Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sunday Roundup

Floyd Landis at the start of yesterday's Mohican 100. Floyd was riding a borrowed bike after his was lost on the way to the event. He crashed out after 10 miles with bruised ribs and a damaged helmet. (Photos: Molyet / News Journal) Others: here, here, here (it's a Gary Fisher), here, here, and here.




Full Gallery here.

The crash damage must have been immense. This guy lost the whole right side of his front fork!









News

The Mansfield News Journal provides a nice report about Saturday's Mohican 100 which Jeff Shalk won. The piece includes some rider comment about Landis, who crashed out and did not finish yesterday's race:

He hasn't been a factor yet, but if he regains his fitness he could be," (NUE competitor Chris) Eatough said. "Different people have different views (on the doping allegations). It's an unknown situation. That's up for the courts to figure out."


"Some people are going to hold it against him," 2006 NUE series champion Harlan Price said. "They are going to see him as being a doper." The 32-year-old Price said he looks forward to competing against one of the nation's elite riders. Landis got his start in mountain biking before making the move to road racing. "It's exciting to have him here," Price said. "We all want to race against the best and the competition is a lot stiffer this year. When you look at the top 15 riders, anyone can pull out a stellar race.

The CyclingNews reports the FFC is confirmed as the sanctioning body for the Tour de France this year:

Therefore, the fight between ASO and the FFC on one side, the UCI on the other will continue in the next few weeks, FFC president Jean Pitallier reckoned. "I heard a new disciplinary procedure is going on against me by the UCI, but they have already cut my head and I have only one, so what else can they do?"

On Friday, both ASO and the UCI were received separately by the board of the FFC to explain their respective views on the same matter: the refusal by ASO to be imposed by the UCI that the 18 Pro Tour teams have to ride the Tour de France. Unanimously, the board voted in support of Pitallier.



Blogs
Ben Kraushaar is looking forward to next weekend's Teva Mountain Games and provides a pic from last year's event showing Floyd Landis being "dominated" in the feedzone.

Pommi's back from China and riding again trying to get in shape for the challenge at Mt. Diablo. He hasn't yet decided whether he will ride to the summit in the October event. We think he is sandbagging. He got a new Madone and lost weight-- He'll be there.

4 comments:

Ali said...

I read a really interseting interview with Bernard Hinault (5x TdF winner). He now works for ASO and presented their side of the story regarding recent events on selecting teams for inclusion.

Unfortunately, I read it in Cycling Plus (i.e. actual paper and print and I don't know whether you can access that electronicaly).

He made some good points about many teams using the tours of Spain and Italy as training for the TdF and how ASO and like minded organisations would like to stop that and open entry up to the competitors who really wanted to race the race (as it were).

Mention was made as well of Hinault's assertion that LeMond's first TdF victory was gifted to him by Hinault. Apparently, the team they both rode for at the time (1986) recognised the marketing potential of opening up the massive US market with an American win at the TdF.

No comment from me on the above. Just reporting what Bernard Hinault claims.

whareagle said...

Hmmm, so he's saying that people are using the Vuelta to prep for the Tour? They're like, 11 months apart, aren't they?

Idunno. The sycophants in the 'other' location have got me riled up again. Sorry if I came across too snide.

The future of the sport is everywhere - including in the US!

Unknown said...

whareagle,
I have to admire your thick skin and relative restraint with the trolls on the other site.

They're sort of like an old LP with a bad scratch in it. It just keeps playing the same crap over and over.

p.s. there are still a few thoughtful posters there, but they are few and far between in comparison to the trolls. And by calling them trolls, I'm being overly kind.

bobble said...

At least the Mansfield News Journal did Floyd the courtesy of calling him "Tour de France winner Floyd Landis" instead of using some ridiculous caveat.

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