We're home for the holidays this year, and I do mean home, as in no more than 20 minutes from the labor and delivery unit of our chosen hospital. So there will be plenty of opportunity for me to post updates. Except that there probably won't be any news. Still, there are a few important things happening out there:
- First, if my brother really cared about me, he'd buy me the Team T-Mobile VW Microbus currently being auctioned off, according to the CN notes, in the wake of Andreas Kloden's departure. No word on whether Klodi's homemade bong, assembled from used sew-ups and frame scraps, is part of the deal.
- Actual race news: the Tour de Georgia comes up with a solution in search of a problem: a longer race. Actually, apparently it's a shade easier overall, with the Lookout Mountain time trial ending on top rather than continuing to Chattanooga after the climb, and with a shorter race to the decisive climb up Brasstown Bald. Don't miss the sixth stage to Stone Mountain, home of one of the world's most interesting geographical features, as well as an imposing monument to the Confederacy.
- Daily Peloton is all Eki this week.
- Cycling Revealed's countdown of history's great classics is up to #11. And yes, Hennie Kuiper is prominently involved.
Daily Dope, on the flip...
- But first, a few more notes about the presumed innocent... Beppe Guerini blabs on about 2006 over at the T-Mob site.
- More newsworthy, Olaf Pollack and Jorg Ludewig to Wiesenhof, joining Bas Giling, Steffen Wesemann, and others. One wonders how much longer Bouygues Telecom can hold on to that 20th Pro Tour license.
- The Chats... starting with Antonio Cruz over at Pez...
- ...and Perrico Delgado at VN...
- ... and finally, a testy turn with Oscarita at Cycling News. Money quote:
... I'm rather bored of so many questions. From now on, I have said that I will not make any kind of comment about this matter, and I will wait to hear the decision. As far as I'm concerned, I think I have said enough.
Finally we agree on something. OK, on to the Doping Corner:
- What do we want? The analysis of Roberto Heras' positive b-sample from the 2005 Vuelta! When do we want it? Now!!
- Shorter Paco Mancebo: F- you, pay me.
- Lance: Don't look at us, we're clean.