Monday Roundup
News
The IHT/Abt reports that today Oscar Pereiro's long wait for the 2006 Tour de France yellow jersey ends with ceremonies in Madrid, despite Floyd Landis' appeal to the CAS. Concluding advice:
So, congratulations, Oscar, but keep the acceptance speech discreet. Stick with "I never thought this day would come."
Stay away from "Whoever would have thought that I could win the Tour de France" or "This is a victory they can never take away from me."
The VeloNews also notes that Oscar Pereiro will finally get the maillot jaune from 2006. The VeloNews Monday Mailbag has some letters from a couple of cycling fans want Floyd to stop, NOW. Other topics are covered such as lab work, and the motivation behind cheating, but one answer to a query from the editors is particularly timely:
Editor:
In the unlikely event that Landis wins his appeal to the International Court for Arbitration in Sport, would the Tour de France organizers then "strip" Oscar Pereiro of his retroactive jersey and give it back to Landis?
Brian Clissold
Battle Creek, Michigan
Well, Brian, as we read the rules, the UCI would have to re-award the title to Landis, since the doping charge is the only reason it was taken away in the first place. While that might be acceptable to Pereiro, it may raise a few hackles at ASO. A favorable CAS ruling might prompt French anti-doping authorities to resurrect the case that was put on hold when USADA charges were pursued against Landis. Indeed, that would then trigger a whole new round of hearings, not only on the evidence, but on the French authorities' jurisdictional rights, which at the time of the Landis case, they had not yet handed over to WADA. Frankly, we haven't spent this much time worrying about the minutia of doping since the '70s. -Editor
Yes, a whole new can of worms would be opened. It'll be so much easier for everybody but Landis if the system just finds him guilty again.
The Facts.com talks about cheats and liars in sports.
The Times posts a piece penned by former cyclist Ian Mardall who feels that Floyd Landis was trying to defend the indefensible.
The CyclingNews notes that at the Paris-Tours pro cycling tour event yesterday the AFLD's doctor in charge of doping controls was late, and thus no testing was done. Heaven help a rider who was similarly late for a test to be performed on him/her.
CNN World Sport has Oscar Pereiro getting "crowned" later today as 2006 TdF champ. Pereiro is quoted:
"The Tour has told me that the ceremony today will make it official, so that's enough for me,"
USAToday Sports Scope wonders about considering some PEDs as "training supplements" instead of banned substances, and points to us as illustration of "interpretation wars" that might result.
The AP take on Pereiro getting the yellow jersey today makes it appear that Oscar was leading Landis by 8 minutes when Floyd has a tremendous "comeback" and beat him for the yellow jersey. They ignore Team Phonak giving the yellow to Pereiro by letting him go in order to avoid having to defend the maillot jaune all the way to Paris. Selective memory serves some people very well.
ESPN carries an expanded AP version of the Oscar Pereiro story from today with this generous quote from tour director Christian Prudhomme:
We can blame Floyd Landis for many things but we can't blame him for defending himself," Prudhomme said.
The AFP quotes Oscar Pereiro as graciously saying he feels sorry for Floyd Landis as he was handed the yellow jersey for the 2006 TdF today in Madrid:
"This is an emotional moment, a day that I will never forget," said Pereiro after Tour director Christian Prudhomme awarded him the jersey.
"I feel very sorry for him. I can't celebrate what happened but in sports there are rules that must be respected," added Pereiro.
Fox Sports.au feels you'd have to be a fool to watch next year's Tour de France which has become a doping sideshow proving that cycling should just be banned. So, why not allow the use of PEDs which might level the playing field?
Blogs
Rant feels that giving Oscar Pereiro the yellow jersey today, with a pending appeal to the CAS by Floyd Landis, is premature at best, and may turn into further embarrassment for the UCI and ASO. Maybe they know something about how well fixed the CAS process is.
Racejunkie discusses all sorts of things including the fact that yesterday was Floyd Landis' birthday. It was quite a year for Floyd, and thanks for the plug. He also has some choice words about David Millar's fight against doping in cycling:
I see that St. David "I Only Confessed Because You Found It In My Hotel Room" Millar gets rewarded yet again for his hasty yet surely sincere change of heart by getting tix to the upcoming WADA antidoping summit. Well, he sure sets a good example for the rest of the peloton for how to conduct yourself when you get busted for optimum sympathy, if that counts as the fight against doping!
The Inadvertent Gardener loves pure sport and is among the many disappointed that a hero cheated. What is "pure sport" anyway?
MH Life correctly links PED scandals of the year to skepticism on next years smarmy "up close and personal" segments in Olympic coverage -- then tells the story of his own surprising testosterone testing result.
Sara Best posts a Photoshopped picture of Oscar Pereiro on the podium at the TdF in yellow released by Caisse d'Epargne. Strange indeed, and not that well done either. Sara also posts a statement released by Pereiro part of which reads:
The moment I received the profit of my work, I had mixed feelings, something between satisfaction and regret for we were deprived of."
The Outsider hopes that Oscar Pereiro doesn't test positive for anything, and that OP gets four ladies on the podium with him if he ever wins another TdF.
The Outdoor Weblog puts himself in Oscar's place, and if he were Oscar Pereiro he would tell the ASO to keep the yellow jersey.
Team Armada wonders if Oscar's ceremony isn't premature.
The Adventure Blog says that even though the Landis appeal to the CAS could be successful, today is about Oscar Pereiro.
Media
Entertainment Base posts today's TV talk show schedule and a repeat of "Last Call" with Carson Daly is on tonight featuring Floyd Landis. Check your local listings.
10 comments:
Millar is no saint, but he served his time, had is palmares adjusted, and is back racing. Not certain, but fairly sure DM fessed up to more than the empty viles found. What he does with his "tix" to the "WADA summit" is more important than the fact that he is invited. Let's see what he says/does wrt the summit.
So what happens on the off chance that Floyd's appeal is successful? I know he said that he won't ask for the jersey back, but I assume that he'll want the prize money. Or, are they not paying that out until after the appeal?
jrd, just to clarify the opinions expressed about DM are those of the blogger racejunkie. Thanks!
str
Julie:
I suspect that FL still has all the Yellow Jerseys he collected during the 2006 Tour, so doesn't really need a new one, if successful in his appeal. I also believe that ASO is paying OP his winnings. If Landis does prevail at CAS, what will happen is anybody's guess. There is also the pending case in AFLD, which could in theory proceed if they wanted to. Maybe CAS would specify in a pro-Landis decision what ASO and/or AFLD are to do. Time will tell.
Pure sport...sounds like a fantastic concept (and I mean that in the sense of "fantasy," not in the sense of "awesome."), doesn't it? I define it as athletic competition for the sheer joy of it, for the miracle of what the human body can do--unaided--when pushed, and for the adrenaline rush of competition. But I'm realistic. I know there are too many corporations involved in all aspects of sport for it to be pure anymore...
str, I understood the comments about DM were expressed by the blogger racejunkie. Sorry I wasn't clear in my post. It was commentary not meant to be critical of TbV.
wschart & Julie, the mess won't end if Floyd prevails at his CAS appeal. It has the potential to be an excellent vindication for Floyd, but the mess won't end there. CAS will not try to dictate what the French system can/will do in the event of a Floyd victory as they cannot control what AFLD will do with the case involving Floyd that is currently on hold. The fact that Floyd had to answer to both AFLD and USADA is proof that the rules involving anti-doping were not "unified" at the time of the 2006 TdF. This is a case of muddled double jeopardy.
Floyd has to answer similar charges in two (2) jurisdictions, something the WADA code is intended to prevent and one of the few aspects of the code that might be construed as somewhat fair to accused athletes.
So here is the line-up: 1) Floyd has to win with USADA. 2) If he doesn't, he can appeal via CAS. That is where we are now. 3) Should Floyd prevail (as he should IMO) with CAS, don't place a money bet that AFLD won't take its own bite at the apple. 4) Also, it would foolish to bet against ASO refusing to pay Floyd/and the now defunct Phonack Team their prize money, citing the case against Floyd by AFLD. 5) Don't bet against a "real court" getting involved once Floyd exhausts the athletic adjudication process he is bound to follow.......
The mess will not likely be over anytime soon regardless of what CAS rules. If, as I beleive, Floyd is innocent, these are glaring examples of a complete failure of the current system. Let's hope it gets rocked !!!
jrdbutcher:
Thanks for the enlightenment on this potentially messy situation. I could see it arise, should Landis win in CAS and then AFLD proceed (not much guessing involved which way the decision would go here!), the who the "winner" of the 2006 TdF is depends on what country your in. I am assuming that UCI would be bound by the CAS decision, and would, perhaps reluctantly, give the title back to Landis. Or perhaps not. What power does CAS have to enforce its rulings and what authority does it hold over international and national federations? If it cannot enforce a decision, it seems to me that it is more of a figurehead than a real court.
wschart: CAS power is derived in contract through the several national governing bodies. In this case, USACycling. It is very unclear to me what ASO has agreed to do. I'm not sure what contract ASO has with any sponsor, team or individual rider. I'm unaware of anything that would prevent ASO from doing anything. Suppose they decided to say Lance never won the tour because...well...they don't like him. What recourse would LA have?
I'm not sure.
Whoever is responsible for the horrible photoshop job of Pereiro on cyclingnews should have their artistic license revoked immediately! Also, after reading more of the "declarations" of the esteemed C. Prudhomme, I can only assume the testimony of Meier-Augenstein and Amory, (as well as the dissenting opinion) were never translated into French or Spanish. Oscar must not read much either, but I don't fault him. Is there any way to assure that the CAS arbitrators are fluent in whatever language the testimony is available in!?
Thanks TbV! Thanks Floyd. keep up the great work!
ASO operates the TdF under the sanction and rules of UCI. They are bound by UCI rules, not withstanding their desire to be selective about which they choose to honor, and vise versa, in their current mutual pissing match.
WADA code was not yet "unified" at the time of the 2006 Tdf, but was shortly thereafter. This is where the AFLD "hearing on hold" comes into play, as the French cycling federation had not yet agreed to WADA's unified code.
The USA had, and USADA/Floyd are bound to follow the specified procedure. USADA hearing, CAS appeal......
CAS operates under Swiss law. The UCI headquarters is in Switzerland.
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