 'em comin', Greggie.

AP: Runner-up Pereiro says he feels like the real Tour winner
AP: Anger, dismay over Landis' second positive doping sample
CBS/Philadelphia: Cyclists React To Landis Controversy
Europsport: Landis sacked after positive B sample
Prudhomme: "Landis is no longer winner"
NYTimes Julie Macur: Backup Sample on Landis Is Positive
Cycling News: Landis' counsel issues statement on B sample finding
VeloNews Andrew Hood & Charles Pelkey: Landis's second sample confirms original finding
Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald: Landis result won't solve the real mystery
Scotsman.com: Landis affair is a 'slap in the face', says Millar

Friday, August 04, 2006

Floyd Landis: Out of This World

By Mike Luckovich/Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Special Thursday Night At The Track

Oude Granny has been meaning to write something up about track racing for quite some time now. And I couldn't have picked a more perfect time (or night) to head out to the Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome for the Roger DeLanghe Trophy Race. Directly from the Northbrook Velodrome website:

"This premier race is a salute to Roger DeLanghe who has made countless contributions to cycling over the years. Brutally fast, this 50 lap scratch race contest pays the top 25 riders and offers the largest total purse of the season. The Trophy Race honors the legendary Roger DeLanghe, an icon on the Midwest race scene. Since his emigration from Belgium years ago, Roger has worked tirelessly to promote bike racing throughout the region, culminating in the addition of the Quad Cities Criterium to the USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar. In recognition of his achievements, Roger takes a lap of honor at the beginning of his race each year."

And this year, Mr. DeLanghe looked as good as ever leading out the 58 rider field. Yes that's not a typo, a 58 rider field. That may seem like an exceptionally overabundant field, but because of the way the Northbrook Velodrome was constructed, its probably one of the only velodromes in the country that could accomodate such a large mass of humanity.

Roger DeLanghe (Center) Still Going Strong

Wondering about the competition of the field? Well it sported all the local big names, including the 2001 Champion, Robbie Ventura. Yes, that's right, former US Postal rider, current coach of Floyd Landis, OLN Tour de France commentator, and owner of VisionQuest Coaching Services, was back in Illinois to participate in this annual speedfest.

Robbie Ventura - 2001 Winner of the Roger DeLanghe Trophy
Getting Numbers Pinned On

But perhaps the biggest treat of Granny's night had to be watching Natalie Klemko. A member of America's Dairyland Cycling Team, this 19 year old from Bristol, WI was clearly the class of the Womens' field. But the high school senior wasn't out on the track merely to collect easy prizes, cash, or medals last night. She came to race! If you look closely at the photo of Roger Delanghe above, you'll see Natalie to the right (kit trimmed in pink). She mixed it up with the big boys, placing in the front of the pack for the 50 lap scratch race, and immediately following the cool down/neutral lap, Natalie jumped right into the next Women's scratch race. Udderly AMAZING! (Sorry Granny couldn't resist the pun)

Natalie Klemko - Breezing To An Easy Victory