Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Fallout IX

News
The Denver Post laments local race cancellations and sponsorship defections in cycling and includes a gratuitous statement blaming Floyd Landis.

The Reading (PA) Eagle editorializes against PEDs and cheating, holding Landis up as a particular example. The details reflect one MSM consensus, absent the details we've learned here.

VeloNews reports the winner of today's individual time trial at the tour, Stefan Schumacher, barely had time to towel himself off before being asked questions about a positive test for amphetamines in a non-doping test last year.

NBC Sports has a lengthy report about the Garmin/Columbia anti-doping efforts, and Paul Scott explains what the ACE profiling system looks at. Hincapie is quoted saying, "“I feel that the sport has definitely cleaned up and it’s now one of the cleanest sports out there.” Millar doesn't show up until after the page break, and Vaughters dances the line around cleanliness and results. (tip from an emailer)

Concord Monitor dumps lukewarm water on Dana Torres, invoking Landis among others. Travis Tygart offers her equally tepid support, implying she's too cooperative, like she uh, what, planned to con him?

At NBC Olympics, Alan Abrahamson, who has absolutely and mercilessly pounded Landis for years, pronounces his belief that Torres is clean. This could have something to do with ratings of an upcoming sporting event on NBC.


Blogs
Racejunkie proposes real "zero tolerance" at Le Tour, and watch out Eric Zabel -- Jan's coming after you.

Inside Bodybuilding
notes locals up in Manitoba are worried about steroids since a fitness model was busted for its use.

Gaffney's Steroid Nation takes on Dana Torres and Gwen Knapp, and denies a double standard for female athletes. He's suspicious:

The attention heaped on Torres has more to do with her gravity-defying geriatric achievement than her gender...apparently with techniques that do not test positive: either she is a genetic anomaly and a compulsive trainer for the ages, or she knows alot about undetectable substances like IGF-1.
Green Jersey says Landis is taking up diving, recaptioning an old picture. Looks more like a downhill tuck to us.

Reciprocity Failure cites differing positivity criteria between labs and says it suggests
maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that this man might have been unjustly stripped of his Tour de France win (and livelihood) in 2006?

A life less common says,
And for the record… if Floyd Landis was going to intentionally dope, you can bet he would have used something that would have actually enhanced his performance in the short-term - like something to increase his blood oxygen levels… not testosterone.

The National Lampoon Sports Minute snarks,
Two years after his victory, Floyd Landis lost his final appeal, and must forfeit his Tour De France title. The appeal process was grueling, but hopefully Landis had enough steroids to get him through.

Forums
At weightweenies, NOTAWOFTAM is debating the case with swinter, who is perfectly happy with the both decisions, and thinks Bill Hue's examination of the process is incoherent. Last post:
I work at www.coloradocyclist.com we host a ride every year "the copper triangle" last year landis attended. he was stopping for food right in front of our mechanic/rest stop, and could not un clip and fell right over, in front of everyone. he must have still been on the dope.

Proof, finally!

Bikeforums talked about the decision, citing us, and wondering about floydlandis.com. We think Landis has other things on his mind.






2 comments:

Unknown said...

Of course we are cynical at Steroid Nation. Always. That's what we do.

Unless the issue is the Kansas City Royals. Then we feel emotions like pity...

thanks

DBrower said...

G,

As St. Molly once said, "It's hard to argue against cynics -- they always sound smarter than optimists because they have so much evidence on their side."

TBV