According to a Belgium website, the three arbitrators are going to announce their verdict either later today or tomorrow. I’m a bit skeptical. In either case it’s crappy timing. Just when the world should be focusing on the Tour, the verdict will completely over shadow the day. That said, I just want this affair to end. It has dragged on far too long. There has to be a better way to streamline the process the testing procedure, but I don’t know what it is. More testing facilities that are up to date? Is the UCI anti-doping pledge worth the paper it’s written on? Beats the hell out of me. I think the blame has been put unfairly onto the shoulders of the athlete. How about the DS demanding results, the sponsor looking for a win in their hometown? So should the team also bare the brunt of a ‘non-negitive’? All I know is that it looks like Petacchi is going to have to down-size his living costs. My personal thoughts on the Floyd Landis hearing is that he is innocent. Will he be found innocent? I, unfortunately, will be very surprised that the case is ruled in his favor. There is too much at stake for USADA.
Tomorrow’s Prol
ogue:
I’ve been to that part of London before and it is beautiful. I hadn’t really missed not going to the TdF till I started to think about that area. As I watch the prologue on the telly I think I’ll have pangs of regret not making the trip. On a positive note, my parents are there and looking forward to the experience. I told my dad to say hi to Millar.
I want David Millar to win, but Cancellara has been showing good form lately. If I had to put money down it would have to be on him. If Bradley Wiggins wins I’ll be pissed.
ogue:
aren’t they going to charge floyd again and have a CAS hearing even if he does ‘win’ this one?
i hate to sound like a xenophobic jerk but sometimes i do think they wont rest until a frenchman wins the tour… and at the root of this.. its not about doping (because its so inherent to pro sportsi n general), its about nationalism. lance is right, the hold virinque to one standard and everyone else to another…
i don’t know… in the end.. its still a great sport. i’m still happiest when i’m on my bike… (minus eating shit at manhattan beach). and i wish everybody just rode more.
noel
p.s., i wonder if anyone has video of bahati on the backside last lap of manhattan beach… i heard it got pretty messy back there. i’d love to see that.
It got messy because a bunch of guys who had not business being at the front were still in the field. This race course needs to be toughened to help weed out the pack fill late in the race.
I think Chris Wherry lost a few spokes but nobody went down. It sounds like Rock and Toyota were simply making sure the guys who get paid to race could do their jobs.
“it got messy because a bunch of guys who had not business being at the front were still in the field. This race course needs to be toughened to help weed out the pack fill late in the race”
I heard it was really slow. If Rock and Toyota are concerned about the pack fill they should light the afterburners and shell some of the dead weight instead of rolling around at a parade pace. They shouldn’t complain if they do nothing about it.
i rather think it got messy because it’s all about position in the last turn and rahsaan wanted it more than anyone else. hilton clarke, mccook, vogels, kirk obee, kayle, ivan, tony, even paul che…. those guys deserved to be there.
it did look slow this year. and since they separated the two’s from the ones the fields look smaller on the course. remember a couple of years ago when they crammed 175 guys on the course?
my mac wont play the ibsn link…. just wonderin if anyone youtubed the video.
noel
i did hear 2nd handedly about the bit that happened at the top of the course on the last lap when the local club riders were yelling, ‘we paid to register, we’re allowed to be up here too…’
classic..
noel.
p.s, slover didn’t break his wrist. the cast is to hide that he cuts himself. i’ve booked him on dr. phil….
i think nate getting married is hurting him inside.. and the cutting just makes that pain go away.
ibsn video really sucks big time. They need an editor. It is just mostly shots of Ralph and the other annoying dude just babbling with hardly any racing.
Are you a PR person or a journalist?