Friday, March 30, 2007

TBV March Report

It seems nobody noticed we forgot to do the February report. The excuse is that it's due on the 29th (or 30th, ahem) of the month, and February, well, you know...

Since the January report, the following events of interest have happened, February first:

  1. John Lelangue popped up again, saying Landis "betrayed him".
  2. Bradley Wiggins lost his place on Landis' Christmas card list.
  3. The Kick-Ass brownies are let loose on the public.
  4. Landis responded to a member of the peloton (read: Wiggins).
  5. Hamilton returned to action.
  6. We ran through the agendas of most of the parties.
  7. An appearance before the French AFLD was hotly anticipated.
  8. First FFF town hall meeting held in Brooklyn, Landis in leather.
  9. The USADA hearing was set for May 14, and arbiters empaneled.
  10. There was a new slide show, version 2.1 that started to use the "whistleblower" documents, gingerly.
  11. The AFLD proceeding ended up a postponement, after Landis agreed not to race in France this year.
  12. We heard USADA wanted to test other B samples at LNDD despite no positive A's, and Landis refused.
  13. Landis put out a press release about the suggested B sample tests, saying they got it wrong the first time, the can do it again, so no thanks.
  14. We discovered a great legal article discussing flaws in the WADA/arbitration system.
  15. Discovery Team loses sponsorship, blaming environment tainted by doping and not helped by the Landis case.
  16. While DPF discusses the B samples, Duckstrap notes missing MS data from the S17 test.
  17. Telegraph (UK) discusses the idea of having the police do raids for doping enforcement.
  18. Landis book "Positively False" announced for June publication, Amazon taking pre-orders.
  19. We looked again at the contamination argument, not yet sold.
  20. We discover Landis is going to shadow the Tour of California at the Smith and Nephew (purveyors of fine hip replacements) booth.
  21. Mr. Pound says, You can't be prudent in the fight against doping."
  22. 1000 Fans in Oscar's hometown stage a protest demanding he be crowned.
  23. Before the Tour of California, McQuaid and Landis traded shots.
  24. The FFF Town Hall series resumed in SF after the ToC start; we reported in detail.
  25. Press coverage of Landis around the ToC was mostly positive. He started odd-man-out, and ended up on the stage, warmly welcomed.
  26. We did a better job covering the FFF in San Jose. Landis is wearing a suit. We learn the arbitrators are ordering some discovery, about near the same sample numbers, the two-tech issue, and inlet pressures.
  27. You3 dissects the T/E test at DPF, raising enough points it might be discredited.
  28. LA Times' Hiltzik extensively covers developments.
  29. ESPN's Bonnie DeSimone outdoes Hiltzik by quoting us.
  30. We wondered how the case could be closed without arbitration.
  31. A Landaluce-like possibility of the same technicians working on Landis' A and B samples is raised, and left unresolved as we write.
  32. During the ToC, the FFF town halls are dubbed the "Tour of Innocence", which sticks.
  33. Tygart complained about the "wiki defense" and wants to change the WADA code so he can shoot back too.
  34. FFF San Pedro.
  35. Chris Fortune of Saris comes out publicly with a letter to many industry people encouraging them to support Landis.
  36. We look at the 0.8 uncertainty Baker wants to subtract from a CIR value, and don't know what to think, even looking at his reference, Spirito and Botre.
In March, we got:

  1. A steroid ring bust in Florida.
  2. Independant (UK) runs a sympathetic piece, perhaps indicative of mood swing in Europe.
  3. We consider "getting off on a technicality."
  4. We begin a series on legal issues, assisted by the Hon. William F. Hue, "Judging Floyd"
  5. Madden is retiring from USADA, and Tygart is in line to take the reigns.
  6. The UCI announces a new anti-doping program.
  7. FFF Chicago; Rant and Steroid Nation attend and report.
  8. FFF Denver.
  9. Catlin is retiring.
  10. Operation Puerto goes on perhaps permanent hiatus.
  11. Landis appears at National Bike Summit.
  12. You3 starts new thread about CIR Mass Discrimination problems.
  13. FFF Lancaster sells out, another event is added.
  14. Mr. Pound thinks he'd be a great head of CAS after he leaves WADA.
  15. FFF Lancaster is a major weekend, complete with prayer.
  16. Slide Show 3.0 defends Morzine,
  17. We ask "where are the data files?"
We never heard details of whatever rulings the Arbitrators made on the discovery motions or USADA's B sample test request.

The hearing is still scheduled for May 14th.




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