Random thoughts & links

I have amassed a few websites lately that may be of interest to you. Instead of offering my usual ramblings I'll let you link to them and draw your own conclusions.

Bobby Julich - After the Landis scandal, enough is enough!
His latest diary on ESPN.com is the most open thoughts I've read so far from anyone. Julich is currently racing in the Tour of Germany as his teammate Jens Voigt is leading the overall. His comparison of Floyd to sprinter Justin Gatlin is a reasonable argument since Gatlin received the treatment a cyclist can only dream of. This despite being the most tested and monitored athletes in the world. I agree with him on having tests that are 100% waterproof.

ESPN.com - Landis admits kitchen sink defense was wrong
Now he has to spend more time defending all the excuses rather than the actual test results. This now becomes a case of risk management for Floyd, and hopefully he doesn't go broke defending himself before he realizes the bigger picture.

AskMen.com - Excuses for not training
My response to guys or gals suffering from any of those problems....get a bike!

Sunrise/Sunset calendar
I've had this site in my favorites forever. If you're an early riser or swapping daylight for dark then it's very useful. Info from this site will help me adjust the start times of upcoming Wednesday night crit races. I've got to move some start times up in order to get the A race completed before sundown in late August.

Wikipedia - Operación Puerto doping case
Surely you're familiar with Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia. This section is loaded with links to different fact points within the case.

Wikipedia - List of athletes who tested positive for banned substances
An incomplete list of athletes caught using drugs from A to Z, what country, sport and banned substance. Most athletes have links explaining their history.

The Tennessean - Parks, trails to benefit from grant money
Governor Bredesen announced $11.3 million in grants awarded to local communities to help build or improve parks and trails. This is good news that will promote healthy living in Middle Tennessee.

ESPN.com - Excuses won't mask the truth about Landis - by Mark Kreidler
Kreidler offers some interesting thoughts, but I love this the most: "I can't help it: There's a part of me that admires the audacity of it all." As he says, it's so American of Floyd.

Great starter bike - only $10