Rare, Seared 'Toona' - Recipe For World Cup Team Success

Zip, 53rd, and Slim

Appetizer (disclaimer)
Let me please apologize now for such a large post. I do realize that despite the current crisis with our "heroes" the pros are still more exciting. If you'll bear with me however for one post, I would like to pay my teammates their very due and deserved respect.

This will, in effect, serve as 53rd's swan song for some time anyway. I have lost the will to write or read another word about the pros. I do hope you'll understand and thank you for allowing me to utilize this outlet to share my/our passion for what is REAL and the simple love of the sport.

Now, feast on this....

Your Servers

(from left to right)

1. Eric "I need no stinkeen carbs" Revene - Cat 5
2. Ben "Slim" Smith - Cat 4
3. Zach "Zip" Putt - Cat 4, Junior (15-16 men)
4. Aaron "Misspent Yoot" Mimran - Cat 5

The Main 'Course'
For those following the Tour De Toona, you know that it is 7 packed days of stage racing from the fast pro ranks right down to the up and coming amateurs. Celebrating its 20th year, 'Toona, located in Altoona, PA, has served as one of America's longest running premier stage races. So much so that all our American favorites have turned a pedal or two in anger in this beautiful mountain studded area of Central PA.

The following represents the races in which World Cup participated and the results:

Day 1 - 40 Mile Circuit Road Race Cat 4 (105 in field)
Results: Ben 11th, Zach 100th (finished despite being taken down in crash)

Day 2 - 20 Mile Road Race Cat 4/5 (150 in field)
Results: Zach 20th, Ben 40th (taken down in crash) Cat 5: Aaron 6th, Eric 16th

Day 3 - 20 Mile Criterium Cat 4(85 in field)
Results: Ben 5th, Zach 29th.

As a result of Ben and Zach's incredible fortitude and working together as a team, Ben and World Cup earned 12th in the GC!!! A well deserved placing and one to make us all proud!

The Dessert
While you're attempting to digest this rather large meal, I must go on record to say that while racing is the main course, the dessert or the "sweets," as it were, are the friends and family that come out to these events and show their unyielding support every time. It means the world to every person that's worn a number and has been alone out there. You have no idea how great it feels to know you're there clapping and yelling even if we finish dead last. You're everything to us.

A special thanks to Dan Bonora and Dee (soon to be Bonora) who have graciously afforded the team their time for coaching, motivation and laughs. We couldn't do it without you.

I hope you've enjoyed your dish. It's the best I've got and it's all natural of course!

Spin safe. Never quit. It's a perfect circle.

Cheers.

Leaks And The Test

Just in case you needed more information on Floyd Landis' predicament, found both of these on Cyclingnews.com.

L'Equipe reports exogenous testosterone in Landis' A sample
By Hedwig Kröner

"The tests performed on Landis' A sample included an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) procedure, used to determine whether the testosterone is exogenous (contained within, but originating from outside the body) or endogenous (produced by the body itself). In the case of Landis, L'Equipe reported that the analysis found testosterone of artificial origin."


Testosterone, epitestosterone and the doping tests
"However, there are documented cases of non-doping athletes with T/E ratios greater than 6/1; as a result, additional testing is required to determine the etiology of the elevated ratio."

No Big Surprise Here

Phonak has confirmed its decision to end its association and sponsorship of its cycling team.

According to SportsBusiness.com, Phonak spent $3.07 million on sponsoring the team in the financial year 2005-2006.

Phonak Chief Executive Valentin Chapero said the company plans to move away from sports and refocus sponsoring on cultural events like music. It seems that the public mistook Phonak for a bicycle company instead of one of the world's largest makers of high-tech hearing aids.
All the negative publicity from so many positive doping tests couldn't have done Phonak much good, either.

Some Good Stuff

In the International Herald Tribune:
Samuel Abt: Hard to make sense of the Landis case

The Guardian:
William Fotheringham: Landis case erodes all trust in Tour

In the New York Times:
Selena Roberts: Whiskey Defense: Seems Like Another Whopper
Ian Austen: An Accusation of Duplicity, a Reputation for Honesty

In the Times of London:
Paul Kimmage: Landis turned the race on its head. But don't ask me to cheer for him.

UPDATE: Floyd canceled for the "Today Show" Monday. He supposedly will reschedule later in the week. Makes sense. There's nothing new -- yet.

NPR Interview With Floyd

Floyd Landis was interviewed by Michele Norris on NPR's "All Things Considered." Here's a transcript of the interview. The entire package, with audio, is worth a look as well.

QUESTION: Cyclist Floyd Landis joins us now from Madrid. And, Mr. Landis, let's just get right to it. Were you doping in the Tour de France?
LANDIS: Absolutely not.

QUESTION: And you explain that you had unusually high levels of testosterone in your system for natural reasons -- natural reasons.
LANDIS: No, that's not actually accurate. What I had was a test which showed a ratio of two natural substances; one testosterone, and one epitestosterone. They have a formula which is supposed to fit everybody which says that a 4:1 ratio is the maximum of a normal ratio.
What actually happened here was there's a so-called unnatural ratio of two natural substances. There's no evidence of any unnatural substance in my body.

QUESTION: If you maintain that you haven't taken any drugs, that you did nothing to goose your performance, what would explain these test results?
LANDIS: That's what I have hired experts to figure out. I cannot explain it because this is equally as new to me as to anyone else paying attention to this case right now.

QUESTION: It's curious why this wasn't detected earlier, since you were tested at several points throughout the race.
LANDIS: That seems odd to me also. And from that perspective, none of it makes any sense. I've been tested five times before that in this race alone. In the other three races, which I won previously this year -- which I've not talked about much, but they're equally as important races as any -- and I've been tested four times in each one.

QUESTION: What do you do if that B-sample comes back the same way?
LANDIS: I expect that it will. The problem is not a problem with the test as far as I know. The problem is that, at times, from the way it's been explained to me, there are variations in the ratio. And for some reason, in some individuals there are numbers which don't fit the criteria which they claim to be natural.
On top of that, if you go to the World Anti-Doping association Web site, you can read about this, and it explains there that sometimes these levels are natural, even though they don't fit the criteria.

QUESTION: So if it comes back, do you just hand over that bowl, hand over that jersey, or do you plan to fight this...
LANDIS: No, I plan to...

QUESTION: ... all the way to arbitration court.
LANDIS: No, I plan at the same time that I request the B sample to ask for an endocrinological review of my body to prove that there are times during the day or at some points that if I were tested I would be shown to be out of the 4:1 ratio, albeit from a natural cause. Explaining that, I can't. I'm waiting for the experts to do that.

QUESTION: A natural cause. What might that be?
LANDIS: Like I said, I have no idea. That's why I have experts working on it.

QUESTION: You've been asked in the past few days a few times now if you've ever taken performance-enhancing drugs, and your answer was, if I may say, a little elliptical. You weren't as clear as some of your racing fans might have hoped. Why not a simple yes-or-no answer to that question?
LANDIS: The answer is no, and I think that was a mistake. I was trying at the time to see things from the point of view of the outside world, knowing that people may or may not have already preconceived ideas about cycling, because there has been a few cases, too many times in a row, in the past, and I was trying to fairly judge what the outside perspective would be. So rather than just saying no, I tried to explain why I understood if people didn't believe me at the time.

QUESTION: Floyd, how's your hip?
LANDIS: My hip is the same as it was before. It's not perfect, and it's going to get replaced within a few weeks, and I'm very happy about that, because I plan to race again next year. And anybody that thinks I'm not a fighter and not going to stand up for what I deserve, then they didn't watch the race.

QUESTION: Floyd Landis, thanks so much for talking to us.
LANDIS: Thank you. I appreciate that.

That was cyclist Floyd Landis, speaking to us from Madrid, Spain.

Tick Tick Tick ...

According to Eurosport, Floyd Landis will know the result of the tests on his B sample by Monday night. The Phonak rider's A sample, given following the 17th stage of the Tour de France, was revealed to have tested positive for testosterone on Thursday.

Numbers? You Want Numb-ers?

According to German ARD television on Friday, the testosterone level of Tour de France winner Floyd Landis was high over the legal co-efficient when he tested positive for the steroid at the French race.

How does ARD know (when Floyd himself feigned not knowing)?

Citing sources around Landis (hey -- who's talking?), ARD said that the Landis' testosterone/epitestosterone co-efficient was 11-1. The legal limit, in case you're wondering, is 4-1.

According to ARD, that means that the doping test proves the testosterone was provided to Landis externally.

Landis said on Friday that he had done nothing wrong. 'My physiological parameters for testosterone and epitestosterone are naturally high. Therefore, I would like to make it absolutely clear that this is not in any way a doping process. I declare convincingly and categorically that my winning of the Tour de France has been completely and exclusively due to my years of training and devotion to cycling," he said.

Landis tested positive on the A sample after his spectacular Stage 17 victory in Morzine on July 20, when he launched an epic solo attack to take back eight minutes from his main competitors after cracking in a mountain stage a day earlier. We await the B sample.

Who Dresses Floyd?

Geez, Floyd, you have nice hair. Lose the hat, eh? Especially on public stages such as internationally televised press conferences. Or at least wear the hat straight; Phonak would probably appreciate it (oh yeah, they suspended you). Note how much nicer Floyd looked Friday night on "Larry King Live."

Landis said on Friday that he has never been involved in doping and that his high testosterone levels naturally occur because he is a professional athlete.

He told a news conference in Madrid that he has never used anything illegal. He said he won the Tour through a lifetime of training, not performance enhancers.

Landis emphasized that the case was not a doping case. He also asked that he not be judged by the media and the public. He said he was equally surprised with the positive test result.
The results of the second test are expected next week.

Here's the transcript from "Larry King Live," thanks to VeloNews.

Floyd On "Larry King Live" Friday Night

Floyd Landis has chosen the Larry King route (as Our Boy Lance has in the past) to talk to the world (since the program is carried on CNN International).
From the program's website:

Friday's show
Floyd Landis
Primetime exclusive: The Tour de France racing champ, Floyd Landis speaks out about testing positive. Tune in Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
E-mail questions for Floyd Landis.

As usual, VeloNews has on outstanding lineup of up-to-the-minute stories:

• Friday's press conference.
• Testostorone 101.
• Andrew Hood's roundup.
• Letters.

Easy As Pie

Our Boy Lance tastes a piece of coconut cream pie during stop on RAGBRAI, a seven-day bike ride across Iowa sponsored by the Des Moines Register.
(AP/Charlie Neibergall)

Toona Update - 'Juan' Fast Dude

Juan Haedo (Toyota-United) torches the already hot pavement to come within 9 seconds of overall leader Menzies of Health Net.

Zip and Slim and are hammering as we speak!

HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA – July 27, 2006: Juan Haedo of Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team captured both the stage and the Green Sprinter's jersey in the PECO/Excelon Holidaysburg Road Race that is the fourth stage of this year’s International Tour de Toona. Haedo rode the 60-mile course in 2:09:07, finishing just at the head of a pack if 21 riders. The win was not enough to capture overall first place, leaving Karl Menzies of Health-Net Pro Cycling Team with a nine second advantage with three stages left to ride.

Tina Pic of Colavita Cooking Light Team matched Haedo as she took the winner’s and sprint jerseys in the GM Hollidaysburg Road Race, making the circuit in 2:32:12. Kristin Armstrong of Team Lipton held on to overall first place, aided by her strong finish in Wednesday’s 96-mile stage. Pic ended the day at 2:59 behind the overall leader; with Canadian champion Alex Wrubleski trailing closely in third place at 3:09.

Floyd's Bonfire Of The Vanities

Floyd Landis leaving the testing facility after the last stage of the Tour de France.
(Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

Floyd Landis being checked out in Strasbourg, France, two days before the Tour began.
(Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

I guess this is the face of cycling now: Floyd Landis all plugged in, tested, scrutinized, doubted, chastised, defensive, shamed.
It all reminds me of Tom Wolfe's "Bonfires of the Vanities." When you come under this degree of media scrutiny, you become the issue and the issue becomes you -- owns you.

Good column by the New York Times' William Rhoden: "In This Steroids Era, Every Feat is Suspect."

More From Floyd's Mouth

(Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images)

The VeloNews has a story on Floyd Landis's telephone press conference, and a link to the full audio of the session.

No Mennonite On "Tonight"

Floyd Landis to miss 'Tonight' appearance

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Floyd Landis was set to make a triumphant post-Tour de France appearance on the "Tonight Show." Instead, the cyclist may end up as comedy fodder for host Jay Leno.
Landis, whose victory was put in doubt after his team said he tested positive for high testosterone levels, won't appear on the NBC talk show Friday as planned, a network spokeswoman said Thursday.

The show was informed by a representative for Landis that he was still in Europe and unavailable, the spokeswoman said. "Tonight" remains interested in having him on, she added.
NBC announced Wednesday that Landis' first talk-show appearance since winning the race Sunday would be with Leno on "Tonight" - then came the announcement Thursday from his Phonak team that he had been suspended pending results of a backup sample of his drug test.
If Landis, of Murietta, is found guilty of doping he could be stripped of the Tour title and fired from the team.

In a late Thursday news conference conducted by telephone from somewhere in Europe, Landis said he was innocent of doping and he hoped to get a chance to prove he didn't cheat to win the race.

The Moment ... Is Now Suspended

After Floyd Landis pulled away on a 9.2-mile climb during Stage 17 of the Tour de France, the Tour's director called it “the best stage I have ever followed.” Now we will wonder.
(Alessandro Trovati/AP)

...and the cycling world is reacting (see the CyclingNews story at http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jul06/jul28news ).

USA TODAY's Mike LoPresti has a column about cycling's latest scandal, but be sure to check out link to the five-minute audio report by USAT cycling writer Sal Ruibal, in which he says that with only one of two samples in, Landis is still only half guilty.

To The Moment From Floyd's Mouth

OK, Sports Illustrated's Austin Murphy has the story from Floyd Landis, posted at 3:46 p.m. ET and updated at 4:57 p.m. (don't you love the Internet?) on the SI site.

Did you do it, Floyd, Murphy asked?
"No, c'mon man."

Read it and judge for yourself.
More to come on this one; it's certain to d-r-a-g out.

Department Of Over Reaction

From VeloNews:

The managers of Germany's ZDF said Thursday the public television network might cease broadcasting the Tour de France in reaction to winner Floyd Landis testing positive for testosterone.
"We signed a broadcasting contract for a sporting event, not a show demonstrating the performances of the pharmaceutical industry," ZDF editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender said. "We are going to think about our future as broadcaster and maybe refuse to broadcast this event."

The reaction wouldn't have anything to do, of course, with the fact that the average number of spectators watching the live race coverage in Germany fell almost 40% to 1.81 million, compared with 2.91 million last year, according to ARD, the public German broadcaster that aired the race along with ZDF.
Stefan Geese, who tracks ratings for the German public broadcaster ARD, called the drop "a remarkable loss."
He attributed the fall directly to the absence of Jan Ullrich.
Another German rider for T-Mobile, Andreas Klöden, finished third behind Landis.

Landis, by the way, is scheduled to appear Friday on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Los Angeles.

Armstrong Back In Yellow! (Kristin That Is)

In other and less dramatic news, the famous Tour De Toona is well underway in steep Altoona, PA. The week has been brutally hot and the leaders are nipping at each other each day. The usual suspects, Health Net and Navigators are showing quite well in the Pro 1/2 races.

My World Cup/c5 teammates, Ben Smith and Zach Putt are headed north today to begin day one of their 3 day Cat 4 stage and points race. I will be joining them for the Cat 4/5 road race on Saturday. We have a monster field and about 800 feet of higher elevation to look forward to. We look forward to a safe and fun race!

I will keep the cranks "posted"!

From tourdetoona.com,

A cloudy morning and treatening forecasts have not dampened enthusiasm as the Hollidaysburg stages of the 20th anniversary edition of the International Tour de Toona gets set to roll from the county seat. Thursday's races will consist of three, 20-mile circuits of a hilly course surrounding the town. A few sprinkles dampened race set up, put peaks of sun were breaking through as racers prepared for the 9 a.m. men's start. Forecasters are calling for thunderstorms later in the day, after the expected 3 pm finish of the women's circuit that begins at 1 p.m.

Only four seconds of team time separated the top three men’s teams at the end of the longest stage of racing in this year’s Wednesday International Tour de Toona PREIT/Logan Valley Mall Road Race. The 96-mile trek through the mountains of four central Pennsylvania counties ended with a sprint to the finish with the top three riders – Frank Pipp of Target Training, Karl Menzies of Health Net Pro Cycling, and Ciaran Powers of Team Navigator’s Insurance – tied at 3:36:21.

The women’s Cambria County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Road Race over the same course ended with winner, Kristin Armstrong of Team Lipton, on a solo breakaway three minutes ahead of her nearest challengers. Armstrong traversed the mountainous 96 miles in 4:21:15, besting Tuesday’s stage winner, Tina Pic of Colavita Cooking Light and time trial winner Alex Wrubleski, both of whom finished with times of 4:24:14.

Overall, the yellow jersey for race leader was on the shoulders of Kristin Armstrong, for the women, and Karl Menzies reclaimed his jersey from the opening day’s time trial.

When Skepticism Pays Off?

To follow up on the rider who tested positive during the Tour, Cyclingnews.com is reporting that several European papers are suggesting that the positive may in fact have come from overall winner, Floyd Landis.

53rd Tooth is starting to resemble Mel Gibson's character in "Conspiracy" more and more.

Updated-10:41am EST - Phonak has confirmed that the positive test is Landis'. More on Velonews.com

New Discoveries

In addition to Levi Leipheimer, Discovery Channel will also add Portuguese rider Sergio Paulinho, 26, currently with Astana-Würth, and Lithuanian Thomas Vaitkus, 24, from AG2R Prévoyance.
Vaitkus was the under-23 time trial world champion in 2002, a race in which Paulinho took the bronze. Paulinho won the silver medal in the 2004 Olympic road race. Vaitkus won a stage of the Giro d'Italia earlier this year.

Bye Bye Frankie

VeloNews reports that Frankie Andreu, co-director of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team has been fired for missing a trip to Nevada's Tour de Nez in late June. Andreu had been reporting at the Tour de France for OLN.

Can You Believe This SH*T?

Excuse my French, but ...

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) — A rider in the Tour de France has tested positive for doping, the sport's governing body said Wednesday.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) said it wouldn't disclose the rider's name, team or nationality pending completion of the testing process.
“The UCI received today a report of the anti-doping laboratory of Paris stating an adverse analytical finding following an anti-doping test carried out at the Tour de France 2006,” the statement said.
The UCI said the rider, his team, the national federation and the national and world anti-doping authorities had been informed immediately.
“The adverse analytical finding received this morning relates to the first analysis, and will have to be confirmed either by a counter analysis required by the rider, or by the fact that the rider renounces to that counter analysis,” the UCI statement said.

Do these guys ever, ever, ever learn?

Some Discovery

When Oude Granny broke the news (at least to me; I must be stuck in '03) that Levi Leipheimer was (re)joining the Discovery Channel team, the first question that came to mind was:
HOW OLD IS THIS GUY?
Well, here are the numbers:
Born: 10/24/1973
Height: 5 foot 7 inches / 171cm
Birthplace: Butte, Montana
Weight: 140 pounds / 63kg
Resides: Santa Rosa, California/Gerona, Spain
Given that Floyd Landis will be the compelling story in cycling in 2007, not to mention the fact that Tyler Hamilton plans a comeback and the future of both Jan Ullrich (who says HE'S talking to Discovery ... uh huh) and Ivan Basso has to be in some doubt, Levi Leipheimer riding for Disovery just doesn't do it for me. At least not today.
Heck, Our Boy Lance seems like yesterday's news these days given the nature of the Landis story.
U.S. Postal/Discovery may have seemed like the center of the cycling universe before this season, but given Discovery's sorry performance in the Tour (even though George Hincapie did wear the yellow jersey for a day on a time bonus and Yaroslav Popovych won a stage -- didn't he ... who remembers?), who rides for Discovery doesn't have the compelling attraction it once had.
So, Levi will be 33. That makes him a one-year loaner, so to speak. Otherwise, Discovery is either too young (Popovych and Tom Danielson) or too old (Hincapie and Vladislav Ekimov, who waved goodbye in Paris).
But before the field lines up in London next July, there will be plenty of other wheels spinning to consider.

Another Jab?

Oude Granny wanted to post the entirety of Mark Zalewski's (Cyclingnews.com) story created from excerpts he pulled from Greg Lemond's interview on ESPN 2's Cold Pizza. Lemond has at times come off whiny when it comes to Armstrong's success, but he certainly isn't alone in his thoughts (Granny included). This will also kick off a series of post in which Oude Granny will examine doping in the sport of cycling.

Lemond comments on Landis win

by Mark Zalewski, North American Editor

The American media have been desperately flipping through their Rolodexes to find expert analysis on the Tour win by Floyd Landis. ESPN's Cold Pizza tracked down the first American Tour winner, Greg Lemond, while he was vacationing with his family. When asked if the number of wins by Americans in the last twenty years is a trend, Lemond replied, "It's pure coincidence. We just had some talented individuals come into racing. But what Floyd did was amazing."
Lemond was also asked why it seems that the Americans that win seem to have to overcome great hurdles, with Lemond's hunting accident, Armstrong's cancer and now Landis' hip, "I think anybody who has had a setback... it shows your character," Lemond said. Lemond is also confident that Landis will be able to come back from his upcoming surgery, citing a colleague who had a hip replacement using a new technique, "He has the physiology to be a Tour de France winner, he did it, and I think he will win many more. I am optimistic he will be able to defend his title next year."

Lemond has certainly not hidden his feelings on Armstrong, and when asked who would win today between Landis, him and Armstrong, Lemond at first chuckled, "I am biased! I can't answer that, [laughs.]" But then Lemond got a little more serious. "Every race is different. The race changed dramatically this year. For me I am a strong anti-doping advocate. I think we are seeing a true Tour de France winner, someone who might have otherwise been cheated out of a win."

When asked if he was saying Lance's wins were tainted, Lemond said, "I am not saying that. It goes back to the historical norms, where people got tired and had bad days. It was common to have a bad day when I was racing. I have been waiting for this period since 1998… The French riders are competitive since 1998. They have a much harder dope testing in their country. Watching a race that shows the human drama. I believe you can do the TdF without drugs, you get tired, and the strongest win."

Discovery Gets Their Man...Again

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team has found their man, or re-found him, as Levi Leipheimer has agreed to move over to Discovery at the end of the season. According to Levi, they "made him an offer, he couldn't refuse," a la Don Corleone (or did it come from the other Patron?). It remains to be seen whether their new man will be THE man come next July. Full story on Cyclingnews.com.

It's A Wrap

With another Tour de France "in the can," let's review our pre-Tour picks-to-click.

Podium/Maillot Jaune: Floyd Landis - Oude Granny can gloat a bit, as I picked Floyd to win even before some of the Tour favorites were dismissed because of the allegations stemming from Operacion Puerto. The remainder of the podium was a crap shoot and our picks to finish on the podium were literally that, crap.

Maillot Vert: Robbie McEwen - Who better to know the sprinters than our own racer, 53rd Tooth. Tom Boonen pistons, which fired so powerfully earlier in the season, failed Tour-o-03 and Oude Granny.

Polka-Dot Jersey: Michael Rasmussen - The only unanimous pick of the Crankset.

White Jersey/Best Young Rider: Damiano Cunego - We were also all over the board on this one as well. Who would have thought that the Piccolo Principie would have done so well in a race that isn't his beloved Giro?

Dark Horse/Sleeper: George Hincapie - The Crankset really thought "Gentleman George" had the goods to produce, but he ended up more asleep than a sleeper.

Biggest Surprise/Who To Look Out For: Another pick the Crankset was all over the board on. Oude Granny's pick of Alejandro Valverde to limit his time losses in the ITT's seemed to be a safe one, especially after his great ride in the Prologue, but he crashed out before he could really be tested in one of the longer TT efforts. T-o-03's pick of David Millar to steal one of the ITT's came close as Millar's form started to come around, unfortunately, that day came the day before Paris (he ultimately finished 10th on Stage 19).

Biggest Disappointment: Several of our picks fit the bill in this category. T-o-03 picked Jan Ullrich, whose dismissal was certainly a disappointment to his fans. 53rd Tooth chose Alejandro Valverde, who certainly was a disappointment for crashing out (he has yet to reach Paris). But Oude Granny perhaps nailed this one on the head by picking the entire Discovery Channel cycling squad; a team with that much expectation was set up for disappointment.

One Hip Yellow Jersey

This is the image (AFP) from Stage 17 that will most likely be remembered from this 93rd Tour de France: Floyd Landis punching the air, not in triumph, but in defiance of the impossible. This was his moment on the slopes of La Toussuire. The time trial two days later merely confirmed his triumph; his ride into Paris Sunday was final affirmation.
When Our Boy Lance was winning his seven Tours, part of the satisfaction we all felt was that Lance stood for something more than the bike. His greatest triumphs as a cancer survivor lie ahead of him as the Lance Armstrong Foundation continues to battle cancer.
So, what will this victory stand for? What makes Floyd Landis's victory bigger than a personal triumph?
Well, maybe nothing -- and that would be all right. But maybe everything, and not in the same commercial way that made and continues to make the marketing of OBL distasteful at times.
Floyd is a simpler kind of guy. Focused like Lance. As dedicated as Lance. And now, successful like Lance in this great race.
But what is the significance? We like significance.
“I don’t pretend to know a lot about what’s going on in life most of the time,” Landis said. “But I had good parents who taught me that hard work and patience were some of the most important things in getting what you wanted. It took me a long time in my life to learn patience. But that and persistence, I think, is the lesson that even I learned from this race.
“The way I grew up was a bit more simple than the way I live now. But I have wonderful parents and a wonderful family and if they want to make a story out of it, I guess it’s not a bad one.
"I came here to win the Tour and that's what I still want to do. I'm not done fighting yet," Landis said after the stage he cracked.
He didn't stop fighting when no one would have faulted him for accepting the inevitable, more than eight minutes behind the yellow jersey.
"I want to win the Tour, whatever I've got to do. If I had a bad day, I had to make up for it."
We all have bad days. Do we make up for them?
And you can bet that Floyd wasn't talking about doping when he said "whatever I've got to do."
You get the sense that Floyd Landis plays by the rules, within the rules.
Of that day he cracked, Landis said, "It was the most humiliating thing that ever happened to me. I wished and hoped I would have the opportunity to become a leader and to wear the yellow jersey. I don't feel my life would have been a failure not having won the Tour.
"I'll fight to come back next year or the following year, whatever it takes because cycling is a beautiful sport.
“I have to say that since it’s a dream of mine, and having hip replacement puts that in jeopardy, that having won the race, I’ll be much more relaxed. I’ll fight as hard as I have in this race to come back next year or the following year, whatever it takes to be back.”
Do you want to bet against him?

Just Get Me To The Church On Time!

So what else did you thing that Arlene and Paul Landis, parents of Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, did on Sunday? They rode their bikes home (nice bikes!) from church in Farmersville, Pa. As Floyd crossed the Tour de France finish line, his devout Mennonite parents were riding their own bicycles home from church. Paul and Arlene were so confident their son would win the cycling's greatest race they didn't have to choose between going to church and watching it on TV at a neighbor's house.
(AP Photo/Chris Knight)

Perhaps You Were Wondering?

I know I was.
Phonak's Robbie Hunter, a South African, was eliminated from the Tour de France after the penultimate stage for missing the time cut. He crossed the line 18:09 -- one minute and 11 seconds outside the permitted time limit.
He later explained to a friend in a text message: "I rode the whole time trial standing because of saddle sores. My arse is in pieces. What a way to end the Tour."
Hunter traveled to Paris from the time trial finish at Montceau-les Mines, but was not permitted to travel with the Tour peloton on a chartered TGV fast train because his elimination means he is no longer an official member of the Tour.
I guess that goes for Tom Boonen, too?
Who makes up these rules?
Hunter won Stage 1 of the Tour of Georgia earlier this year. A sprinter, became the first South African to finish the Tour in 2002. Now we know why he didn't finish in 2006.

An American In Paris

Floyd Landis rides in front of the Arc de Triumphe. So did the Cranks in '03!
(Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)

We'll Drink To That!

Floyd Landis (Phonak/Swi) enjoys the traditional champagne toast with his team manager John Lelangue during the 154.5 km 20th and final stage of the 93rd Tour de France from Sceaux-Antony to Paris Champs-Elysees (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images).

The New Jersey Parade

The 2006 Tour de France leaders (from the left): Best new rider in the white jersey is Italy's Damiano Cunego (Lampre); yellow jersey is the USA's Floyd Landis (Phonak); King of the Mountains in the red-and-white polka dotted jersey is Denmark's Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank); and outstanding sprinter in the green jersey is Australia's Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto)
(Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Overheard on OLN

Great news!
OLN-TV, which will become Versus in September, will televise the entire 2007 Amgen Tour of California Feb. 17-23!

Memories of Paris II

Mike Armellino (in yellow!) and I ran into Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll on the Champs Elleyses in Paris the day after the 2003 Tour de France.

Memories of Paris

Two of the three Cranks with Tour '03 Trek Travel friends during the 100th TdF Centenial. It was a great day -- as will be Sunday for Floyd Landis.

Mellow Yellow

( AFP/Getty Images)

When everyone else gave up, Floyd Landis didn't.
Landis finished third in Saturday's Stage 19 time trial of the Tour de France, but it was the 130-mile personal time trial of courage he rode on Thursday in the Alps -- the ride of redemption after Wednesday's collapse -- that has virtually assured Landis of winning the Tour of France (but shouldn't Sunday's final stage matter for more than the sprinters?).
So, despite the Spanish doping scandal that has cost the sport Jan Ullrich and could ultimately result in a similar fate for Ivan Basso ...
Despite a huge tactical mistake that nearly put Oscar Pereiro in the yellow jersey for keeps ...
Despite the collapse in Stage 17 ...
Floyd Landis will ride into Paris Sunday in the yellow jersey.
The podium: Landis, Pereiro and Andres Kloden, who finished second to the remarkable Sergei Gonchar in Saturday's time trial. That's two time trial victories for Gonchar by more than a minute!
What a great Tour for T-Mobile after dropping Ullrich.
What a great Tour for Damiano Cuenego, who wears the white jersey.
But ultimately, there was Floyd Landis on the podium in yellow, with Bernard Hinault on one side and Eddie Merckx on the other.
America's third Tour winner, joining Our Boy Lance and Greg Lemond.
And an eighth-straight American yellow jersey -- eat that, Frenchies!

Stage Results
1. Sergei Gonchar (Ukr), T-Mobile, 57km in 1:07:45
2. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, at 00:41
3. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, at 01:11
4. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., at 02:40
5. Sebastian Lang (G), Gerolsteiner, at 03:18
6. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, at 03:35
7. Viatceslav Ekimov (Rus), Discovery Channel, at 03:41
8. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, at 03:41
9. Bert Grabsch (G), Phonak, at 03:43
10. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, at 03:44
COMMENTS: A remarkable pair of time trials by Gonchar ... Kloden back on the podium as Ullrich disappears, perhaps forever ... two great TTs for Floyd ... Pereiro's best TT ever ... A great day for Floyd's buddy, Zabriske ... What is more amazing than 40-year-old Ekimov's finish? ... And does the future belong to 24-year-old Cunego?

The overall picture
1. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak
2. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne-I.B., 00:59
3. Andréas Klöden (G), T-Mobile, 01:29
4. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 03:13
5. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 05:08
6. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 07:06
7. Cyril Dessel (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 08:41
8. Christophe Moreau (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 09:37
9. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 12:05
10. Michael Rogers (Aus), T-Mobile, 15:07
COMMENTS: For Landis, a Tour with panache! ... For Floyd's former teammate Pereiro, a Tour with honor ... T-Mobile has a new leader ... A shame for Sastre ... Look at the Aussies (Evans and Rogers)! ... Honor for France (Dessel and Moreau).

Jan...Rhymes With Gone

It's official, T-Mobile has sacked Der Kaiser, Jan Ullrich, as a result of the allegations stemming from Operacion Puerto. Full story on Velonews.com.

Jan Is Fading From The Scene

Have we heard the last of Good Old Jan?
From the VeloNews blog:
German media reports that Jan Ullrich will not be taking place in the usual post-Tour criteriums, races which generally don't offer much prestige, but usually offer boatloads of cash.

Ullrich's agent Walter Strohband said that Ullrich has contracts to ride in several events, but given the current environment, he would be the focus of attention for all of the wrong reasons.

"Jan said he would prefer to pull out of the races and to let the organizers know now, so that they can work to attract other big-name cyclists for their events."

Good Ol' Normal Floyd

Here's one of those good comments that sometimes get lost in blogs. This one is from my favorite source of news on the Tour de France, VeloNews:

Reactions to yesterday's stage
Once folks picked their lower jaws back up from the floor yesterday, there were a lot of words of praise out there for what Floyd Landis (AFP photo of Floyd and Bernard Hinault) did -- attacking the peloton with 150km to go and essentially soloing the entire distance.
What we found interesting was that he was producing very normal power outputs on those climbs yesterday, pushing about 350-390 watts on the big cols. Landis has a VO2 max quite close to 90, so those outputs are quite within the range of normal. What was spectacular was the fact that it came so quickly after his total shut-down on Wednesday, something which may be attributed to dehydration or simple "bonk." You could certainly see he was making a big effort to stay hydrated throughout yesterday's ride.

So, You Wanted Panache?

(Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

OK, Frenchies, you got your panache!

Just read this lead in VeloNews:
In one of the most audacious and bravest rides seen in the modern era of the Tour de France, Phonak's American rider Floyd Landis turned the despair of his stage 16 implosion into a stage-winning breakaway that put him back into the role of favorite to win this extraordinary race.

And listen to the praise:
Oscar Pereiro (up by 12 and 30 seconds over Carlos Sastre and Landis): "I thought Landis was eliminated and after his big demonstration, he now has the Tour de France in his hands. Normally, he will win the Tour in the time trial. The maillot jaune inspired me today to keep fighting and my team did a great job, but Landis was spectacular today. This has been one of the most incredible days in cycling."

Greg LeMond (three-time winner of the Tour de France): "This was easily the best day I've seen in cycling in years ... maybe ever. This is the sort of ride done by a Merckx or a Hinault [note the absence of an Armstrong by Greggie]. I sure never did anything like that. These past two days -- yesterday's big loss, coupled with today's heroic ride -- puts him up there with the real heroes of the Tour. Seeing him up on the podium today was a real joy ... he was genuinely happy and you almost felt like you were up there with him. This Tour may go down as one of the greatest ever. Look at what's happened over these past three weeks. The racing is as good as it gets ... the furthest thing from a foregone conclusion [in Greggie-speak, no Lance] that one could hope for. This is bike racing!"

Jonathan Vaughters: "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen in 20 years of cycling ... It's hard to explain just how much character it takes for a guy to come back from something like yesterday and then do this. You just don't see that ... ever. Can you think of a comparable performance? This will go down as one of the greatest rides in the history of the Tour."

Bjarne Riis (Team CSC team manager): My favorite now for victory is Landis. What he did today was beautiful. It was a ride like a champion. What he did today was impressive. It was a nice move and he deserves it."

And what did Floyd have to say?
"It would not be fair if I told you what happens next," he joked. "But it's obvious I would like to win this race."

And what do I have to say?
Panache. The boy's got panache.

Cinderella Man?

Photo: AFP

Just when you thought that the clock had struck midnight for Floyd Landis, losing over 8 minutes to Oscar Periero on Stage 16, he has pedalled his way back into contention. As Landis attacked and soloed away with today's stage victory, all that was missing from Phil Liggett's and Paul Sherwen's commentary was Paul Giamatti.

SON-OF-A-BITCH! SON-OF-A-BITCH!

Gracious In Yellow

Oscar Pereiro (photo by Graham Watson), back in yellow after Stage 16, on his former Phonak teammate, Floyd Landis:
"I appreciate Phonak, I know them very well, I spent four years with them. I had a bad time personally when I saw Landis struggling. I wouldn't have wanted that for anybody."

Landis on his dashed hopes:
"I don't expect to win this Tour anymore. It's never easy to get back eight minutes but I'll keep fighting till the end and try. ... I'm disappointed and I would be lying if I didn't say I wanted to forget about it. I did everything I could to be the best at this Tour and I would change what happened today, but I can't. I understand that a golden opportunity to win has gone. ... Seeing Oscar in yellow certainly doesn't disappoint me in any way. He's a great person and a former teammate."

Here's Floyd's post-race interview.

SI's Austin Murphy On The Tour

(photo by AFP)

Good story on Stage 16 by Sports Illustrated's Austin Murphy .
Best quote I've seen on Floyd Landis's collapse:
"Hey, people have bad days in this sport," said Robbie Ventura, Landis's coach, afterward. "There are days when you crack, but on those days, you lose one, maybe two minutes. This wasn't a crack, it was a detonation."

Landis on his Phonak teammates:
"I'm proud of my team for standing behind me the whole time," he made a point of saying.

Murphy on Phonak:
"Landis' biggest problem in this Tour was that his teammates didn't just stand behind him; they spent the majority of the mountain stages riding behind him."

Everyone Can't Be A Winner II

Here you see Floyd Landis early in the stage being paced by his Phonak teammates

And here you see Landis later in the race being isolated.

(photos by Graham Watson)

Can you say B-O-N-K-E-D?
How sad was it to see Axel Merckx pacing Floyd Landis to the top of La Toussuire, 10 minutes behind Stage 16 winner Michael Rasmussen and dropping eight minutes behind the (re)new(ed) yellow jersey, Oscar Pereiro?

Before this Tour de France began, I questioned whether Phonak was strong enough to support Landis's quest for the yellow jersey. And with the exception of Merckx, Landis has been alone in the mountains, left to languish with insufficient support. Would it have made a difference Wednesday? Would Landis have cracked anyway? In cycling, the answers aren't always forthcoming, but the next day or so should contribute something to understanding this forever-to-be classic moment in Tour history.

Consider this description from Reuters:
LA TOUSSUIRE, France, July 19 (Reuters) -- American Floyd Landis lost the Tour de France on Wednesday when he cracked on the last ascent of Wednesday's mountain stage, won by Michael Rasmussen of Denmark.

And further description from VeloNews's Andrew Hood:
The Landis implosion was the worst by a legitimate yellow-jersey contender since Jan Ullrich cracked and lost the 1998 Tour de France over the Col du Galibier, the climb that (from the opposite direction) opened Wednesday's high drama in the mountains.

Here's what Landis had to say:
"Sometimes you don't feel well, and sometimes it's on the wrong day," said Landis, who plummeted to 11th overall at 8:08. "Today was not a good day to have a bad day. What can I say?

"I don't think it was a problem of not eating enough. I just wasn't good from the beginning. ... A lot of times I feel that way and I come around at the end. There was never a flat part for 15 minutes where I could recover. I think I would have been better off, but that's how it goes.
"I was struggling even on the climbs before that. I tried to hide it, but I wasn't good, and then on the last climb there was only a certain speed I could go, which wasn't very fast."

Perhaps you noticed that Landis's earpiece was dangling from his ear over the last 10km or so? What was that all about. Did he know it was over? Did he tune out his team manager? And what help did Phonak have to offer, other than a tow at the end, 10 minutes after the leader?

Not a glorious day for Floyd. And such a shame for all those supporting his gallant bid for yellow.

Everyone Can't Be A Winner

(Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Some of the faces following Stage 15 of the Tour de France ... Tom Boonen abandons ... Andreas Kloden grimaces at the finish ... as does George Hincapie.

Who's The Guy In The Hat With George?

Could it be? It is! That's Our Boy Lance with George Hincapie Wednesday. I didn't know George was in Hollywood with Lance! (Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

So, what did Our Boy Lance have to say to the media Tuesday at the Tour?
Cycling needs the support of its fans following the doping scandal that prevented this year's favourites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso from competing.

"Quite honestly, I wasn't coming to the Tour de France. The only reason I came is because of what happened.

"I think that now is the time that fans of cycling have to stand up and say, 'I'm a fan'. I want to come and I want to be supportive, not just of the team, not just of the race, but of the sport of cycling, which to me is still the most beautiful sport there is."

How about that, Tooth?

There's a couple interesting stories about OBL on VeloNews:
First, a short interview with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who rode up the Alpe d'Huez with OBL on Monday (excuse me very much, but wasn't that Sheryl Crow's gig last year?).

Second, OBL's interview with the media.
A highlight:
OBL: I am happy to be here. I love France. It's funny because I get asked all the time: ‘What do you think about France and the French people.' And I say: ‘I love the country and the people' but of course they never report that.
Q: Would you say it in French?
OBL: I have lost my French.

Pretty In Yellow

(Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Floyd Landis (Phonak) waits on the podium for the yellow jersey following Stage 15.

The Defining Moment On Stage 15

(Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

This is the moment with 2km to go that Luxemburg's Franck Shleck (CSC) broke away from Italy's Damiano Cunego (Lampre Fondital) on the Alpe d'Huez to win Stage 15 Tuesday.