Wednesday Roundup

News
AP via IHT reports Landaluze victory; CAS upholds acquital based on procedural errors by LNDD. That might be a first. AFP report via Supercycling. The press release on the CAS site is accessible on this page (thanks Gene). The decision is published in French only; TBV provides a pitiful machine translation, objective commentary, and an opinionated rant.

Responding quickly via his own press release,

Floyd Landis said, “The [Court of Arbitration for Sport] CAS decision to clear Iñigo Landaluze of testosterone doping charges on the basis of violations of testing procedure by the [Laboratoire National de Dépistage du Dopage] LNDD strengthens my contention that the tests conducted on my sample were handled in an incompetent fashion and analyzed on the basis of flawed ‘science.’ The track record of scientific misconduct at Chatenay-Malabry seems to grow by the day. Between the CAS’s Landaluze decision, the Vrijman Report castigating the lab for its leak of false information regarding Lance Armstrong’s 1999 samples, and the major errors that we have pointed out in the handling and analysis of my Stage 17 sample any person committed to fairness and common sense should be able to look at this objectively and say that this lab should not be accredited and the case against me dropped.

Going through what I am now, I feel personally for Landaluze and hope that everyone recognizes that it has taken him 18 difficult months to clear his name from what was revealed to be a grievous error at the LNDD. With this development on the back of a similar decision by the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel to clear Irish 1500 meter runner Gareth Turnbull of testosterone doping charges – after terrible personal cost to him and his family – it is difficult for any reasonable person to understand why Anti-Doping Organizations and International Sports Federations continue to waste huge amounts of public money and resources on vendettas that ultimately damage the cause of fairness and anti-doping in sport.”

AP picks up Landis' reaction; this story is all over the place, being picked up as much as any favorable article I can recall.

Bloomberg runs with the story and catches the implications.

Our instant analysis is this is good news that might get oversold. The decision is reported to be very skeptical of the claims of innocence, and says it is an acquittal on a technicality. That would not be a good result for Landis. The CAS release also says that the decision rejected all of the other defenses offerered. That might be bad new for Landis, depending on what the other defenses were, and why they were rejected. An english translation of the French decision would help.

EPSN Mag rates Landis #3 sports story of the year.

The Tucson Citizen carries representative version of the AP story about Landis competing in the Leadville 100 next summer. It's newsworthy, and picked up by Cyclisme, in French.

CyclingNews has a longish interview with Genevieve Jeanson, in which she touches on the cost of defense as a motivation in settling. She seems happy to be out of cycling.

Unison.ie (registration required) on Dec 17 tells the story of Gareth Turnbull, an Irish middle distance runner accused of high T/E ratios. He was eventually acquitted, and is the case that sparks the "alcohol affects the ratio" concern. He's bitter and diappointed by his federation, which accepts no chastisement. [tip from emailer JAB]

Forums
At DPF, lively discussion about the FFF and the AFO. Major skeptic Chris_t is unhappy he doesn't get more attention here at TBV.

Blogs
Dirt Pedaller notes confusion about Leadville sanctioning and Landis suspension issues in coverage at VeloNews. The race is NORBA sanctioned, but it's not a points race. If you understand the intricacies, it might be clear, but I don't get it yet. Is NORBA just providing insurance? Do you need a NORBA license to participate?

Magellan (Explore for Truth) notes that Landis sees the acquittal of Landaluze as positive and links the AP story...

Ramblin' Egg notes the Landaluze descision and how it may effect people's opinions of FL and others thusly accused.

Dugard runs into Floyd getting coffee, and thinks he's looking pretty relaxed and confident -- and planning to win Leadville outright.

SportsPickle snarks up a Landis movie, with Merriman.

Rant first wants to know where to send the check to the FFF, then he goes over today's various stories. He's less characteristically pessimistic than TBV.

PJ makes a speeding analogy.

Vanderhoot mulls FLandis some more, refs TBV and Rant, but comes down again in favor of life bans. Also, first hand positive gossip, and second hand condemnation.

Nashville Cyclist compares BALCO cases with WADA discipline, and likes BALCO better. Good read.

PodiumCafe passes on the story of Zabriskie's record non-attempt, and Landis trying a fixie.

Activeness (for endurance athletes) cites the Landis case, and plugs TBV. We linked there yesterday.

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