Saturday, December 22, 2007

Saturday Roundup

News
Lancaster Online takes on the conventional wisdom that MLB needs help from USADA to clean up. It notes MLB is already using the same methods for collection and test execution as USADA, and cites Landis as a case where bad work in the WADA system is covered up as much as it is alleged MLB messed up the other way.

SavannahNow.com features an AP write up on "story of the year". Barry Bonds wins this dubious award, but the Floyd Landis saga also received 150 votes for this "honor".

The IOL
reviews the past year in quotes, and Floyd Landis makes the cut.

The CyclingNews posts yesterday's story that the Spanish cycling federation will NOT sanction Iban Mayo. Federation head Eugenio Bermudez states that since the UCI is writing its own rules in the case they will not recognize what is being suggested. In other news Dr. Sam Vermeire, fired from Predictor-Lott for prescribing banned substances to Bjorn Leukemans, says that while he admits he made a mistake in what he gave the cyclist it could not have resulted in a positive for synthetic testosterone. Others disagree:


The product Prasteron is the direct cause of the positive test, according to Douwe de Boer, a Dutch biologist who has been hired as an expert witness by Leukemans' attorney, Johnny Maeschalck. Further, Leukemans was not informed of the "dangers" of the product, putting further guilt on the prescribing doctor, according to the Belgian newspaper De Morgen.

Vermeire denies a link between the product and the positive test. "I am sure that Dr. Vermeire has a sound scientific explanation," said team doctor Daniel De Neve. And Dr. Mathieu asked, "Did Leukemans take too much of the product? Did he combine it with something else? Those could also be realistic explanations.



The VeloNews Friday Mailbag contains one note that finds fault with the new changes in the WADA code. In other VeloNews it seems Tyler Hamilton has found a team, at last. And the somewhat amusing 2007 O'Grady Awards are presented.

ESPN reports that IOC president Jacques Rogge wants the fight against doping, and illegal betting, stepped up.

The Boulder Report publishes its own "Friday Roundup" and includes a short note about Tyler Hamilton's new team.

The ModBee rather sanctimoniously feels Floyd Landis deserves coal in his stocking for Christmas this year. Depending on the amount of coal Floyd recieves this could be a good investment with fossil fuel prices going through the roof, though coal might not be a good first choice.

Blogs
Racejunkie has no Landis content, but as always his comments on the likes of Manolo Saiz, Joseba Beloki, and Tyler Hamilton amuse.

Steady Hustlin' has Positively False on his list of 10 books of good personal reading for the year ... along with Walsh.

Stuff.co.NZ gives Landis a dirty trick award for The Call during the hearing.

4 comments:

TiGirl said...

If you haven't watched that video clip on racejunkie's page...it's hilarious...any chance any one can translate the lyrics???? I no speak Italian.....

Thanks!
Kate

Coop's Blog said...

I just re-read the comments from UCI on Mayo's B results. Here is the telling line from my POV:

"According to Gripper, Mayo's B sample was transferred to a laboratory in Gent, Belgium ... "To ensure that the rider could have the B sample done more quickly, we transferred the sample, but the Gent laboratory just couldn't get the sample to confirm the Paris result," said Gripper."

Couldn't get the sample to confirm the Paris result? Isn't the idea to get a impartial second result as a test against the first? IOf course the French lab confirmed their first result - would you expect anything else? t seems to me that this is a clear example of the UCI on a witch hunt, and weren't going to stop until they got what they wanted.

Unknown said...

Paul,
I quoted the same a while back and had a similar opinion. Gripper's remarks seem to indicte to me that UCI is/was results shopping. Bold of Gripper/UCI to confirm/support that notion with Gripper's statements. Bold.

Unknown said...

I was just scanning the VeloNews website and came across a pic of Anne Gripper. That's one (manly), I mean "handsome" woman. That's not very charitable of me on Christmas day, but I find it hard to be cahritable with those who are so severe with others. FWIW.

Handsome woman