Wednesday Roundup

News
The CyclingNews has more this morning on the bitter disaapointment felt by Pat McQuaid over Paolo Bettini's refusal to sign the UCI "pledge". In other UCI news Andrey Kashechkin is beginning legal proceedings against the UCI for invasion of privacy on the same day the UCI case against him went to court in Liege. Also the President of the Spanish Sport Superior Council Jaime Lissavetzky has responded to Pat McQuaid's accusations that Spain is the source of the most of sport's doping problems. Lissavetzky's comments come after McQuaid criticized the nation for having a "reluctance to completely clean the problem out". Lissavetzky stated that he does not answer to the UCI or Pat McQuaid. Sounds like the UCI has its' hands full with non competition matters, and one wonders if any of this recent outspoken behavior by athletes and governing bodies alike has any connection to the way the UCI has treated Floyd Landis and his reaction to that treatment .

The Collegian Online says the most distressing thing about the Floyd Landis saga is not the drug use itself, but Landis' utter lack of remorse for his actions. On the other hand if one's conscience is clear, remorse need not be an issue.

FoxSports Australia picks up the Reuter's version Landis statement to the FFF on Monday, as have many outlets this AM.

WISCNews.com reports that Floyd Landis was supported, after the arbitration decision that went against him 2-1, by the home folks who they describe as "Amish". It wouldn't hurt to do a little fact checking now and then, would it?

The Herald Sun quotes the "disgraced" Floyd Landis that it is the anti doping establishment and not Landis who failed to play by the "rules".

The Gilroy Dispatch took calls and votes and decided that cycling may be a sport after all, and that the doping in cycling is not all related to Floyd Landis. Bless that garlic.

Bike Biz says "round one" to USADA, and thanks for the continuing plugs:

There are inconsistencies in both documents. Legal eagles – and those experts dissed in the two decisions – will likely be reading these documents closely, with possible fireworks to follow

VeloNews has a flash from Interbike that a North Carolina sports management firm will finance a "Tour of America". The 27 stage 22 state race will invite 25 of the world's most elite cycling teams. No firm dates or routes have been made available but the prize money is listed at 11milion dollars:

"This event will be the greatest international cycling event in the world," said Aqu, Inc. President Frank Arokiasamy. "The Tour of America will provide the largest prize pool to international cyclists ever offered in history and will ensure quality competition from beginning to end. We are excited to finally bring one of the world's largest spectator sports to the United States through a major international competition."

Blogs
Floyd Landis.com posts the same message of thanks to supporters that was first seen on the FFF web site.

Phantom Reflections says that in light of the smear campaign against Floyd Landis America has stood up on it's hind legs and said "no more", and thus is born the "Tour of America".

The Mighty Quinn has Floyd Landis as the answer to a trivia quiz question.

Elipongo's Blog did a Yahoo News search for "sleep" and got the quote from Floyd Landis that he is not losing any over his recent arbitration decision.

Epic Carnival discusses PEDs and says he is sick of reading about doping athletes all the time. He says several American Olympians ,who tested positive for banned substances, were allowed to compete and states the USOC covered it up.

Dave's Room of Words wants Floyd Landis to take sodium pentothal, truth serum, then we will "know" the truth. Sounds like Dave has watched too many episodes of "Mission Impossible".

131 Days got Floyd Landis right after the Tour de France last year, and he was fun at first. But he's now been farmed out so he can run and play to his heart's content without annoying anyone.

Pedal Harder has a few choice, very colorful words for Floyd Landis' hip, I'll say no more.

Petaluma 360 asks, "Floyd Landis, Victim or Villain"? Good question as Rick Moeller explores sports, what they mean to us and why we expect so much from those we idolize:

We want heroes. Nice clean, shiny, moral, ethical, paragons of virtue that we can hold up as examples of the unblemished nature of humanity. Thus by extension, all the rest of "us" are heroes too. Nice dream, if logically, not to mention genetically, flawed.

Rant covers the Paolo Bettini vs Pat McQuaid story, which reveals the UCI "pledge" for what it is, a PR stunt. Rant goes further to speak about the damage mere accusations can do to a cyclist's reputation, not to mention a positive doping control, or even a finding of guilt such as in the Landis case. Why would anyone want to sign it?:

Who, in their right mind, would want to sign such a document? Especially knowing that the system is so riddled with flaws that his or her career and reputation could be ruined by the mere accusation of doping as a result of a leaked test result, long before the case is heard and an arbitration panel has convicted a person of doping.


Perhaps Bettini understands that signing a worthless piece of paper is of no matter in the fight against doping, especially when there are other, bigger problems that need attention in the anti-doping world. Doping in cycling has been a problem for a long time. Signing “The Pledge” won’t put an end to the problem.