Category: pro cycling

Big Maggy Speaks

So, you read Pez Cycling News, right?

Today, they’ve got Magnus Backstedt’s regular bit covering the Tour of Denmark, and also a couple of paragraphs on the tiny problem Cycling’s been having. I dug these; the rest is extremely interesting.

I hear that there are a lot of people are wondering why many riders don’t speak up about the doping issue!

I think I know why, and it is all based on the media. You can say something to a journalist and the next day he has twisted it around and published it in a way that pleases him to sell more copies of his newspaper or magazine. This is never fun even when it concerns less delicate issues than doping. So as you can probably understand there is a fear of being quoted saying something that you haven’t said! So if there was some more respect being shown from journalists in this matter I think the riders might feel a bit more confident in talking. In saying this I want to add that this doesn’t go for all journalists, but you can never be sure who is the good one and who is the bad one. A bit like the doping I guess!

I can’t say that I disagree – why speak out if it makes you a target?

In happier news, last week’s Prairie Home Companion (a rerun) was amazing. Mark Knopfler … Absolutely perfect for sitting on the porch in the chill of impending Autumn, with the crickets providing percussion.

More on Doping

Sorry, folks, but I can’t let this topic go. Maybe it’s one last, desperate grasp at childhood and the need to have heros. But this bit in PezCycling News got me thinking:

“Maybe you need a traveling laboratory with the event, instead of having (samples) sent to the other side of France, Switzerland or wherever they go” Anderson said. “It’s not a static event like football where you’re in a stadium. Every day you’re in a different spot. With the amount of money or infrastructure, maybe (the Union Cycliste Internationale should) consider having a laboratory as well.”

Why haven’t they done this yet? How hard, really, could it be? Back in my days operating a mobile nuclear reactor under the sea, we had a pretty extensive radiochemistry lab in a space way less than half of a standard shipping container (40’x8’x8′ is a standard trailer size). Sample and test in the same facility and know that the podium girls are kissing the right guy.

I Wish I could believe…

Phonak’s disbanding after this year. An open letter from Floyd Landis:

While the recent allegations against me hurt us all, I respect the fact that the Phonak team must follow its own rules and charter under these circumstances. I just wish that all the parties involved would do the same. Despite this, I will not relent on my pursuit of the truth. I will not shy away from this fight.

Most of all, I understand that this situation impacts families and friends other than my own. It affects the businesses and sponsors that support cycling as well as the sport itself. It is for this reason that I am determined to show that I followed the rules and won fairly and cleanly. There is a greater integrity at stake here than just my own.

I thank you all for your support and courage as I embark on this journey to restore my name, the team’s name and the image of cycling.

Jimminy Christmas. I’ve sat here looking at this for like 10 minutes, and cannot think a coherent thought on the whole subject.

If Floyd’s lying, well, he’s a dirtbag of the highest rank.

If he’s telling the truth, and the lab, or the Societie de Tour de France is trying to frame him, then the UCI, the WADA, the ACA – the whole organization is crooked, and what’s the freakin’ point?

Hey Jane! How do I get offa this crazy thing…
<snare>
called
<snare>
Life?
<Cue soprano sax and standing bass; blow out candle, tilt hat down on nose, take deep drag on unfiltered Camel, and Exit Stage Left>

Writing a Resume

Floyd’s backup was positive – in the eyes of the WADA, UCI, etc, he’s a doper. I’m numb by this point – how could he be so dumb? At this point, I’d still like to believe him, but…

My comment the other day wasn’t necessarily to condone doping – I think it’s a terrible cheat against Sport (“Sport” being the whole idea that it’s good, in general, to, on a level playing field, go beat the snot out of each other for a while, then trundle off afterwards, shake hands, and all go have a tasty beverage and maybe something off of the grill)

But, sadly, I think I’m in the minority. Not in the minority of folks who read this measly blog, but in the minority of people worldwide.

Which is why I’m in favor of opening up leagues for dopers. If there are folks (and trust me, boys and girls, there are) who want to see “athletes” hopped up on goofballs doing big things, and there are folks who are willing to put their health at risk, so be it.

I just won’t watch.

But it’d be nice to be able to put them off in their own category, so the rest of us can watch actual human achievement.

Deep thoughts on Doping

From the Guardian:

If sports fans really want to see achievement that they can relate to, perhaps athletes should be restricted to diets of pizza and beer, and be required to have 40-hour-a-week desk jobs. In the first half of the 20th Century, Tour de France cyclists used to puff cigarettes on the go. How’s that for a physical triumph!

If the greatest possible feat of athleticism is what spectators seek, then that is what they will get (and often are getting). And if that means 250-pound genetically enhanced behemoths dunking on 15-foot basketball rims, then never fear, the science is on the way.

I’ll admit, there’s a certain part of me that does want to see freaks of nature. Kind of like the part of me who loved comic books and superheros. But that’s also the part who ought not be trusted with kids or car keys.

So where do we go? I’m curious to hear what y’all think.

Haze Grey and Underway

Jon (from MA, not MI, and not a blogger)(yet) and I are working out a pretty good running relationship in addition to a good working relationship. Each morning, one of us calls and says “11:30?” The other says “OK.”

Then, about 11, one or the other will call to back out. “OK, fine,” the one who’s going to run, will say.

Then, on the way down to change, we’ll run into each other, and say “Hey, looks like I’ll make it after all”.

And then we run.

3 miles yesterday (3.3, actually). 5 miles today. Always good.

The weather has been what I would consider perfect running weather for 3-7 milers – about 80, humid, and breezy. Wow. Just warm enough to really angry up the blood and get the sweat pump running at full throttle, but not hot enough to be hot. A little bit of haze over the bay, giving the illusion that Rhode Island is bigger than a reasonably sized back yard.

Man, it’s good to be a runner.

Today ended up as a bit of a fiasco, though. In my excitement to get out into the sun, I left my socks at the desk. Decided to give the new shoes a go without socks. Even though it is humid. Even though it is hot. Even though we were going to stretch out the run to 5+ miles.

I got blisters.

Not awful ones, and when I get home and lance them, I won’t even notice them when I make the long run for the week on Sunday. But, bad enough that I had to send Jon on down the road at mile 4, and limp back.

Not that I minded another 10 minutes in the sun.

——-

F. Landis (you decide what the F means, I’m kind of up in the air right now, but leaning towards “Floyd” instead of an adjective) was on NPR this morning. If he is a doper, he’s a darn good liar. I’m sympathetic at this point – the line about “Someone found a bottle of Jack” tugs at me as how I probably would have reacted to blowing up on Stage 16 for most of my life. I can see how the emotion of blowing up would play havock with my body chemistry, plus the strain of two and a half weeks of riding my butt off.

Freakin’ Frenchies.

F***

F***

“The Phonak Cycling Team was notified yesterday by (world cycling body) the UCI of an unusual level of testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in the test made on Floyd Landis after stage 17 of the Tour de France,” Phonak said in a team statement.

Freakin frogs, trying to destroy cycling. If Floyd’s a doper, then he should be strung up by his nether bits, no question.

But there’s a part of me that wonders if the elevated testosterone might have just been a natural physiological reaction – fight or flight, whatever.

(Insert French Joke Here – I’m too livid to make one up)

What is it? Is there too much money tied up in sport? Have we invested too much in the big stage?

Actually, that’s probably part of the problem. We expect others to provide excitement, instead of doing it ourselves. The solution is to get off our butts and enjoy the summer. Enough moping for me.
Are you part of the solution? Who are you racing? Who is being thrilled vicariously through what you’re doing?

Them’s got ears but can’t hear,

Them’s got eyes but can’t see.
Turn your eyes to the Lord of the Skies,
and take this airline plane.
It’ll take you home again

So, I was all ready to get broken up about not having run since Monday, when suddenly the evening opened up – we got back from taking Missy’s mom downtown for ice cream and watching the river roll out to sea, it was 8, and there was just enough sunlight to roll out 5 miles or so before bed.

Wow.

Weather – perfect. Shuffle kicked out a Wilco tune about a mile into the run, and I remembered why they’re the best band to come out of the post ’80s. Shifted the iPod over to do songs just from them, and the miles flew by. Life is good. Nothing like a big bass drum and a slide guitar to make your heels kick up, the heart rate peg, and give you reason to run until the sound of your heart resembles the sound of the drum.

Finally caught up on blogs – What a summer y’all are having. Now to bottle up this energy for the winter.

I’m completely behind on my consumption of Tour de France coverage, largely due to not having OLN in the house this year. Also, I’m still caught up in the World cup fever – Can’t wait for “DOMINGO, DOMINGO, DOMINGO!”. We’ve been watching the Univision coverage of the games (Don’t have ESPN either), and that’s been absolutely the best choice ever. My wife was fluent in Spanish at one point, and I’ve had 3 semesters in college (with a solid C average, thankyouverramuch), so it’s not just watching it with the sound off. I’ve been getting a team roster before watching a game, which gives me an edge on translation, since I can cue on the names.

And, let’s face it – even without speaking the language, sports commentary is pretty easy to follow once you figure out the players’ names. ‘Tain’t rocket science.

But back to the Tour – I’m excited to see Tommy Boonen and Thor Hushvold swapping the jersey in the first week, thrilled to see how Johan Bruyneel is, indeed, a tactical mastermind, and kind of excited to see a race that’s active from Day One, without waiting until the mountains to crank up.

But here’s what I’d like to make the Tour easier for me to follow:
1. A podcast of the same quality as Guardian Unlimited’s World Cup coverage.
2. Video coverage that’s (easily) accessable on a Mac or Linux box.
3. OLN at the house (which would mean we had the will to subscribe to basic cable, which we don’t, which is, overall a good thing)
4. A new MacBook with the chops to handle video podcasts in iTunes (plus Windows via Parallels)
5. A Fullbright Fellowship to take the family to Europe to study the UCI pro tour (Hey, if we’re dreaming)

The MacBook will probably happen this fall – I’ve been saving my pennies despite us putting a new roof on the house, and planning to get me a new car (complete with a useable back seat for the kids and 25% better mileage than my venerable Subaru in the summer.

The other thing that is giving me somewhat waning interest in the tour has been my lack of time on the road bike this year. Largely, that’s by choice – I am committed to becoming a runner first and foremost this summer, and a large part of that is getting my weight under control. Step by step. I can’t say I’ve missed the bike as much as I thought I would when I decided to skip the Tri season, but large part of that is just due to prioritizing work and family over recreation, but not wanting to completely fall off the rec wagon.

So – Pshew! It’s a great time to be a runner. The song’s Wilco, obviously, from Kicking Television among other albums. Check it out.

Holy Crap!

Wow. So, I decide to take a couple of days to actually do stuff, and look what I miss: Doping Scandal Rocks Tour de France:

Ullrich, at age 32 nearing the end of his career, said he was “absolutely shocked.”

“I could cry going home in such good shape,” he said. “I need a few days for myself and then I’ll try to prove my innocence with the help of my lawyer. And I’ll go on fighting.”

Holy crap, indeed. Wow. Ullrich gone, Basso gone, Vinko gone…

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