MLK Day - Team Major Taylor

Their original story ran in Bicycling last summer (June 2006), and T-o-03 posted a Boston Globe story about one of the original American cycling greats, Major Taylor. So in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the states, Oude Granny presents a group of individuals whose goal is to someday win the famous Lil' 500 (an Indiana and All-American cycling tradition that a friend of mine once participated in and won), with an All African American team, Team Major Taylor (find the RACE .pdf on their welcome page for the full story).

I'm In, I'm Out, I'm In, I'm Out...

I'm In. Huh? Yes, that's the absolute best answer Oude Granny could provide after I read that the International Professional Cycling Tour (IPCT) group, who earlier booted Discovery Pro Cycling Team from participating in the Pro Tour, has now reinstated them. Why did they get booted in the first place, for hiring Ivan Basso, an ethics violation of the new IPCT as they had all decided that hiring anyone involved in Operacion Puerto would call for an immediate dismissal.

So why let them back in? Well here are some stereotypical answers, "money talks..." "different rules for different tax brackets..." "how do you exclude the team with perhaps the largest growing fanbase (and the one with a fanbase that travels and spends money in the EU)" "ethics don't matter, when it comes to money." Try one of those out for size. Way to stick to your ethical standards guys! Next thing you know they'll let guys dope freely and call it a sport.