US CYCLING Organisation FARCE !

The " Donati Report " was disturbing reading , but as a result of reading the " Red Kite Prayer post " today , i am now able to see that there are worse matters , that need to be tackled URGENTLY ! Charles Pelkey is an extraordinarily perceptive blogger and his Posts are the highlight of my reading list .

This week , his post is about US Cycling , and directs his readers to another website , that has abundant detail of the " Life and Times of Les Earnest "! Having read Charles's effort i followed the link and this was the result :
 ” Doping is just part of the problem ”By Les Earnest, Cyclops USA, 2012 December 8

Those that have failed to read the " Donati report " will be unaware of the extent that " Doping / PED products ,  TAINT ALL SPORT , in recent years . Les's article , starts out with him as a 3yo , on a trike , and continues throughout  his involvement with US Cycling Administration until recent days . His work with US Cycling appears to have been a series of confrontations with " THOSE " intent on manoevouring the Administration into a facility that would allow the likes of " Lance Armstrong and his associates " to evade responsibility for complying with " Fair Play " ! 

Somewhere in Les's article he refers to how US Skiing has been apparently taken over by the same tactics , if not by the same " group of business interests "!

My comment to Charles's Blog :

Found this Article by Les , as disturbing as the ” Donati Report “!

1. ” Doping is just part of the problem ”
   By Les Earnest, Cyclops USA, 2012 December 8

   
   

   When i saw Les’s reference to Alpine Skiing , i couldn’t help thinking of Lindsay’s recent withdrawal from competition and some of the recent ” Four Game suspensions “!

   Would appear that the ” fix ” is not as apparent to the general public !

   Knew that Greg LeMond could not expect any assistance from the US Cycling Club so already suggested that Tracey Gaudry persue the UCI Presidency .

   Those voting in the UCI Elections , that vote for ” Status Quo ” , will be sending a signal , that they deserve investigation for a variety of unconscionable behaviours !

   Currently think , that the only successful assault on ” Fortress Aigle ” , will be by the Swiss Authorities as a result of the submissions offered them by Paul Kimmage & co !

   There is not the will for ANY substantial number of Cyclists to refuse to renew Licence registration for the period required for a result .

   Seems to me Charles , the sooner YOU start ” Change.org/petition/Ted-Stevens-Olympic-and-Amateur-Sports-Act-REPEAL-or-AMENDMENT ”

   The sooner US Cycling gets a FRESH Makeover !

   Will take a person of your calibre to do this , but count on me as ” first in the ” sign on queue “!

This story came to light today  :

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/news/spanish-lab-suspended-from-drug-testing-after-error-leads-to-false-positive_269632

Not seen the name of the Cycling Athlete elsewhere , but thought that when an Athlete was advised of the Sample " A " , the matter became Public Knowledge ? Convenient that the tachnicality that cleared Roberto Heras , was announced at the same time . Amongst my souveniers is a " Vuelta Podium Shirt ", autographed by Roberto , guess it will be worth keeping after all ?

Good to see that tthere are " Dummy Samples " introduced to Accredited Labs , to check their credibility . Has this been WADA Policy all the time , or introduced because of recent " High Profile Cases " that UCI managed to influence ?

US CYCLING Organisation FARCE !

UCI.org , disorganised ?

Yes , there is evidence that “ UCI “ wish they were organised ! Hilarious to think that phat could think an old fashioned “ Hot Line “ to report “ Dopers “ was an innovation ! Floundering around , now that he has had his head handed to him , anything other than staying stumm  appeals to him as a way out of the corner he has backed himself into .

Wonder if phat ever stops to think about , what will come of , the things that he has proposed recently ? It takes little effort to seek advice , from those that sit with him on the UCI Management Committee , but then he perhaps regards asking for , advice as a sign of weakness ?

Mike Ashenden does not mince words , when commenting to velonation.com , on the proposed “ hot line “ recently , in the following article :

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13286/Ashenden-says-UCI-run-anti-doping-hotline-would-lack-credibility.aspx#ixzz2CBoO4U00

 “ For the UCI to urge riders to come forward with info. Now is like a fox with feathers in it’s mouth urging the next chicken to come down off it’s roost “.

When the UCI tried to muzzle him , earlier this year , he decided to resign . Since then he has been outspoken on a whole range of matters and the UCI must be ruing the day they thought to stifle his voice ? Read a whole raft of articles that have brought to light , matters which UCI would prefer “ Jo Public “ to be unaware .

Skins , the Company , have taken UCI to court , in an action to collect US$2M , that they plan to reinvest in “ Clean Cycling Sport “! They have gone further by asking the public to add any information that will strengthen their action . Link to the article :

http://watercooler.skins.net/2012/11/13/help-us-cut-the-cancer-out-of-cycling-for-good/

Jamie Fuller in this latest item says as follows :

“ I would love to hear from anyone , etc ( my computer is not copying and pasting as it should )!

Toto has posted another of his cartoons :

Lance was the victim of the British sense of humour on the 5th November , when some Kentish people celebrated Guy Fawkes night with his effigy :















Was he trying to get his own back when he posted a tweet with an attached photo ?

Some wag managed to add to the hilarity with :

Just a few of the many floating !

UCI.org , disorganised ?

COURAGEOUS WOMEN

Betty Andreu and Emma O'Reilly had scorn poured on them for many years and endured heartache and Law Suits ! Today the person that caused them this aggravation was buried in the first avalanche of 202 pages of evidence ! Just so that he doesn't get complacent , there are another 880 pages coming his way !

Lance no doubt has reasons for the way he conducted his life . I know from personal experience that there are things that i did , that i wish could have been done differently . I made my bed and so will have to lie in it and suffer those consequences . Lance set out on a particular path , and TODAY , has discovered that there are consequences ! What the final wash up will be , is anyone's guess at this time .

Apart from Emma and Betty , there are other victims of the Omerta that seems to have surrounded Lance's career and people like David Walsh will find themselves busy fielding calls from colleagues that doubted their ability to discern the truth .

Paul Kimmage was one of the first to be treated as a Pariah because of his writing about " Doping " , in his book " The Rough Ride " and his subsequent career as a journalist . The evidence that USADA has published today , has come too late for the Trial that flandis did not attend but will be usefully available for Paul should the " prats of Aigle " dare to enter the courtroom on December 12th !

Following are a selection of Tweets this evening after the documents were released on :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/109619079/Reasoned-Decision

2h Cyclocosm.com ‏@Cyclocosm

@Charles_Pelkey In before "ah, so you admit it was a witch hunt, then?"

• 
  

2h Charles Pelkey ‏@Charles_Pelkey

So what do you call a "witch hunt" that actually uncovers a coven of witches? @LanceArmstrong

2h David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST

I did mean to type Emma O'R, and definitely don't want to get on the wrong side of Emma O'Reilly, one of the most formidable women I know!

2h David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST

When reading USADA report, remember Betsy A, Emily O'R and Stephen S who told the truth 10 years ago, without being compelled to do so.  

2h Ryan Trebon ‏@ryantrebon

You know what takes more courage to do than coming forward and admitting ones mistake? Having the fortitude to not do it in the first place.

Retweeted by Cyclocosm.com

2h Cyclocosm.com ‏@Cyclocosm

Oh man, @michaelibarry. You're almost as bad at this press statement stuff as George.

2h Jonathan Ramsden ‏@Sammydoo13

@DavidWalshST Some might say better late than never for GH et al. Not so sure. Would have been never without BA, E O'R and SS and others

Retweeted by David Walsh

2h Kathy LeMond ‏@KathyLeMond

@DavidWalshST I love that those strong women played such a role in bringing the truth to the male sport of pro cycling

No doubt there will be much more to add to this story as Australia wakes !

LADIES , THERE IS MUCH THAT COULD BE SAID !

THANKYOU FOR YOUR FORTITUDE !

COURAGEOUS WOMEN

GIRO D'ITALIA 2013

Naples will be the Grand Partenza , start , of the 2013 Giro D'Italia . I enjoyed a few days there when the Giro started in Sardinia some years back . I recall that it was a warm and sunny period whilst waiting for the Giro d'Italia to continue from Naples on the Wednesday . I had hitched from Austria on the Sunday , since the trains would not carry my bike , even in a box , arriving on the Adriatic coast that night and then riding over the mountains on the Monday . Several visits to the area over the years have always led to visits to the Amalfi Coast which is really taxing riding , in that the roads are narrow and the Tourists are generally less friendly towards cyclists . Of course it would be a nice destination for sunning and observing , as i had done at Portofino many years before in the 1990's , as i was driving through to a Greek Holiday . With the Denmark Grand Partenza having been bitterly cold , i will welcome a return to warmer climes . This year the Giro will depart from Italy and visit France , even having a rest day in Valloire which is the home town of J P Grange ,

the French Slalom Ski World Champion . I have had occasion to visit and ski there during my stay ,and meet the family of this World Class Ski Star . Several visits to the " Gallibier " have meant that i have come to know these climbs . One December i stayed in Valloire , after arriving there with my bike and cycled up the Gallibier climb to the third Avalanche barrier after having sauntered up to the top of the Telegraph as a warm up . Dry roads but very crisp sunny weather and freezing in the shadows of late afternoon after a day on skis .

Mont Cenisio is another area i have visited frequently outside Giro and " Le Tour " visits . Having stayed in Sestriere and Susa on Cycling Holidays , i have made the climb on the way through to France .

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION : http://www.change.org/petitions/international-cycling-union-aka-the-uci-remove-pat-mcquaid-and-hein-verbruggen-from-cycling-forever and also visit the " Paul Kimmage Defence Fund " ! ONLY BY YOUR SUPPORT , will phat & heinous come to realise the depth of feeling that the Cycling Community has had forced on them ! Even if we have to wait until the " UCI Voting Delegates " have their ballot at the Management Meeting . Between times the " Voting Delegates will become aware of the GROWING Ground Swell of dissatisfaction that exists in all parts of the Cycling Community !

GIRO D'ITALIA 2013

HEIN VERBRUGGEN

As an " Honorary President of UCI " , Hein is copping some stick this week ! Seems that he has never been popular with the " mushroom farmers at CNF ! Not being in Holland i am as yet unaware as to whether he arrended any of the Management Meetings or the Annual Friday Congress .

With the USADA supposedly compiling their case against Armstrong for delivery at some future date , the Media are churning up all sorts of stories to fill their quotas . Produce articles or else must be their watchword ? No point paying their own expenses for the " jollies " they are enjoying in Holland !

The following article surfaced on CNF :

http://www.newcyclingpathway.com/news/blog/hein-verbruggen-would-like-to-recall-the-message-el-pais-article

"  From: Hein Verbruggen

Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:19:50 +0100
To: Martin Hardie
Cc: Vincent Gaillard , Ingrid Beutler , Hein Verbruggen
Subject: El Pais article
Dear Mr. Hardie,
I refer to an article you have recently written published at: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Verbruggen/SA/Dracula/frente/banco/sangre/elpepudep/20111007elpepudep_11/Tes
Allow me to express my anger and disappointment that you, as a Lecturer at the Deakin University of Australia have bowed so low as to publish such unfounded comments. You state that ‘Y al decirlo es como si describiera a su propio patrón, a Verbruggen, al mismo Verbruggen que, muchos dicen, tiene su dedo en muchos pasteles financieros y vínculos de negocios que, como poco, suponen un grave conflicto de intereses.’ As an academic, such unfounded claims of conflicts of interest without any proof, based solely on rumours, show a profound lack of professionalism on your part.
Having never met you personally, your accusations are defamatory and I would warn you to exercise restraint and journalistic professionalism in your research prior to publishing further such claims. While I do not aim to defend myself here, you should be aware that I have fought to uphold the standards of transparent and ethical practices in doping eradication both during my time as President of the UCI and now as President of SportAccord. I have enabled and driven my organisation’s dedicated focus to combating match-fixing and to establishing good governance in sport.
My disappointment is profound, but trust that in the future your publications pronounce fact and not fiction and serve to benefit those who are working so hard to ensure good governance in sport.
Yours sincerely,

Hein Verbruggen


On 29/11/11 7:31 PM, “Hein Verbruggen” wrote:
Hein Verbruggen would like to recall the message, “El Pais article”.

One wonders who was responsible for these emails becoming available to that blog ?

Another article caught my attention recently and led me to look for the source of the report about the forgotten emails :

 http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/verbruggen-wont-take-legal-action-against-hamilton

I won't bore you by reprinting the content of the article , since you only have to hit the link .

First met Hein , in Valkenberg , in 1998 , at the World Cycling Champs and subsequently visited the old offices , west of Lausanne , after riding the route of the Tour de Romandie one year . It was a very pleasant visit and i seem to recall that i met Ray Godkin , Vice President of UCI , as a result . Ray has been the subject of a variety of controversies also , over the years , one subject was related to Leontin's visit to Australia's , Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney .

Whilst at the 2004 Olympics in Athens i had occasion to ride over to Hein , as he was awaiting transport on the steps of the Hilton , to the Olympic Stadium and whilst chatting Dick Pound wandered over to introduce himself . Seems he was aware of my involvement in Physically Challenged Sport .

Meanwhile CNF warriors are in uproar about the UCI going ahead with their Court action against Paul Kimmage . Seems that UCI has chosen to take the low road and sue the Journalist alone , rather than the Newspapers / vehicles that printed the articles that caused them to be so upset .  Guess they hope that Paul's pockets are not so deep now that he is no longer employed by the " Times of London " ! Last year there was an action to raise monies to help Charles Pelkey , as soon as this means to support Paul becomes available i shall post a link on my blogs !

Here is a link to the Article about the Fund for Paul :


http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/09/paul-kimmage-defense-fund/


Whilst UCI Delegates are meeting in Holland , the WADA org. is meeting in Stockholm ! In fact David Howman in delivering the keynote speech called for " New Alliances " to fight Doping as it is considered to be a " PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE "! Too bad that UCI and WADA have to meet at the same time , since both should be working together to eradicate the sources of Doping in ALL SPORT ! As some may be aware Fatpat (Phat , the CNF nickname ) is a member of the WADA Management , representing the IOC in some manner , curious that he is unable to be instrumental in avoiding a clash of dates ?

http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/wada-calls-for-increased-alliances-during-stockholm-symposium/

Garmin are amongst those i choose to follow on Twitter , and this week their Tweeting , included advice of David Millar being involved in setting up future WADA protocols !

http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/athlete-committee-discusses-code-amendments/

Some may recall that Dave was suspended for 2 years after admitting to French Police the use of PEDs in 2003 whilst he was UCI World Champion Road Time Trialler . What surprises me is that he is a Co Owner of Garmin Team ! When he returned to Cycling he adopted an " Anti Doping " stance , but , Garmin seems to have collected quite a few other Road Racers with a questionable background .  Zabriskie , Danielson and Vandevelde are ALL awaiting the fallout from their discussions with USADA . No doubt there are others that will hear from USADA when the Armstrong Papers are passed to UCI in the next months !

On another blog there are links to the press conference where Phat  took some questions from David Millar about UCI's handling of Doping during recent years .


Just before you rush away , here is a hilarious take on Hein by these guys :

http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/09/a-vexing-verbruggen-in-valkenburg/

HEIN VERBRUGGEN

C**T* , said Brad Wiggins !

Second evening in the Maillot Jeune and Brad was quiet and amiable at the daily press conference , until , a journo from AP Int , decided to seek sensationalism ! The assembled journos  certainly got their quote of the day ! Can you imagine the feelings of those that did not attend ?

My tweet to the first item I read on this event , which did not go through , so had to send by email instead :

  “  cnbcllca2@mailmw.custhelp.com cnbcllca2@mailmw.custhelp.com “

  “ Email comment to the Brad Wiggins story since my computer link for the reply did not work ! “

  “  Your report of the News Conference at the Tour de France today , sounds like a “ Lance Armstrong “ repeat from past years !

Tweeted by C Vdv :

VandeVelde,Christian‏@ChristianVDV
Here is a link to one of them. http://bit.ly/L25Erx but I believe he didn't say "cut". It had a "N" and a "S" in it.

Johan bruyneel said on Twitter :

Johan Bruyneel‏@JohanBruyneel
Loved the response of @bradwiggins to his critics at the press conf. Get used to it, mate. It's windy at the top!


Personally I tend to agree with C VDV in that during the past few days the TDF has been sidelined whilst the Media are feeding on Conjecture , Rumour , Innuendo and leaping to conclusions !

Regrettable that Ryder has gone home , Injured BUT there is more at the TDF to occupy your personnel other than USADA’s efforts to cheat the public of proper use of Tax payers money !

Am I a fan of Lance ? Read my blogs , starting with http://t.co/Cf8B1pG8 and then check Lancing Armstrong in another Blog !  “


CNF and similar forums have been having a field day with “ SKY Team “ and the members of this team in recent times . Recovering from illness is NOT GOOD ENOUGH reason for turning in better results than previously , according to so many  “ Arm Chair critics “!

MY Tweet on this subject :

skippy mc carthy‏@skippydetour
@JohanBruyneel @bradwiggins with this event Brad & Sean will become the next targets of the " Downtrodden , lazy & unforgiving 3rd estate !



Lifted from “ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-delivers-caustic-assessment-of-his-critics

  “ After a pause, Wiggins replied: "They are just f***ing w*****s. I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter rather than get off their arses in their own life and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something, and that’s ultimately it. C***s!"

WELL DONE BRAD ! Of course now you can expect to be treated in the same fashion as Lance regardless of the results from this year’s “ Le Tour “! Journos think they walk on water , BUT they generally only get paid when they produce sensationalism and you will have filled their coffers , as they wiped the slime off their faces !


Another item came to my attention yesterday written by an ABC reporter , glenn Mitchell , from Oz , funnily , this appears to be a blatant piece of plagiarism  of an earlier piece by Ed Pickering :

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4118228.html

My comment there :

Written to Jacques Rogge to call a “ Sports Moratorium “ so as to “ Clean House “! Unless he gets this job done , we WILL be watching the “ Chemical Olympics “ in years to come !

Drug companies use Athletes , to their benefit , to improve and tweak their products .  Research results could help the World population as a whole BUT the Sports Arena is not the place for Sporting Fraud !

Sporting Fraud has been rampant since before the fall of the IRON Curtain ! IT continues to grow to such an extent , that even Amateurs looking for “ bragging rights “ with their mates , think that the use of PED s are acceptable  behaviour !

As regards the moratorium , checkout   http://t.co/Cf8B1pG8  ,  see if you agree , that the time has arrived , that Sporting Fraud has to STOP !

Will IOC and/or WADA go against their vested interests ? Too many incumbents at the top of these organisations have had the finger pointed at them in recent years for them to be comfortable ! USADA appear to be ignoring those in the UCI , some of whom serve within the IOC , says a lot to many , does it not ?

Certainly I would not like to be the Athlete OR Referee taking the “ Olympic Oath “ in this Internet connected World , where you would have to live in isolation , to avoid hearing the latest news of USADA ‘s efforts or any goings on in their chosen sport !

Today “ Podium Café “ waded into the situation with this article :


http://www.podiumcafe.com/2012/7/8/3145520/the-wiggins-fiasco-what-to-make-of-it

They made plenty of valid points and the one that stayed with me was the fact that Twice Brad has put the pressure on his team by denying Cadel’s team the Maillot Jeune to defend ! Of course letting Cadel have the Millot Jeune could be the beginning of the end and I feel certain that Cadel will do all he can to distance himself from Vincenza Nibali !

Won’t be posting a comment to Podium Café since to do so , you get to visit SB Nation front page which is so full of US Sport , and totally irrelevant to my purposes !

C**T* , said Brad Wiggins !

ACCREDITATION

Easy to criticise bad driving ? You have all seen it and occasionally wondered how there was not a wreck due to the stupidity of the driver !

Case in point , having been overtaken by the Peloton a couple of km before the Pass Thaun I decided even though rain was falling to persevere and then descend to Mittersill before heading homeward by way of the Gerlos Pass . On the downward slope there are occasionally two lanes to allow overtaking and these are separated by about a kilometre of winding narrow road . Having passed through this choke point filled with delayed traffic , because of the Tour of Austria , heading upward the road runs about a kilometre before narrowing as it enters a 60kph zone due to tight corners . Well into the 60kph zone I was letting the bike run even though the road was wet and the wind was gusting . As you will know a wet road will tell you that there is following traffic and at 60+kph keeping to the centre of the lane as you approach a tight right hand turn is a sensible precaution particularly on mountain roads where there are potholes .

Hearing the following vehicle I continued in the same position and speed since no way could anyone get through the fast approaching corner at these speeds . Well whoever was following either did not know the road , or how fast they were travelling , since there was now a dark blue passenger van straddling the double white lines and overtaking regardless with the corner less than a hundred metres in front . Holding my line and still in excess of 50kph I started into the corner with no idea what was a hundred metres ahead . However by this time the van was on the other side of the double white lines and to cap it all was towing a dark blue box trailer which was being buffeted by the wind and rocking along side to side , from wheel to wheel ! Expected that a gust of wind would have blown the trailer over , but luckily for the driver this did not happen nor was there traffic heading towards them .

Most of you will realise that on tight bends a bike will get through them faster than most motorbikes and certainly vehicles but this clown was hell bent in getting down the mountain regardless of the dangers of reckless driving  . Through a series of bends passing traffic that was struggling upward this combination succeeded in getting into Mittersill . At the point of danger the local churches were sounding the midday hour and as the Tour of Austria was listed in the programme to pass through Mittersill at about that time , one wonders why this driver was in such a rush !

Of course I haven’t mentioned yet the “ Apparent Owner of the van and trailer “!  Emblazoned so that you could not fail to see , “ Tchibo “!  Yes , one of the main sponsors of the “ Tour of Austria” ! Of course the company are not responsible for their drivers are they ? Never heard of “ Corporate Manslaughter “ , have they ?  Luckily on this occasion no harm done ! Doesn’t matter what I say , BUT , the helmet camera on “ YouTube ” will tell it’s own story !

Accreditation of drivers at “ UCI Events ” still relies on the driver saying they are legal ! No other checking appears to take place . Now this incident was outside the “ Parcours “ and thus not subject to anything , other than the “ Normal Driving Regulations of Austria “! It will be interesting to see the reaction of the Polizei , when they review the positioning and movement of the trailer ?

This post of course will get to the “ Tchibo” company , doubt they will do anything and no doubt the “ Polizei ” will reject the situation for “ Lack of Credible Evidence !” . Wonder how long it takes the Info@tchibo to arrive with the CEO , and , yawn , whether a minion will use their email to reply ? Their coffee i never bought  , but they do offer  some good gadgets in their outlets .

Yesterday , Tuesday , the day started gloomy , far better than the two hour torrential downpour of Monday at the DEPART in Innsbruck ! I arrived in Kitzbuehel later than planned , but was able to congratulate Danilo Di Luca and Tommy Rohrregger for their success on Etappe 2 . Near the start I caught up with Tim Roe for the photo and then with a 10min start headed for Pass Thaun , most of the time in company with the Polizei Motor cyclists who were sidelining the traffic so the Tour Accredited Vehicles  , followed by the Peloton , could make its way along the “ Parcours “ !

Contrast this with the Tour de Suisse , which operates with the same efficiency and the “ Le Tour “ where the road is closed for several hours to ALL but snails , unless you have paid a HEFTY FEE to the “ ASO “ for the “ ACCREDITATION BANNERS “! When these smaller events have caused so little disruption to the “ Locals ” , WHY does the “ Le Tour ” insist on creating even more disruption each year ? Pass Thaun is only a Cat 3 climb with a banner and timing device but “ Le Tour “ needs to close the road for Hours !

Read a blog recently that mentioned that the French Gendarmerie and National Police are again this year , having to contend with the same “ blight” on France’s Honour , Those thieving Baskets that control the road junctions and demand money for their plastic flags . Once again they are going into shops and menacing the shopkeepers to add to their revenue ! Last year I wrote about this behaviour several times , but it appears that “ Crime” in France will continue whilst “ Le Tour” visits !

Those of you with bikes at the “ Le Tour “ , the bike stays in your hands , or stands in front of you ! Bikes behind you , are out of sight and out of mind , thus the target of the PROFESSIONAL GANGS that raid the route , the Campsites and even the Team Hotels ! Of course if you are crooked , you can take an oldy , hope it gets stolen , then report to the Police for the paperwork to relieve your Insurance Company on a claim for your clever substitution !

TOO OFTEN last year I met with people , later in the Tour and heard of “ thefts “ , regardless of these warnings . Costs of getting to the Tour these days are astronomical , so losing your bike or property can turn the “ Holiday” into a Nightmare !

ACCREDITATION

REPETITIONS

EACH Year i arrive back from the Tour de Suisse determined to lift my level of fitness . In past years having closed the winter quarters i would head to Seez , close to Bourg St Maurice in France and stay at the Auburge de Juenesse . Food there is excellent and plentiful so after a large breakfast i would take off for a day with as much as 300km before returning to load up with 2nds and 3rds . Rarely would i find that there wwas not enough to satisfy the hunger created by unremitting climbs in the area !

Could go on for pages about what is available but suffice to say that Seez at 650m and the Col d'Iseran at 2700m attacked a couple of times inb a day will improve your condition or break your spirit . Of course you could have it all go pear shape as it did one year . Several punctures in a short distance above Val d'isere really sent my internal thoughts spiralling out of control . Carrying 4 spare tubes and checking the interior of the tyre did not solve the problem that day .

Suffering from lack of funds due to once again being " cheated by Winter Employers " i am staying close to where i live in the Inntal . Certainly i will get the money due me , but once again , i have fallen victim of the " Zillertal Mafia "! That is what the locals call these people who prey on the tourist . Each of these businesses provide services to the Tourist industry , charging premium prices and then TRY to cheat their eemployees out of their " Dues "!  Fortunately there is an Organisation called the " Arbeiter Kammer " which handles cases such as this and will eventually recover the monies due . With out going into detail , it would appear i will get my monies sometime after this year's  " Le Tour " ! What do i do meanwhile , starve ?

Arriving back from the Tour de Suisse on Saturday i was up early Sunday to do what i promised myself last season . With riding around this area i have come to know where the steepest climbs are and so without too much effort i am able to get on to this 20% climb each morning . When i told my local bike shop owner , last season , that i had done this climb 6 times one afternoon , i am sure he thought i had had a touch of the sun . I went on to say that Next Season i would be doing 10 climbs each morning as a way to strengthen the muscles for the season . Whilst on the Giro d'Italia i didn't find any climbs that caused me concern , but i was also wondering how much better i could have done , had i followed my earlier plan .

This climb west of Reith in Alpbachtal is okay when the road is dry and there is light traffic . This morning due to heavy thunderstorms overnight  the road was covered with soil and gravel washed onto the road . After starting out at 6.30 i was into the fifth climb when i found that there was constant traffic in each direction . With the road little wider than a truck and having to pick a line through where the gravel had been cleared by the passing vehicles the situation became untenable and an early return for breakfast was the decision .

Sunday had been  a little easier , in that the road was clear but around 10.30 , so many cars were going up the climb to a chuch parade that i stopped at 12 ascents . Monday i repeated this with a little earlier start . Tuesday after 7 climbs , i saw a local race cyclist descending towards me , so decided to chase and finished up heading off to Stumm before making a visit to Innsbruck and Schwaz  on the way home . Wednesday with another 6.30 start i was able to get in 14 ascents before i wearied of the repetitions .

With the heavy rainfall overnight the roads have dried but there is a heavy cloudcover so will be off shortly for some flat running on the " Il Giro " using the 16 spoke Shimano wheels . These wheels do not like climbing strong climbs , but then they have done 100k in the 10 years i have used them . For the repetitions i have been using the Green bike that i took to the " Le Tour " last year with the 32 spoke wheels , but even then i am on 39 to 25 most of the climb . No doubt i will find little difficulty on the French Cols with this preparation .

Now all i need in the next week apart from training , is an infusion of funds to be able to get to Liege and survive 26 days on the road with my 15th riding of the route of the Tour de France !

REPETITIONS

SPONSOR VEHICLES

Sponsors appoint an " Ad Agency " to handle most , if not all aspects , of their efforts to garner " Visibility " at a variety of Sporting Events ! That " Sponsoring " costs a lot of money is not in dispute , but one wonders WHY when having spent millions they ALLOW drivers that have no respect for those whom they are supposed to win over to their " Employers' Services and products "?

Driving for a Sponsor usually requires the driver to have " Accreditation " ! This " Dog collar " does not absolve the wearer from the responsibility to behave like they are required to do by the Driving regulations of the countries in which they are working ! Bad driving with or without " Accreditation " has consequences , it can not only involve other vehicles but also innocent bystanders/spectators ! Nobody comes to stand beside the road to applaud the Race Participants with the expectation of a visit to a Medical Facility ! But there are the occasional " Accidents " and even more so those caused by " Sponsor Vehicles Drivers !

Last year i called on " Not so Fat anymore , Mc Quaid of the UCI " , to introduce a " Drivers Code " and " Mandatory Testing of ALL that seek accreditation  , at UCI Road Cycle Events " . This appears too difficult for the UCI to think about , yet alone implement ! All expecting to drive at the ProTours seem to ONLY have to say they have a " drivers Permit " to gain the " Accreditation " . Does anyone really care if their " Drivers permit " is currently VALID ?

Too many incidents over 15 seasons of riding these Cycle Tour Routes come to mind , some have caused me cuts and bruises , some involved me in a shouting match with the Driver and then their employer . Suffice to say that each time i confront one of these  " Could not care less drivers " they and their passenger plead ignorance regarding their behaviour , AND THEN , tell me , that if i had not been on my bike there , then i would not have found myself in that situation !

People often ask me why i wear NO Accreditation . Fact is i don`t need to do so , just about every person involved with Cycle Racing , Rowing and Skiing knows who i am and MOST have forgotten WHY i am there ! Daily at these events i see people nudging their companions and pointing me out , no doubt relaying the fact that they have seen me elsewhere . Rarily people will come and thank me for " Advocating Sponsorship of Para Athletes "! Some will introduce me to a variety of personalities of all persuasions . Meeting Senior Politicians and Service Personnel seems to be a daily event , but on the other hand , i get reports from people , telling me they have been warned to stay clear of me since their colleague has reported their version of some incident .

Whenever i find myself the " victim " of aggressive driving , i do my best to find and chastise the perpetrator , since , if they do it to me , then they di it elsewhere ! Drivers in their " tonne " of metal , think they are safe until i tap on their window and " ask for an explanation " of their errant behaviour ! some will rewind their window but a very few will apologise and say that they will remember the points i make ín future behaviour in the proximity of Cyclists !

The latest case , Tuesday on the road to Olten during the Tour de Suisse , passed into a 50kph zone , through an assortment of corners and then followed the road up the hill . Turned on the " Hazard lights when i saw a speeding " Sponsor Vehicle " fast approaching . The vehicle passed me on a left curving corner , without vision of oncoming traffic , regardless of those lining the narrow road !Having returned to the RHS of the road , braked hard to arrive beside a knot of " spectators " to pass out samples of their " Gruyere/Emmantel Cheese " ! Blocking the road caused me to have to wait until the " Van/people mover " moved on . He then turned up onto the pavement a few metres along the rpad to do some work in the vehicle . When i walked back , the three people were opening boxes of " Sponsors` samples ".

When i tapped on the driver's window , to ask for an explanation , it was " PISS OFF BACK TO OZ , we don`t need you here "!  I then went around to the pavement side , to speak to the passengers  , to ask if they felt safe with this type of driving , or wished to lose their " Drivers' Permit for condonning the driver's behaviour ? Yes , in some countries you the passenger , are also responsible for the Driver's behaviour ! The driver then threatened to get out of the vehicle and assault me , alone , no problem , but three up , shaking their " fists " , i decided , " enough was enough " ! Of course i will see these mongrels again and i did at the Arrivee last night but then i was on the bike , helmeted in the rain . This post will also go to their " Sponsor's CEO , who will be thrilled with the publicity they generated with his " Logoed Vehicle "!

Just about ALL French roads leading over a " Pass/ Col " now have at the bottom of the climb , a sign with " Je Depasse 1 1/2m " installed ! Hopefully more of these signs will be installed further up the climb since a drivers ' attention span , declines after a few corners . France seems to lead the world in their efforts to educate vehicle drivers but the Cyclist should NEVER EVER ride with " earphones or a Mobile clapped to their ear ! Personally as a Cyclist , i hate to see those " showoffs , riding no hands , on the mobibe , not wearing a helmet ( frequently used to protect the handlebars ) , riding three and four abreast ! As a driver , i come up behind Cyclists and put on my " Hazard lights " until i am past ! Rarely will i use my klaxon until past , even if i know the riders . Approaching Cyclists in ANY Situation , i am able to judge where they will be when i am within 50m of them , so have the choice to go wide with signals OR slow down with " Hazard lights " until safe to pass .

Those that find this too hard to do , need to reeducate themsellves , time is running out for those that regard Cyclists as road furniture or in extreme cases , as " ROADKILL "!

SPONSOR VEHICLES

Not JUST on the DAY !

“ Being the best that you can be “ , is something to which everyone should aspire  !

Too often in recent years , we have seen in the Bike Road Racing scene , some expected results and then the winner fades away . Each year there are the Men’s World Road Racing Championships in a different country each year . Great store is set by participating countries in getting their man to the line . Not always are the favourites the winner but Mark Cavendish was the overwhelming favourite last time out .

As World Champion people expect that they will continue into the next season winning other events BUT this seems to be an unrealistic expectation in recent years . Many feel that winning the World Road Race Title jinxes them for the rest of the season . Perhaps other racers pay more attention to any moves they try to make in their events and thwart their efforts for the victory ?

Mark Cavendish on the other hand has worked hard through the off season and with a victory in the Tour Down Under set the season rolling in his favour . Multiple Victories in the Giro d’Italia sees him honour the World Championship in a way that has not been achieved in the past decade .

Next Month we have the Tour de France and shortly after the Olympics and Mark intends to pursue success in both . Certainly , after missing Medals at Beijing , he will be totally focussed on remedying that missing part of his palmares .

With the demise of Team HTC his “ Train “ is now part of several other teams but his talent is such that he has continued to podium whether led home by the train or making his own way to the line . As versatile as he is , I am sure that once the Olympics are over he will be setting the next set of targets !

On a personal note , he has also become a father this year , and his wife and child were travelling with him during the giro .

GOOD LUCK MARK ! You have done a superb job of showing off the World Champ Shirt !

Not JUST on the DAY !

GIRO D'ITALIA 2012 Signage

Is it my imagination that the Giro d'Italia does not use " signs " anymore ? You know , those pink  plastic squares that in past years were everywhere , hanging from so many imaginative places ?

During the past days in Italy , i have found that " Giro  Signs " are so few and far between that i can spend many kilometres wondering about whether i am on the right road , particularly since the red & white plastic tape is virtually non existent , as are the crowds i have come to expect in past years .

Riding the route from the Bra area today through the southern and Eastern edges of Torino , i found that when i called out " Ozzie , ozzie , Ozzie " as i have in past years , there has been very little response .

Generally signage on the roads can be confusing , leaving an urban area you can see roadside markers which are useful if on the bike , however the blue " Distance " signs are another story ! Starting a section of any road you will in the short distance of a kilometre discover that the number posted will be 3 or 4 different distances ranging over as much as 10 km ! How confusing can it be to see 46 become 52 then 43 then 48 as you rie along ?

Can go on for hours about different situations in a variety of countries over the years as i pedal the " Pro Tour routes " !

In the Giro presentation there was mention of how the Economy was having an effect on the efforts the organisation was making BUT really reducing the signage is not the way to go !

GIRO D'ITALIA 2012 Signage

Leige-Bastoyne_Leige : The Race ?

Eurosport is available to my neighbour , so that is how I saw the last 60km of the “ Luttich-Bastogne-Luttich “ today . Rarely go to the one day races since all those involved are so busy , you are interrupting them if you strike up a conversation . Certainly riding the route in it’s entirety would be out of the question since the distances are about my limit and usually point to point allowing little chance of a short cut when kicked off the course . 20km to the finish the race is compact and then Nibali makes a run for it ! There is a largish group with one thing , mostly , in common , they all have numbers ending with 1 ! My impression was that these were the team leaders , people like Cunego and Voekler , etc . As time passed and the kilos were eaten up by Nibali , these guys started pfaffing around , wasting time , looking at each other . So the distance disappeared and the deficit grew , finally Inglinsky decided to make a run . As the kilos dropped below 8km to go , Eurosport was still showing 43sec deficit , then the deficit disappeared and the race continued . All of a sudden we see a shot over the shoulder of Inglinsky of Nibali in the distance . He is not 43 sec behind , in fact in very little time he is up with Nibali , who sits up for a moment to see what is about to happen . Well that short pause obviously upset Vincenzo’s rhythm because as soon as Maxim stepped on the gas Vincenzo was unable to find the energy to contest the last kilometre ! Looking at Twitter I see a few tweets which caused me to wonder what was really going on at the “ meeting ” those other Racers were holding whilst first Nibali then Inglinsky were securing their Podium positions ? Jon Vaughters said : Congrats to Maxim Iglinsky. Can't say I saw that coming. He's been a good one day rider for a few years now tho. Garmin-Barracuda said : Congrats to the argyle -- @DanMartin86 5th @ryder_hesjedal 9th & @alex_howes covering attacks! #LBL Ryder Hesjedal said : Great work by the whole team today. We had a plan and everyone delivered perfectly! Great way to close out the Classics! Cervelo said : Great riding by @Ride_Argyle at #Liege! @DanMartin86 5th @ryder_hesjedal 9th & revelation @alex_howes once again animating the race! To have finished in these positions Dan and Ryder must have been involved in the “ parlay ” ? What are they and Jonathon discussing now ? Perfection for me would have been a group sprint and then ALL would have seen a far different result ! Tweet from Steep hill : 14 Big Photos of the attack, finish and podium of Liège-Bastogne-Liège; http://bit.ly/IJqSKl (Nibali not happy on the podium) Guess Vincenzo is asking himself what more he could have done ? He reminds me of Leisel , the Aussie Swimmer , who displayed sour grapes on the Athens 2004 Olympic Medal Podium ! Vincenzo you did good , better perhaps than you planned ! Remember Eric Zabel sitting up on the San Remo finish line , allowing Oscar Freire to take the win by a nose ?

Leige-Bastoyne_Leige : The Race ?

Mc Quaid ? Where is his Integrity now ?

Reading this item must cause ALL to wonder why UCI has not jettisoned this blot on it’s integrity ?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kroon-angry-at-uci-over-contador-and-his-own-whereabouts-problems

Of course there are so many stories circulating about the UCI that one wonders what purpose it serves for those in Cycle Racing ?

Time the alternative Circus , mooted in recent years , was got up and running ! How the Racers will fare in those circumstances will be an interesting story for those that follow Road Cycle Racing in particular !

Mc Quaid ? Where is his Integrity now ?

CNF out of control !

Seems it is mind over matter for some athletes :

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/21/health/chrissie-wellington-triathlete-champion/index.html?hpt=he_c1

Now if this woman can do it in 2011 , try and tell me that Lance had not discovered this “ State of Mind “ in 1998/9 ?

As long ago as 1970’s I had discovered the “ Power of a Positive Attitude “ and Napolean Hill and his maxim “ Whatever the mind can Conceive and Believe , it will achieve ” ! Of course at that time I was in Sales and there were many more “ Positive Expressions ” that were the currency of the Sales Profession .
Surely those in sport have heard that expression :

“ When the going gets tough : The tough get going ” !

Coming up to three weeks since there was an announcement , that the Grand Jury in Los Angeles , about affairs concerning Lance Armstrong was closed ! No great surprise to me as I had posted a comment to the RedKitePrayer blog in December anticipating something along these lines . What I had not expected was the vitriolic bile that flows in the CyclingNews Clinic ! That people would be disappointed was clear but for the amount of verbiage that has continued to flow directed at anyone showing the least agreement with that decision is amazing !

Yesterday I saw in the “ US Prosecutors….” Clinic thread a link to the blog of Steve Tilford where he raised matters from 2006 ! The story line relates to a written exchange between Frankie Andreu and Jon Vaughters and the statistics quoted there are quite amazing . Question is , how did this private exchange find it’s way into the public arena ? Certainly neither party would have said even a small part of these views if they were aware that their private exchange was being monitored ?

Steve Tilford revealed in yesterday’s post his thoughts on this matter , and published for his readers , part of the conversation . Lance haters come in all forms and one thing they have in common is total recall of all the possibilities that exist for twisting each and every fact to suit their purposes . So it will come as no surprise to all that some cretin decided that Steve , instead of being out there building an incredibly competitive Palmares , as a Mountain Bike Racer , should have done as they do , spend his life in front of the computer , drooling over each factoid , that some other cretin , has twisted to suit their purposes in relation to Lance Armstrong !

CyclingNews Clinic serves it’s purpose for me , in that , there are links to interesting articles . That I had never heard of Steve until last night is set in stone and Bill Gifford is another example brought to light by these threads . Charles Pelkey is another great poster I had lost track of as I had stopped visiting VeloNews after his quasi dismissal . Of course there can be some hilarious comments by those sad cases but nit picking each other seems to be de rigueur . Moderation is supposed to exist but then you get an Australian , pitching in with her views , which then encourage further outrageous comments .

One commenter , “ Race Radio ” tried to get things back on track with this :

“ Originally Posted by Race Radio

This is entertaining.....by attacking a guy like Tilford his detractors are proving him right.
His whole point was that anyone who questions Lance get set on by a bunch of rapid, irrational, groupies. ”
Of course there were other comments worth repeating :

Comment by Glenn_Wilson:

“ Wow look what RaceRadio started in here!

I can not get to the “Blog” by Tilford but from what I am reading here in the Clink It seems like Tilford who still rides his bike a lot, just stumbled onto the “PM” exchange between JV and others. Tilford must take some shots at LA and his groupies and that “BLOG” post has caused a ruckus-amongus here in the Clink.

In my opinion it seems odd that anyone who follows cycling the last 12 years would not know about the PM exchange. BUT there are folks who do not spend all day reading the Clink and it is possible he never knew. Then again he must not have a Television that has any sports networks on it and he must not have a browser that can link to SI, Outside, CNN, or ESPN. “
　
Comment by Race Radio ;

“ No matter what happens to Wonderboy there is always somebody here to clog the toilet with rambling babble. Impressive dedication to the cause “
　
Comment by Angus W
　
“ Good summary, Polish. Most people would have been unaware that Armstrong was even under investigation. Those people that have heard about allegations of doping would probably assume that "all cyclists dope, so it's a level playing field", etc. Most people who have heard of Armstrong would probably not even be able to state correctly how many Tours he won (yes, I know, Patsy, count them: OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSeven). Like you say, to most people, Armstrong is cancer survivor, has a charity that raises money for cancer research (yes, I know Livestrong doesn't do that) and won the Tour de France lots of times in a row and is the best cyclist ever.

And, yes, those like Skippy who believe no sanctions = no doping will no doubt think that as the Federal investigation has been dropped, Armstrong raced clean throughout his career. ”


Of course I do not think this way ! Fact is there are numerous allegations afloat that are spurious at best , totally fabricated in the main , but hugely entertaining when they are spewed by those that consider themselves the “ Elite of the Elite ” on the Clinic !
Year on year in my blogs I have called for harsher penalties and stricter controls than are currently imposed by those in authority . I doubt I am popular with the UCI and WADA for pouring scorn on their limp wrested approach to the “ Doping Issues ” !

Verbruggen will recall serving me coffee in the UCI offices west of Lausanne in 2000 when I was there after the Tour de Romandie expounding on my suggestion of “ In race Dope tests ”! UCI medical official , as a pillion passenger , using a similar gadget to the “ Diabetics tester “ to collect a blood sample , during the running of the race . That sample being escorted by a team official back to the mobile Laboratory in the procession so as to preserve the chain of evidence ! Of course it is outlandish , but so simple to apply , if there was the will to impose the regulations ! If the Doctor and mechanics can get alongside a racer in a car , then a motorcycle would be no problem !
　
　
Comment by ChrisE :
“ This is funny.

I made a comment that I didn't believe Tilford just ran across the PM (he of the infinite amount of cyclng wisdom). Yes, he just woke up and said "Golly, look at what all these people are saying about LA. Golly Gee!?!?!?".

Then, on top of that he took it without even doing any research about it and using it as "proof" of something.

I made no comment on what he thinks.

From that, we get a 5 page shytstorm lol.

The haters in here do not wish to address my point because they can't. If they say he is clueless, that flies in the face of his "cycling guru/insider" status. They don't want to touch my other points about the PM itself because I am right. Scoreboard.

They would rather call names and say "babble" and run the thread into the ditch then cry foul. SSDD, as Polish would say.

I made a comment the other week about how I wanted this to go to trial to prove me right (ie this wouldn't fly with an American jury). But, the case being dropped is worth its weight in gold. The haters in here have become more unhinged than ever. Classic. “

More entertainment can be found by visiting :
　
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=16491&page=231 possibly 240+ now
which is where I left my latest ( not done yet ) comment !
Those wishing to visit Steve Tilford’s blog , here is the link :

http://stevetilford.com/?p=18113&cpage=1#comment-6846

CNF out of control !

ARMSTRONG CASE CLOSED !

No it’s not ! Seems that USADA has decided they want some publicity and guess how they will get this ?

Do the members of US Cycling look forward to having to fund a “ Witch hunt ” ?

DOUBTFUL !

With the resources that were thrown at the Case that has just been closed , it seems to me that there would have been “ indictments ” sought IF there was ANY evidence that could be followed up in ANY JUDICIAL AREA ! Hearsay and the public utterances of aggrieved and convicted former cyclists are not the sort of thing that will bring about the results that so many of the CNF /mushroom farm were praying ! Looks like there will be a turf war breaking out between the various factions , those for Lance and those against , if the “ Moderators ” don’t act firmly to nip it in the bud !

Not really sure if all those commenting on that particular forum really believed that they had a just cause in seeking adverse findings for Lance Armstrong but we will see how they deal with the blow to their self esteem .

The following article is taken direct from CyclingNews to give some understanding of what has taken place during the course of the investigation that has just concluded :

Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Armstrong investigation


Timeline of US federal investigation from Landis to closure:

It all started with an email from Floyd Landis, accusing Lance Armstrong of doping, and it continued for nearly two years before a US federal investigation into the charges was closed.
Cyclingnews followed the story of the investigation into the charges against Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Service team with these stories:
May 20, 2010 - Landis drug Revelations?

May 20, 2010 - Landis confesses to doping, implicates Armstrong and Bruyneel

May 20, 2010 - WADA and UCI issue statements on Landis confession

May 20, 2010 - Johan Bruyneel: Floyd Landis needs ‘help’

May 20, 2010 - Armstrong rejects Landis allegations

May 20, 2010 - UCI rejects Landis' accusation of concealed doping test

May 21, 2010 - Video: Armstrong rejects Landis allegations

May 21, 2010 - Team RadioShack reveal further emails from Landis

May 22, 2010 - Two people named by Landis may co-operate with authorities

May 22, 2010 - LeMond supports Landis in fight for clean cycling

May 23, 2010 - Landis makes an appearance at the Amgen Tour of California

May 25, 2010 - McQuaid acknowledges accepting Armstrong donation a mistake

May 26, 2010 - Scope of US doping inquiry may be widened

May 26, 2010 - UCI requests investigations into Landis claims

May 27, 2010 - Biological passport expert taking Landis seriously

June 9, 2010 - McQuaid defends UCI against Landis and Bordry

July 6, 2010 - Investigation into Landis claims widens to include Interpol

July 14, 2010 - Verbruggen labels Landis a nuisance

August 2, 2010 - Ball could hold link to Armstrong probe

August 4, 2010 - Holczer accuses Leipheimer of blood manipulation

August 8, 2010 - Armstrong lawyer condemns "un-American" investigation

August 17, 2010 - McQuaid suggests US Postal investigation sparked by personal vendetta

August 26, 2010 - Former USPS doctor denies doping at team

September 15, 2010 - Lance Armstrong on defensive in federal investigation

October 14, 2010 - Howman suspects the Armstrong investigation could be as significant as the BALCO case

November 3, 2010 - Popovych to testify in Armstrong probe

November 4, 2010 - Popovych denies witnessing doping

November 17, 2010 - Armstrong investigation extends to French police

January 5, 2011 - Armstrong shrugs off FDA investigation

January 19, 2011 - Frustration for Armstrong as questions arise

January 19, 2011 - A summary of the Sports Illustrated Lance Armstrong investigation

January 23, 2011 - Armstrong era 'corrupt' says ex-mechanic

January 24, 2011 - Bruyneel dismisses Sports Illustrated accusations

January 31, 2011 - Landis: It was either cheat or get cheated

January 31, 2011 - Landis: It was either cheat or get cheated

April 15, 2011 - Armstrong, Ferrari relationship probed in Italian doping investigation

April 26, 2011 - Dr Ferrari offers to meet magistrate surrounding his links to Armstrong

May 11, 2011 - Armstrong investigation progressing, but case is 'solid'

May 20, 2011 - Hamilton says he saw Armstrong use EPO

May 20, 2011 - Tyler Hamilton's letter of confession

May 21, 2011 - Report: Hincapie tells FDA Armstrong took PEDs

May 22, 2011 - Betsy Andreu talks ahead of 60 Minutes show on Lance Armstrong

May 24, 2011 - Ekimov denies Hamilton's claims of Armstrong doping

May 24, 2011 - Verbruggen says Armstrong “never, never, never” doped

November 11, 2011 - Armstrong lawyers ready for Federal battle

February 3, 2012 - Lance Armstrong inquiry concludes with no charges filed



No doubt those that served on the Grand Jury will have voiced their opinions to their families and friends and I would hope for their sake that there will not be any “ Deep Throat ” articles since there will be those looking to benefit from any of their indiscretions !


My comment to Charles Pelkey’s explainer article : http://redkiteprayer.com/?p=7669

“ Doping is " Sporting Fraud " and requires even harsher punishment than already exists and NOBODY is above the law !
Having said that i am aware that Cancer Sufferers use medication after their treatment and one such product is EPO . That Lance had to use " Drugs " whilst Racing and these " items " were approved by UCI and WADA , does not make him a " Doper " ! So many people have come out of the " Woodwork " to try to bring him down to their level and to gain recognition for themselves .

Charles will tell you of the medication that he has to continue to use now that his treatment programme has finished , and for how much longer , and he is not a " High Performance Athlete "!
Myself , i have to use " Sinitron ", or a substitute for the rest of my life due to Embolisms as mentioned in my blogs but then am not in competition .

WADA provides an annual list of " Proscribed Items " and do a thorough job of " Policing " their regs but i doubt it is in anyone's interests for them to kick around in the same area that the Grand Jury has just finished with seems pointless ! Of course there are those in the USADA who see a chance to garner benefit in some manner AND if after they expend huge sums of money and their " witch hunt " leads them to conclude they can make a case against Lance and others do they really think that the Public will thank them ?

Doubt that any will care and as for Lance , a " Suspension " will mean what ?

Will USADA spend millions to go nowhere and antagonise their public ? ”

Back in December 2011 Charles had written another item on this “ Ongoing Saga ” and here is that link :

http://redkiteprayer.com/?p=6973

My comment then was a shot in the dark and some will Say that there was “ Political Intervention ” in this case ! But then there will be many other conspiracy theories espoused in the coming months !

ARMSTRONG CASE CLOSED !