Haven't done one of these since we got rid of the pink background, and at this point it might be more accurate to change the name to the daily drug kit. Nevertheless...
- Some on-the-road action first: the Euskal Bizikleta features a parcours as mercilessly difficult as the names of the people who created it... although the refreshingly pronounceable Koldo Gil bagged a small lead in stage 1.
- Sticking to the road, which is about the only thing the Tour of Luxembourg has in common with the Euskal Bizikleta... anyway, homeboy Kim Kirchen bagged the prologue. Look for fellow homeboy Frank Schleck to be active, as his chat with CyclingNews suggests.
- As always, if you're wondering who's racing where, the Planet's Coolest Website is there to guide and protect you.
Drugs on the flip:
- We discovered something else VeloNews still does: cover Lance like nobody's bidness. They were all over the news that Emile Vrijman, the UCI's lead investigator in the charges that Lance gave a positive sample during the 1999 Tour, cleared Lance of wrongdoing and blasted WADA and others for bending the rules/violating the law. VN also carried the predictable reactions.
- Meanwhile, hot on the heels of the story that the ASO might kick Wurth out of the Tour comes an article in VN that ASO might go for the guilt-by-association two-fer and boot Communidad Valenciana too. An assistant DS for the team once known as Kelme got nabbed in the dragnet last week. Of course, the Pro Cycling Tour has strict rules about its teams being invited to all races, so while the Tour might kick out Comm-Valenciana without a fight, they won't get rid of PCT team Wurth so easily. Thus, in addition to all the other problems the scandal raises, it might also test the shaky relationship between the UCI and the Grand Tours.
- Finally, at least their Canadian audience hasn't deserted VN, as this Simoni feeding frenzy attests.