Wednesday Roundup

News
The CyclingNews announces that it's been made official, Astana's year won't pass by without any grand tours. It has been invited to the Vuelta. In other Astana news, former team member Alexander Vinokourov has been formally stripped of his stage victories from last year's Tour de France.

ESPN reports that Italian scientists are looking into the "technological doping" they insinuate is provided to those who wear the new Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit. The suit has been cleared twice for use by FINA. Maybe the Italians should have to suit's characteristics analyzed by the LNDD.

Apropos yesterday's NYT story on genetics affecting T/E tests, Tom Fine notes sagely:

The Times seems to have skipped half the story - that those with two of these genes are prone to false positives on the T/E test.

That little detail must not be of interest. So it goes.


In another ESPN story reported courtesy of Reuters, the CAS has upheld Danilo DiLuca's three month ban which has already been served. The CAS press release is here.

The Alessandro Petacchi CAS decision for excessive salbutamol use should be announced any day.

CAS also says the Pistorious arbitration hearing is over, now wait for an award. Rivkin won't have much record to go through with that one, since it was a one-day hearing. He still owes us his part of the forthcoming Landis award.

In more WADA news ESPN also says that the anti-doping agency is close to an agreement with Interpol which would allow the international police force to use it's resources to help in the fight to catch dope cheats. According to WADA General Director David Howman,

"We can see now that for little money those who are already carrying out their jobs under national legislation and so forth can gather evidence, share it with sport and make sure that those who are cheating are sanctioned."

But there's more from WADA president John Fahey, who characterizes the fight against doping at this summer's Olympic games as a struggle between the forces of light and darkness:

"There will be more tests this time than ever before and I think I can be very confident as WADA has evolved and got better in its expertise in the past eight years or so there will be a much more effective outcome in dealing with anyone who seeks to cheat"

"In the battle with the scientists, there's little doubt that the scientists who are actually working for the white knights are getting better all the time and countering the scientists who are working with the "other side"

Bicycling Magazine has a blog column by St. David Miller:

I then flew over to Montreal for the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) Athletes Committee Meeting. This couldn't have come at a worse time considering how I was feeling physically, but I'm very glad I did go as it was productive and a good opportunity to put faces to the names I have corresponded with in the past. It's a very forward thinking and pragmatic organization and without it the future of all sport would be in serious jeopardy. I will save my Idiots Guide to Anti-Doping for another entry, but I will definitely supply one at some point as I think there is a serious lack of understanding regarding the anti-doping movement. It's a confusing world made simple by WADA and complicated by sports governing bodies and national sports agencies. Again, for another time...

We can hardly wait for his "Idiots" guide.

The VeloNews says that French legislators have toughened France's anti-doping laws with fines and jail time for offenders.

Members of Parliament adopted a new law which penalizes the possession and trafficking of doping products in sport with prison sentences and fines. Under the new measures offenders will receive up of five years in jail and a 75,000-euro fine, when it relates to drug trafficking, explained French Minister for Sport Bernard Laporte.

Blogs
Racejunkie wheels her way through this week's cycling buzz, with a special "shout out" to Astana who finally got into a grand tour, Vino? Vino who? While on the subject, just how long will it be before "baby" Contador takes his act elsewhere?