Daily Musings - 7/20
I didn't realize how much I had saved up in my favorites until I started typing, and then I found more relevant and timely news that couldn't wait. I still have more than this though, but it's more locally driven. Stay tuned for those ramblings.....
State's next tax-free weekend is Aug. 3-5
Bicycles should be added to the list of back-to-school items qualifying for tax exempt status. While we're at it go ahead and add cycling clothing too. I think bib shorts will pass the dress code wouldn't it?
Recovery drinks
Got milk? Chocolate milk gets another plug as an optimal recovery drink. This is from the Cyclingnews form & fitness panel, which includes a long list of professionals from many disciplines within sport. You know I'm all about chocolate milk as it has served me well the last couple of years. I drink at least a pint after each race, rides 3 hours or more, or after shorter workouts with a lot of intensity.
Top-level teams and riders get their way in the name of going faster
Product sponsorships of the top professional cycling teams is what many bicycling related manufacturers rely on as a key marketing strategy. While the name plastered all over the bike may say one company it actually may be that of a competitor underneath the glossy paint. Cyclists are going to use products that they personally believe in and have complete faith in using, and they aren't ashamed of using their preference over a sponsor of their team. As this link describes the riders will go to great lengths to hide their lack of sponsorship allegiance.
T-Mobile's Tour jinx continues as Burghardt hits dog
First the dog and then Sinkewitz breaks his nose hitting a spectator, and as if that plus Micheal Rodgers' bad luck crash wasn't enough there's Sinkewitz failing a doping test.
German Sinkewitz fails doping test - Federation
According to the reports the failed test took place on June 8th, but the B-sample has yet to be tested? What tha'? Am I wrong here or isn't the B-sample supposed to be tested before any information about a positive doping result released? At least Pat McQuaid of the UCI is waiting to comment after the B-sample result is known, but I'm sure Dick Pound of WADA is willing to give a colorful quote. It's important to note Sinkewitz wasn't pulled from the Tour because of the positive test result but because of his injuries from the crash.
Suspended Sinkewitz asks for B sample to be tested
So the B-sample isn't a separate sample taken from the June 8th date, but rather they're going to get a sample after he heals from his Tour wounds? This is not how I have understood a B-sample is treated. By this method we're talking about a five week gap in time from one sample to the next. A lot can happen physiologically in over a month.
German state TV shelves Tour coverage over doping
Because of the Sinkewitz scandal German state television broadcasters take the drastic approach of pulling Tour de France coverage. Thank goodness we live in a completely free market where consumers make the decisions as opposed to the government. What's becoming more and more apparent is that the responses to doping scandals by officials can and will be more outrageous than the doping offense itself! So a rider tests positive and the cycling fans of Germany get punished? As if German cycling fans have influence over the riders, good grief!
Millar criticizes German broadcasters for pulling their Tour de France coverage
Millar is right of course, and says what I've said in the past, "So we have to actually change the actual values of people."
Tour organisers lease TV rights to Sat 1 and Pro Sieben
Thankfully German cycling fans now have options.
Vinokourov must fight through pain, mental roadblocks
Even though Bobby Julich wasn't included on the nine man Tour team for CSC he's following it closely from a team training camp. Bobby says, "My generation must continue to tell young riders not to cheat." Bobby touches on the guilt of his generation that grew this problem to unimaginable heights, but places too much of the burden on kids like Sinkewitz to say "no" to the culture his peers created. Every single rider of his generation who built this house of cards should own up to their mistakes and re-level the playing field for the future.
Rasmussen booted from Danish national team
Then we wake up Friday morning to this news! It just never freakin' ends does it? It sounds like both sides are guilty of bad judgement, but the timing of bringing this to light is ridiculous. Rasmussen knows the rules and should make his whereabouts known at all times, and the Danish Cycling Union should use a bit of common sense on when to announce the news. He has passed all recent drug tests including an out of competition test in June as well as all the Tour de France tests while wearing yellow.
Why would DCU create such a news uproar at this point? They've had more than enough time to make this known, but they choose to do it after Rasmussen has several days in yellow? Pardon the pun, but this appears to be one strange pissing match.
Rasmussen to start stage, Tour chief slams DCU
Finally, a common sense approach by a race official. Unless or until Rasmussen tests positive for doping Christian Prudhomme is right by allowing the yellow jersey to continue in the Tour. Not only is it the right thing to do, but Prudhomme realizes if he were to kick Rasmussen out he'd might as well resign from his position and get out of the Tour business.
Prudhomme brings up a great point. If the Danish Cycling Union was aware of this issue on June 28th why was Rasmussen allowed to race in the Danish National Championship on June 30th? Prudhomme has other legitimate questions that the DCU should be required to provide answers for, but something tells me they'll end up doing more finger pointing instead.
State's next tax-free weekend is Aug. 3-5
Bicycles should be added to the list of back-to-school items qualifying for tax exempt status. While we're at it go ahead and add cycling clothing too. I think bib shorts will pass the dress code wouldn't it?
Recovery drinks
Got milk? Chocolate milk gets another plug as an optimal recovery drink. This is from the Cyclingnews form & fitness panel, which includes a long list of professionals from many disciplines within sport. You know I'm all about chocolate milk as it has served me well the last couple of years. I drink at least a pint after each race, rides 3 hours or more, or after shorter workouts with a lot of intensity.
Top-level teams and riders get their way in the name of going faster
Product sponsorships of the top professional cycling teams is what many bicycling related manufacturers rely on as a key marketing strategy. While the name plastered all over the bike may say one company it actually may be that of a competitor underneath the glossy paint. Cyclists are going to use products that they personally believe in and have complete faith in using, and they aren't ashamed of using their preference over a sponsor of their team. As this link describes the riders will go to great lengths to hide their lack of sponsorship allegiance.
T-Mobile's Tour jinx continues as Burghardt hits dog
First the dog and then Sinkewitz breaks his nose hitting a spectator, and as if that plus Micheal Rodgers' bad luck crash wasn't enough there's Sinkewitz failing a doping test.
German Sinkewitz fails doping test - Federation
According to the reports the failed test took place on June 8th, but the B-sample has yet to be tested? What tha'? Am I wrong here or isn't the B-sample supposed to be tested before any information about a positive doping result released? At least Pat McQuaid of the UCI is waiting to comment after the B-sample result is known, but I'm sure Dick Pound of WADA is willing to give a colorful quote. It's important to note Sinkewitz wasn't pulled from the Tour because of the positive test result but because of his injuries from the crash.
Suspended Sinkewitz asks for B sample to be tested
So the B-sample isn't a separate sample taken from the June 8th date, but rather they're going to get a sample after he heals from his Tour wounds? This is not how I have understood a B-sample is treated. By this method we're talking about a five week gap in time from one sample to the next. A lot can happen physiologically in over a month.
German state TV shelves Tour coverage over doping
Because of the Sinkewitz scandal German state television broadcasters take the drastic approach of pulling Tour de France coverage. Thank goodness we live in a completely free market where consumers make the decisions as opposed to the government. What's becoming more and more apparent is that the responses to doping scandals by officials can and will be more outrageous than the doping offense itself! So a rider tests positive and the cycling fans of Germany get punished? As if German cycling fans have influence over the riders, good grief!
Millar criticizes German broadcasters for pulling their Tour de France coverage
Millar is right of course, and says what I've said in the past, "So we have to actually change the actual values of people."
Tour organisers lease TV rights to Sat 1 and Pro Sieben
Thankfully German cycling fans now have options.
Vinokourov must fight through pain, mental roadblocks
Even though Bobby Julich wasn't included on the nine man Tour team for CSC he's following it closely from a team training camp. Bobby says, "My generation must continue to tell young riders not to cheat." Bobby touches on the guilt of his generation that grew this problem to unimaginable heights, but places too much of the burden on kids like Sinkewitz to say "no" to the culture his peers created. Every single rider of his generation who built this house of cards should own up to their mistakes and re-level the playing field for the future.
Rasmussen booted from Danish national team
Then we wake up Friday morning to this news! It just never freakin' ends does it? It sounds like both sides are guilty of bad judgement, but the timing of bringing this to light is ridiculous. Rasmussen knows the rules and should make his whereabouts known at all times, and the Danish Cycling Union should use a bit of common sense on when to announce the news. He has passed all recent drug tests including an out of competition test in June as well as all the Tour de France tests while wearing yellow.
Why would DCU create such a news uproar at this point? They've had more than enough time to make this known, but they choose to do it after Rasmussen has several days in yellow? Pardon the pun, but this appears to be one strange pissing match.
Rasmussen to start stage, Tour chief slams DCU
Finally, a common sense approach by a race official. Unless or until Rasmussen tests positive for doping Christian Prudhomme is right by allowing the yellow jersey to continue in the Tour. Not only is it the right thing to do, but Prudhomme realizes if he were to kick Rasmussen out he'd might as well resign from his position and get out of the Tour business.
Prudhomme brings up a great point. If the Danish Cycling Union was aware of this issue on June 28th why was Rasmussen allowed to race in the Danish National Championship on June 30th? Prudhomme has other legitimate questions that the DCU should be required to provide answers for, but something tells me they'll end up doing more finger pointing instead.
posted by NashvilleCyclist.com at 7/20/2007 08:16:00 AM
1 Comments:
Mr. NC.com, All:
I'm not trying to stick my head in the sand, but let me just say two things about the latest news:
1) I find it very sad (but also a little suspect) that pretty much all the riders who have given us the "rides of courages" over the last few years have been brought up on doping charges: Hamilton, Landis, now Vino--and of course, I suppose one could potentially add Armstrong, too. When I had my first lung collapse in September of 2003, I put up that CSC/Cervelo poster of Hamilton all bandaged up in my hospital room, and I don't regret it.
2) I still firmly believe that WADA et al. do nothing to protect the integrity of their own processes and results. If there is a two sample process ("A" sample, w/ "B" sample tested upon request after positive finding on "A" sample), then NO information should be allowed on either sample until after the second sample has been tested, if that is the racer's decision. I find it increasingly difficult to listen to any agency that is so willing to "out" atheletes before their own protocol has been followed. The blood is in the water as far as doping and cycling goes, and with the stakes so high (to mix metaphors), following procedure is actually to everyone's benefit.
I have to admit that even though I increasingly believe my old friend, and ex-racer, T.C. that illegal means and gains are rampant amongst racers, I still can't help but feel that something stinks on the other side of the fence too.
DAJ
P.S. As of Monday night, they'd resurfaced about half of the area where the Wed night races are held. If you haven't been by, you might want to take a look.
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