Showing posts with label Le Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Le Tour. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2015

George the Cyclist

Having been lazy enough to do nothing for over 12 months , i am going to make an effort to get back into Blogging monthly . It appears that people have contined to visit my blogs during the interim and so i should like to express THANKS for their persistance !

During the period that i have neglected to add to my catalogue , i hope that some of you have been following the exploits of " http://georgethecyclist.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/into-georgia.html ". i have seen the occasional reference to myself during the past 12 months .

No doubt there are many that have seen George on the road as he has Cycled the routes of " Le Tour ' if not on the roads in the USA ?  Seems like he has been in most parts of the world and in the near future , i hope he points me to some of the places visited whilst in Australia  . Local to the area i am staying in currently , is another character that i met in Monaco at the Start of that Tour de France . Vince has Cycled the Le Tour route with George on several visits to Europe . This year was after arriving in Frankfurt and Cycling to Utrecht .

Whilst i will leave you to discover George's adventures for yourselves , i will add a quote in relation toi Ralph Nader , whose exploits in 1970s regarding Chrysler Cars , brought him to my attention and encouraged me to question many attitudes of retailers towards their clients . Nobody enjoys being fobbed off with 2nd class goods and being overcharged ?  i question every attempt to dupe me by those to whom i have to tender monies for goods or services !

Here is the item mentioned :

http://georgethecyclist.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/into-georgia.html :

  "  The early podcasts were mostly Nader being interviewed by his two co-hosts.  It soon evolved into Nader interviewing one or two guests who supported his favorite causes--single-payer health care, election reform, exposing corporate crime, auto safety, Palestine, banking reform, independent farmers.  Most of his guests say it is an honor to be on Nader's show and that he has been an inspiration. He has certainly been responsible for an incredible amount of things that we take for granted--seat belts, no smoking on airplanes, constructions vehicles beeping when they go in reverse.  Nader doesn't gloat.  He says anyone with a fire in the belly can effect change. He certainly would have  shaken up the established order if he had gained the White House."















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Monday, March 24, 2014

Pro Racers attitude to SAFE CYCLING !

Days after returning to Sunny & Summery Austria , i find myself looking out the window for the second day, as sleet falls on the local roads . Since this is after all , the Austrian Mountains that is on the cusp of Spring , thus the current weather should come as no surprise . This winter i have lost a few days to wet roads and with the lack of snow only managed 2 days of Ski Touring in december and a day in January . Having spent the past 2 weeks on the bike covering several thousand kilometres in summery conditions , even in the mountainous Italian regions of the Tirreno-Adriatico ProWorld Cycle Race , i guess a break off the bike will be welcome ? Sunday was continous sleet , but today looks like an afternoon ride will be possible after a light lunch . The temperature will be nothing like the Saturday summery ride in short sleeves and bib shorts where several groups of Race Bike Riders ventured out dressed for Winter .

During the time i spent at the Tirreno-Adriatico ProWorld Cycle Race , we were treated to 20C+ sunny conditions throughout the week . Even my trip , starting out on the Monday morning from Kufstein area , was warm throughout , as i passed through Tirol & St Anton to Felkirch for the night , then onto Torino and the Hospitality of Riccardo and his Family for Tuesday Night . Wednesday was down to the Coast to pass through Genoa and onto Livorno so as to join the T-A route as it arrived in Cechina . With meeting the Major ( Mayor of Commune ) i was able to utilise the Commune Resources to print many copies of the placards that you see here .

With these " placards " i was able to give the Teams , either the Italian or french Version , if not both ! It was also possible to speak to individual Racers , some of whom should know better than to turn down a simple request , right Cadel ? Even though Cycling within metres of the Major and thus demonstrating that he supported " SAFE CYCLING " , it appears a step TOO HARD !

With many Pro Racers lost in Road Training Incidents in recent months , the lack of  EMPATHY for Cyclists in general is demonstrated by the lack of mention in the Facebook Wall of those Racers attending the Tirreno-Adriatico Race . That their Support Staff told me , that their Teams had been shown the Placards is not in doubt , even coming face to face with Mark Cavendish , Alex Dowsett , Alberto Contador and many other Racers , seems to have produced NO RESULTS ?

Did not get to speak with Brad Wiggins , but there is a Guy who has personal experience of BAD DRIVING !  As a reward for winning the " Le Tour " in 2012 and the Olympic Time trial at London 2012 , a neighbour skittled him , thus sending him to an overnight stay in Hospital . Guess it was not him that hollered at me with an English accent , as i stood in L'Aquila , showing the Italian Language Placard , " What a F##ing Idiot "?

Francesco Moser & Mario Cippolini are two of the former racers that took a copy that they put in their pocket , others such as RAI TV Sport broadcast on TV or added photos into their websites , so i guess that there was a result ?  WHAT is it about PRO RACERS that makes it too hard for them to remind their "Fans" , that they care for their well being ?

" UCI " are the controlling Body for Pro Cycle Racing , thus SHOULD be the body that works to coordinate the Cycling Safety Org.s that have sprung up in so many Cities and Countries throughout the World ! These Tweets demonstrate my efforts to encourage their efforts :

  "  UCI UMBRELLA ORG. 4 Safe Cycling UP then POWER OUTPUT! M/while ProRacers DIE due BAD Driving!

This was in response to a tweet on his personal Cycling efforts .

More Tweets were sent to involve " Amy Gillett Fdn " , which i have for years been encouraging to ACT in the International Arena  , which would not be too difficult since so many Oz Cyclists have European Roots ?

CYCLING has a W/wide PROBLEM! Needs a W/WIDE SOLUTION! UCI GET OFF YOUR BUTT! ACT & SAVE LIVES NOW!

NOT ALLOWED THOSE of US out of Oz NOT ALLOWED! CAN CHANGE THIS!
This last Tweet was in response to that of Anna Meares trying to encourage MORE people to sign onto the  " Amy Gillett Fdn/ Tasmanian Petition " , created after the Death in late December of a Tasmanian Rower out on his Bike , cross training .

Here is what i sent out as a comment on my thoughts of Involving UCI in an UMBRELLA Org. :

  "  Here is my comment elsewhere , about what actions i think can help to change aggresive driver attitudes towards Cyclists :

  "  Whilst the Authorities offer " Info Ads " to the General Public , there are Several WAYS Cyclists can help themselves !

1/  Acknowledging GOOD Driving Behaviours . ( More follows )

2/  Active advice to Employers of Eratic Driving Behaviours (see below )

3/  Umbrella Org Activities ( Notes )

Explanatory notes :

1/  Since the UCI Presidential Election and before September 2013 , i have been asking for an International UMBRELLA Cycling Safety Organisation ! In past years i had asked " Amy Gillett Fdn " to step up their activities and work with the " London Times , Cities fit for Cycling Campaign " , but to NO AVAIL ! Seems everybody likes to play in their own backyard ?  Fact is there are TOO MANY Egos out there , some will acknowledge the ideas of others and will add them to their Campaign , others will indulge in " Personality spats " , but whilst this goes on , the SAFETY of CYCLISTS remains at risk !

    I as a Cyclist , do not care WHO is TOP DOG , I DO CARE about the MESSAGE being UNIVERSAL ! When World Politicians see that there is COLLECTIVE Action , where THEIR Shortcomings will be seen as NOT A LOCAL ISSUE , but part of the REAL WORLD , they will stop thinking of " Militant Cyclists " as a cross to bear whilst they get on with their REAL WORK . As a lone English Speaking Cyclist in Tirol , Austria , i get far more attention than the local Cyclists ! When you realise they accept whatever , but i voice my complaints when they occur, you can see that there are those who groan whever i address them . Whether other Cyclists appreciate my efforts , matters not . What counts is that i can ride my bike without having to worry about " Punishment passes " , because that will mean a repeat visit to the offender or their employer .

2/  Over the past years i have come to know where the Trucking Depots are located . Many Bike Rides have been interupted by a case of " Bad Driving " , due to me following the offender , either to their Depot or their lient Premises . There i seek the Manager/CEO and explain what has taken place . I offer the choice of either call the Vehicle Owner or call the Polizei . Of course i prefer the client to understand that the Vehicle Owner is prefered since it reminds them that their Drivers could be in the same situation on another occasion ! Todate i have ONLY once been asked to leave the premises , only twice have the Polizei been asked to attend , once at the insistance of the Truck Operator . Generally the Manager listens to my explanation , agrees that there is Grievance and in many cases not only calls the Employer but states to the driver that they will not be welcome on the premises , if they choose to repeat this behaviour . Many not only remind the driver that the vehicle displays " Ads " which reflect     their Employer but also the Client .  With this in mind they generally state that the Driver's behaviour reflects BADLY on the Companies and hope that their colleagues DRIVE with more thought for their Employer !  On one occasion the river was Carpeted and told that HAD he caused Death , then the Speaker could have been liable for a " Corporate Manslaughter Charge "!  Many Drivers are not only effusive in their apology , but in the weeks following will flash their lights and give a friendly wave as they pass going in the opposite direction . One Water Suppier Company's drivers well not only complete the , Ease , Wait , Signal , Wide Pass , Signal return to lane sequence , but also flash the " Hazard lights " after the pass when they see me salute ( touch of Helmet ) !

3/  My thoughts in respect of an Int.UMBRELLA Org were initially directed to the UCI !  With Pro Racers using the roads on a daily basis for their training and the " Shamateur " aping their activity , it seemed that a " Code of Conduct in respect of Acknowledging Good Driving " would be a GOOD Starting point for encouraging better relations on the roads !  UCI should be able to dictate to Professional Cyclists that they ACT as Ambassadors for Cycling ! Since the common Cyclist looks to them for Inspiration , they will quickly adopt their behaviours ? What UCI should ask of National Cyclig Federations is Compliance with this " Code of Conduct "!  Any Pro Cyclist is required to train in their Team Colours , they are required to OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS ! YES , some RLJ , ignore " Give way signs , etc , so this has to stop , NOW ! When passed by traffic in a SAFE Manner , they should touch their helmet in a respectful way , so that the Vehicle driver sees that their GOOD Behaviour is recognised/appreciated ! When training in a Group , i have yet to see anything other than the 2 by 2 , thus , if outsiders jump on the back they should be warned to obey this OR DEPART !

UCI having adopted the " Code of Conduct " should then advise the National Fed.s to contact ALL Trucking/Bus associations explaining the Policy/Code , thus asking those Assoc. Members to advise their following , that this is a 2 way street , in that the Drivers can expect Respect for Good Behaviours and reports of detrimental behaviours !

How many MORE Pro Racers have to DIE , before UCI ACTS ?

AND YES , they should be thinking of the ordinary Cyclists also!

Long winded ?

NO !

There is so much more that can be done !

ROME was not built in a DAY !

Not wishing to HURRY such an august body , such as the UCI , but since the CEO of Amy Gillett Fdn is the VP_Cycling , the near 5 months since i suggested they treat this as a matter of URGENCY , suggests that the DEATH of Pro Racers , is a blip on the horizon ? I am sure that Tracey Gaudry has made efforts to have this matter handled in a more Timely Manner , BUT ; if they can throw CHF3Million at the resolution of the Mc Quaid Era , then a few drops in the bucket , to SAVE CYCLIST LIVES will be money WELL SPENT !

The sun has broken through so away i go

Ciao








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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

PUSHING WATER UPHILL ? SSDD for UCI controlled Cycling ?

Cookson , new President of UCI , will be wondering how to deal with the latest Cycling News Stories ?

With reports in " L'Equipe " that Bjarne Riis is selling out of Pro World Team " SAXO " , there is speculation as to who will be the New Owners .

Then there is the new book from the 2007 Le Tour Racer , Rasmussen , who was sent home by his Team whilst wearing the " Maillot Jeune ". Ras was revealed at that time , to have advised erroneous information as to his " Whereabouts "! According to info supplied at the time , he was to be in Mexico , with family . During the Le Tour , Davide Cassani , journo & presenter with RAI TV , revealed that he had seen him in the Dolomites , wonder why he kept that to himself for so long ?

In addition to these items there is the relevations of Ryder Haesdahl , last week , HE DOPED ! He decided to stop before the 2004 season , so thats alright then ! Having been on the CLEAN Cycling career path since then , he has escaped Anti Doping Sanctions because of " SOL ( statues of limitations ) "
! Seems that RH had a chat with USADA in 2012, about the same time that others were dishing the dirt in regards to Lance Armstrong. , you know , that guy that was reported to have won " Le Tour " ,  7  times . Wonder what he has to say about this matter ?

Seems that he has a few things to say , as i just discovered in the few hours since posting this item :

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/lance-armstrong-exclusive-interview-part-1

This is the area of the article  , i thought relevant , to this blog post :

DB: When did you realise that the UCI didn’t give a fuck?
LA: I don’t know if they didn’t give a fuck or if they just couldn’t,
DB: But do you not think they didn’t have even the will?
LA: If they had the scientific data to protect them legally, then yeah, but again I don’t know. Ultimately we end up where we are today where we have a test that works for one compound [EPO] and guys have to decide if they want to dance around that. I’d like to think that there’s a lot less risk taking. But at the time they could only test for what they had a test for. I don’t think it’s right or responsible, and again I’m not defending them because I don’t really care for them, but cycling tried with some pressure to implement things that were just band-aids over the course of time. Whether it was just the 50 per cent rule, which was what it was – it wasn’t perfect but it was a step. But the sport got no credit for it. That led to more things like the off-score, which led to the biological passport and all the while, no credit. And every other sport that has the doping problem is sitting back and laughing, laughing their asses off, getting no attention, no criticism, no exposure and not doing a fucking thing.
honestly, and I don’t think highly of Pat [McQuaid] or Hein [Verbruggen] today, but what were they going to do? Imagine you’re Hein, and again I’m not defending him, but take yourself to '94 or maybe even '93 or before. He should have known before because high-octane existed in the late '80s and not just in cycling, in other endurance sports. You’re there, you’re the head of the governing body, you’ve got no test, no test at all – what are you going to do? And again, I know those guys are easy to pick on, but it’s 1995 for example, you’re Hein Verbruggen. What the fuck are you going to do? Hope someone gets caught at a border? There’s nothing you can do. Maybe they didn’t give a fuck, I didn’t ask them, but I do know that they could not do a thing. Just like the head of the IAAF couldn’t do a thing, just like the head of FINA couldn’t do a thing. They just did not have the tools to do anything until maybe 10 years later.


" Razzie " seems to have upset a few Pro World Racers , with his " Relevations "?
Seems that he claims that 100% of the " 2007 TDF Rabobank were " Doping "?  Would appear that he had made the same claim to the Dutch Authorities , earlier this year , when there was an investigation of the Rabobank Team ? Would appear that there were " Truth and Reconciliation Conditions " applied to all those Team Members that came forward and made a " Clean Breast of their Transgressions " during the " Amnesty Period "?

Rumbling along in the background is the Cycling News Forum , where ALL and Sundry , disguised by their Psydonyms and fictious IP Addresses , have added fuel to the bonfire :

The Revenge of Rasmussen         http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=1875&page=35

Some interesting comments :

  "  a very useful information as it shows some differences in the blood doping protocols publicly revealed ! it also shows a degree of sophistication and preparedness for blood profiling (as the passport was not formally/officially introduced till 2008 but was indded used for targeting way before 2008).

in the article linked by neinei above, ras, if i understood it right, was saying they drew about 220-230 ml into one bag. this is the infamous 'half-unit' that rendered the blood passport useless and that allegedly was used by bert before he got caught with clen..."

  "  So, Freire and Flecha. While it's possible that the original "100% doped" was an offhand comment which wasn't meant to be taken literally, it's very unlikely that they were clean. Rasmussen has only said he didn't see them dope, which is very different from saying he hadn't heard anything about their doping. What's puzzling is that he'd be afraid of a lawsuit at this point and only in regards to Freire.



  "  As recently as last December, Nys said he knew Leinders as 'an honest man'. He used to be Nys' trainer, not only his doctor.

I'm not accusing Nys of anything, mind you. Here in the Clinic everything's mostly black-or-white, but Leinders appears to be an interesting character who only provided doping to the happy few."

  "  He's mentioned. Lienders had to flush his bag (was planned to be used prior to the Vosges) in 2005, as his HCT would've gone beyond 50 with it. There are some more stories involving Menchov."



JV talks , sort of                          http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=18079&page=189

  "  So you're saying it's not possible that he could have deceived Vaughters? That Hesjedal has either not doped, or is on a team program driven from the top?"

  "  1) I doubt JV runs a doping program

2) That is not to say riders on his team definitely aren't doping

3) That JV hopes his riders are clean =/= them actually being clean. "



  "  in JV's defense, is there anyone besides Bassons he could hire that is not tarred?

maybe he could turn a professor at his business school into a mean DS."
  "  Yes, if he was found to be doping at Slipstream it would be a massive hit to the team given that it has been their basis of existence, that no one ever has and ever will dope whilst riding at the team. Additionally that was in response to you claiming that there would have been people who he could expose in order to get a six month suspension, presumably that could involve people who have worked at the team (e.g. Vande Velde, White, Lim, Weltz)."


RIIS bails out ?                            http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=1364640#post1364640

  "   the Inner Ring ‏@inrng 1m
Gazzetta headline asks "What will Contador do?" but there's a contract in place so they'll have to get along or things get expensive
Reply Retweet Favorite More Expand
the Inner Ring ‏@inrng 8m
La Gazzetta Dello Sport says Riis sells his Saxo team to Oleg Tinkov, cites Danish anti-doping investigation as a catalyst to speed up sale "

  "  Tinkov can become the modern day JV. A safe haven for dopers from the "clean" generation."

  "  Perhaps former dopers should not be allowed to run a cycling team, whether Ras, Riis, JV, Vino or any other, the problem is though it wont stop non sanctioned or confessed ones like Eki"

  "  I would hate to see Riis get out of the sport with a big pay packet!

Want to see him out of the sport but after being punished for enabling doping on his teams."




As a side issue Brian Cookson , new President of UCI , since September 2013 , has shown commendable "Transparency " in his time in office by revealing the Topics on the agenda at the 29th October Extraordinary Management Meeting . At that meeting , many of the Most Pressing Problems created by his Predessor , were addressed and progress in many of them were reported . A week later though , it remains to be disclosed , WHAT was done in respect of the Womens Cycling Agenda , that was " to be revealed later in the week "! Found in the media , is a letter reported to be from Hein Verbruggen , president of UCI , until 2005 , when he selected his successor and caused the likes of Silvia Schenk , to jump ship , before she was sucked down by the " Reported Corruption " of the ensuing years .

VERBRUGGEN LETTER ! (translated from Dutch ? )

  "  Dear President,

I am writing to report the truth about various aspects of my term as President of the UCI and to respond to a harsh media campaign against me.

I wrote to our President Pat McQuaid on June 1 last year to inform him of my decision to distance themselves from the world of sports, including cycling. After 38 years of dedication to the sport, now I want to enjoy retirement. The President took note and decided to respect my decision.

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I have never acted inappropriately and that my conscience is absolutely clean. With the benefit of hindsight, however, I admit that I could have done some things differently, but I do not accept that my integrity is in doubt, as has happened in recent months. As you all know, even if there is a President, decisions are made ​​collegially, as much by the Steering Committee by the Congress.

I had the honor of being president of the FICP from '84 to '91 with the following results:
- the introduction of new rules for the professional cycling;
- foundations for a system of social assistance for the professional runners
- strengthening the role of the Commissioners
- the creation of the World Cup and reorganization of the calendar to promote cycling in new countries. During my presidency of the UCI, Instead, we got these results: - unification of the three existing cycling federations: FIAC, FICP and UCI; - settling the finances of the UCI went from a deficit of 1.5 million Swiss francs in 1991 to a surplus of 13 million Swiss francs in 2005 - the creation of a staff UCI which went from 5 people located in three different locations in 1991, 75 in 2005; - Construction of a World Cycling Centre, an extraordinary resource for the globalization of our sport; - establishment of an Ethics Commission; - improvement of the position of cycling in the Olympic Movement.

DOPING.

During this period of intense transformation and development, we have never lost sight of the fight against doping, which is a problem for our sport since the early nineteenth century. If I gave credit for all that has been done during my tenure as President, I would end up ignoring the enormous contribution and all the work done by a large number of people. Among them, of course, the men who helped to pave the way in the fight against doping, ie the members of our Commission, with people like former Vice President Werner Goehner, Professor Manfred Doenicke, Dr. Leon and Dr. Schattenberg Alain Calvez. The fact that journalists and self-proclaimed "social media commentators" attack without understanding the UCI that are attacking the integrity of those who paved the way in the fight against doping and enjoys an impeccable reputation, it is frustrating for me and unacceptable.

I have much to say on the subject, but I prefer to let the facts speak for themselves. Many of the charges leveled against the UCI and against me on this topic have already been answered and I will not go back. In March 2002, Festina affair in the light of the Court of Appeal of Douai, after a thorough investigation and in accordance with the opinion of the public prosecutor, concluded that the UCI has done everything in its power to combat doping account. Evidently, this ruling speaks for itself and for me is more important than the supposed scoop of editors of websites or comments and opinions beds on Twitter and other forums.

WADA has always recognized the UCI work in this field: the Olympic Games in London , the Director General David Howman of Wada has confirmed to me personally that the UCI is one of two International Federations that brought forth more vigorously fight against doping. those who seek a more balanced view of past events suggest you read the book Who still believes in cycling? the Belgian journalist Hans Vandeweghe.

I repeat: I have never acted inappropriately and I have a clear conscience. No facts, no evidence contradict this truth. I refuse to engage in a debate silly and stoop to the level of those who criticize me and believe that I have to prove my innocence: in fact they are the ones who can not prove that I have done something wrong. I'm exasperated and tired of this endless chain of journalists who delight to fuel conspiracy theories, disguising themselves as "investigative journalists" to sell their latest book or inflate their egos or their careers.

FINANCE.

A few words on the finances of the UCI. As I said before, I found the UCI in 1999 with a net debt of about 1.5 million Swiss francs. From the day I took office, I organized a transparent financial and accounting system, I hired accountants and called as an expert J.-P. Strebel to supervise their work. During my presidency, we never received criticism about our finances nor by national associations or by the Congress.

In a recent letter, a national federation asked (someone might think it was a joke ...) additional information on payments received by me . Let me be absolutely clear: I worked nearly full-time for the UCI and I never received a salary or a salary as President. I've been partly offset by the considerable increase in the cost of living that I have argued in relocate to Switzerland . Any analysis of my expense reports reveal that these adjustments were reasonable and modest. I have never accepted or received any commission or other payment related to my role as President.

ARMSTRONG.

Much has been said and written about my "friendship" with Lance Armstrong. And forgive those who think that it has never been photographed with other runners who were not Armstrong. The thousands of photographs that portray me with other athletes seem to be, by strange coincidence, all disappeared.

Allow me once again to be very clear. I've never been a "friend" of Lance Armstrong or other riders or team manager. The only rider who has ever come to my house was Greg Lemond, who with his father came to me for help because his employer is not paying him his salary.

I never said that Lance Armstrong has never doped : I just said, so that everyone could understand, that Armstrong has never tested positive. The fact that it is never tested positive for the UCI nor the French control authorities, nor by the USADA, nor WADA, or with any other organization makes ridiculous accusations of "coverage" that have been leveled against me. UCI has never protected Armstrong.

Any decision on Armstrong and any other racer has been taken in accordance with established facts and scientific means available at that time. UCI The position on the trail of corticosteroids in its champions in the Tour de France 1999, the file relating to its champions of the Tour de Suisse 2001 it was already clarified. I will not waste your time to repeat what has been said over the years.

I recently wrote to Lance Armstrong to express the disgust aroused in me the cynical game he plays, refusing to make a public statement to refute the allegations made ​​by his fellow team, Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, who had said that they had nothing to fear if they were positive results, because he could not ask the UCI to take matters and cover their positivity. From what I understand by reading their testimonies, Armstrong had told them to be positive, even though no evidence of positivity has never been produced. Landis and Hamilton If they are right, I can only assume that the objective of Armstrong was to convince both of them that had tested positive and had managed to remove tests to assure them that he could do it again, even for them.

When these allegations were published for the first time, I wrote an email to Armstrong, I asked him if he had made ​​those statements to his teammates, stressing the seriousness of his words and the damage it would cause to the UCI, my integrity and my reputation and the anti-doping laboratory in Lausanne. Armstrong me immediately replied: "I have never been found positive, so I do not see why I should "invent" stories like this, it would be a really stupid idea. It is 100% false. " The fact that Armstrong has chosen not to respond to my recent letter and not to speak publicly about what he wrote in his e-mail in June 2011, it is really very painful.

I wonder, given the Their testimonies, like his teammates - who have revealed a deep knowledge of anti-doping rules and procedures - it was apparently so naive as to never try to ask him what he meant by "fix" things by anti-doping agencies like WADA USADA, AFLD, etc.. Let us not lose sight, then, the fact that Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, who are now applauded for their courage, have been exposed and sanctioned by the UCI. And without the UCI their deception would never have emerged.

With the benefit of hindsight, and in light of the confession of Armstrong, I admit that it would have been wiser not to accept donations on his part. The UCI has clearly accepted the donation in good faith to finance its fight against doping. There is no relationship between the test and the two donations to the UCI Armstrong: Armstrong has never tested positive, there has never been any positive test to hide.

COMMISSION.

I have tried in this letter, to restore the truth, not having had the opportunity to do so before the Independent Commission that the UCI was forced to stop and that he had a mandate to carry out an investigation into doping in cycling and the UCI management.

I've never been afraid to defend my name and my reputation in court: I have never lost a case. I invite you to seriously question how I could do it, if I had something to hide.

There comes a time when enough is enough. I reached this point. If, after reading this mine, you will continue to doubt my role in UCI, much worse. I will not do anything to make you change your mind. Starting today, these problems do not concern me more and, despite what has happened over the last year, it is with a sense of pride and satisfaction that I look back at everything I've done paying my service to cycling in a voluntary. cherish in their hearts the many personal friendships that I got this sport and I am deeply grateful for the friendship and support I received during the last year.

Sincerely, Hein Verbruggen
http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php...cod=63178&tp=n
__________________



One of my previous Blog posts , was entitled " Comedy Central of Cycling ", seems that we are back into that revolving door , once again ?











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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

YOU COULDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP ! PHAT'S ANTICS !

It's Tuesday and phat the rat is at it again ! With the internet providing the World with constant Updates , the truth is available 24/7 , yet there are those that " Huff & Puff " , and hope we the poor saps , can't follow the action or read between the lines !

For years the " Clinic " of that famous Forum , Cyclingnews.com , has had that famous  refrain " It will be revealed on Tuesday " ! Well we certainly get to read the revealed " info " on most Tuesdays ! This week we were entertained with the relevation of WHAT WENT on in the June 2013 , UCI Management meeting in Bergen . We had ALL seen the rumours in the Media , also confirmed by UCI Management Member , Brian Cookson's Blog , shortly thereafter  . Respecting the Confidentiality of the Meeting , Brian only revealed the bare info confirming a disturbing report being made available at that Meeting of the UCI Members .

Today we find the Media full of more revealing detail . Following excerpts will give the reader a better understanding of the situation that exists .

The report tabled was quite extensive but a leak of a 3 page summary is now in the Public Domain :

 http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/UCI-Dossier-document.pdf

See below for the content of that report !

Released also today , is Brian Cookson's latest instalment of his Blog , containing confirmation of the accuracy of this report , establishing the similarity to that tabled in June :

http://briancookson.org/en/news/

His short statement :

  "   These allegations, which appear to be similar to those made to the UCI Management Committee in June, are clearly very serious.  For the good of the UCI and cycling, they should be immediately and thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities. I hope that this matter can be fully resolved before the UCI congress on 27 September.
"For my part, I remain totally committed to a democratic election under the Constitution of the UCI and will continue to talk and listen to national federations and voting delegates on how, together, we can grow cycling globally and restore faith and trust in our sport."
It is worth visiting the Blog , since there are links to previous entries , which in the main address the timeline , since his announcement of his Candidacy for the role of UCI President . His Twitter feed will no doubt highlight the reference to the June Meeting in Bergen .

phat has had his say yesterday,  with a Media outlet :
Taken from this report , is one of his comments :
  "  “This is a scurrilous and libellous attack on my character, with a political agenda that is both nakedly transparent and totally contemptible,” he wrote, “and unfortunately one that is completely in character with the tactics of my opponents.”
Had there been NO Truth in the report tabled in Bergen , most people would be entitled to assume that he would have taken up the matter at an earlier time , with the issue of one of his " FAMOUS KIMMAGE STYLE LEGAL ACTIONS "?
Things are suspiciously fishy at Aigle , since we have had the FIRST Le Tour , in recent History , where there were NO SANCTIONS for Doping PUBLISHED ! Could it be that phat has a desk drawer , full of the " Positives " , but dare not reveal them , since he is in the " How to WIN FRiends mode "?
Another site had this to say lately , perhaps after reading my blog elsewhere :
  "  A few weeks back the news came out that there were no positive tests from the Tour de France. There were over 600 tests carried out and I can tell you, we all had our fair share of early morning visits. I think it’s encouraging. Cycling is light-years ahead of all other sports when it comes to testing."
Source of this comment leads back to a new site , with the mystery Racer , yet to be discovered :

This is not the ONLY Site , that is suspicious of the lack of " Sanctions ",  emanating from the first " Le Tour"  in recent times , to not find itself saddled with numerous DOPING CHEATS ! Here are a selection of comments from :


  "  In an interview on Irish radio McQuaid claimed he was not only not breaking the rules, he was “not even bending the rules.”

  " Okay, so when I write it like that, it’s not that funny. Maybe we should cue a laugh track. I’m sure Monty Python could have made a better joke of it, provided we weren’t talking about Pat McQuaid, but something humorous, like the Spanish Inquisition."

  " But then I remembered that McQuaid had managed enough arm twisting to secure the following:
The Swiss federation to nominate him (even if only briefly)
The Malaysian federation to propose a change to the constitution
The Moroccan federation to nominate him
The Thai federation to nominate him

Bear in mind that this Blog post originated on the 3rd Sept , and a lot can happen in a week of Politicing :

  "  That’s when I realized that we can’t leave this outcome to something as easily manipulated as a democratic election. An election is worse than a game of chance."

Since then a few other Feds have nailed their colours to the @Cooksonforuci masthead !


I count on to restore to its rightfull place.
Canada and New Zealand are the latest National Federations to add their support to my UCI Presidency campaign:

I'm delighted that French Cycling's Honorary President Jean Pitallier has joined Greg LeMond in supporting me

Some Tweets floating around about the Election :

As uci president I would establish a cabinet of Schenk, gaudry, gustav larsen and poss to review all activites

THis is the MAN of Conscience that caused phat the rat to live in fear the past few months ! I had been calling for @GaudryT to be elected President for some time ! Seems that others realise HER WORTH !

as uci pres I would have an independent review into all UCI financials since 99

that Tour of Ireland story when we remember that Pinotti wasn't paid his winnings for years, is even more appalling.


So Armstrong rode Tour of Ireland so McQuaid would ignore rules for his comeback & he didn't even have the decency to ride up Patrick's Hill


As uci president I would establish a cabinet of Schenk, gaudry, gustav larsen and poss to review all activites

THis is the MAN of Conscience that caused phat the rat to live in fear the past few months ! I had been calling for @GaudryT to be elected President for some time ! Seems that others realise HER WORTH !

as uci pres I would have an independent review into all UCI financials since 99



. statement on UCI corruption "immediately and thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities"

Best piece I've read on the Pat McQuaid presidential election. He will stop at nothing to save his job

as uci pres I would get drunk and enjoy my 600K salary. Good night!

as uci pres I would get every start rider and DS into to a room and tell them to get their act together


As uci Pres I will place a levy on all the GT's prizemoney to support ladies racing


Was i the first to liken phat to Mugabe & " the dear leader "?

was right. is taking notes.


In a little over Two Weeks , we the Public , will see the UCI choose one of TWO Candidates to lead the UCI into the next 4 year term ! Jacques Rogge , that great mate of Nein Fordruggen , steps down today , after the Buenos Aires Election of his successor . With his departure and the reports that Nein is disowning his " NEVER , Never , never " statements AND his association with phat , the ship of state that phat was commanding , has now taken on the shape of a submarine , that has left its tubes open to let in the flood ?
The title of this Blog Post , comes from Dame Tanni ( UCIIC Member ,  ) , whose Tweet in recent times regarding the UCI going ons was " YOU COULDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP ! " !
Meanwhile in the REAL World , we have a Film Premiere taking place , featuring , none other than the 7 times WINNER of that Perrenial Doping/Cheating Contest AKA " Le Tour "!
Tweeted comments on this event include the following :  
Interesting to watch getting stuck into Lance at the Toronto premier of 'The Armstrong Lie.' He says (of the deception): 'That's...

...what makes what he did particularly odious." You mean WE, surely Bill?

"lies, bribery, attempted extortion, attempted vote-buying, attempts at entrapment" A James Ellroy novel? No, the UCI Presidential elections


Was i the first to liken phat to Mugabe & " the dear leader "?

was right. is taking notes.




ANOTHER First being announced by WADA :

http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=44461

WADA to Introduce New "Steroid Passport"

9/9/2013

Seems thst the CHEATS are about to have their FUTURE curtailled !


SOME DRIVERS THINK THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW !

one is about to find that Social Media can be VERY Effective !

http://road.cc/content/news/93039-good-luck-finding-me-foreign-plates%E2%80%9D-says-driver-after-he-knocks-cyclist-he

A few of the tweets :

BREAKING NEWS !

Saddened to hear of another bunch hit while training in Waikato. Our thoughts and best wishes are with all the riders involved.

Too early to add details as i only followed a RT !


As mentioned above , following is the Bergen Summary .

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/09/UCI-Dossier-document.pdf

This summary of "A Report on Corruption in the Leadership of the Union Cycliste
Internationale" (The Report), which has also been referred to in the media as "The Dossier," is
being provided as clarification to some of the misperceptions surrounding The Report. The
individual providing this infonnation has seen the entire Report consisting of 54 pages and 26
document exhibits, and helshe has knowledge of the individuals described in detail in The
Report. The release of this summary was not directed by anyone who commissioned or owns
The Report. The individual providing this information has been told that the reason the entire
Report as not been made publicly available, is because it has been turned over to law
enforcement authorities for follow·up.
The Report was investigated and written by two senior law enforcement and intelligence
officials who claim to have more than 60 years of investigative experience, They claim to have
been assisted by an internationally known private investigative firm with offices across the
globe, The Report claims the following:
1. There is testimonial and documentary evidence that in the late summer of2012, Pat McQuaid
and Hein Verbruggen solicited what amounted to a bribe of 250,000 euros from a named procyling team owner. The monies were allegedly for the UCI to help further promote the named
team, and cycling in general in the country of the team and team owner. The named team owner
declined to pay the requested monies.
2. There is testimonial and documentary evidence that neither UCI nor its private promotional
ann known as Global Cycling Promotion, S.A. was officially involved in the solicitation of the
funds, and that the funds were supposed to be paid to a specifically named front company located
in the UAE, involving a named secret bank account with ties to a named finance company in
Switzerland.
3. There is testimonial evidence that when employees of another named professional cycling
team tried to involve UCI in a disagreement with team owners over the failure ofteam owners to
pay employees, UCI instead became involved in a corrupt relationship with the team owners and
allowed the illegal non·payment of salaries to continue, The witness who provided this
testimonial evidence claimed to have documentary evidence of this corrupt relationship
including documents from a named international accounting firm that were altered.
4, There is testimonial evidence that after the rider Alberto Contador failed a doping test in
2010, UCI tried to engage in a cover-up of the failed test in exchange for money, The witness who provided this testimony advised the efforts were not successful because the media became
aware of the story before the cover-up could be completed. The witness claims there are other
witnesses who can provide corroborative testimony.
5. There is testimonial evidence that in 2009 when Lance Armstrong was making a comeback to
cycling, he had not been in the UCI doping testing pool for the previously proscribed period of
time. Mr. McQuaid agreed to a bending of these rules, which allowed Mr. Armstrong to ride in
the Tour Down Under for an appearance fee of $1 million and in exchange, Mr. Armstrong
ab'Teed to ride in the Tour of Ireland for free - a race he otherwise would not have participated in.
Further, that Mr. McQuaid benefited from this agreement because his relatives or friends were
involved in directing the Tour of Ireland. The witness claims a personal, first-hand account of
these facts.
6. There is testimonial evidence from more than one witness concerning the well-known 1999
Tour de France urine samples that allegedly eventually contained evidence that Mr. Armstrong
failed doping tests, and that Mr. Verbruggen arranged for a friend of his, Emile Vrijman to
conduct the independent review and report about the incident. Further, that Mr. Armstrong's
personal attorneys wrote and edited portions of the report so they were most favorable to Mr.
Armstrong. It is further alleged that Mr. Armstrong helped pay for the report. One witness
stated that there is email evidence between Mr. Armstrong's attorneys and UCI officials, which
prove these facts. There is testimonial and documentary evidence that the night before Mr.
Armstrong appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Mr. Verbruggen was very concerned these
events were going to be disclosed during the interview of Mr. Armstrong.
7. On 18 May, 2013 at approximately 1500, Mr. McQuaid was interviewed extensively for
several hours by the two investigators about the allegations in The Report. The Report states he
denied all of the allegations, but the investigators claim there is testimonial and documentary
evidence that he lied about his knowledge and role in the allegations. Me. McQuaid has never
disclosed that he was interviewed during the investigation, and that he knows the nature of the
allegations as contained in The Report.
8. On 8 June, 2013 at the UCI Management Committee meeting in Bergan, Norway some of the
contents of The Report were disclosed to and discussed by Management Committee members.
Mr. McQuaid said he was going to bring the allegations to the UCl's Ethics Commission for
investigation. 9. During the week of 10 June, 2013, there is testimonial and documentary evidence that Mr.
McQuaid communicated with at least one of the members of the UCI Management Committee
and demanded a copy of The Report so he could personally refer the allegations concerning
himself to the UCI Ethics Commission.
10. There is testimonial and documentary evidence that On 29 June, 2013 at approximately 1700in Corsica, France, Mr. McQuaid was given an opportunity to read the entire report and ask
questions or make comments concerning the contents of The Report. The investigators claim
that he spent approximately one hour reading the report, making notes. and that he asked no
questions, and made no comments.
11. There is testimonial evidence from more than one witness that after Mr. McQuaid read The
Report in Corsica, France, he communicated with Mr. Verbruggen about the contents of The
Report. Further, that Mr. Verbruggen then contacted several of the witnesses in The Report in an
apparent effort to distance himselffrom Mr. McQuaid.
12. It thus appears the recent statements in the press last week by Mr. McQuaid that he has
never seen The Report are false. It appears the statements to multiple witnesses by Mr. McQuaid
that he intended to bring the allegations he was aware of in The Report to the UCI Ethics
Commission are false. It appears the statements by both Mr. McQuaid and Mr. Verbruggen inthe press last week that they have not recently communicated, and that Mr. Verbruggen no
longer has anything to do with Mr. McQuaid or UCI, are also false.




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