TBV December Monthly Report

It's the 29th and time for another monthly report.

Since November's summary, we've had the following significant news.

• Duckstrap came out with his not-guilty analysis of the CIR.
• Landis continues recovery from hip, and is able to do serious power.
• For the month, muck-rakers at Topix have been trying to make something out of IV use, with no visible effect.
• Nothing seems to have come from the "whistleblower" documents, though their substance may be genuine.
  
• A detailed look at T/E tests revealed discrepencies, but there has been little followup
• Dugard passed on the Landis book, citing too many other commitments to do it justice.
• Mr. Pound flakked his book.
• Unsupported claim that USADA offered an 8 month suspension and other bombs.
• LA Times ran a two part series by Michael Hiltzik about unfairness in doping enforcement, followed later by one specific to the Landis case.
• LeMond and Landis traded shots, then called a truce.
• USADA got funding another year, courtesy Senators Stevens and McCain.
• LNDD turned their presumed hack into more funding for security.
• An interview with Landis in Dutch press had some funny translation and interpretation that he considered himself finished as a cyclist. This was widely picked up, leading to a clarification that didn't get as far.
• NY Daily News did an in-depth piece that was reasonably fair, but picked up some inflammatory readings on the ADA side, including another whopper by Mr. Pound.
• "Floyd Fairness Fund" and "Athlete Fairness Organization" pre-announced, leading to a lot of discussion.
• David Witt Memorial Cycling Classic in San Diego, featuring Landis, Zabriskie, Sarah Hammer, Bob Roll and Robbie Ventura raised money for firefighter's families.
• Landis announces doing Leadville 100 in August, assuming he can't get a Road Pro ride this year.
• Inigo Landaluze wins a CAS decision based on lab procedural errors. This is seen by Landis as a win, and widely reported as such.
• Landis controversially picked as North American Cyclist of the year by VeloNews.
• NPR runs "Cycling Ends an Ugly Year"
• Lance backs out of Leadville, citing "scheduling conflicts"
• Wired runs an article about Mr. Pound praising creation of WADA, but critical of his current stewardship.
  

What didn't happen: The AAA arbitration panel was not opened for business, with no word why. This suggests the hearing will be pushed back maybe into March.

It also suggests there is some backroom negotiation going on that no one is talking about. TBV can't see Landis accepting any suspension, and if he could convince USADA to give up, he'd need to get assurance that WADA and UCI wouldn't take it to CAS. It would be bad for him to have the only hearing be a closed one with CAS. Maybe the "single CAS hearing" is back on the table, as an open hearing?

Rather than speculate more, TBV looks out the window at Mt. Diablo and thinks it's time to go riding.

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