Tuesday Roundup

News
The Daily News Record tells the story of Sunday's SM100 from the perspective of Jeff Schalk and Harlan Price who got the once in a lifetime chance to race against and beat Floyd Landis. Floyd's participation was kept quiet for as long as possible in order to preserve the low key atmosphere associated with the race. Landis found the Virgina race course technical and difficult, but Jeff Schalk, the eventual winner, found that having Landis behind him all day pushing was a great motivator:

“They stopped and got [water] bottles and I got a little gap and looked back,” Price said, “and it kind of occurred to me that it would be kind of cool to pull a Floyd Landis against Floyd Landis.“… On the one hand, it’s got this terrified, kinda-like-you’re-running-from-the-mob feel, so you’re looking back every five seconds, but it also motivates you to dig deeper, because you’re like, ‘Any second, they’re going to kill me, so I’ve got to stay on it.’ I had no idea I had a big gap, so that motivated me to just kill myself as much as I could to stay in front.”

The Washington Times' Dan Daly thinks that Rodney Harrison, who admitted using HGR, is on a higher rung of the "cheaters ladder" than say Floyd Landis because he confessed to his crime and never tried to deny what he did.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch says the Tour of Missouri is ready to roll September 11 despite doping scandals in cycling such as those that took place in the past two Tours de France.

The CyclingNews has plenty to say today about the politics surrounding cycling. From the Valverde mess to CONI's continuing case against DiLuca to Gerolsteiner getting out of cycling it's one depressing thing after another.

CNN/SI/FanNation/McEntegart snarks:

· Doctors have discovered that the hearts of former Tour de France cyclists are from 20 to 40 percent larger than normal. Floyd Landis insists he can explain.

SI reports the study snarked above that showed TdF-level training increases heart size. It concludes with some anti-doping propaganda that stretches credulity:

"These athletes already have hearts that have increased in volume to adapt to their training workload," Bove said. "If they then go and use drugs, that could potentially erase the natural advantage they already have."

Blogs
Rant did an email interview with Joe Papp, who believes USADA treated him fairly.

Earlier, Rant muses about the past while attending his high school reunion. He notes that the Ian Thorpe case has been closed by ASADA, and he observes that while the rest of us wait impatiently for the Landis ruling to come down, Floyd's life hangs in the vacuum of uncertainty created by the seemingly endless ordeal.

Harlan Price, 2nd at the SM 100, teases us for his forthcoming full report.

Here is a little Teaser.. 2nd place on the day, 2nd overall in the NUE Series.
SM100 is over!! Tour De France winner Floyd Landis was there. All doping allegations aside; I like him. Plus he was behind me at the finish line.

Glendora Mountain Road provides a fascinating chart of the time in days it has taken for arbitration decisions to be made. Floyd's is above the median, but may not be the longest after all. GMR also links the web pages for the three Landis arbitrators. Interesting, thanks so much GMR.

Gwadzilla writes about the SM100 and the fantastic race weekend that it was. He feared the presence of Floyd Landis would disturb the event, but it did not.


CRC Racing Central writes about the SM100 and notes the Trek riders came through big time.

Lily had an excellent time at the SM100 and Floyd Landis was super cool to just chill with.


Blacknell was at the SM100 Sunday and posts one of MJ's photos of Floyd Landis congratulating Jeff Schalk.


Brain Off is an old friend of Jeff Schalk, the winner of the SM100 Sunday. Brain feels that Jeff is gutsy to have left his job as an engineer to pursue mountain biking, and it paid off in Sunday when he beat Floyd Landis among others.


Karin and the kids volunteered at the SM100 this year and the adrenaline created by the presence of Floyd Landis spurred many rider on. She and Z took some pictures of the event as well.


The Child Family is reading "Positively False" and can't be convinced that Floyd Landis is guilty of doping because of Floyd's background and training regemine. They also include some shots from the Tour of Georgia.


Churn promises some photos of the SM 100.


Zack is excited that Jeff Schalk beat Floyd Landis in the SM100, and promises to get some pix from the riders who were there.


Buddy suffered and yet survived the SM100 this past weekend. He also got to party hard with Floyd Landis afterward where Floyd talked shit, took shit from the boys, and drank some brews with shots. Buddy has photographic evidence but can't get the shots he took off his phone to show. Floyd allegedly has some pics he took with his iphone, maybe he'd like to share?


Bike World doesn't think going to the SM 100 is the behavior of a doper.

He hasn't gone into hiding, he's up front, seemingly honest and presents himself as an ordinary guy that loves to ride that is caught up in some crap that's keeping him away from what he loves. No self-righteous indignation, ala David Millar.

Rylo thinks the answer for pro cycling is downsizing:

I think the pros in Europe have to downsize to the level of the US racing system. When the top riders make $130,000 instead of $1.3 million the cheating factor will be reduced (but not eliminated). We know there will be no more Discovery team next year, and no Astana, no more Cofidis, and no more Gerolsteiner. The big dollars will dry up as the corporations run away from cycling.