Sunday Roundup

Playoff-Related Quote of the Day

What would happen when the Super Bowl is over instead of dancing through the tunnel and shout how they are going to Disneyworld they are shown walking directly to doping control as happens every day in the TdF to the stage winner and the yellow jersey?

(link)

News
Spies at the Floyd Landis Power Camp that began Saturday send us this picture of his new steed, an art piece, by Dario Pegoretti. It's all white, and every available linear surface has had transferred upon it a Jack Handey quotation. Example: "Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film." There are probably 20 of the quotes. (click for bigger)


"A special bike for a special person." The construction was arranged by the folks at Saris, headed by David Cathcart, who felt bad Landis was riding around on his old training beater after winning the Tour. Peggoretti turned it around in a month. Trick Wheelbuilder carbons and SRAM running gear. Participants were warned not to run into the guy with the new hip while trying to read the bike.

Cyclingnews writes that FL is in discussion with Jonathan Vaughters about a possible return to professional cycling:

Floyd Landis has had preliminary discussions with team director Jonathan Vaughters about a possible return to racing in his Professional-Continental squad, Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle. Vaughters confirmed to Cyclingnews that he had spoken with the current Tour de France 2006 champion about a possible return to racing, but said it was still very early days. "We've not even discussed money or contracts or anything like that," Vaughters said.

"I'd spoken to Floyd and he said, 'it'd be a great team to come back [to racing] with' … but if he can't prove his innocence, then it's not really worth discussing any further," Vaughters said.

From the Salt Lake Tribune comes commentary on hope and science for young cyclists in America:

Watching the athletes work out, Steve Johnson, the CEO of USA Cycling, described the day that Landis tested positive as a "tragedy," but believes the sport is rebounding, at least stateside

The Charlotte Observer posts what appears to be the first n a series of reports on HGH, WADA, and the introduction of easily used HGH test kits. Looks like it may be Pound vs the NFL this time:

Gene Upshaw said in the e-mail he's wary of controversial cases in which athletes such as Tour de France champion Floyd Landis have tested positive but claimed they were falsely accused because of flaws in WADA's testing process.
Pound staunchly defended WADA and said he is confident of the agency's handling of the Landis case. Pound said WADA has the "absolute gold standard of impartial international monitoring" of sports doping. He said WADA represents a consensus of 191 governments, including the United States, and the entire Olympic-related sports world

The Eureka Reporter gives FL a "Hammy" for cheat of the year past. TbV gives this particular award honors as "Snark of the Day" Congrats to the Eureka Reporter!

Blogs
The Cycliste Moderne catches up with FL related news from the past two weeks, and finds lots to comment on.

Cycling Culture for C Jay feels an acute sense of disillusionment about most things cycling.

Boulderblog has more info on a possible Landis/Vaughters connection, including a ride with Slipstream's training camp last week (strbuk apologizes for any possible involvement in FL's weight gain):

Landis joined Slipstream for one day of riding, a roughly six-hour jaunt in the mountains around Julian, east of San Diego. Despite his recently surgically repaired hip, he looked fine on the bike, climbing in the middle of the group on even the stiffest hills, and says he is riding without pain. “I’m just fat!” he said of his form.

Rant talks about McQuaid's concern for cycling at the Olympics, and the general state of attacks on Pro Cycling.

Pommi notes that FL is talking with Vaughters, and that Pound my be just about through.

Thought of the Day:

"I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.”

-jh-

---