Friday, September 29, 2006

The Latest on Floyd

Oooohhh, not pretty: Floyd Landis and Brent Kay, Floyd's personal physician, look at his surgery scar before changing the dressing and bandages on his right hip during his first rehabilitation session at his home in Murrieta, Calif., Friday.
(AP photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Although a two-hour procedure Wednesday by Dr. David Chao revealed greater damage to Floyd Landis' hip than initially shown in MRI screenings, Bad Boy Floyd appears to be on the road to recovery.
Landis, whose arthritic right hip was injured in a 2003 crash, returned to his Murrieta home Thursday and will immediately begin six weeks of physical therapy. He can start low-intensity training on his bike in 1-to-2 weeks, a spokesman said.
Landis hopes to be back to full health in time to train for next year's Tour de France, which will begin in London.
Other developments:
-- Jeremy Whittle in the Times of London: Landis eyes window to race in 2007 Tour
-- AP: Discovery boss adjusts to not winning the Tour de France

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Seen on the Sidelines

Lance Armstrong and his former wife, Kristen, were on the sidelines for the Texas-Ohio State game Sept. 9 in Austin, Texas. (AP photo)

Is The Card In The Mail Yet?

It doesn't appear that Tour de France chief Patrice Clerc will be sending Floyd Landis a get-well-soon card anytime soon.
Bad Boy Floyd underwent state-of-the-art surgery on his damaged hip Wednesday. As for his damaged reputation, Clerc piled on to L'Equipe, the French sports paper that also just happens to run the Tour and always seems to claim it has the inside dope on doping scandals.
"For me, the sermon has been read. Landis did not win the Tour because he cheated," Clerc (beware of Frenchmen in nice suits) said in an interview with L'Equipe, which rarely has anything nice to say about American Tour winners.
Landis could become the first winner in the 103-year history of the Tour to lose the his title over doping allegations.
Clerc, the head of Amaury Sports Organization which owns the Tour and L'Equipe (does the term "conflict of interest" have a French translation?), said that Landis "gravely affected the credibility of his sport."
Thanks for the ethics lecture, buddy.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Discovery Channel Adds a Chinese Rider

The international nature of professional cycling is one of the most appealing aspects of the sport. In addition to its usual collection of Europeans and Americans, the Discovery Channel team has now added a Chinese rider, according to a story in China Daily.
Li Fuyu could become the first Chinese to compete at the Tour de France. Discovery already has a Japanese rider, Fumiyuki Beppu.
Li adds a 12th nationality to the Discovery Channel team.
"This is something out of my expectation," Li told China Daily. "I hope that this will increase the awareness for the sport and also cycling participation in China."
If you've ever been to Beijing, as I have a few years ago, you know that there are plenty of people riding bikes (there are more than 300 million bikes in China) -- maybe just not competitively!
Li, 28, who has been riding for China's Marco Polo Cycling Team, is the first Chinese to join an International Cycling Union (UCI) ProTour team.
Li won at the 10th National Chinese Games last October; and during this past season, won the GP Westfalen in Germany and the Tour of Thailand, the first time a Chinese rider has won the overall at an international pro race. He finished third in both the Road Race and Time Trial events at the Chinese National Championships in August.
Why did Discovery Channel add Li to its 27-man roster?
"Fuyu has proven that he is a strong rider, has had some impressive results and we are excited to have him as a member of our Team," team director Johan Bruyneel said. "He will certainly need some time to get used to the speed and style of racing but I will design a program that allows him to be successful. I am sure he will adapt quickly."

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Tuesday Wheelings and Dealing

(FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

Friday, September 22, 2006

A Moment To Take Your Breath Away

To say it's been a tumultous past 2 months in the life of Oude Granny might seem like an understatement to some. Oude Granny, however, is made of tougher mettle; the kind that's shaped the "hard men" like Merckx, Hinault, Sean Kelly, and Tom Boonen. Afterall, as Bruce Wayne's father asks his young son in Batman Begins, "Why do we fall Bruce?" "So we can learn to get back up."

So after a prolonged absence from the Crankset, what you may ask brought me back? To be perfectly honest, it wasn't just one thing, one person, or one event. It wasn't even the "time" that people feel heals all wounds. Whether you believe in God, another divine power, or just the notion that some cosmic tumblers aligned to conspire in my favor, the final tumbler that aligned for Granny was running into an old (and no we aren't referring to her age) friend of the Crankset, Katie White.

Now some out there believe that things occur randomly, while others believe that things happen for a reason. But the randomness of our meeting surely beckoned for reason rather than chance. When and where did I have the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Ms. White? How about Highway 65 from Chicago to Indianapolis. That's right. After being too tired to continue my journey down Highway 65, Granny pulled into a rest stop to nap for 30 minutes. When I re-embarked on my journey, I happen to notice a large white van pulling a trailer ahead of me. As I got closer to the vehicle, I spotted the familiar Trek Travel ensignia we had all become too familiar with during our trip to France. As I pulled along side, I could barely contain myself when I recognized the driver. The honking at first seemed to irritate Katie, but once she decided to look over, she likewise couldn't believe her eyes. She signaled to pull over at the next exit.

Katie was as spirited and as full of life as when we last saw her on that morning we departed Paris (although T-o-03 had the opportunity to see her the following year in France, see inset). This spring/summer, Trek Travel allowed her to take a bit of a hiatus to pursue coaching through Carmichael Training Systems. But now she was back in business as a guide, having just picked up a van and a trailer full of equipment in Wisconsin; headed for a trip in North Carolina. Granny got the update on all the guides we worked with (Shannon living in Spain, Brian soon to get married, Sean likewise), and Katie received reciprocal news about the Crankset. Katie's advice to 53rd, "Cat Up!"

Now Granny can only speculate as to what brought us together for a fleeting moment...for Katie it was perhaps a much needed pick-me-up for what would be a long and ardous journey. As for myself, Katie's presence was a much needed reminder to follow my passions no matter how ludicrous they may seem to everyone else, because in the end you may just find people as passionate about the same thing(s).

Three years after Trek Travel's first Tour de France trip, Katie White was still guiding me and for that I consider myself blessed.


I-65 Mates

The Wrap

After my first full season racing on the road and on the track, Oude Granny learned that it isn't easy out in the pack and that racing is harder than it looks. But although I never really received the results I'd set out for, Granny takes away a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as a burning desire to line up at the start again. Afterall, next year is right around the corner.

Granny (center) at the Tour of Elk Grove

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Discovery Channel Housecleaning

Jose Azevedo.
Gone.
Manuel Beltran.
Gone.
Paolo Savoldelli.
Gone.
Viatcheslav Ekimov.
Gone.
Benoit Joachim.
Gone.
Michael Barry, Roger Hammond, Leif Hoste, Gennady Mikhaylov, Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Max Van Heeswijk.
Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone and gone.
Eleven Discovery Channel riders who helped Our Boy Lance win one or more of his seven-consecutive Tour de France titles have all either been released or are leaving the team.
Who's staying?
Well, George Hincapie for one, long considered Armstrong's key teammate.
Inquiring minds want to know why.
Why do you think there has been such a overwhelming housekeeping, eh Lance?
"After the retirement of Lance in 2005 it was natural for our team to begin making changes," Discovery Channel manager Johan Bruyneel said Thursday. "The team was built around Lance for seven years and as we move out of the Lance era we are now looking at new objectives in addition to the Tour de France.
"It is natural that we will make changes and that some riders will also look to make a change. I am very confident that we will continue to win big races in 2007 with our new roster."
So, who's still around besides Hincapie?
Tom Danielson is still around.
So is Yaroslav Popovich.
And Jose Luis Ribiera, Jason McCartney, Pavel Padrnos, Benjamin Noval, Egoi Martinez, Vladimir Gusev and Fumiyuki Beppu.
Yup, Fumiyuki Beppu!
So, who's coming?
Well, there's Levi Leipheimer, of course.
And Uros Murn of Slovenia from Phonak (he won two stages of the Vuelta) and Gianni Meersman of Belgium are joining the team.
Ekimov, by the way, retired but will stay at Discovery as a deputy to Bruyneel.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Landis Visits Madrid

The final stage of the Vuelta a España didn't change anything.
Milram's Erik Zabel outsprinted points leader Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) to take the final stage (and his second) of the 61st Vuelta, 142-kms into the Plaza de Cibeles in the center of Madrid. Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov wrapped up the tour on Saturday by 72 seconds over Alejandro Valverde with a stage win in the second time trial.
Perhaps more interested was an appearance at the race by Floyd Landis, who continues to maintain he is the true Tour de France champion despite a positive drug test for testosterone.
"I have nothing to hide and nothing to regret. I'm innocent and I think my lawyers will be able to show that." Landis said. "The anti-doping control in the Tour is full of inconsistencies."Landis visited the start of the stage and a number of team buses, including Phonak (AP/Bernat Armangue), at the finish."I've come to talk with my lawyers and to say goodbye to my teammates and staff on Phonak, because after the Tour I almost had no time," he said.

A few other good reads:
-- NYDaily News' Mike Lupica: Lance's cycle of deceit
-- Washington Times' Tom Knott: Steering clear is typical for Lance
-- EuroSports: Vino targets 2007 Tour

Saturday, September 16, 2006

A Discovery at the Vuelta

Tom Danielson celebrated the greatest victory of his career in Granada in the 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana (photo by Graham Watson)

Weekend Wheelings and Dealings

While I wasn't watching, Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) took over the lead of the Vuelta a España about three stages ago from Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears).
And on his 33rd birthday Saturday, Vino (photo by Graham Watson) took his third stage victory in this third of the Grand Tours with just the ceremonial 21st and final stage to go on Sunday. Vino won the second time trial of the race, six seconds ahead of Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). Valverde, who had dominated much of the Vuelta, lost 19 seconds to Vinokourov and finished third.
Overall, Vino leads Valverde by 72 seconds.
The top 10:
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Astana Team, 77.42.17
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, 1.12
3. Andrey Kashechkin (Kazakhstan) Astana Team, 3.12
4. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC, 3.35
5. José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spain) Saunier Duval-Prodir, 6.51
6. Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, 8.09
7. Samuel Sánchez (Spain) Euskaltel-Euskadi, 8.29
8. Vladimir Karpets (Russia) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, 10.36
9. Manuel Beltran (Spain) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, 10.47
10. Luis Pérez (Spain) Cofidis, 11.32

And some stories you may have missed:
-- FoxNews Steven Milroy: Lance Armstrong's Self-Inflicted Cancer?
-- AP: German authorities secured DNA samples in raid on Jan Ullrich's home
-- NYTimes Juliet Macur: Former Team Wants Andreu Investigated
-- AP: Banned U.S. cyclist linked to Spain case

And the new bikes from Trek:
-- For 2007, Trek broadens its range

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Lance Reacts Some More

Well, it took two days, but Our Boy Lance finally saw fit (after being in a fit) to talk to the New York Times' Juliet Macur, who wrote that "nasty story" about the Frankie Andreu "hatchet job" (you all caught up now?).
While authorities in Germany go ramsacking about Jan Ullrich's house for drugs while he's off on his honeymoon, Lance is doing what Lance does: defending Lance.
“Some of us are born with 4 cylinders, and some of us are born with 12,” says Armstrong (AP photo/Harry Cabluck -- hey Jake, ya like this picture?!), who was almost certainly reborn after his battle with cancer in 1996 and 1997.
I wonder how many cylinders Bad Boy Floyd was born with?

And, there's the usual good stuff in PezCycling's EuroTrash Thursday!



Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Lance Reacts (Boy Does He React!)

Greg LeMond, left, with Lance Armstrong at the 1999 Tour, praised Frankie Andreu for going “against the grain” by admitting to EPO use.
(Laurent Rebours/AP)

And now for the reaction.
And boy oh boy is Our Boy Lance angry!

"I think it's a pretty nasty attempt by the New York Times to link me to doping through somebody else's admission. You have to read way down in the article until Frankie says, 'I never saw Lance do anything', Armstrong told the Associated Press.
"To me, this is a story about Frankie Andreu. The fact he took drugs has nothing to do with me."

Now, is OBL saying that the article implied a connection or is he inferring a connection?

"Today’s article in the New York Times was a blatant attempt to associate me and implicate me with a former teammate’s admission that he took banned substances during his career," Armstrong said in the statement (we only SEE Lance in person, it seems, with Matthew McConaughey or Jake Gyllenhaal). "The recycled suggestion that former teammates took EPO with my knowledge or at my request is categorically false and distorted sensationalism. My cycling victories are untainted; I didn’t take performance enhancing drugs, I didn’t ask anyone else to take them and I didn’t condone or encourage anyone else to take them. I won clean."

OK, Lance. OK. Inferred isn't implied, and the more you protest, well, the gultier you're going to appear to people.

Here's The New York Times story and other coverage today:
-- NYTimes Julie Macur: Armstrong Not Among Those Praising Cyclist Who Admitted to Using EPO
-- AP: Armstrong Says Drug Admissions A 'Hatchet Job'
-- Reuters: Armstrong manager slams Andreu for doping comments

It's Finally a Take -- But is it Final?

I've been wondering what approach World Cycling Productions was going to take with its 4 and 12-hour DVDs of the Tour de France. The DVDs, which ship in a week, will feature Floyd Landis on the package with this headline: "Hero or Villan -- The Most Controversial Tour Ever!"

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The Noose is Tightening

Frankie Andreu, right, with Lance Armstrong in the 1993 Tour de France. Andreu says he took drugs to help Armstrong win the race in 1999.
(Jacky Naegelen/Reuters)

Be sure to read Juliet Macur's front page story in today's New York Times:
2 Ex-Teammates of Cycling Star Admit Drug Use

This significant story does not identify the second Armstrong teammate, but that can only be a matter of time. Members of U.S. Postal during Armstrong's first Tour de France victory in 1999 included Andreu, George Hincapie, Pascal Derame, Christian Vande Velde, Kevin Livingston and Tyler Hamilton (check here for information about U.S. Postal in the '99 Tour).
Macur quotes Andreu as saying: “There are two levels of guys. You got the guys that cheat and guys that are just trying to survive.”
Macur writes: "The other rider who said he used EPO spoke on condition of anonymity because he said he did not want to jeopardize his job in cycling."
“The environment was certainly one of, to be accepted, you had to use doping products,” Andreu said. “There was very high pressure to be one of the cool kids.”
At the time, three-time Tour de France champion Greg Lemond had nothing but kind words for Armstrong: "He's been through even harder times than me and he's back a better rider. I can't understand it."
Are we beginng to understand it?
As Macur says in her story, "Armstrong once said that cycling had no secrets and that hard work was the key to winning. Recent events and disclosures, however, demonstrate that cycling does, indeed, have secrets. "
And we are beginning to learn some of the sports' murkier secrets. Keep tuned.
I hope to hear from my fellow Cranks and our readers, too.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Monday's Wheelings and Dealings

Floyd is innocent! Floyd is innocent!
OK, OK, so it's Floyd and his lawyers who are saying that Floyd is innocent. But Bad Boy Floyd is back out on the hustings again after a quiet period:

-- Agence France Presse (like THEY want to believe him!): Landis blames French lab for positive test

-- Eurosport on Landis: I need to win again (Says Floyd: "I have to win (the Tour de France) again so I can celebrate it the way I was supposed to.")

-- NBCSanDiego: Landis Says Positive News Coming Soon (Haven't we already had "positive" news? Anyway, watch BBF say he's innocent, he's innocent!)

What's new at Discovery Channel (besides Ted Koppel)?
-- VeloNews: A season in transition: A conversation with Johan Bruyneel (pictured)

And finally, I know you didn't ask, but Alejandro Valverde still leads the Vuelta a Espana. Monday was a rest day. But you can read Michael Barry's Diary: A rest day with a sense of dread.

Bad Boy Floyd Resurfaces

Floyd Landis was back out in public Sunday, making an appearance at the Univest Grand Prix, a 50-mile road race in Doylestown, Pa. Landis is a Lancaster County native.

In a story in the Philadephia Inquirer, Landis said he remains confident that he will clear his name of doping allegations after positive "A" and "B" tests for testosterone following the 17th stage of the Tour de France.

"I do feel confident," he said. "Things are going to be fine, for sure. First of all, I'm confident because I know I'm innocent. Secondly, if, like I've been told, they're going to give me a fair hearing, then things will be cleared up."

Landis expects the hearing to be in December or January.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Slam, Bang, Give the Guy a Hand

It has been quite a year for Milram's Alessandro Petacchi.
Petacchi fractured his kneecap during the Giro d'Italia in May, forcing him to miss the Tour de France in July.
Now, he has had to withdraw from the Vuelta a Espana and will miss the rest of the season after punching his team bus at the end of stage 15, when he narrowly lost a sprint at the finish. Petacchi lashed out afterward and broke a bone in his hand.
"I know I've done something stupid but I did it because I was very angry after having a real chance of winning for the first time for months," he said. "There's no doubt I've made a mistake but I'm a human being, not a machine."
Wasn't it Petacchi that called Giro winner Ivan Basso "a machine" during that tour, angering his fellow Italian?

Viva Valverde!

I am so NOT in touch with the Vuelta a Espana this year that I thought it ended today!
It has another week to go, of course.
Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde (photo by Graham Watson), who many thought was going to win the Tour de France until he broke his collarbone, continues to lead the overall standings with a 48-second advantage over Astana's Andrey Kashechkin.
Gerolsteiner's Robert Förster won a mad scramble to the line of the 15th stage at Spain's giant Ford factory near Valencia.
Förster finished ahead of CSC's Stuart O'Grady and Lampre's Danilo Napolitano.
The sprint marked the first attempt at a win by Milram's Alessandro Petacchi since he broke his kneecap in an accident during the Giro d'Italia. Petacchi, the last rider to have won stages in all three grand tours in a single season, picked a poor line and found himself boxed in with about 50 meters to go.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Be Careful Out There

It's September, and school bells are ringing throughout America.
As automobile traffic has progressively increased over the past four decades, the number of students walking or riding bikes to school has plummeted -- from more than two-thirds of kids in the 1960s to just 10% today, according the League of American Bicyclists.

But that trend is going into reverse, if the League has anything to say about it. They've produced a four-minute video to encourage parents, PTA groups and other concerned citizens to get involved in Safe Routes to School, a program that was funded to the tune of $612 million by the federal transportation bill passed last year.

Saturday Wheelings and Dealings

As I predicted in the item just below, Marion Jones has the Floyd Landis camp thinking:
-- AP: Landis' Lawyer Wants Doping Case Dropped
-- Reuters: Landis to ask USADA to drop doping case against him
-- NYTimes Juliet Macur: In Wake of Jones’s Result, Testing Will Be Analyzed
-- ESPN's John Helyar: Jones case ends a long, hot doping scandal summer

Meanwhile, over at the somewhat ignored Vuelta:
-- VeloNews: Millar wins Vuelta TT; Valverde extends lead
-- BBC: Millar takes landmark Spanish win
-- PezCycling News: Vino! Vino! Vino!

The time trial stage was David Millar's first major win (photo Agence France Presse) since returning from a two-year doping ban just before the Tour de France.
"This is incredible what happened today. I was kicked out of cycling, but later I worked very hard for one year to be able to win again. This is like a renaissance, beginning from zero," Millar said. "I want to send a message that you can return to the highest level without taking anything, not even recovery agents, you can win clean."
There you have it, straight from the horse's (I mean cyclist's) mouth: A cyclist not doping! Maybe Tooth will return!
Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who finished fourth fastest in the time trial, retained the overall lead by 85 seconds ahead of Kazakhstan's Andrey Kashechkin.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Mea Culpa?

So, Marion Jones is clean.

Good for her.

But still bad for Floyd.

Last June, Jones' "A" sample from the U.S. track and field championships came back positive for the endurance-booster EPO. This past week, her "B" sample came negative.

Case closed. Rush to judgment, writes LATimes columnist Bill Plaschke: "I have since tested positive for that deadly journalistic drug known as 'haste.' "

Plaschke also wrote "that if Jones' 'B' sample refuted her 'A' sample, I would give fallen cycling hero Floyd Landis a ride down the Harbor Freeway on my handlebars. I am saying, does anybody know if the 110 has a bike lane?"

So, if Marion Jones is innocent (in THIS instance), what about Bad Boy Floyd, who got a quick positive on his "B" test following the postive "A" test?

"There are many reasons the samples might not have matched, including the fact that EPO disintegrates in the specimen," adds Plaschke, who is one of the best sports columnists in the business.

So why did Jones get three months of grace (if you can call what she's been through "grace") and Floyd's sample got the bum's rush?

Why do the testing authorities release the results of the "A" sample before the potentially damning results of the "B" sample are known?

Why was the timing of the process different for Landis than it was for Jones? What if Floyd had been given the same three months of grace that Jone's procedure received. And what does that say about the process in general?

Plaschke doesn's address that.

But you can bet we'll be hearing the recently quiet Landis camp about this.

More on the subject:
Jim Litke: Is There Gaping Hole in Anti-Doping Net?
Velow News: The Landis story doesn't spell the end for American cycling

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Bicycling Weighs In

Apologies if I've mentioned this before, but the October issue of Bicycling magazine has an interview with Bad Boy Floyd, some of which is now online. They can't believe it.

Meanwhile, I've lost touch with the Vuelta a Espana the past couple of days. How's Roberto Heras doing?

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Monday Read

Some stories I've stumbled across recently:

-- NYTimes Frank Litsky: Elite Riders Come to Defense of Their Sport
Quoted:
Jonathan Vaughters: “I never wanted to make a moral judgment because you’ve got to understand why guys do it,” Vaughters said. “Most of them weren’t looking to win races or gain an advantage. They wanted to be competitive and keep their jobs. They didn’t want to get fired. You can’t condemn someone for that.”

Levi Leipheimer:
“It’s crossed my mind that some people associate all cyclists with what has happened. That’s no different from being racist or otherwise prejudiced.”

-- Floyd Speaks in Bicycling
-- BBC: Tour 'to learn lessons for 2007'
-- The Guardian: Pedersen emerges from chaos to claim first major win
-- Pez Cycling News: EuroTrash Monday!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

The U.S. Pro

George Hincapie of Discovery Channel celebrates as he heads for the finish line to win the USA Cycling Road Race Professional Championships Sunday in Greenville, S.C.
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Jan: Who ... Me?

Jan Ullrich says he is tired of reading inaccurate "rumors" about himself stemming from his alleged link to the Spanish doping scandal.

"Hardly a day goes by without the media publishing some speculation about me," Ullrich wrote Saturday in a statement on his website. Ullrich, like a lot of athletes these days, deals with the media by issuing statements on their websites.

Jan, who won the Tour de France last century, was banned from competing in this year's race and later fired by his T-Mobile team after a Spanish police investigation alleged that he was given EPO and other banned substances by Spanish sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

"As you know I've made a conscious decision not to comment on many inaccurate articles in detail. Otherwise, I'd spend the whole day rectifying facts," Ullrich said on the website.

In other words, he's not taking Bad Boy Floyd's approach.

"Of course, it's sometimes difficult to put up with," he continues. "When, for example, I read that the affair concerning the Spanish doctor had spread to Hamburg and that my name came up in connection with this, I can only shake my head" Ullrich wrote.

We're shaking our heads, too, Jan.

Meanwhile, the T-Mobile makeover is ongoing.
Britain's Mark Cavendish, 21, has signed on with the former team of Ullrich and Andreas Kloden, the Tour de France runnerup who is also leaving the team.

Cavendish was leading the points classification after two second-placed finishes in the Tour of Britain.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Pro Cyclists Cheat?! Rip Me Off...Please!

Professional cycling may not be a clean sport, but that doesn't mean that the sport can't find new and creative ways to rip off and insult our intelligence.

Now comes the Cycle Sport magazine (and World Cycling Productions) "I Support Drug Free Sport" wristband.

You think I'm kidding, right?

I'm selling ginzu knives here, rigtht?

Sorreeeeeee ... Here's the pitch:
For just one dollar, YOU can demonstrate YOUR support for a drug free sport. Why spend the dollar on a LIVEstrong wristband to support cancer research when you can spend a dollar, plus postage, to show your support for a drug-free sport.

Cycle Sport magazine is devoting its October magazine to the drug issue (if this is the "Clean Issue," does that mean that all previous issues are "Dirty Issues"?). Isn't that's a little like teaching ethics once rather than making it an integral part of your entire approach? After all, it's not like doping started with Bad Boy Floyd and the Spanish doping scandal, right?

Sorry Cycle Sports. I know you mean well, but don't ask for our money for your late-to-the-dance scheme. To make up for this scam, World Cycling Productions should donate one dollar to cancer research for every dollar received.

On second thought, make that two dollars.

The Cat Five Slide

Cat 5 Criterium - Bob Rodale Fitness Park - Trexlertown, PA

"Got rubber?" - Photos: Teri Abbott

It's not every day that I take issue with nature, karma and Accuweather.com all in one fell swoop but this day I abhor all the above. I mean, I am wrong to expect the cosmic forces of amateur cycling to unify in some celestial tango all for the purposes of finishing my racing season with a win? No. I think I'm perfectly warranted with this request. Reality and those with perspective in life (most those around me) would feel otherwise I'm sure. Well despite Middle Eastern wars, famine, teetering economies and so on, I still feel slighted.

Okay, I don't really. And amidst my less than sincere rambling I do have some perspective, though waning with age. I do recognize, after all, that this is sport. Bike racing like any sport serves up the mixed cocktail of talent, skill, preparation, the elements, surprise, bliss, mystery, cheating (had to throw it in) and of course, at times, disappointment. Like bike racing, I am no exception. And as all sport confirms, we are human. Here in lies the beauty of sport. The Greeks figured it out long that sport and the competition therein, would belie any inequities that exist, social, religious or otherwise.

Allow me to introduce the latest of our sporting talent:


John "I feel no pain" Snyder and Lonnie "The Gladiator" Metz

As my earlier rant suggests, traction became a luxury for me as my tire selection proved dreadful. Lonnie and John (first timers) however displayed strong handling skills and brought some nice power to the table. Our respective "firsts" finished, well, quite respectfully.

The results: Lonnie 8th, 53rd 12th and John 14th.

Keep your peeps open for these guys in 07 as they are hooked and will in fact bring real depth to the team. They're back on the saddle 9.17 for another Crit in Reading. When asked about his first race, Lonnie emphatically retorted "It's controlled chaos out there! When's the next one?"

Friday, September 01, 2006

Creative Salesmanship from Specialized

Specialized wants you to buy their bikes.

And they've come up with a rather creative way to catch your attention with two mini-movies: "Happy Entrails" and "Outlaw in Lycra."

Check 'em out!
By the way, I LOVE their socks!

Friday Wheelings and Dealings

Another of those now you see it ...

... and now you don't cycling magazine covers.

The September issue of procycling is now on sale in the United Kingdom, where it is published. It usually shows up in my local Borders, Barnes & Noble or Tower Records during the first week of the month, but will probably be a little later due to a content overhall thanks to the sport's latest doping scandal. And this month, with cycling at a crossroads, the magazine investigates the options facing the sport.

The editors write: "The September issue of procycling focuses the revolution required in the sport in the wake of Floyd Landis's positive test at the Tour de France and a variety of other doping scandals. We ask riders, manufacturers, team managers and other cycling insiders for their impressions on the scandals and where they think professional cycling should go next. We also analyse 10 very different solutions to the doping problem, ranging from the legalisation [don't you love the way the British spell?] of doping to encouraging more police involvement in the issue. In the final part of our revolution focus, we explain why the riders themselves need to take a stand on the issue in order for any solution to be reached. "

In other cycling news:
-- VeloNews: Brajkovic leads Vuelta as Valverde flies to stage win (nice to see the Discovery Channel making a move)
-- USA TODAY: Yellow jersey ample reward for Hincapie (George won the jersey on a time bonus on the fist stage of the Tour after missing out on the prologue by one second)
-- VeloNews: Riis taking wait-and-see attitude on Basso (more from the disengenous CSC team manager)
-- Trek Travel has some new destinations for 2007, including Specialty trips to the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia and a 3,000-mile, 33-day, $10,000 fully supported cross country trip!
-- And the stupid story of the week: Lance Armstrong Gets Busy With Paris Hilton, Matt McConaughey (you go, Lance!)

Friday, September 29, 2006

The Latest on Floyd

Oooohhh, not pretty: Floyd Landis and Brent Kay, Floyd's personal physician, look at his surgery scar before changing the dressing and bandages on his right hip during his first rehabilitation session at his home in Murrieta, Calif., Friday.
(AP photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Although a two-hour procedure Wednesday by Dr. David Chao revealed greater damage to Floyd Landis' hip than initially shown in MRI screenings, Bad Boy Floyd appears to be on the road to recovery.
Landis, whose arthritic right hip was injured in a 2003 crash, returned to his Murrieta home Thursday and will immediately begin six weeks of physical therapy. He can start low-intensity training on his bike in 1-to-2 weeks, a spokesman said.
Landis hopes to be back to full health in time to train for next year's Tour de France, which will begin in London.
Other developments:
-- Jeremy Whittle in the Times of London: Landis eyes window to race in 2007 Tour
-- AP: Discovery boss adjusts to not winning the Tour de France

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Seen on the Sidelines

Lance Armstrong and his former wife, Kristen, were on the sidelines for the Texas-Ohio State game Sept. 9 in Austin, Texas. (AP photo)

Is The Card In The Mail Yet?

It doesn't appear that Tour de France chief Patrice Clerc will be sending Floyd Landis a get-well-soon card anytime soon.
Bad Boy Floyd underwent state-of-the-art surgery on his damaged hip Wednesday. As for his damaged reputation, Clerc piled on to L'Equipe, the French sports paper that also just happens to run the Tour and always seems to claim it has the inside dope on doping scandals.
"For me, the sermon has been read. Landis did not win the Tour because he cheated," Clerc (beware of Frenchmen in nice suits) said in an interview with L'Equipe, which rarely has anything nice to say about American Tour winners.
Landis could become the first winner in the 103-year history of the Tour to lose the his title over doping allegations.
Clerc, the head of Amaury Sports Organization which owns the Tour and L'Equipe (does the term "conflict of interest" have a French translation?), said that Landis "gravely affected the credibility of his sport."
Thanks for the ethics lecture, buddy.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Discovery Channel Adds a Chinese Rider

The international nature of professional cycling is one of the most appealing aspects of the sport. In addition to its usual collection of Europeans and Americans, the Discovery Channel team has now added a Chinese rider, according to a story in China Daily.
Li Fuyu could become the first Chinese to compete at the Tour de France. Discovery already has a Japanese rider, Fumiyuki Beppu.
Li adds a 12th nationality to the Discovery Channel team.
"This is something out of my expectation," Li told China Daily. "I hope that this will increase the awareness for the sport and also cycling participation in China."
If you've ever been to Beijing, as I have a few years ago, you know that there are plenty of people riding bikes (there are more than 300 million bikes in China) -- maybe just not competitively!
Li, 28, who has been riding for China's Marco Polo Cycling Team, is the first Chinese to join an International Cycling Union (UCI) ProTour team.
Li won at the 10th National Chinese Games last October; and during this past season, won the GP Westfalen in Germany and the Tour of Thailand, the first time a Chinese rider has won the overall at an international pro race. He finished third in both the Road Race and Time Trial events at the Chinese National Championships in August.
Why did Discovery Channel add Li to its 27-man roster?
"Fuyu has proven that he is a strong rider, has had some impressive results and we are excited to have him as a member of our Team," team director Johan Bruyneel said. "He will certainly need some time to get used to the speed and style of racing but I will design a program that allows him to be successful. I am sure he will adapt quickly."

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Tuesday Wheelings and Dealing

(FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)

Friday, September 22, 2006

A Moment To Take Your Breath Away

To say it's been a tumultous past 2 months in the life of Oude Granny might seem like an understatement to some. Oude Granny, however, is made of tougher mettle; the kind that's shaped the "hard men" like Merckx, Hinault, Sean Kelly, and Tom Boonen. Afterall, as Bruce Wayne's father asks his young son in Batman Begins, "Why do we fall Bruce?" "So we can learn to get back up."

So after a prolonged absence from the Crankset, what you may ask brought me back? To be perfectly honest, it wasn't just one thing, one person, or one event. It wasn't even the "time" that people feel heals all wounds. Whether you believe in God, another divine power, or just the notion that some cosmic tumblers aligned to conspire in my favor, the final tumbler that aligned for Granny was running into an old (and no we aren't referring to her age) friend of the Crankset, Katie White.

Now some out there believe that things occur randomly, while others believe that things happen for a reason. But the randomness of our meeting surely beckoned for reason rather than chance. When and where did I have the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Ms. White? How about Highway 65 from Chicago to Indianapolis. That's right. After being too tired to continue my journey down Highway 65, Granny pulled into a rest stop to nap for 30 minutes. When I re-embarked on my journey, I happen to notice a large white van pulling a trailer ahead of me. As I got closer to the vehicle, I spotted the familiar Trek Travel ensignia we had all become too familiar with during our trip to France. As I pulled along side, I could barely contain myself when I recognized the driver. The honking at first seemed to irritate Katie, but once she decided to look over, she likewise couldn't believe her eyes. She signaled to pull over at the next exit.

Katie was as spirited and as full of life as when we last saw her on that morning we departed Paris (although T-o-03 had the opportunity to see her the following year in France, see inset). This spring/summer, Trek Travel allowed her to take a bit of a hiatus to pursue coaching through Carmichael Training Systems. But now she was back in business as a guide, having just picked up a van and a trailer full of equipment in Wisconsin; headed for a trip in North Carolina. Granny got the update on all the guides we worked with (Shannon living in Spain, Brian soon to get married, Sean likewise), and Katie received reciprocal news about the Crankset. Katie's advice to 53rd, "Cat Up!"

Now Granny can only speculate as to what brought us together for a fleeting moment...for Katie it was perhaps a much needed pick-me-up for what would be a long and ardous journey. As for myself, Katie's presence was a much needed reminder to follow my passions no matter how ludicrous they may seem to everyone else, because in the end you may just find people as passionate about the same thing(s).

Three years after Trek Travel's first Tour de France trip, Katie White was still guiding me and for that I consider myself blessed.


I-65 Mates

The Wrap

After my first full season racing on the road and on the track, Oude Granny learned that it isn't easy out in the pack and that racing is harder than it looks. But although I never really received the results I'd set out for, Granny takes away a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as a burning desire to line up at the start again. Afterall, next year is right around the corner.

Granny (center) at the Tour of Elk Grove

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Discovery Channel Housecleaning

Jose Azevedo.
Gone.
Manuel Beltran.
Gone.
Paolo Savoldelli.
Gone.
Viatcheslav Ekimov.
Gone.
Benoit Joachim.
Gone.
Michael Barry, Roger Hammond, Leif Hoste, Gennady Mikhaylov, Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Max Van Heeswijk.
Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone and gone.
Eleven Discovery Channel riders who helped Our Boy Lance win one or more of his seven-consecutive Tour de France titles have all either been released or are leaving the team.
Who's staying?
Well, George Hincapie for one, long considered Armstrong's key teammate.
Inquiring minds want to know why.
Why do you think there has been such a overwhelming housekeeping, eh Lance?
"After the retirement of Lance in 2005 it was natural for our team to begin making changes," Discovery Channel manager Johan Bruyneel said Thursday. "The team was built around Lance for seven years and as we move out of the Lance era we are now looking at new objectives in addition to the Tour de France.
"It is natural that we will make changes and that some riders will also look to make a change. I am very confident that we will continue to win big races in 2007 with our new roster."
So, who's still around besides Hincapie?
Tom Danielson is still around.
So is Yaroslav Popovich.
And Jose Luis Ribiera, Jason McCartney, Pavel Padrnos, Benjamin Noval, Egoi Martinez, Vladimir Gusev and Fumiyuki Beppu.
Yup, Fumiyuki Beppu!
So, who's coming?
Well, there's Levi Leipheimer, of course.
And Uros Murn of Slovenia from Phonak (he won two stages of the Vuelta) and Gianni Meersman of Belgium are joining the team.
Ekimov, by the way, retired but will stay at Discovery as a deputy to Bruyneel.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Landis Visits Madrid

The final stage of the Vuelta a España didn't change anything.
Milram's Erik Zabel outsprinted points leader Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) to take the final stage (and his second) of the 61st Vuelta, 142-kms into the Plaza de Cibeles in the center of Madrid. Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov wrapped up the tour on Saturday by 72 seconds over Alejandro Valverde with a stage win in the second time trial.
Perhaps more interested was an appearance at the race by Floyd Landis, who continues to maintain he is the true Tour de France champion despite a positive drug test for testosterone.
"I have nothing to hide and nothing to regret. I'm innocent and I think my lawyers will be able to show that." Landis said. "The anti-doping control in the Tour is full of inconsistencies."Landis visited the start of the stage and a number of team buses, including Phonak (AP/Bernat Armangue), at the finish."I've come to talk with my lawyers and to say goodbye to my teammates and staff on Phonak, because after the Tour I almost had no time," he said.

A few other good reads:
-- NYDaily News' Mike Lupica: Lance's cycle of deceit
-- Washington Times' Tom Knott: Steering clear is typical for Lance
-- EuroSports: Vino targets 2007 Tour

Saturday, September 16, 2006

A Discovery at the Vuelta

Tom Danielson celebrated the greatest victory of his career in Granada in the 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana (photo by Graham Watson)

Weekend Wheelings and Dealings

While I wasn't watching, Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) took over the lead of the Vuelta a España about three stages ago from Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears).
And on his 33rd birthday Saturday, Vino (photo by Graham Watson) took his third stage victory in this third of the Grand Tours with just the ceremonial 21st and final stage to go on Sunday. Vino won the second time trial of the race, six seconds ahead of Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). Valverde, who had dominated much of the Vuelta, lost 19 seconds to Vinokourov and finished third.
Overall, Vino leads Valverde by 72 seconds.
The top 10:
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) Astana Team, 77.42.17
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, 1.12
3. Andrey Kashechkin (Kazakhstan) Astana Team, 3.12
4. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Team CSC, 3.35
5. José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spain) Saunier Duval-Prodir, 6.51
6. Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, 8.09
7. Samuel Sánchez (Spain) Euskaltel-Euskadi, 8.29
8. Vladimir Karpets (Russia) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears, 10.36
9. Manuel Beltran (Spain) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, 10.47
10. Luis Pérez (Spain) Cofidis, 11.32

And some stories you may have missed:
-- FoxNews Steven Milroy: Lance Armstrong's Self-Inflicted Cancer?
-- AP: German authorities secured DNA samples in raid on Jan Ullrich's home
-- NYTimes Juliet Macur: Former Team Wants Andreu Investigated
-- AP: Banned U.S. cyclist linked to Spain case

And the new bikes from Trek:
-- For 2007, Trek broadens its range

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Lance Reacts Some More

Well, it took two days, but Our Boy Lance finally saw fit (after being in a fit) to talk to the New York Times' Juliet Macur, who wrote that "nasty story" about the Frankie Andreu "hatchet job" (you all caught up now?).
While authorities in Germany go ramsacking about Jan Ullrich's house for drugs while he's off on his honeymoon, Lance is doing what Lance does: defending Lance.
“Some of us are born with 4 cylinders, and some of us are born with 12,” says Armstrong (AP photo/Harry Cabluck -- hey Jake, ya like this picture?!), who was almost certainly reborn after his battle with cancer in 1996 and 1997.
I wonder how many cylinders Bad Boy Floyd was born with?

And, there's the usual good stuff in PezCycling's EuroTrash Thursday!



Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Lance Reacts (Boy Does He React!)

Greg LeMond, left, with Lance Armstrong at the 1999 Tour, praised Frankie Andreu for going “against the grain” by admitting to EPO use.
(Laurent Rebours/AP)

And now for the reaction.
And boy oh boy is Our Boy Lance angry!

"I think it's a pretty nasty attempt by the New York Times to link me to doping through somebody else's admission. You have to read way down in the article until Frankie says, 'I never saw Lance do anything', Armstrong told the Associated Press.
"To me, this is a story about Frankie Andreu. The fact he took drugs has nothing to do with me."

Now, is OBL saying that the article implied a connection or is he inferring a connection?

"Today’s article in the New York Times was a blatant attempt to associate me and implicate me with a former teammate’s admission that he took banned substances during his career," Armstrong said in the statement (we only SEE Lance in person, it seems, with Matthew McConaughey or Jake Gyllenhaal). "The recycled suggestion that former teammates took EPO with my knowledge or at my request is categorically false and distorted sensationalism. My cycling victories are untainted; I didn’t take performance enhancing drugs, I didn’t ask anyone else to take them and I didn’t condone or encourage anyone else to take them. I won clean."

OK, Lance. OK. Inferred isn't implied, and the more you protest, well, the gultier you're going to appear to people.

Here's The New York Times story and other coverage today:
-- NYTimes Julie Macur: Armstrong Not Among Those Praising Cyclist Who Admitted to Using EPO
-- AP: Armstrong Says Drug Admissions A 'Hatchet Job'
-- Reuters: Armstrong manager slams Andreu for doping comments

It's Finally a Take -- But is it Final?

I've been wondering what approach World Cycling Productions was going to take with its 4 and 12-hour DVDs of the Tour de France. The DVDs, which ship in a week, will feature Floyd Landis on the package with this headline: "Hero or Villan -- The Most Controversial Tour Ever!"

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The Noose is Tightening

Frankie Andreu, right, with Lance Armstrong in the 1993 Tour de France. Andreu says he took drugs to help Armstrong win the race in 1999.
(Jacky Naegelen/Reuters)

Be sure to read Juliet Macur's front page story in today's New York Times:
2 Ex-Teammates of Cycling Star Admit Drug Use

This significant story does not identify the second Armstrong teammate, but that can only be a matter of time. Members of U.S. Postal during Armstrong's first Tour de France victory in 1999 included Andreu, George Hincapie, Pascal Derame, Christian Vande Velde, Kevin Livingston and Tyler Hamilton (check here for information about U.S. Postal in the '99 Tour).
Macur quotes Andreu as saying: “There are two levels of guys. You got the guys that cheat and guys that are just trying to survive.”
Macur writes: "The other rider who said he used EPO spoke on condition of anonymity because he said he did not want to jeopardize his job in cycling."
“The environment was certainly one of, to be accepted, you had to use doping products,” Andreu said. “There was very high pressure to be one of the cool kids.”
At the time, three-time Tour de France champion Greg Lemond had nothing but kind words for Armstrong: "He's been through even harder times than me and he's back a better rider. I can't understand it."
Are we beginng to understand it?
As Macur says in her story, "Armstrong once said that cycling had no secrets and that hard work was the key to winning. Recent events and disclosures, however, demonstrate that cycling does, indeed, have secrets. "
And we are beginning to learn some of the sports' murkier secrets. Keep tuned.
I hope to hear from my fellow Cranks and our readers, too.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Monday's Wheelings and Dealings

Floyd is innocent! Floyd is innocent!
OK, OK, so it's Floyd and his lawyers who are saying that Floyd is innocent. But Bad Boy Floyd is back out on the hustings again after a quiet period:

-- Agence France Presse (like THEY want to believe him!): Landis blames French lab for positive test

-- Eurosport on Landis: I need to win again (Says Floyd: "I have to win (the Tour de France) again so I can celebrate it the way I was supposed to.")

-- NBCSanDiego: Landis Says Positive News Coming Soon (Haven't we already had "positive" news? Anyway, watch BBF say he's innocent, he's innocent!)

What's new at Discovery Channel (besides Ted Koppel)?
-- VeloNews: A season in transition: A conversation with Johan Bruyneel (pictured)

And finally, I know you didn't ask, but Alejandro Valverde still leads the Vuelta a Espana. Monday was a rest day. But you can read Michael Barry's Diary: A rest day with a sense of dread.

Bad Boy Floyd Resurfaces

Floyd Landis was back out in public Sunday, making an appearance at the Univest Grand Prix, a 50-mile road race in Doylestown, Pa. Landis is a Lancaster County native.

In a story in the Philadephia Inquirer, Landis said he remains confident that he will clear his name of doping allegations after positive "A" and "B" tests for testosterone following the 17th stage of the Tour de France.

"I do feel confident," he said. "Things are going to be fine, for sure. First of all, I'm confident because I know I'm innocent. Secondly, if, like I've been told, they're going to give me a fair hearing, then things will be cleared up."

Landis expects the hearing to be in December or January.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Slam, Bang, Give the Guy a Hand

It has been quite a year for Milram's Alessandro Petacchi.
Petacchi fractured his kneecap during the Giro d'Italia in May, forcing him to miss the Tour de France in July.
Now, he has had to withdraw from the Vuelta a Espana and will miss the rest of the season after punching his team bus at the end of stage 15, when he narrowly lost a sprint at the finish. Petacchi lashed out afterward and broke a bone in his hand.
"I know I've done something stupid but I did it because I was very angry after having a real chance of winning for the first time for months," he said. "There's no doubt I've made a mistake but I'm a human being, not a machine."
Wasn't it Petacchi that called Giro winner Ivan Basso "a machine" during that tour, angering his fellow Italian?

Viva Valverde!

I am so NOT in touch with the Vuelta a Espana this year that I thought it ended today!
It has another week to go, of course.
Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde (photo by Graham Watson), who many thought was going to win the Tour de France until he broke his collarbone, continues to lead the overall standings with a 48-second advantage over Astana's Andrey Kashechkin.
Gerolsteiner's Robert Förster won a mad scramble to the line of the 15th stage at Spain's giant Ford factory near Valencia.
Förster finished ahead of CSC's Stuart O'Grady and Lampre's Danilo Napolitano.
The sprint marked the first attempt at a win by Milram's Alessandro Petacchi since he broke his kneecap in an accident during the Giro d'Italia. Petacchi, the last rider to have won stages in all three grand tours in a single season, picked a poor line and found himself boxed in with about 50 meters to go.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Be Careful Out There

It's September, and school bells are ringing throughout America.
As automobile traffic has progressively increased over the past four decades, the number of students walking or riding bikes to school has plummeted -- from more than two-thirds of kids in the 1960s to just 10% today, according the League of American Bicyclists.

But that trend is going into reverse, if the League has anything to say about it. They've produced a four-minute video to encourage parents, PTA groups and other concerned citizens to get involved in Safe Routes to School, a program that was funded to the tune of $612 million by the federal transportation bill passed last year.

Saturday Wheelings and Dealings

As I predicted in the item just below, Marion Jones has the Floyd Landis camp thinking:
-- AP: Landis' Lawyer Wants Doping Case Dropped
-- Reuters: Landis to ask USADA to drop doping case against him
-- NYTimes Juliet Macur: In Wake of Jones’s Result, Testing Will Be Analyzed
-- ESPN's John Helyar: Jones case ends a long, hot doping scandal summer

Meanwhile, over at the somewhat ignored Vuelta:
-- VeloNews: Millar wins Vuelta TT; Valverde extends lead
-- BBC: Millar takes landmark Spanish win
-- PezCycling News: Vino! Vino! Vino!

The time trial stage was David Millar's first major win (photo Agence France Presse) since returning from a two-year doping ban just before the Tour de France.
"This is incredible what happened today. I was kicked out of cycling, but later I worked very hard for one year to be able to win again. This is like a renaissance, beginning from zero," Millar said. "I want to send a message that you can return to the highest level without taking anything, not even recovery agents, you can win clean."
There you have it, straight from the horse's (I mean cyclist's) mouth: A cyclist not doping! Maybe Tooth will return!
Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who finished fourth fastest in the time trial, retained the overall lead by 85 seconds ahead of Kazakhstan's Andrey Kashechkin.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Mea Culpa?

So, Marion Jones is clean.

Good for her.

But still bad for Floyd.

Last June, Jones' "A" sample from the U.S. track and field championships came back positive for the endurance-booster EPO. This past week, her "B" sample came negative.

Case closed. Rush to judgment, writes LATimes columnist Bill Plaschke: "I have since tested positive for that deadly journalistic drug known as 'haste.' "

Plaschke also wrote "that if Jones' 'B' sample refuted her 'A' sample, I would give fallen cycling hero Floyd Landis a ride down the Harbor Freeway on my handlebars. I am saying, does anybody know if the 110 has a bike lane?"

So, if Marion Jones is innocent (in THIS instance), what about Bad Boy Floyd, who got a quick positive on his "B" test following the postive "A" test?

"There are many reasons the samples might not have matched, including the fact that EPO disintegrates in the specimen," adds Plaschke, who is one of the best sports columnists in the business.

So why did Jones get three months of grace (if you can call what she's been through "grace") and Floyd's sample got the bum's rush?

Why do the testing authorities release the results of the "A" sample before the potentially damning results of the "B" sample are known?

Why was the timing of the process different for Landis than it was for Jones? What if Floyd had been given the same three months of grace that Jone's procedure received. And what does that say about the process in general?

Plaschke doesn's address that.

But you can bet we'll be hearing the recently quiet Landis camp about this.

More on the subject:
Jim Litke: Is There Gaping Hole in Anti-Doping Net?
Velow News: The Landis story doesn't spell the end for American cycling

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Bicycling Weighs In

Apologies if I've mentioned this before, but the October issue of Bicycling magazine has an interview with Bad Boy Floyd, some of which is now online. They can't believe it.

Meanwhile, I've lost touch with the Vuelta a Espana the past couple of days. How's Roberto Heras doing?

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Monday Read

Some stories I've stumbled across recently:

-- NYTimes Frank Litsky: Elite Riders Come to Defense of Their Sport
Quoted:
Jonathan Vaughters: “I never wanted to make a moral judgment because you’ve got to understand why guys do it,” Vaughters said. “Most of them weren’t looking to win races or gain an advantage. They wanted to be competitive and keep their jobs. They didn’t want to get fired. You can’t condemn someone for that.”

Levi Leipheimer:
“It’s crossed my mind that some people associate all cyclists with what has happened. That’s no different from being racist or otherwise prejudiced.”

-- Floyd Speaks in Bicycling
-- BBC: Tour 'to learn lessons for 2007'
-- The Guardian: Pedersen emerges from chaos to claim first major win
-- Pez Cycling News: EuroTrash Monday!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

The U.S. Pro

George Hincapie of Discovery Channel celebrates as he heads for the finish line to win the USA Cycling Road Race Professional Championships Sunday in Greenville, S.C.
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Jan: Who ... Me?

Jan Ullrich says he is tired of reading inaccurate "rumors" about himself stemming from his alleged link to the Spanish doping scandal.

"Hardly a day goes by without the media publishing some speculation about me," Ullrich wrote Saturday in a statement on his website. Ullrich, like a lot of athletes these days, deals with the media by issuing statements on their websites.

Jan, who won the Tour de France last century, was banned from competing in this year's race and later fired by his T-Mobile team after a Spanish police investigation alleged that he was given EPO and other banned substances by Spanish sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

"As you know I've made a conscious decision not to comment on many inaccurate articles in detail. Otherwise, I'd spend the whole day rectifying facts," Ullrich said on the website.

In other words, he's not taking Bad Boy Floyd's approach.

"Of course, it's sometimes difficult to put up with," he continues. "When, for example, I read that the affair concerning the Spanish doctor had spread to Hamburg and that my name came up in connection with this, I can only shake my head" Ullrich wrote.

We're shaking our heads, too, Jan.

Meanwhile, the T-Mobile makeover is ongoing.
Britain's Mark Cavendish, 21, has signed on with the former team of Ullrich and Andreas Kloden, the Tour de France runnerup who is also leaving the team.

Cavendish was leading the points classification after two second-placed finishes in the Tour of Britain.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Pro Cyclists Cheat?! Rip Me Off...Please!

Professional cycling may not be a clean sport, but that doesn't mean that the sport can't find new and creative ways to rip off and insult our intelligence.

Now comes the Cycle Sport magazine (and World Cycling Productions) "I Support Drug Free Sport" wristband.

You think I'm kidding, right?

I'm selling ginzu knives here, rigtht?

Sorreeeeeee ... Here's the pitch:
For just one dollar, YOU can demonstrate YOUR support for a drug free sport. Why spend the dollar on a LIVEstrong wristband to support cancer research when you can spend a dollar, plus postage, to show your support for a drug-free sport.

Cycle Sport magazine is devoting its October magazine to the drug issue (if this is the "Clean Issue," does that mean that all previous issues are "Dirty Issues"?). Isn't that's a little like teaching ethics once rather than making it an integral part of your entire approach? After all, it's not like doping started with Bad Boy Floyd and the Spanish doping scandal, right?

Sorry Cycle Sports. I know you mean well, but don't ask for our money for your late-to-the-dance scheme. To make up for this scam, World Cycling Productions should donate one dollar to cancer research for every dollar received.

On second thought, make that two dollars.

The Cat Five Slide

Cat 5 Criterium - Bob Rodale Fitness Park - Trexlertown, PA

"Got rubber?" - Photos: Teri Abbott

It's not every day that I take issue with nature, karma and Accuweather.com all in one fell swoop but this day I abhor all the above. I mean, I am wrong to expect the cosmic forces of amateur cycling to unify in some celestial tango all for the purposes of finishing my racing season with a win? No. I think I'm perfectly warranted with this request. Reality and those with perspective in life (most those around me) would feel otherwise I'm sure. Well despite Middle Eastern wars, famine, teetering economies and so on, I still feel slighted.

Okay, I don't really. And amidst my less than sincere rambling I do have some perspective, though waning with age. I do recognize, after all, that this is sport. Bike racing like any sport serves up the mixed cocktail of talent, skill, preparation, the elements, surprise, bliss, mystery, cheating (had to throw it in) and of course, at times, disappointment. Like bike racing, I am no exception. And as all sport confirms, we are human. Here in lies the beauty of sport. The Greeks figured it out long that sport and the competition therein, would belie any inequities that exist, social, religious or otherwise.

Allow me to introduce the latest of our sporting talent:


John "I feel no pain" Snyder and Lonnie "The Gladiator" Metz

As my earlier rant suggests, traction became a luxury for me as my tire selection proved dreadful. Lonnie and John (first timers) however displayed strong handling skills and brought some nice power to the table. Our respective "firsts" finished, well, quite respectfully.

The results: Lonnie 8th, 53rd 12th and John 14th.

Keep your peeps open for these guys in 07 as they are hooked and will in fact bring real depth to the team. They're back on the saddle 9.17 for another Crit in Reading. When asked about his first race, Lonnie emphatically retorted "It's controlled chaos out there! When's the next one?"

Friday, September 01, 2006

Creative Salesmanship from Specialized

Specialized wants you to buy their bikes.

And they've come up with a rather creative way to catch your attention with two mini-movies: "Happy Entrails" and "Outlaw in Lycra."

Check 'em out!
By the way, I LOVE their socks!

Friday Wheelings and Dealings

Another of those now you see it ...

... and now you don't cycling magazine covers.

The September issue of procycling is now on sale in the United Kingdom, where it is published. It usually shows up in my local Borders, Barnes & Noble or Tower Records during the first week of the month, but will probably be a little later due to a content overhall thanks to the sport's latest doping scandal. And this month, with cycling at a crossroads, the magazine investigates the options facing the sport.

The editors write: "The September issue of procycling focuses the revolution required in the sport in the wake of Floyd Landis's positive test at the Tour de France and a variety of other doping scandals. We ask riders, manufacturers, team managers and other cycling insiders for their impressions on the scandals and where they think professional cycling should go next. We also analyse 10 very different solutions to the doping problem, ranging from the legalisation [don't you love the way the British spell?] of doping to encouraging more police involvement in the issue. In the final part of our revolution focus, we explain why the riders themselves need to take a stand on the issue in order for any solution to be reached. "

In other cycling news:
-- VeloNews: Brajkovic leads Vuelta as Valverde flies to stage win (nice to see the Discovery Channel making a move)
-- USA TODAY: Yellow jersey ample reward for Hincapie (George won the jersey on a time bonus on the fist stage of the Tour after missing out on the prologue by one second)
-- VeloNews: Riis taking wait-and-see attitude on Basso (more from the disengenous CSC team manager)
-- Trek Travel has some new destinations for 2007, including Specialty trips to the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia and a 3,000-mile, 33-day, $10,000 fully supported cross country trip!
-- And the stupid story of the week: Lance Armstrong Gets Busy With Paris Hilton, Matt McConaughey (you go, Lance!)