Lots of news regarding transfers and dopers, as well as transferring dopers.
- Exhibit A... the online Landis Defense is clearly the big news item of the week. See VN or Eurosport. This presentation is undoubtedly calculated to bolster public confidence in Floyd, what with him being open and all, and it might have worked if not for Tyler Hamilton having tried and burned that playbook. [I remain hopeful but on the fence, myself.]
The downside of laying out the case is that some of the details are kind of excruciating:
Some of the documents purportedly show that urine sample numbers on some of the testing forms in the case did not match Landis's rider sample number. Furthermore, Landis attorney Howard Jacobs points out that once the error was discovered, the incorrect number was covered over with correction fluid and Landis's number written in, which constitutes a violation of World Anti-Doping Agency procedures that call for corrections to be made with a line through the original notation with the person making the correction initialing to confirm the change.
All I can say is, the practice of law isn't always this horrible.
- Meanwhile, Pez makes its own case for visiting Madonna... del Ghisallo. It's a photo essay, demonstrating this small chapel as the true cradle of civilization. Pez also runs a separate photo essay of the Giro di Lombardia itself. Check them out and tell me this isn't on your short list of Cyclo-tourist sites.
- Bombshell of the day: Ullrich to Disco? According to several sources, their sponsor is showering JB with money. Ah, but a fool and his money... well, JB is no fool. From today's Paceline:
10/10 - Johan Bruyneel, in response to recent news that the Discovery Channel Team is possibly signing Jan Ullrich: "I am currently not in any negotiations with Jan Ullrich to become a part of the Discovery Channel (team). Although I believe Jan is a world-class rider, our roster for 2007 is nearly complete and Jan will not be a part of our team."
- Oh, and they won't be hiring Ivan Basso either.
more...
- Euskaltel putting their 2007 roster together by reupping Haimar Zubeldia, a good investment, and wooing back Iban Mayo, a truly wondrous investment, at any price.
- Apparently the Chicken still doesn't do downhilling too well, having busted his hip and shelved himself for a while at the Giro dell'Emilia.
- For reasons I absolutely don't understand, David Millar is battling a lawsuit based on his old doping infraction. Apparently in France, the public must be protected by the law from the sight of cheating cyclists. Now that all the murderers, thieves, pedophiles, head-butters, shysters, bohemians and other undesirables have all been locked up.
- But for those still on the loose, here's the way to cheat your next EPO test, courtesy of CN.