Thursday, August 03, 2006
Lawyer Up
Now that he's back in California, Floyd Landis has hired attorney Howard Jacobs, who has represented several athletes -- including Tyler Hamilton -- in cases involving performance-enhancing drugs. And Jacobs didn't waste much time criticizing the International Cycling Union for leaking the results of the Tour de France winner's positive "A" sample drug test, saying it breached the organization's own rules.TODAY'S EXCUSE:
Dehydration the latest cause offered for Landis' elevated testosterone levels (you mean it wasn't the Jack Daniels? -- see Yesterday's Excuse)
Jim Litke: Phantom twins, vindictive exes, and the CIA: Who spiked my sample?
Andrew Vontz: As the rumors swirl in the Landis saga ...
Ray McNulty: We care about Floyd only because of Lance (this one is really dumb!)
Photo: Floyd has more lawyers than Phoney-ak teammates. Look at the size of those briefcases! And those nice suits! Who's paying these guys, Floyd? (AP/Remy de la Mauviniere)
YESTERDAY'S EXCUSE:
Carl Bialik: Floyd Landis's Alcohol Defense
Selena Roberts: Whiskey Defense: Seems Like Another Whopper
TOMORROW'S EXCUSE:
Fill in the blank:
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Deja Vu, All Over Again
It's not that my creative juices have dried up, but Oude Granny is once again feeling the aftermath of yet another professional cycling doping scandal. Early in July, I wrote the following about the dismissal of the top Tour contenders:
"Frankly, for someone who is passionate about the sport of cycling, the latest doping news became too much to bear, like a loved one walking straight up to you and then kicking you in the groin (ouch...my apologies for that analogy). Sure we've heard the talk about the use or overuse of performance enhancing drugs/methods in cycling, heard cyclists admit use, seen cyclists suspended or banned, and we may have even seen an angry look on our loved one's face. But none of it really prepared us for what would transpire. Just like a swift kick to the onions (thank you Bill Rafferty for that turn of phrase)..."
And just like that, we've got the perfect doping bookends to the Tour de France, with the impending test results of Floyd Landis set to come out this Saturday. Once again, The Crankset has...
Ey, We've Got A Blogger Down...Blogger Down!
...as 53rd Tooth has chosen to take a sabbatical from the latest doping affair. And who could blame him.
But as I also posted previously, this is a cycling blog and not a blog about professional cycling (although we've covered that for you with vigor). So for those of us who like to follow cycling on a local level, we'll provide more coverage on that. While for those of us who mix it up on the roads and now on the velodrome, we'll be showing you some more of that.
With that said, Oude Granny is extending an invite to any and all who'd consider participating or would simply like to come out and watch the National Championships in Downers Grove, IL (suburb just west of Chicago) on August 19th. As an enticement, you may get a rare glimpse of Granny in one of the entry-level races...and if you come in early you may get a double dose of Granny on the Northbrook Velodrome on Thursday night (Major Taylor watch out).
"Frankly, for someone who is passionate about the sport of cycling, the latest doping news became too much to bear, like a loved one walking straight up to you and then kicking you in the groin (ouch...my apologies for that analogy). Sure we've heard the talk about the use or overuse of performance enhancing drugs/methods in cycling, heard cyclists admit use, seen cyclists suspended or banned, and we may have even seen an angry look on our loved one's face. But none of it really prepared us for what would transpire. Just like a swift kick to the onions (thank you Bill Rafferty for that turn of phrase)..."
And just like that, we've got the perfect doping bookends to the Tour de France, with the impending test results of Floyd Landis set to come out this Saturday. Once again, The Crankset has...
Ey, We've Got A Blogger Down...Blogger Down!...as 53rd Tooth has chosen to take a sabbatical from the latest doping affair. And who could blame him.
But as I also posted previously, this is a cycling blog and not a blog about professional cycling (although we've covered that for you with vigor). So for those of us who like to follow cycling on a local level, we'll provide more coverage on that. While for those of us who mix it up on the roads and now on the velodrome, we'll be showing you some more of that.
With that said, Oude Granny is extending an invite to any and all who'd consider participating or would simply like to come out and watch the National Championships in Downers Grove, IL (suburb just west of Chicago) on August 19th. As an enticement, you may get a rare glimpse of Granny in one of the entry-level races...and if you come in early you may get a double dose of Granny on the Northbrook Velodrome on Thursday night (Major Taylor watch out).
A Story Worth Your Time
Here's a wonderful story from the Boston Globe about Major Taylor, aka the "Worcester Whirlwind," the legendary black man originally from Indiana who broke through the color barrier to become a world champion bicycle racer -- at the turn of the 20th century!"He was an athletic prodigy akin to Tiger Woods, a quietly defiant racial pacesetter almost a half-century before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line... "
And check out this NPR report on Taylor.
Plausible Deniability
I've often heard the phrase above used in the context with high ranking officials, both military and political, who chose not to maintain full knowledge of certain circumscribed events, therefore, making their statements of "well I really have no knowledge of that matter," seem believable. Afterall, how can you lay full responsibility on an individual if they really didn't know what was going on, whether they chose to be kept in the dark or not?
Now, how does this all apply to the world of professional cycling? It really doesn't. These athletes are as well versed in their physiological makeup (the number of Watts they can produce on certain efforts, what their appropirate cadence should be, etc) as they are in their equipment (riders, LA being one of them, who need their bikes tailored down to the last millimeter).
But there is one thing that most professional cyclists have attempted to thrust into the realm of plausible deniability; the science behind the tests. The latest, and most high profile, cases of Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras, and Floyd Landis (is it me, or are Dick Pound and WADA attempting to throw out enough circumstantial evidence against LA by going after his former henchman; in effect, "is it plausible that only the great domestiques surrounding LA doped and he did not?" That's for another post altogether) have all shared this in common. None have admitted any knowledge of their current situations while a bevy of legal eagles and science experts have proferred explanations for finding exogenous materials in their endogenous profile.
This, in turn, has created confusion and a fissure amongst the cycling community, of believers and non-believers. Many still believe in Tyler, and many will likely still believe in Floyd, because of their history, their past exploits, their character, their realization of the consequences of their actions (how could Tyler ever endanger the life of his beautiful wife, Haven, by transfusing someone else's blood), and because they've staunchly denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Plausible deniability or simply deniability?
Only David Millar (a cheater who I find less reprehensible because of his admittance) has taken a Trumanesque route (The Buck Stops Here). But, had he not been found with vials of EPO in his flat, do you think he would have ever told?
Occam's (Ockham's) Razor
In a nutshell, this principle states that all things being equal, the best answer to a question is usually the simplest one. So what's the simplest explanation for Floyd Landis' positive test?
Straight from Pezcyclingnews.com (Jered Gruber's EuroTrash):
"Over the weekend, L'Equipe reported on just that, an IRMS was done on Landis' sample.
“When a sample shows a testosterone:epitestosterone ratio of more than 4:1, an IRMS test is now used to check for the presence of exogenous testosterone. If Landis’s ‘A’ sample was positive, it means that exogenous testosterone must have been found.”
Definitely not the end of the world for Landis, but it's surely not a boost for his defense.
Michaud Audran added yet another backing to the why in the hell would he take testosterone for Stage 17 hypothesis:
“If you take it before a stage, the only effect is going to be a psychological boost. And why would anyone take it, then go and win a stage, when they know that the stage winner is always tested?
I think that Tour de France riders do take testosterone, but they do it before or at the start of the Tour. They do it to compensate for the muscle they know that they will start losing in the latter stages of the race; by then, they’ve started to exhaust their glycogen supplies, exhaust their fat supplies and they start to use up muscle for energy. A testosterone treatment before the Tour will build up muscle resources to compensate for that."
So although Floyd's body may naturally produce unusually high volumes of testosterone, and on an extremely hard effort like Stage 17 it was likely to produce more, it seems like those pre-Tour preparations caught up to him.
While we still await the "B" sample tests, and possibly a long protracted defense for his title, William Occam is somewhere resting comfortably in his logic.
Now, how does this all apply to the world of professional cycling? It really doesn't. These athletes are as well versed in their physiological makeup (the number of Watts they can produce on certain efforts, what their appropirate cadence should be, etc) as they are in their equipment (riders, LA being one of them, who need their bikes tailored down to the last millimeter).
But there is one thing that most professional cyclists have attempted to thrust into the realm of plausible deniability; the science behind the tests. The latest, and most high profile, cases of Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras, and Floyd Landis (is it me, or are Dick Pound and WADA attempting to throw out enough circumstantial evidence against LA by going after his former henchman; in effect, "is it plausible that only the great domestiques surrounding LA doped and he did not?" That's for another post altogether) have all shared this in common. None have admitted any knowledge of their current situations while a bevy of legal eagles and science experts have proferred explanations for finding exogenous materials in their endogenous profile.
This, in turn, has created confusion and a fissure amongst the cycling community, of believers and non-believers. Many still believe in Tyler, and many will likely still believe in Floyd, because of their history, their past exploits, their character, their realization of the consequences of their actions (how could Tyler ever endanger the life of his beautiful wife, Haven, by transfusing someone else's blood), and because they've staunchly denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Plausible deniability or simply deniability?
Only David Millar (a cheater who I find less reprehensible because of his admittance) has taken a Trumanesque route (The Buck Stops Here). But, had he not been found with vials of EPO in his flat, do you think he would have ever told?
Occam's (Ockham's) Razor
In a nutshell, this principle states that all things being equal, the best answer to a question is usually the simplest one. So what's the simplest explanation for Floyd Landis' positive test?
Straight from Pezcyclingnews.com (Jered Gruber's EuroTrash):
"Over the weekend, L'Equipe reported on just that, an IRMS was done on Landis' sample.
“When a sample shows a testosterone:epitestosterone ratio of more than 4:1, an IRMS test is now used to check for the presence of exogenous testosterone. If Landis’s ‘A’ sample was positive, it means that exogenous testosterone must have been found.”
Definitely not the end of the world for Landis, but it's surely not a boost for his defense.
Michaud Audran added yet another backing to the why in the hell would he take testosterone for Stage 17 hypothesis:
“If you take it before a stage, the only effect is going to be a psychological boost. And why would anyone take it, then go and win a stage, when they know that the stage winner is always tested?
I think that Tour de France riders do take testosterone, but they do it before or at the start of the Tour. They do it to compensate for the muscle they know that they will start losing in the latter stages of the race; by then, they’ve started to exhaust their glycogen supplies, exhaust their fat supplies and they start to use up muscle for energy. A testosterone treatment before the Tour will build up muscle resources to compensate for that."
So although Floyd's body may naturally produce unusually high volumes of testosterone, and on an extremely hard effort like Stage 17 it was likely to produce more, it seems like those pre-Tour preparations caught up to him.
While we still await the "B" sample tests, and possibly a long protracted defense for his title, William Occam is somewhere resting comfortably in his logic.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Shall We Move On?
Discovery Channel's Vladimir Gusev of Russia celebrates after winning the prologue of the Tour of Germany in Duesseldorf Tuesday. Gusev won ahead of Germany's Linus Gerdemann and Sebastian Lang. (Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images)
The Evidence Is Mounting
I don't like the news today.
Obviously, Tooth hasn't liked it for quite some time (DO read his wonderful post below).
Here's the latest as reported by the New York Time's Juliet Macur:
-- New Finding Challenges Tour Champ’s Claim
Here's a good opinion piece by Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.
-- Floyd Landis Tests Fans' Faith in Sports Heroes
Here's the gist:
Tests show that some of the testosterone in Floyd Landis's system at the Tour de France was synthetic and not naturally produced by his body as he claimed.
Here's what I don't like:
-- Floyd lawyered up real good by his press conference on Friday.
-- Floyd playing dumb in the press conference about the science and his testosterone levels. I'm sorry, but these professionals know all about this stuff. It's their business.
-- Floyd suggesting a liquor defense. From "I had a beer" to a couple beers and four shots of Jack Daniels, I really wonder what was going on at Team Phoney-ak after Floyd's disasterous Stage 16 ride. I never realized the bottle passed around at these team dinners like that.
-- Floyd knew he'd be tested if he won Stage 17 and reportedly offered anyone in the breakaway group he chased and caught to "gift" the stage if they shared in the work. No one took the offer, and Floyd took the test.
-- And now, according to Macur's story in the Times, Floyd delayed his request for the B sample to be tested:
Landis, who was in New York after canceling or postponing several talk-show appearances [including the "Today Show"], could not be reached for comment yesterday. His spokesman, Michael Henson, said that Landis sent a request yesterday [Monday] for the French lab to test his B sample. Landis had five business days from last Wednesday to do so.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the cycling body, which is known by its French acronym, U.C.I., said last night that the organization had contacted the French lab at 5 p.m. in Paris to see if Landis’s request had been received. When the lab said no, McQuaid said U.C.I. asked the lab to analyze Landis’s B sample, which he said was allowed under the organization’s rules. McQuaid wanted the test to be concluded before the lab closed for a two-week vacation this Friday. If the tests cannot be finished before then, the results may not come until late August or early September, he said.
“It’s a two-and-a-half-day job, and it’s imperative that the B test be done this week for the credibility of our sport, but also for the public interest,” McQuaid said. “This needs to be put to rest because there is too much innuendo, too much talk, too much damage being done to our sport. We have to get this process done quickly, so we can move on.”
The lab agreed to conduct the tests Thursday through Saturday, McQuaid said. That means that Landis’s fate may be known by the weekend.
Why did Floyd delay his request for the test?
This continues to make less and less sense.
Or maybe too much sense.
Maybe Floyd needs to listen to the annoying Greg Lemond and come clean.
So far, his post-race performance has been anything but clean.
And that is a reflection on his Stage 17 performance.
Obviously, Tooth hasn't liked it for quite some time (DO read his wonderful post below).
Here's the latest as reported by the New York Time's Juliet Macur:
-- New Finding Challenges Tour Champ’s Claim
Here's a good opinion piece by Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.
-- Floyd Landis Tests Fans' Faith in Sports Heroes
Here's the gist:
Tests show that some of the testosterone in Floyd Landis's system at the Tour de France was synthetic and not naturally produced by his body as he claimed.
Here's what I don't like:
-- Floyd lawyered up real good by his press conference on Friday.
-- Floyd playing dumb in the press conference about the science and his testosterone levels. I'm sorry, but these professionals know all about this stuff. It's their business.
-- Floyd suggesting a liquor defense. From "I had a beer" to a couple beers and four shots of Jack Daniels, I really wonder what was going on at Team Phoney-ak after Floyd's disasterous Stage 16 ride. I never realized the bottle passed around at these team dinners like that.
-- Floyd knew he'd be tested if he won Stage 17 and reportedly offered anyone in the breakaway group he chased and caught to "gift" the stage if they shared in the work. No one took the offer, and Floyd took the test.
-- And now, according to Macur's story in the Times, Floyd delayed his request for the B sample to be tested:
Landis, who was in New York after canceling or postponing several talk-show appearances [including the "Today Show"], could not be reached for comment yesterday. His spokesman, Michael Henson, said that Landis sent a request yesterday [Monday] for the French lab to test his B sample. Landis had five business days from last Wednesday to do so.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the cycling body, which is known by its French acronym, U.C.I., said last night that the organization had contacted the French lab at 5 p.m. in Paris to see if Landis’s request had been received. When the lab said no, McQuaid said U.C.I. asked the lab to analyze Landis’s B sample, which he said was allowed under the organization’s rules. McQuaid wanted the test to be concluded before the lab closed for a two-week vacation this Friday. If the tests cannot be finished before then, the results may not come until late August or early September, he said.
“It’s a two-and-a-half-day job, and it’s imperative that the B test be done this week for the credibility of our sport, but also for the public interest,” McQuaid said. “This needs to be put to rest because there is too much innuendo, too much talk, too much damage being done to our sport. We have to get this process done quickly, so we can move on.”
The lab agreed to conduct the tests Thursday through Saturday, McQuaid said. That means that Landis’s fate may be known by the weekend.
Why did Floyd delay his request for the test?
This continues to make less and less sense.
Or maybe too much sense.
Maybe Floyd needs to listen to the annoying Greg Lemond and come clean.
So far, his post-race performance has been anything but clean.
And that is a reflection on his Stage 17 performance.
Monday, July 31, 2006
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."
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.
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.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
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.
Friday, July 28, 2006
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."
Thursday, July 27, 2006
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.
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Thursday, August 03, 2006
Lawyer Up
Now that he's back in California, Floyd Landis has hired attorney Howard Jacobs, who has represented several athletes -- including Tyler Hamilton -- in cases involving performance-enhancing drugs. And Jacobs didn't waste much time criticizing the International Cycling Union for leaking the results of the Tour de France winner's positive "A" sample drug test, saying it breached the organization's own rules.TODAY'S EXCUSE:
Dehydration the latest cause offered for Landis' elevated testosterone levels (you mean it wasn't the Jack Daniels? -- see Yesterday's Excuse)
Jim Litke: Phantom twins, vindictive exes, and the CIA: Who spiked my sample?
Andrew Vontz: As the rumors swirl in the Landis saga ...
Ray McNulty: We care about Floyd only because of Lance (this one is really dumb!)
Photo: Floyd has more lawyers than Phoney-ak teammates. Look at the size of those briefcases! And those nice suits! Who's paying these guys, Floyd? (AP/Remy de la Mauviniere)
YESTERDAY'S EXCUSE:
Carl Bialik: Floyd Landis's Alcohol Defense
Selena Roberts: Whiskey Defense: Seems Like Another Whopper
TOMORROW'S EXCUSE:
Fill in the blank:
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Deja Vu, All Over Again
It's not that my creative juices have dried up, but Oude Granny is once again feeling the aftermath of yet another professional cycling doping scandal. Early in July, I wrote the following about the dismissal of the top Tour contenders:
"Frankly, for someone who is passionate about the sport of cycling, the latest doping news became too much to bear, like a loved one walking straight up to you and then kicking you in the groin (ouch...my apologies for that analogy). Sure we've heard the talk about the use or overuse of performance enhancing drugs/methods in cycling, heard cyclists admit use, seen cyclists suspended or banned, and we may have even seen an angry look on our loved one's face. But none of it really prepared us for what would transpire. Just like a swift kick to the onions (thank you Bill Rafferty for that turn of phrase)..."
And just like that, we've got the perfect doping bookends to the Tour de France, with the impending test results of Floyd Landis set to come out this Saturday. Once again, The Crankset has...
Ey, We've Got A Blogger Down...Blogger Down!
...as 53rd Tooth has chosen to take a sabbatical from the latest doping affair. And who could blame him.
But as I also posted previously, this is a cycling blog and not a blog about professional cycling (although we've covered that for you with vigor). So for those of us who like to follow cycling on a local level, we'll provide more coverage on that. While for those of us who mix it up on the roads and now on the velodrome, we'll be showing you some more of that.
With that said, Oude Granny is extending an invite to any and all who'd consider participating or would simply like to come out and watch the National Championships in Downers Grove, IL (suburb just west of Chicago) on August 19th. As an enticement, you may get a rare glimpse of Granny in one of the entry-level races...and if you come in early you may get a double dose of Granny on the Northbrook Velodrome on Thursday night (Major Taylor watch out).
"Frankly, for someone who is passionate about the sport of cycling, the latest doping news became too much to bear, like a loved one walking straight up to you and then kicking you in the groin (ouch...my apologies for that analogy). Sure we've heard the talk about the use or overuse of performance enhancing drugs/methods in cycling, heard cyclists admit use, seen cyclists suspended or banned, and we may have even seen an angry look on our loved one's face. But none of it really prepared us for what would transpire. Just like a swift kick to the onions (thank you Bill Rafferty for that turn of phrase)..."
And just like that, we've got the perfect doping bookends to the Tour de France, with the impending test results of Floyd Landis set to come out this Saturday. Once again, The Crankset has...
Ey, We've Got A Blogger Down...Blogger Down!...as 53rd Tooth has chosen to take a sabbatical from the latest doping affair. And who could blame him.
But as I also posted previously, this is a cycling blog and not a blog about professional cycling (although we've covered that for you with vigor). So for those of us who like to follow cycling on a local level, we'll provide more coverage on that. While for those of us who mix it up on the roads and now on the velodrome, we'll be showing you some more of that.
With that said, Oude Granny is extending an invite to any and all who'd consider participating or would simply like to come out and watch the National Championships in Downers Grove, IL (suburb just west of Chicago) on August 19th. As an enticement, you may get a rare glimpse of Granny in one of the entry-level races...and if you come in early you may get a double dose of Granny on the Northbrook Velodrome on Thursday night (Major Taylor watch out).
A Story Worth Your Time
Here's a wonderful story from the Boston Globe about Major Taylor, aka the "Worcester Whirlwind," the legendary black man originally from Indiana who broke through the color barrier to become a world champion bicycle racer -- at the turn of the 20th century!"He was an athletic prodigy akin to Tiger Woods, a quietly defiant racial pacesetter almost a half-century before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line... "
And check out this NPR report on Taylor.
Plausible Deniability
I've often heard the phrase above used in the context with high ranking officials, both military and political, who chose not to maintain full knowledge of certain circumscribed events, therefore, making their statements of "well I really have no knowledge of that matter," seem believable. Afterall, how can you lay full responsibility on an individual if they really didn't know what was going on, whether they chose to be kept in the dark or not?
Now, how does this all apply to the world of professional cycling? It really doesn't. These athletes are as well versed in their physiological makeup (the number of Watts they can produce on certain efforts, what their appropirate cadence should be, etc) as they are in their equipment (riders, LA being one of them, who need their bikes tailored down to the last millimeter).
But there is one thing that most professional cyclists have attempted to thrust into the realm of plausible deniability; the science behind the tests. The latest, and most high profile, cases of Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras, and Floyd Landis (is it me, or are Dick Pound and WADA attempting to throw out enough circumstantial evidence against LA by going after his former henchman; in effect, "is it plausible that only the great domestiques surrounding LA doped and he did not?" That's for another post altogether) have all shared this in common. None have admitted any knowledge of their current situations while a bevy of legal eagles and science experts have proferred explanations for finding exogenous materials in their endogenous profile.
This, in turn, has created confusion and a fissure amongst the cycling community, of believers and non-believers. Many still believe in Tyler, and many will likely still believe in Floyd, because of their history, their past exploits, their character, their realization of the consequences of their actions (how could Tyler ever endanger the life of his beautiful wife, Haven, by transfusing someone else's blood), and because they've staunchly denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Plausible deniability or simply deniability?
Only David Millar (a cheater who I find less reprehensible because of his admittance) has taken a Trumanesque route (The Buck Stops Here). But, had he not been found with vials of EPO in his flat, do you think he would have ever told?
Occam's (Ockham's) Razor
In a nutshell, this principle states that all things being equal, the best answer to a question is usually the simplest one. So what's the simplest explanation for Floyd Landis' positive test?
Straight from Pezcyclingnews.com (Jered Gruber's EuroTrash):
"Over the weekend, L'Equipe reported on just that, an IRMS was done on Landis' sample.
“When a sample shows a testosterone:epitestosterone ratio of more than 4:1, an IRMS test is now used to check for the presence of exogenous testosterone. If Landis’s ‘A’ sample was positive, it means that exogenous testosterone must have been found.”
Definitely not the end of the world for Landis, but it's surely not a boost for his defense.
Michaud Audran added yet another backing to the why in the hell would he take testosterone for Stage 17 hypothesis:
“If you take it before a stage, the only effect is going to be a psychological boost. And why would anyone take it, then go and win a stage, when they know that the stage winner is always tested?
I think that Tour de France riders do take testosterone, but they do it before or at the start of the Tour. They do it to compensate for the muscle they know that they will start losing in the latter stages of the race; by then, they’ve started to exhaust their glycogen supplies, exhaust their fat supplies and they start to use up muscle for energy. A testosterone treatment before the Tour will build up muscle resources to compensate for that."
So although Floyd's body may naturally produce unusually high volumes of testosterone, and on an extremely hard effort like Stage 17 it was likely to produce more, it seems like those pre-Tour preparations caught up to him.
While we still await the "B" sample tests, and possibly a long protracted defense for his title, William Occam is somewhere resting comfortably in his logic.
Now, how does this all apply to the world of professional cycling? It really doesn't. These athletes are as well versed in their physiological makeup (the number of Watts they can produce on certain efforts, what their appropirate cadence should be, etc) as they are in their equipment (riders, LA being one of them, who need their bikes tailored down to the last millimeter).
But there is one thing that most professional cyclists have attempted to thrust into the realm of plausible deniability; the science behind the tests. The latest, and most high profile, cases of Tyler Hamilton, Roberto Heras, and Floyd Landis (is it me, or are Dick Pound and WADA attempting to throw out enough circumstantial evidence against LA by going after his former henchman; in effect, "is it plausible that only the great domestiques surrounding LA doped and he did not?" That's for another post altogether) have all shared this in common. None have admitted any knowledge of their current situations while a bevy of legal eagles and science experts have proferred explanations for finding exogenous materials in their endogenous profile.
This, in turn, has created confusion and a fissure amongst the cycling community, of believers and non-believers. Many still believe in Tyler, and many will likely still believe in Floyd, because of their history, their past exploits, their character, their realization of the consequences of their actions (how could Tyler ever endanger the life of his beautiful wife, Haven, by transfusing someone else's blood), and because they've staunchly denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Plausible deniability or simply deniability?
Only David Millar (a cheater who I find less reprehensible because of his admittance) has taken a Trumanesque route (The Buck Stops Here). But, had he not been found with vials of EPO in his flat, do you think he would have ever told?
Occam's (Ockham's) Razor
In a nutshell, this principle states that all things being equal, the best answer to a question is usually the simplest one. So what's the simplest explanation for Floyd Landis' positive test?
Straight from Pezcyclingnews.com (Jered Gruber's EuroTrash):
"Over the weekend, L'Equipe reported on just that, an IRMS was done on Landis' sample.
“When a sample shows a testosterone:epitestosterone ratio of more than 4:1, an IRMS test is now used to check for the presence of exogenous testosterone. If Landis’s ‘A’ sample was positive, it means that exogenous testosterone must have been found.”
Definitely not the end of the world for Landis, but it's surely not a boost for his defense.
Michaud Audran added yet another backing to the why in the hell would he take testosterone for Stage 17 hypothesis:
“If you take it before a stage, the only effect is going to be a psychological boost. And why would anyone take it, then go and win a stage, when they know that the stage winner is always tested?
I think that Tour de France riders do take testosterone, but they do it before or at the start of the Tour. They do it to compensate for the muscle they know that they will start losing in the latter stages of the race; by then, they’ve started to exhaust their glycogen supplies, exhaust their fat supplies and they start to use up muscle for energy. A testosterone treatment before the Tour will build up muscle resources to compensate for that."
So although Floyd's body may naturally produce unusually high volumes of testosterone, and on an extremely hard effort like Stage 17 it was likely to produce more, it seems like those pre-Tour preparations caught up to him.
While we still await the "B" sample tests, and possibly a long protracted defense for his title, William Occam is somewhere resting comfortably in his logic.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Shall We Move On?
Discovery Channel's Vladimir Gusev of Russia celebrates after winning the prologue of the Tour of Germany in Duesseldorf Tuesday. Gusev won ahead of Germany's Linus Gerdemann and Sebastian Lang. (Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images)
The Evidence Is Mounting
I don't like the news today.
Obviously, Tooth hasn't liked it for quite some time (DO read his wonderful post below).
Here's the latest as reported by the New York Time's Juliet Macur:
-- New Finding Challenges Tour Champ’s Claim
Here's a good opinion piece by Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.
-- Floyd Landis Tests Fans' Faith in Sports Heroes
Here's the gist:
Tests show that some of the testosterone in Floyd Landis's system at the Tour de France was synthetic and not naturally produced by his body as he claimed.
Here's what I don't like:
-- Floyd lawyered up real good by his press conference on Friday.
-- Floyd playing dumb in the press conference about the science and his testosterone levels. I'm sorry, but these professionals know all about this stuff. It's their business.
-- Floyd suggesting a liquor defense. From "I had a beer" to a couple beers and four shots of Jack Daniels, I really wonder what was going on at Team Phoney-ak after Floyd's disasterous Stage 16 ride. I never realized the bottle passed around at these team dinners like that.
-- Floyd knew he'd be tested if he won Stage 17 and reportedly offered anyone in the breakaway group he chased and caught to "gift" the stage if they shared in the work. No one took the offer, and Floyd took the test.
-- And now, according to Macur's story in the Times, Floyd delayed his request for the B sample to be tested:
Landis, who was in New York after canceling or postponing several talk-show appearances [including the "Today Show"], could not be reached for comment yesterday. His spokesman, Michael Henson, said that Landis sent a request yesterday [Monday] for the French lab to test his B sample. Landis had five business days from last Wednesday to do so.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the cycling body, which is known by its French acronym, U.C.I., said last night that the organization had contacted the French lab at 5 p.m. in Paris to see if Landis’s request had been received. When the lab said no, McQuaid said U.C.I. asked the lab to analyze Landis’s B sample, which he said was allowed under the organization’s rules. McQuaid wanted the test to be concluded before the lab closed for a two-week vacation this Friday. If the tests cannot be finished before then, the results may not come until late August or early September, he said.
“It’s a two-and-a-half-day job, and it’s imperative that the B test be done this week for the credibility of our sport, but also for the public interest,” McQuaid said. “This needs to be put to rest because there is too much innuendo, too much talk, too much damage being done to our sport. We have to get this process done quickly, so we can move on.”
The lab agreed to conduct the tests Thursday through Saturday, McQuaid said. That means that Landis’s fate may be known by the weekend.
Why did Floyd delay his request for the test?
This continues to make less and less sense.
Or maybe too much sense.
Maybe Floyd needs to listen to the annoying Greg Lemond and come clean.
So far, his post-race performance has been anything but clean.
And that is a reflection on his Stage 17 performance.
Obviously, Tooth hasn't liked it for quite some time (DO read his wonderful post below).
Here's the latest as reported by the New York Time's Juliet Macur:
-- New Finding Challenges Tour Champ’s Claim
Here's a good opinion piece by Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick.
-- Floyd Landis Tests Fans' Faith in Sports Heroes
Here's the gist:
Tests show that some of the testosterone in Floyd Landis's system at the Tour de France was synthetic and not naturally produced by his body as he claimed.
Here's what I don't like:
-- Floyd lawyered up real good by his press conference on Friday.
-- Floyd playing dumb in the press conference about the science and his testosterone levels. I'm sorry, but these professionals know all about this stuff. It's their business.
-- Floyd suggesting a liquor defense. From "I had a beer" to a couple beers and four shots of Jack Daniels, I really wonder what was going on at Team Phoney-ak after Floyd's disasterous Stage 16 ride. I never realized the bottle passed around at these team dinners like that.
-- Floyd knew he'd be tested if he won Stage 17 and reportedly offered anyone in the breakaway group he chased and caught to "gift" the stage if they shared in the work. No one took the offer, and Floyd took the test.
-- And now, according to Macur's story in the Times, Floyd delayed his request for the B sample to be tested:
Landis, who was in New York after canceling or postponing several talk-show appearances [including the "Today Show"], could not be reached for comment yesterday. His spokesman, Michael Henson, said that Landis sent a request yesterday [Monday] for the French lab to test his B sample. Landis had five business days from last Wednesday to do so.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the cycling body, which is known by its French acronym, U.C.I., said last night that the organization had contacted the French lab at 5 p.m. in Paris to see if Landis’s request had been received. When the lab said no, McQuaid said U.C.I. asked the lab to analyze Landis’s B sample, which he said was allowed under the organization’s rules. McQuaid wanted the test to be concluded before the lab closed for a two-week vacation this Friday. If the tests cannot be finished before then, the results may not come until late August or early September, he said.
“It’s a two-and-a-half-day job, and it’s imperative that the B test be done this week for the credibility of our sport, but also for the public interest,” McQuaid said. “This needs to be put to rest because there is too much innuendo, too much talk, too much damage being done to our sport. We have to get this process done quickly, so we can move on.”
The lab agreed to conduct the tests Thursday through Saturday, McQuaid said. That means that Landis’s fate may be known by the weekend.
Why did Floyd delay his request for the test?
This continues to make less and less sense.
Or maybe too much sense.
Maybe Floyd needs to listen to the annoying Greg Lemond and come clean.
So far, his post-race performance has been anything but clean.
And that is a reflection on his Stage 17 performance.
Monday, July 31, 2006
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."
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.
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.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
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.
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.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
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.
Friday, July 28, 2006
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."
Thursday, July 27, 2006
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.
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