From the Boyz-2-Men style Pelo-Pics to Lance's new (f)lame to the latest Chicken Roast, it's been an entertaining week.
- T-Mobile are still somewhat in limbo with regards to their title sponsor, but one minor sponsor is out: Adidas. Frankly, the three stripes have long been the ugliest feature of their kit, but I'm sure the sponsor dollars made it all worthwhile. Adidas will be around one more season before vacating the field for Nike. Audi and Giant, two more T-Mob sponsors, are watching the title sponsor for their cues.
- Meanwhile, back to more substantive issues, the UCI has said Mick Rogers is cleared for takeoff. Patrik Sinkewitz' confessions had impliedly implicated Rogers when Sinking Joke declared T-Mob a doping outfit until the new management cleaned house after the 2006 season. Rogers is the highest-profile rider still with the team from the earlier era, and angrily denied any accusations. Sounds like Sinking Joke just spoke too broadly, or was misinterpreted.
- VN's notes cover Bjarne Riis's reaction to signing Jason McCartney. Also, the Vuelta will announce its 2008 parcours on December 5.
- Pez' Phil Liggett interview is always good fun.
- CN covered a recent doping symposium in Chicago, where experts like USADA general counsel Bill Bock, defense attorney Steven J. Thompson, and Greg Lemond discussed "Legal and Ethical Issues of Testing for Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport." When I saw this piece I immediately began to regret not having attended... but by the end I wasn't so sure. From the writeup it sounds like they spent the time debating the dilemma of sports doping and the difficulties of testing. All of this is old news to anyone who follows the sport as closely as someone who's reading this post. Meanwhile, we have a trial going on in Europe testing the implications of testing on human rights, as well as expected challenges to the salary reimbursement article in the Pledge. If these vastly more interesting, cutting edge issues were discussed by the panel, CN didn't hear it. [yawn...] Legal seminars are often thrown together in the hopes that if you get enough interesting people in the room, something will happen. Rarely if ever does the Exciting New Idea Fairy magically appear.
- Ride the amateur Giro di Lombardia with CN's Italian correspondents. It's not like you don't need the miles.