Wednesday Waiting

News
It's quiet. Too quiet.

Comment to this post asks if there is a deadline for USADA to respond. Looking at the rules, I don't think so. At the time of the filing, there were some conflicting statements made. The AP report said,

A review board is expected to issue a recommendation on Landi s' case sometime in the next week. That process could be delayed if USADA responds directly to Jacobs' letter.

But Reuters quoted Jacobs as saying, "The review board is expected to make a recommendation within a week", which was the 18th.

The summary on FL.com says, "The ADRB is expected to make its recommendations to USADA within a week of Jacobs’ submission to the review panel."

The expectation on Landis's side seems to have been Monday -- why, we don't know.

Blogs
Dugard talks more about Floyd, comparing to Jones. He notes he feels OK towards Floyd, but jaundiced towards Jones, which leaves him a little confused. He'd also gotten mystified by yesterday's chart about the process, so let's try to decode it. If Martin didn't get it, then no one else will either, and the graphic didn't work. Rats. I was trying to make it simple enough to work without the paragraph on the back describing each circle, but I guess it will be used as evidence against me anyway.


We've completed steps 1 and 2, which is why they are darkened. We are waiting for step 3 to occur, which is the Review Board recommendation. No matter what it is, it needs to be ratified by the USADA (step 4). If the decision is for sanction, we need to hold a hearing that Landis wants public (step 6).

If the decision is for dismissal, either the UCI or WADA might appeal to CAS (step 5). If that appeal succeeds, we're back where we were if USADA had picked sanction, with an AAS hearing to be held. If a step 5 appeal fails (or isn't made), it's over and the case has been dismissed.

According to McQuaid, the results (the stage win and the TdF title) can't be voided until the AAS hearing takes place and a decision is made to sanction. Landis might then appeal to have the sanction revoked and the results re-instated. Until that appeal succeeded, Pereiro would be the official TdF champion. If the AAS hearing results in dismissal, UCI or WADA could make their own appeals to CAS (as with Zach Lund).

An AAS hearing on the merits is unlikely to be held before December. I wouldn't expect results until a month later -- so Floyd is likely to enter 2007 as the TdF champion, in the clear if the case has been dismissed, or under dispute if the hearing result has not been made.

Rant thinks announcement will be on Friday for a dismissal to bury it, or Thursday for a sanction recommendation to get maximum play. I agree.

PelotonJim likens the situtation to a Pope watch.
James Dixson gives TBV a nice plug.