http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/09/20/bc.cyc.landisdecision.ap/index.\
html?cnn=yes


PARIS (AP) -- Floyd Landis lost his expensive and explosive doping case Thursday
when arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de
France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback
victory, The Associated Press has learned.

The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing
drugs, must forfeit his Tour de France title and is subject to a two-year ban,
retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007.

The ruling, handed down nearly four months after a bizarre and bitterly fought
hearing, leaves the American with one final way to possibly salvage his title --
an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

If Landis doesn't appeal, he'll be the first person in the 105-year history of
the race to lose the title because of a doping offense.

According to documents obtained by AP, the vote was 2-1 to uphold the results,
with lead arbitrator Patrice Brunet and Richard McLaren in the majority and
Christopher Campbell dissenting.

"Today's ruling is a victory for all clean athletes and everyone who values fair
and honest competition," U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said.

It's a devastating loss for Landis, who has steadfastly insisted that cheating
went against everything he was all about and said he was merely a pawn in the
anti-doping system's all-consuming effort to find cheaters and keep money
flowing to its labs and agencies.

Landis didn't hide from the scrutiny -- invited it, in fact -- and now has been
found guilty by the closest thing to a fair trial any accused athlete will get.

Landis, who has a month to file his appeal, is still weighing his legal options,
according to a statement released by his legal team.

"This ruling is a blow to athletes and cyclists everywhere" Landis said. "For
the Panel to find in favor of USADA when, with respect to so many issues, USADA
did not manage to prove even the most basic parts of their case shows that this
system is fundamentally flawed. I am innocent, and we proved I am innocent."

Despite the result, it's hard to see this as a total victory for the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency, which prosecuted the case. This was a costly affair for the
agency, and it exposed flaws in the system.

In its 84-page decision, the majority found the initial screening test to
measure Landis' testosterone levels -- the testosterone-to-epitestosterone test
-- was not done according to World Anti-Doping Agency rules.

But the more precise and expensive carbon-isotope ration analysis (IRMS),
performed after a positive T-E test is recorded, was accurate, the arbitrators
said, meaning "an anti-doping rule violation is established."

"As has been held in several cases, even where the T-E ratio has been held to be
unreliable ... the IRMS analysis may still be applied," the majority wrote. "It
has also been held that the IRMS analysis may stand alone as the basis" of a
positive test for steroids.

The decision comes more than a year after Landis' stunning comeback in Stage 17
of the 2006 Tour, one that many people said couldn't be done without some kind
of outside help. Flying to the lead near the start of a grueling Alpine stage,
Landis regained nearly eight minutes against the leader, and went on to win the
three-week race.

"Well, all I can say is that justice has been done, and that this is what the
UCI felt was correct all along," Pat McQuaid, leader of cycling's world
governing body, told The Associated Press by telephone. "We now await and see if
he does appeal to CAS.

"It's not a great surprise considering how events have evolved. He got a highly
qualified legal team who tried to baffle everybody with science and public
relations. And in the end the facts stood up."

Spanish rider Oscar Pereiro, who finished second to Landis in the 2006 Tour,
said he hadn't officially heard the news yet.

"You never want to win a competition like that," he said. "But after a year and
a half of all of this I'm just glad it's over."

Landis insisted on a public hearing not only to prove his innocence, but to
shine a spotlight on USADA and the rules it enforces and also establish a
pattern of incompetence at the French lab where his urine was tested.

Although the panel rejected Landis' argument of a "conspiracy" at the
Chatenay-Malabry lab, it did find areas of concern. They dealt with chain of
command in controlling the urine sample, the way the tests were run on the
machine, the way the machine was prepared and the "forensic corrections" done on
the lab paperwork.

"... the Panel finds that the practises of the Lab in training its employees
appears to lack the vigor the Panel would expect in the circumstances given the
enormous consequences to athletes" of an adverse analytical finding, the
decision said.

The majority repeatedly wrote that any mistakes made at the lab were not enough
to dismiss the positive test, but also sent a warning.

"If such practises continue, it may well be that in the future, an error like
this could result in the dismissal" of a positive finding by the lab.

In Campbell's opinion, Landis' case should have been one of those cases.

"In many instances, Mr. Landis sustained his burden of proof beyond a reasonable
doubt," Campbell wrote. "The documents supplied by LNDD are so filled with
errors that they do not support an Adverse Analytical Finding. Mr. Landis should
be found innocent."

And in at least one respect, Landis, who spent an estimated $2 million on his
defense, was exonerated because the panel dismissed the T-E test. But in the
arbitration process, a procedural flaw in the first test doesn't negate a
positive result in follow-up tests.

"An arbitration panel is entitled to rely entirely on the IRMS analysis as an
independent and sufficient basis for finding that an anti-doping rule violation
has occurred," the decision said.

In his dissent, Campbell latched onto the T-E ratio test, among other things, as
proof that the French lab couldn't be trusted.

"Also, the T-E ratio test is acknowledged as a simple test to run. The IRMS test
is universally acknowledged as a very complicated test to run, requiring much
skill. If the LNDD couldn't get the T-E ratio test right, how can a person have
any confidence that LNDD got the much more complicated IRMS test correct?"

It was confusion like this that led to the system receiving the harsh review
Landis was hoping for during a nine-day hearing in Malibu, Calif., in May.

But Landis also took his share of abuse, and ultimately, USADA still improved to
35-0 in cases it has brought before arbitration panels since it was founded in
2000.

This was a nasty contest waged on both sides, with USADA attorneys going after
Landis' character and taking liberties in evidence discovery that wouldn't be
permitted in a regular court of law. And Landis accused USADA of using a
win-at-all-costs strategy and prosecuting him only to get him to turn on
seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, who has long fought doping allegations that
have never been proven.

Addressing "problematic behavior on the part of both parties," the panel wrote
it would not revisit the conduct of either side.

"They are just part of the litigation war games the parties counsel engaged in
between themselves," the decision said.

More than the complex, turgid scientific evidence, the hearing will be
remembered for the Greg LeMond brouhaha.

The hearing turned into a soap opera when the former Tour de France winner
showed up and told of being sexually abused as a child, confiding that to
Landis, then receiving a call from Landis' manager the night before his
testimony threatening to disclose LeMond's secret to the world if LeMond showed
up.

LeMond not only showed up, he also claimed Landis had admitted to him that he
doped. That was the only aspect of the LeMond testimony the panel cared about.

"The panel concludes that the respondent's comment to Mr. LeMond did not amount
to an admission of guilt or doping," the majority wrote.

This year's Tour began without the official defending champion, and the
traditional "No. 1" jersey wasn't handed out when the race began in London. It
only got worse as doping allegations and suspicions devastated the 2007 Tour.
Three riders, including former overall leader Michael Rasmussen, and two teams
were expelled during the three-week race.

At 31, Landis has vowed he hadn't given up on cycling -- he raced in small,
nonsanctioned events in Colorado this summer -- even hoping to some day wear the
yellow jersey again.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14082007/3/organisers-give-zabel-cold-shoulder-wor\
ld-road-cycling-championships.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

1. Interview with Lance when he was doing triathlons.... many moons ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbybA_9UkSQ

2. A recap of Lance - how he started, how he won the TDF 7 times.... photos I
had not seen... very well done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmoZSvVsL1M&NR=1

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Video highlights (3 minutes) of this year's Tour De France won by the Discovery
Channel team (formerly US Postal or Lance's team)  seem all the more poignant
since the announcement that they were disbanding Discovery team, our only
American team... :(

http://youtube.com/watch?v=o6KMZJb-puA

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----



http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/08/10/transalp.finish/index.html

(CNN) -- If you've ever wired your major muscle groups to a power socket as a
cackling scientist flips the switch, you might begin to understand the pain I
was going through.


Cycling across the finish line in the Italian town of Riva del Garda.Actually,
if that's your idea of fun, you might not. My pain was caused not by weird
voltage experiments, but by huge cramps as my dehydrated body attempted to
tackle Europe's toughest mountain bike race.

My screams rang out over the Alps as I tumbled from my cycle, spasms in legs,
arms and torso scrunching me into a ball of agony so tight that at one point I
began rolling down the hillside.

This was day one of the Jeantex Bike TransAlp, a grueling endurance race from
Germany to Italy, which I had spent the last six months training for without
ever having previously ridden a mountain bike.

With another seven days, 600 kilometers and endless steep climbs to go, it
looked like I may never ride one again, my best chance of reaching the finish
now an ambulance -- or a nice comfortable hearse.

It had all seemed like a good idea six months ago. Use the race as an incentive
to get back into shape and also enjoy a trip across the Alps without the guilt
of a huge carbon footprint.

The race had begun well, riding partner Pete and I keeping pace with a pack of
1,200 riders as we left the Bavarian town of Mittenwald pedaling as fast as we
could, largely to escape the TransAlp anthem of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," which
was blasting over loudspeakers.

But as the midday sun beat down on our first 900 meter climb, I failed to spot
the danger signs as -- distracted by breathtaking scenery and the unpleasant
sight of one rider's buttocks plainly visible through his thinning shorts -- I
began to feel lightheaded and dizzy.

Then came the cramps.

Using a tire pump for leverage, I somehow managed to crowbar my knotted body
apart and clamber back on the bike. Very gingerly, stopping only for the
occasional bloodcurdling howl, I made my way down the mountain and eventually,
as the sun began to set, to the finish.

The fun didn't end there. Every stage of the TransAlp -- which winds its way
through Austria and Switzerland before reaching Italy -- climaxes in a "pasta
party" where riders load up on carbohydrates before retiring to makeshift
accommodation in a motley collection of school classrooms, gymnasiums and
underground car parks.

Don't Miss
   a.. Training for the Tour de Fear
   b.. Over the top on a bicycle
The good riders, who finish within a couple of hours, get the best portions of
food and grab secluded spots to lay their sleeping bags. The slow cyclists get
to eat the slops before trying to bed down in the only place left: Within
earshot, and noseshot, of the toilets.

Day one was bad, but day two brought fresh horrors. As I clipped feeble legs
into pedals, the starting announcer interrupted "Highway to Hell" to tell us we
were facing the toughest stage of the race.

He wasn't lying. The 87.3 kilometers with 3,424 meters of climb challenged even
the leaders, who had to eat a delayed lunch after taking 4 hours to complete the
course. It took me 11 hours, by which time the finish had more or less been
dismantled. Mercifully, so had the evening's pasta party.

I came close to tears several times that day, excruciating back pain,
cramp-weakened legs and furnace temperatures pushing me to breaking point.
Others suffered worse: We passed one rider being treated with a drip, another
was evacuated by helicopter.

Despondency arrived with day three. Too weak to go on, I loaded my bike on to a
truck headed for that day's finish in the Italian town of Brixen. I dwelt
heavily on failure. Not enough training? Not enough water? Not enough AC/DC?

The gloom didn't last. As the day wore on my leg aches faded and I began to feel
stronger. Beating most riders to that night's gymnasium camp I was able to grab
a coveted corner spot far from the toilets, lifting my spirits further.

Day four saw me back in the saddle and riding hard until disaster struck again.
Pedaling furiously uphill to avoid being stuck behind the cyclist with wobbling
buttocks and thinning shorts, I made a bad gear change and sent my chain
crashing into my back wheel.

Exasperated riding partner Pete spent the next 30 minutes using oily brute
force, fiddly mechanics and foul language to get me back on the road, but by now
we were firmly in last place.

Not for long though. My newly refreshed legs felt great, grinding the bike up
slopes that two days ago would have left me sobbing. Now I was almost crying
tears of joy, but didn't because I was still worried about dehydration -- and
about looking a bit soft.

Although no longer in the official running due to my day off, we steadily
improved our placing in the remaining days, savoring the snow-level summit views
and the eye-watering fast descents as we conquered the Alps one mountain ridge
at a time.

By day eight we were keeping level with new faces in the middle of the pack;
lean-looking riders with expensive bikes and cycle shorts that thankfully
covered all the cracks.

Rocketing on adrenaline, we charged into the Italian town of Riva del Garda
where, with almost one third of the pack still behind us, we crossed the finish
line unscathed. Gasping in triumph I looked back over the past week with sense
of pride, despite my early stumble. Seven out of eight days wasn't a bad effort,
and I had more than achieved my main goal of shedding a few pounds.

To celebrate my new fitness levels, I drank a beer and went off in search of
pizza.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thing is though, he's not gonna come out in his OWN book, and say
'Sorry lads - you, know. I DID take something - and heres how i did it.'
He is obviously going to use an autobiography as a tool to voice his
opionion. Its not an interview, he cant avoid or squirm over difficult
questions. He has time to think, be adviced and consult, before
writing and wording EXACTLY how he would like his side of the story to
sound.

but your're right though, we DO tend to side with the media. And YES,
I do sometimes wonder that, do the organisers and drug controls etc go
to extreme measures to do anything not to have 'yet another american
winning THEIR races, in THEIR sport' ??
I think there is a definite anti-american bias, and sometimes other
nations too.
How did dicky virenque still come up smelling of roses.

BUT.... and this is the crucial thing to remember.  This year, Vino
was down and out, and the following day he goes out and whacks out a
tremendous ride through the alps and wins the stage.

Sound familiar? Cos thats precisely what Landis did. He was finished,
kaput! Game over. Then next day, Bam! He goes on a 200km attack, drops
all breakaway companions and wins back the jersey.

Vino tested positive, Landis tested positive.

These are superhuman athletes, that can achieve and perform way beyond
our wildest dreams....but they are still human after all. ANd such
rides in the middle of a tough 3 week race leave you wondering...

A lot of fans now think that no rider is without suspicion. Its a sad
state of of affairs :-(

micky





--- In roadracingukandireland@yahoogroups.com, "SueW" <gswidemark@...>
wrote:
>
> As you may know, I was veering strongly toward considering Floyd
Landis guilty of doping when I ordered his book.
>
> But IN his book, he details a bunch of stuff which is changing the
picture.
>
> 1. Dick Pound (CEO of the antidoping agency) kept leaking stuff to
the press before Landis knew the details. He also made snide remarks
to the press about Landis being guilty before anything was settled -
this is ethically challenged to put it mildly.
>
> 2. Apparently the drug tests are NOT a slam dunk. Landis took his
bucks when he finally got the medical information and had several
experts look at it.... the radium isotope test came out with several
different results... the average was NOT the one they used. Also the
UCLA medical lab stated that they would not have considered that a
positive test.
>
> 3. In the medical packet, there was a discrepancy in the numbers
between the positive test and Floyd's urine sample.
>
> 4. One expert who worked with the anti doping agency and quit them
to work for Floyd when he made him a better offer, said that the
French lab was not known for their being careful.
>
> He's had many lawyers and some high priced ones and medical experts
look at the data and all have said he has a strong case.
>
> Apparently whether guilty or innocent no athlete has ever won a case
against the anti doping agency because if there is suspicion, the
athlete is considered guilty.
>
> Floyd also claims (and I don't know how he could claim this without
getting in deep doo doo unless it were true) that the anti doping
agency approached him and said they would make a deal like a plea
bargain... he pleads guilty and gives them the dirt on Lance Armstrong
and they would let him off with a year's suspension retroactive from
the 2006 TDF so he could be in the 2007 TDF. Floyd turned them down
because he said he "had never seen anything to make him suspect Lance
was doping" (typical disclaimer but as Floyd pointed out, that was
sort of a slimy thing of the anti doping agency to do - to go after
someone who was NOT racing anymore).
>
> I know for a fact those drug tests are not real accurate... why?
Well, a person who shall remain unnamed - a teen I know well, smoked
pot on Thursday, took a drug test on Saturday and came out clean. Also
I know a fellow I worked with who smoked a lot of pot... he would go
out and smoke it on breaks etc... and yet, he's never flunked a drug test.
>
> As Floyd pointed out, the testosterone test is less of a slam dunk
than tests for other drugs... what they do is compare the ratio of
another hormone with testosterone and if it's more than 4:1 then the
test is considered positive.
>
> And of course if even the more definite drug tests can be cheated
it's a given that they can give a false positive also.
>
> Face it, before Floyd even had the details of his flunking the test,
the media had proclaimed him guilty.
>
> I am doing something I do when I feel it is appropriate... I am
changing my point of view here after reading his book. I am not sure
at all he is guilty and think it's probable the tests were non
conclusive and he got it stuck up his butt...
>
> All I can say is I've seen A LOT OF ERRORS in the media and I, with
Floyd Landis, had made a mistake I should have known better than
making - my ONLY source of info on him WAS the media - even though I
have to eat some crow here, I have to change my view and say to
myself, "shame on me for believing the media without looking into it
further"
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

As you may know, I was veering strongly toward considering Floyd Landis guilty
of doping when I ordered his book.

But IN his book, he details a bunch of stuff which is changing the picture.

1. Dick Pound (CEO of the antidoping agency) kept leaking stuff to the press
before Landis knew the details. He also made snide remarks to the press about
Landis being guilty before anything was settled - this is ethically challenged
to put it mildly.

2. Apparently the drug tests are NOT a slam dunk. Landis took his bucks when he
finally got the medical information and had several experts look at it.... the
radium isotope test came out with several different results... the average was
NOT the one they used. Also the UCLA medical lab stated that they would not have
considered that a positive test.

3. In the medical packet, there was a discrepancy in the numbers between the
positive test and Floyd's urine sample.

4. One expert who worked with the anti doping agency and quit them to work for
Floyd when he made him a better offer, said that the French lab was not known
for their being careful.

He's had many lawyers and some high priced ones and medical experts look at the
data and all have said he has a strong case.

Apparently whether guilty or innocent no athlete has ever won a case against the
anti doping agency because if there is suspicion, the athlete is considered
guilty.

Floyd also claims (and I don't know how he could claim this without getting in
deep doo doo unless it were true) that the anti doping agency approached him and
said they would make a deal like a plea bargain... he pleads guilty and gives
them the dirt on Lance Armstrong and they would let him off with a year's
suspension retroactive from the 2006 TDF so he could be in the 2007 TDF. Floyd
turned them down because he said he "had never seen anything to make him suspect
Lance was doping" (typical disclaimer but as Floyd pointed out, that was sort of
a slimy thing of the anti doping agency to do - to go after someone who was NOT
racing anymore).

I know for a fact those drug tests are not real accurate... why? Well, a person
who shall remain unnamed - a teen I know well, smoked pot on Thursday, took a
drug test on Saturday and came out clean. Also I know a fellow I worked with who
smoked a lot of pot... he would go out and smoke it on breaks etc... and yet,
he's never flunked a drug test.

As Floyd pointed out, the testosterone test is less of a slam dunk than tests
for other drugs... what they do is compare the ratio of another hormone with
testosterone and if it's more than 4:1 then the test is considered positive.

And of course if even the more definite drug tests can be cheated it's a given
that they can give a false positive also.

Face it, before Floyd even had the details of his flunking the test, the media
had proclaimed him guilty.

I am doing something I do when I feel it is appropriate... I am changing my
point of view here after reading his book. I am not sure at all he is guilty and
think it's probable the tests were non conclusive and he got it stuck up his
butt...

All I can say is I've seen A LOT OF ERRORS in the media and I, with Floyd
Landis, had made a mistake I should have known better than making - my ONLY
source of info on him WAS the media - even though I have to eat some crow here,
I have to change my view and say to myself, "shame on me for believing the media
without looking into it further"

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

TAILWIND SPORTS TO END CYCLING TEAM SPONSOR SEARCH


Team to cease operation effective the end of 2007 season


(Austin, TX) - Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of the current Discovery
Channel Pro Cycling Team, announced today that it will cease operations at the
conclusion of the 2007 cycling season. The Team, with roots back to 1989, has
operated under the Tailwind umbrella and seen tremendous success over its tenure
including eight Tour de France titles, a Tour of Italy and a Tour of Spain
title, and numerous national championships.

"Tailwind has had an amazing ten years of success with U.S. Postal and more
recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most
successful sports franchise in the history of sport," stated General Manage Bill
Stapleton. "This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent
Tour de France success. We were in talks with a number of companies about the
opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen,
however, to end those discussions."

Sports Director Johan Bruyneel has been the driving force behind the Team's
success since his arrival to the team in 1999. In only nine years, Bruyneel has
created a legacy that will live on in cycling history, and his departure from
the sport was not an easy choice.

"When I came to direct this team in 1999 I never would have imagined that we
could achieve this level of success. It was an amazing time in my life and the
lives of all the staff and riders associated with this team," commented Sports
Director Johan Bruyneel.

"What I will miss are the staff, riders and the excitement of the races, but not
all the in fighting between the teams. This team has become my family and I am
very sad to think that we will not be together next season. 2007 has been our
most successful season ever and I expect the remainder of the season to continue
on that same path."

Lance Armstrong has been intricately involved in the team both as a rider and as
an owner.

"I do not think you have seen the last of this organization in the sport but
clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before
you would see us venture back into cycling," added Armstrong, co-owner and
seven-time Tour de France champion.

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team will continue to race its full calendar
of Pro Tour races including the final grand tour of the season, the Tour of
Spain, as well as the upcoming Tour of Missouri.


###


TAILWIND SPORTS

Tailwind Sports owns and operates the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team.
Founded in 1989, the team has established itself as one of the best in the world
and is the only American team to have won each of the sports' premier events:
the Tour de France, Tour of Spain and Tour of Italy, including Lance Armstrong's
historic seven consecutive victories at the Tour de France.

Tailwind has partnered with Capital Sports & Entertainment (CSE), an
experiential event and sports marketing firm based in Austin, Texas to manage
the sponsorship and operations of the team. Tailwind supports both USA Cycling
and the USA Cycling Development Foundation to help identify and develop future
American cyclists. Find out more about the Team and CSE at: www.thepaceline.com
http://www.thepaceline.com and www.planetcse.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Associated Press - August 10, 2007 9:55 AM ET

PARIS (AP) - Lance Armstrong's old team is disbanding.

Tailwind Sports announced today that its Discovery Channel team will cease
operations at the end of this season.

The statement also suggests that Armstrong's mentor, Johan (yoh-HAHN') Bruyneel
(brih-NEEL'), will retire. Bruyneel coached the Austin cycling great through his
record seven Tour de France wins.

Alberto Contador of Spain won this year's Tour de France for Discovery Channel.
On Friday, he denied any involvement in doping following allegations that he was
linked to the Operation Puerto drug investigation.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The incident happened in the Criterium International, not the Tour de France, in
1997 in the south west of France near Toulouse. The horse left the field only
20km from the finish of the race. Thankfully nothing serious happened to any of
the riders. The stage was won by an Once rider

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-xR1HErmH8

Sorry not the TDF but still cute....
Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dunno if this is authentic or not.... but it's cute...  supposedly happened
during the TDf (probably not this year... it's dated 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-xR1HErmH8

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

cheers for that sue.  Saves me sitting thru watching it! I COULD say
that Id rather spend an hour watching some clean riders RACE on tv
rather than sit defending themselves. But lately, can we tell who IS
or isnt clean?




--- In roadracingukandireland@yahoogroups.com, "SueW" <gswidemark@...>
wrote:
>
> RE: Landis
>
> I felt that he was doping right after the 17th stage and told my
hubby that. Because no one could crash the way HE did (AND have a
broken necrotic hip joint) and FINISH let alone WIN without help.
That's just logic. Just like it was obvious Tyler Hamilton was doping
also because how else can a person ride an entire tour with a broken
collar bone.
>
> Here is an interview a Q & A session he did for Google employees
which is up on YOU TUBE.  It's 56 minutes long and worth listening to
the whole thing.
>
> In the interview , I felt that he did NOT really prove any innocence
and a lot of what he said suggested he DID dope.
>
> He did inject steroids into his hip (cortisone) which I know is
questionable in cycling.  He pointed out "where do you draw the line?"
  A good point. And said that they were talking about banning altitude
tents which was how Lance Armstrong increased HIS red blood cells.
>
> He was asked how does a cyclist "revive" himself after a difficult
stage and he pretty much evaded that question.  First joked "did you
ever hear of alcohol?" a joke he made a couple of times.  And then
said he was pretty flexible about food which was good because they
stayed in all kinds of places with all kinds of food. That was about
all he said.
>
> He said the problem was the UCI and group HAD NO SET RULES.  Just a
vague rule about "anything performance enhancing" (which would include
cortisone also by the way).  They should, like the Olympics, have a
list of banned drugs.  Good point.
>
> He said that last year his necrotic hip was not bad for racing -
just an ache that kept him awake at night.  Bad enough to kept him
awake at night after a grueling day of cycling, seems pretty bad to me.
>
> His comments about Lance Armstrong were interesting.  First comment
"well I hear this is going to be on 'youtube' so I'd better tone it
down!"  (audience laughed).  Then he described Lance as obsessive and
perfectionist having a firm idea of what he wanted from each person on
his team. He said he didn't have any trouble with him, but he added
"let's put it this way - Lance doesn't have many friends!"
>
> The folks at Google were subtle about asking him the BIG QUESTION
and but they asked some questions which had Landis answered, might
have said more about HIS case - like they asked how could a guy like
Ras who was strictly a climber become an all around good biker - good
on time trials also.
>
> Landis TOTALLY EVADED this question and said that guys like McEwen
would never be climbers.  His evasion was rather obvious on this one. :)
>
> Landis may not have a boisterous loud demeanor but I would not call
him self deprecating either.  He was pretty arrogant in some of his
answers - about Lance etc.
>
> He also lied obviously about some answers. When asked about the
behavior in the peloton, he said they all respected each other and if
there was an accident, it was ALWAYS an accident.  First of all, folks
like McEwen have been caught doing things um... to make others faulter
and secondly it's common knowledge that there is plenty of body
language stuff to make others crash. I cannot believe he doesn't know
about that.
>
> He did say something interesting - he said they just tested the
leader of the teams and the stage winner.  In the 21 days of the TDF,
he only got 8 drug tests.
>
> About his positive results he didn't talk much but said maybe it
wasn't HIS urine and also he finds fault with the way the lab works
and accused them of changing numbers when they wanted.
>
> About doping in the peloton - he pretty much evaded that question,
saying only that he couldn't speak for anyone else and he knew it was
happening but thought it was much less than the news would like us to
believe.
>
> A person can be extremely charming and not be honest - we know that
from Bill Clinton... sometimes folks mix up charm with moral tenor...
>
> Here is the direct link to the video ---
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qem7taX7nPQ
>
> It's interesting to note that Landis sat leaned over to favor his
good hip. So he's apparently uncomfortable sitting for longer periods.
>
> I do not fault him for doping because I would bet all the top
contender were doing that but I do feel he's being dishonest to not
come clean and try to cheat his way out of just admitting it like all
the other cyclists did.  That is unfair to his fans and the American
people and seems he's raised quite a bit of bucks doing this. His book
is a best seller and he raised over 2 million from a website and fund
raisers.
>
> What I have reported is a fraction of what you will hear on the
video. As I said, it's worth taking the time to view.
>
> Sue
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Ryan Cox, one of South Africa's top cyclists, died in Johannesburg early on
Wednesday three weeks after receiving an operation in Europe, his club Team
Barloworld has announced.

South African Press Association (SAPA) reported that Cox, 28, died in the
Kempton Park hospital around 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. He underwent a
vascular lesion operation in France three weeks ago.

Cox returned to South Africa to recuperate, but his condition deteriorated on
Monday, and he was rushed to hospital after the main artery in his left leg
burst on Tuesday.

Clint Curtis, who coached the Barloworld rider when he was a junior, said on
Tuesday Cox had been having problems with his left leg for some time.

"He sometimes lost the feeling in the leg after cycling and had little power in
the leg towards the end of some races.

"Ryan then went to see one of the leading doctors in France. It was found that
the artery had, as a consequence of all the cycling, become knotted as sometimes
happens to a garden hose," Curtis was quoted as saying by SAPA.

Curtis said the problem often happens to cyclists because they spend so many
hours on the bicycles, with their legs bent while pedalling.

"The doctor in France has performed surgery of this type on about 600 cyclists,
among them Stuart O'Leary, who has worn the yellow jersey in the Tour de
France," he said.

Barloworld on Wednesday cancelled a press conference which was arranged to
welcome Robert Hunter, Cox's teammate, back after a very successful Tour de
France.

Hunter won a sprinting stage, the first ever stage win by an African rider in
the Tour, while Mauricio Soler, a member of the South African sponsored
Barloworld team, won the King of the Mountains category.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

RE: Landis

I felt that he was doping right after the 17th stage and told my hubby that.
Because no one could crash the way HE did (AND have a broken necrotic hip joint)
and FINISH let alone WIN without help.  That's just logic. Just like it was
obvious Tyler Hamilton was doping also because how else can a person ride an
entire tour with a broken collar bone.

Here is an interview a Q & A session he did for Google employees which is up on
YOU TUBE.  It's 56 minutes long and worth listening to the whole thing.

In the interview , I felt that he did NOT really prove any innocence and a lot
of what he said suggested he DID dope.

He did inject steroids into his hip (cortisone) which I know is questionable in
cycling.  He pointed out "where do you draw the line?"  A good point. And said
that they were talking about banning altitude tents which was how Lance
Armstrong increased HIS red blood cells.

He was asked how does a cyclist "revive" himself after a difficult stage and he
pretty much evaded that question.  First joked "did you ever hear of alcohol?" a
joke he made a couple of times.  And then said he was pretty flexible about food
which was good because they stayed in all kinds of places with all kinds of
food. That was about all he said.

He said the problem was the UCI and group HAD NO SET RULES.  Just a vague rule
about "anything performance enhancing" (which would include cortisone also by
the way).  They should, like the Olympics, have a list of banned drugs.  Good
point.

He said that last year his necrotic hip was not bad for racing - just an ache
that kept him awake at night.  Bad enough to kept him awake at night after a
grueling day of cycling, seems pretty bad to me.

His comments about Lance Armstrong were interesting.  First comment "well I hear
this is going to be on 'youtube' so I'd better tone it down!"  (audience
laughed).  Then he described Lance as obsessive and perfectionist having a firm
idea of what he wanted from each person on his team. He said he didn't have any
trouble with him, but he added "let's put it this way - Lance doesn't have many
friends!"

The folks at Google were subtle about asking him the BIG QUESTION and but they
asked some questions which had Landis answered, might have said more about HIS
case - like they asked how could a guy like Ras who was strictly a climber
become an all around good biker - good on time trials also.

Landis TOTALLY EVADED this question and said that guys like McEwen would never
be climbers.  His evasion was rather obvious on this one. :)

Landis may not have a boisterous loud demeanor but I would not call him self
deprecating either.  He was pretty arrogant in some of his answers - about Lance
etc.

He also lied obviously about some answers. When asked about the behavior in the
peloton, he said they all respected each other and if there was an accident, it
was ALWAYS an accident.  First of all, folks like McEwen have been caught doing
things um... to make others faulter and secondly it's common knowledge that
there is plenty of body language stuff to make others crash. I cannot believe he
doesn't know about that.

He did say something interesting - he said they just tested the leader of the
teams and the stage winner.  In the 21 days of the TDF, he only got 8 drug
tests.

About his positive results he didn't talk much but said maybe it wasn't HIS
urine and also he finds fault with the way the lab works and accused them of
changing numbers when they wanted.

About doping in the peloton - he pretty much evaded that question, saying only
that he couldn't speak for anyone else and he knew it was happening but thought
it was much less than the news would like us to believe.

A person can be extremely charming and not be honest - we know that from Bill
Clinton... sometimes folks mix up charm with moral tenor...

Here is the direct link to the video ---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qem7taX7nPQ

It's interesting to note that Landis sat leaned over to favor his good hip. So
he's apparently uncomfortable sitting for longer periods.

I do not fault him for doping because I would bet all the top contender were
doing that but I do feel he's being dishonest to not come clean and try to cheat
his way out of just admitting it like all the other cyclists did.  That is
unfair to his fans and the American people and seems he's raised quite a bit of
bucks doing this. His book is a best seller and he raised over 2 million from a
website and fund raisers.

What I have reported is a fraction of what you will hear on the video. As I
said, it's worth taking the time to view.

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

So now that he's a household word (almost), there are some folks who feel that
Levi should get um.... the lack of hair fixed.  Hence here is how Levi looks
with hair:

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t243/chaoscycling/Levi.jpg

(artists rendition - no Levi did NOT visit the firms advertising on TV)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

yep, and now I hear Iban Mayo has been caught. Maybe we should just ban
any pro rider over 28 who is not Jens Voigt. You know.. just in case...

  --- In roadracingukandireland@yahoogroups.com, mickymallen
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Ive been in Austria on hols the last 2 weeks and tho Ive caught up
> with highlights in german on eurosport, ive been a bit cut off from
> the news etc
>
> I turned it on on thurs and watched the whole stage...how did millar
> fluff a good chance there!??
> and at the end, contador was give the yellow jersey!!
>
> what the hell!!!  I reads on the web thru my mobile about rasmussen,
> vino etc etc
>
> this is just absolute crap, it really is!
>

really nice photos of the Tour de France by pro photographer - worth a look!

http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/road_test/tour_de_france.do



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ive been in Austria on hols the last 2 weeks and tho Ive caught up
with highlights in german on eurosport, ive been a bit cut off from
the news etc

I turned it on on thurs and watched the whole stage...how did millar
fluff a good chance there!??
and at the end, contador was give the yellow jersey!!

what the hell!!!  I reads on the web thru my mobile about rasmussen,
vino etc etc

this is just absolute crap, it really is!

Said I wasn't going to watch the race this am.

Didn't make it... I watched.  Darned me.  I think I'm addicted.

Contador looked sad when he put on the yellow jersey at the end of today's
stage.  As the blabographers were crowing about how this is his "special day" he
didn't LOOK like he FELT it was his special day. No one wants to win by default.
No one.

I remember one time when I played pool with our son, a pool champion (8 ball)
who regularly "skunked me" (sank all the shots before I had a turn). This time,
he sank the 8 ball too early and lost the game. I felt no victory even though I
won by default.

No one wants to win by default.  I feel bad for everyone....

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>>>>Now what ...

<<<<

Rasmussen fired just as he was about to win the tour. I watched him attacked by
two Discovery riders and he managed to fight off the attacks and even win the
stage.  After the race, Leipheimer said that unless Rasmussen really messed up
the time trial on Saturday, he was going to win the TdF.

Next thing we knew, Rasmussen had been fired for not being available for those
drug tests in May and June. Well, ok they knew about that BEFORE he started the
tour and still let him rip up his body keeping the yellow jersey for 9 days and
winning the stage today which was not easy.

And that's just really lucky for Disc which doesn't have a sponsor but if they
win, of course, they MIGHT get a sponsor.  Contador is 2 min 38 seconds behind
Rasmussen and now as leader, 1 min and change separates him and Cadel Evans and
that's about it... the others have too much time to make up.  So Contador will
win. By Default.

I'm so disgusted I'm not bothering to watch it anymore.

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25072007/58/tour-de-france-rasmussen-tour-rabobank\
-wield-axe.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

Sorry to post this but...

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25072007/58/tour-de-france-cofidis-withdraw-moreni\
-positive.html

Kristian.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25072007/58/tour-de-france-failed-drugs-test-tour.\
html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I think the sport is effectively dead, certainly irrelevant.
I think I would cancel the Tour for the next five years, allow time for the
current peloton to  grow too old to participate. I'd use the five years to groom
the younger riders in a culture of fair racing.

Kristian Burton <kristian@...> wrote:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24072007/58/tour-de-france-cycling-rocked-new-drug\
s-shame.html

  Now what ...

  Kristian.

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






---------------------------------
Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24072007/58/tour-de-france-cycling-rocked-new-drug\
s-shame.html

Now what ...

Kristian.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Interesting stuff but Jerry Brewer obviously never came across
Richard Virenque. He wrote the book on protesting innocence with all
sincerity until prove guilty. though lacking Virenques matinee idol
looks, and flamboyance Landis is going down a similar road with his
PR, maybe with a touch of Hamilton thrown in.

I suspect Landis has few options other than to keep protesting his
innocence. No rider has ever faced a fall from such a great height,
and having set out his stall of denial there is no road back. --- In
roadracingukandireland@yahoogroups.com, "SueW" <gswidemark@...> wrote:
>
> Jerry Brewer
> Tireless Landis won't quit pursuit of innocence
>
> By Jerry Brewer
> Times staff Columnist
>
> I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis. I
will not believe Floyd Landis.
>
> I. Will. Not. Believe. Floyd. Landis.
>
> He cannot be trusted, cannot be admired. He duped us, he doped, and
that's that. Back to bashing Barry Bonds.
>
> Landis visited Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park last Thursday,
trying to promote his new book, "Positively False: The Real Story of
How I Won the Tour de France." What a nightmare that was. A pro-
Landis crowd of about 500 - "Our biggest crowd yet," publicist Brooke
Emerson gushed - came to hear Landis speak, take 25 minutes' worth of
questions and sign books.
>
> Landis did not leave until every question was answered, every book
signed. He seemed like he was having fun.
>
> I thought cheaters ducked and dodged.
>
> "He's just a normal guy," marveled a gray-haired man standing next
to me while Landis spoke. "He has such a nice smile."
>
> Normal? As opposed to diabolical?
>
> A nice smile? As opposed to a sneer?
>
> I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis. I
will not believe Floyd Landis.
>
> Landis does not come across as a con man who stole the 2006 Tour de
France. He is charming, but not in a syrupy way. If you put him in a
room with 7-year-olds, he would still seem innocent.
>
> In this era of doping, no other busted athlete has proclaimed
purity as long and loud as Landis. No other busted athlete has
written a book. No other busted athlete has cared so much about
changing public perception, even though several have fought similar
legal battles.
>
> Bonds does not care what we think. Neither does Marion Jones. Jason
Giambi lied, later said he was sorry in a non-incriminating manner,
and now he pokes out his lower lip to try to illicit sympathy.
>
> Some stars accused without evidence will not even show their faces
(Mark McGwire) or speak English when the topic is performance-
enhancing drugs (Sammy Sosa).
>
> Yet here is Landis, admittedly in the lower-profile sport of
cycling, fighting.
>
> "Look, that's what WADA [the World Anti-Doping Agency] hopes for,"
Landis said in an interview before his appearance. "They want
athletes to go into hiding, to decide it's not worth fighting for.
They're afraid of having an unfair system exposed for what it is.
They go into these things under the assumption that anybody who wins
any sporting event is guilty of some kind of doping.
>
> "So the means justify the end to them. You can completely fabricate
a result just to say someone's guilty, and to them, that's enough."
>
> Landis alternates between cute stories about his childhood in
Lancaster, Pa., and attacks on The System. It makes him more human,
less of a salesman. His words do not sound rehearsed, although he has
said similar things before. He speaks in a bundle of joy and disgust,
reacts with laughter and rage.
>
> I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis.
>
> A year ago, life was so different. Landis was in the yellow jersey.
He was eight days from winning his first Tour, succeeding Lance
Armstrong and giving America another overcoming-the-odds tale.
>
> Then we learned he had failed a drug test. The science behind it
all confuses the layman. First Landis tested positive for "an
excessive ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone." After that,
there were more tests. Some "B" samples of Landis' urine revealed
synthetic testosterone.
>
> Now he is suspended from his cycling team and trying to reclaim his
reputation. He says he has spent $2 million defending himself. In
May, he attended a bizarre arbitration hearing with the United States
Anti-Doping Agency to attempt to clear his name.
>
> A decision is pending, but that hearing will be remembered for
three-time Tour champion Greg LeMond's shocking claim that Landis'
business manager, Will Geoghegan, threatened to expose details of
LeMond's childhood sexual abuse if he gave bad testimony. Landis has
since fired Geoghegan.
>
> There is a soap opera to everything about Landis' story. In his
book, Landis does a nice job of casting reasonable doubt about his
guilt, especially with claims of shoddy lab work.
>
> "If I did my job the way they did theirs, you never would've heard
of me," Landis said.
>
> Landis knows he cannot win over everyone. Many people are too
cynical. But he also knows that cynicism can work both ways. Many
people love their conspiracy theories.
>
> "Honestly, I hope people don't just believe what I say," Landis
said. "I hope they listen and then look at the facts. They wouldn't
have a case if this were an innocent-until-proven-guilty system.
>
> "I know that I won the Tour. I know I worked hard for 15 years. I
would not have wished this humiliation on anyone, but I know who I
am."
>
> I will not believe Floyd Landis.
>
> He is a cheater; no, he is a victim. He is a sweet talker; no, he
is a sweet man. He is feasting on his infamy; no, he is eager to
claim his innocence.
>
> Thing is, no matter what you think of him, Landis has a point. And
he will not stop making it.
>
> "Americans don't put up with this [expletive]," Landis declared to
the crowd.
>
> That's right!
>
> Right on!
>
> Right?
>
> Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@...
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Jerry Brewer
Tireless Landis won't quit pursuit of innocence

By Jerry Brewer
Times staff Columnist

I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not
believe Floyd Landis.

I. Will. Not. Believe. Floyd. Landis.

He cannot be trusted, cannot be admired. He duped us, he doped, and that's that.
Back to bashing Barry Bonds.

Landis visited Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park last Thursday, trying to
promote his new book, "Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de
France." What a nightmare that was. A pro-Landis crowd of about 500 - "Our
biggest crowd yet," publicist Brooke Emerson gushed - came to hear Landis speak,
take 25 minutes' worth of questions and sign books.

Landis did not leave until every question was answered, every book signed. He
seemed like he was having fun.

I thought cheaters ducked and dodged.

"He's just a normal guy," marveled a gray-haired man standing next to me while
Landis spoke. "He has such a nice smile."

Normal? As opposed to diabolical?

A nice smile? As opposed to a sneer?

I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not
believe Floyd Landis.

Landis does not come across as a con man who stole the 2006 Tour de France. He
is charming, but not in a syrupy way. If you put him in a room with 7-year-olds,
he would still seem innocent.

In this era of doping, no other busted athlete has proclaimed purity as long and
loud as Landis. No other busted athlete has written a book. No other busted
athlete has cared so much about changing public perception, even though several
have fought similar legal battles.

Bonds does not care what we think. Neither does Marion Jones. Jason Giambi lied,
later said he was sorry in a non-incriminating manner, and now he pokes out his
lower lip to try to illicit sympathy.

Some stars accused without evidence will not even show their faces (Mark
McGwire) or speak English when the topic is performance-enhancing drugs (Sammy
Sosa).

Yet here is Landis, admittedly in the lower-profile sport of cycling, fighting.

"Look, that's what WADA [the World Anti-Doping Agency] hopes for," Landis said
in an interview before his appearance. "They want athletes to go into hiding, to
decide it's not worth fighting for. They're afraid of having an unfair system
exposed for what it is. They go into these things under the assumption that
anybody who wins any sporting event is guilty of some kind of doping.

"So the means justify the end to them. You can completely fabricate a result
just to say someone's guilty, and to them, that's enough."

Landis alternates between cute stories about his childhood in Lancaster, Pa.,
and attacks on The System. It makes him more human, less of a salesman. His
words do not sound rehearsed, although he has said similar things before. He
speaks in a bundle of joy and disgust, reacts with laughter and rage.

I will not believe Floyd Landis. I will not believe Floyd Landis.

A year ago, life was so different. Landis was in the yellow jersey. He was eight
days from winning his first Tour, succeeding Lance Armstrong and giving America
another overcoming-the-odds tale.

Then we learned he had failed a drug test. The science behind it all confuses
the layman. First Landis tested positive for "an excessive ratio of testosterone
to epitestosterone." After that, there were more tests. Some "B" samples of
Landis' urine revealed synthetic testosterone.

Now he is suspended from his cycling team and trying to reclaim his reputation.
He says he has spent $2 million defending himself. In May, he attended a bizarre
arbitration hearing with the United States Anti-Doping Agency to attempt to
clear his name.

A decision is pending, but that hearing will be remembered for three-time Tour
champion Greg LeMond's shocking claim that Landis' business manager, Will
Geoghegan, threatened to expose details of LeMond's childhood sexual abuse if he
gave bad testimony. Landis has since fired Geoghegan.

There is a soap opera to everything about Landis' story. In his book, Landis
does a nice job of casting reasonable doubt about his guilt, especially with
claims of shoddy lab work.

"If I did my job the way they did theirs, you never would've heard of me,"
Landis said.

Landis knows he cannot win over everyone. Many people are too cynical. But he
also knows that cynicism can work both ways. Many people love their conspiracy
theories.

"Honestly, I hope people don't just believe what I say," Landis said. "I hope
they listen and then look at the facts. They wouldn't have a case if this were
an innocent-until-proven-guilty system.

"I know that I won the Tour. I know I worked hard for 15 years. I would not have
wished this humiliation on anyone, but I know who I am."

I will not believe Floyd Landis.

He is a cheater; no, he is a victim. He is a sweet talker; no, he is a sweet
man. He is feasting on his infamy; no, he is eager to claim his innocence.

Thing is, no matter what you think of him, Landis has a point. And he will not
stop making it.

"Americans don't put up with this [expletive]," Landis declared to the crowd.

That's right!

Right on!

Right?

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@....


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19808514/



Alexandre Vinokourov breaks down in tears after his struggles on the ninth stage
of the Tour de France on Tuesday.

BRIANCON, France - A favorite to win the Tour de France, Alexandre Vinokourov's
title hopes are fading fast.

The injured cyclist fell more than eight minutes behind leader Michael Rasmussen
in Tuesday's ninth stage, the last of three stages in the Alps.

Juan Mauricio Soler became the latest Colombian to show climbing prowess at the
Tour, attacking in the last of three major ascents and holding off a pack of
chasers to win the stage.

Soler, a 24-year-old Colombian competing in his first Tour for the newcomer
Barloworld team, finished the 99.1-mile ride from Val d'Isere to Briancon in 4
hours, 14 minutes, 24 seconds.

"I'm really happy ... Winning a stage is a dream," Soler said.

Rasmussen, a Dane who took home the polka-dot jersey of the Tour's best climber
the last two years, leads a thinning pack of hopefuls after the Alps proved too
much for some.

His ambitions are growing to hold on to the leader's yellow jersey, which he
took in the second Alpine stage Sunday. His main rivals did little during
Tuesday's climbs.

Only a few managed to make up some ground. Alejandro Valverde of Spain, who
placed second after Soler, gained 16 seconds against Rasmussen and is second
overall - 2 minutes, 35 seconds back.

Valverde, who crashed out of last year's Tour with a broken collarbone, leads a
strong Caisse d'Epargne team and is shaping up as perhaps the biggest threat to
the 33-year-old Dane's ambitions.

Iban Mayo, a strong Spanish climber, was third overall and is 2:39 behind,
crossing the finish line along with Rasmussen.


Vinokourov is aching in both knees after a crash on Thursday. The Astana team
leader briefly dropped back to get an anti-inflammatory pill from the race
doctor during Tuesday's stage.

"I did what I could. The team worked well again ... and tried to reduce the
gap," Vinokourov said on France-2 television.

"It was another horrible day for me," he said before breaking into tears.

Vinokourov, who was third in the 2003 Tour and won last year's Tour of Spain,
lost another 2:42 to Rasmussen and now trails by 8:05 overall in 21st place.

Riders face two time trials - frequently where fortunes change and Vinokourov is
strong - and three grueling days in the Pyrenees early next week that could
shape the outcome.

Other title aspirants also lost ground. Russia's Denis Menchov lost 2:49 to
Rasmussen and is now 7:10 back, and 2006 runner-up Oscar Pereiro was 2:42
behind, and trails by 6:36 overall.

Among the expected contenders within striking distance, Cadel Evans of Australia
is fourth, 2:41 back; Frenchman Christophe Moreau sits sixth, 3:18 behind;
Carlos Sastre of Spain trails by 3:39 in seventh, and American Levi Leipheimer
is ninth, 3:53 off the leader's pace.

Astana's biggest hope may now be Andreas Kloeden of Germany, one of the world's
best long time trial specialists who was runner-up to Lance Armstrong in 2004.
He kept close to Rasmussen, and is eighth overall - 3:50 back.

"For the team, the most important thing was not to loose contact with the yellow
jersey group," Astana sporting manager Mario Kummer said. "The Tour isn't over
yet."

Rasmussen will be in yellow again Wednesday for a mostly flat Stage 10, a
142.6-mile trek from Tallard to the Mediterranean city of Marseille. It is the
second-longest stage this year.

Rasmussen's Rabobank team was one of three - along with Italy's Lampre-Fondital
and Dutch squad Rabobank - that experienced unannounced blood tests by the
International Cycling Union early Tuesday before the stage. None of the 25
riders tested were ruled unfit to continue.

Riders trudged up the Iseran and Galibier passes Tuesday, ascents among the
toughest in cycling. The stage ended with a long descent into Briancon, but a
slight uphill patch at the end.

There were more spills. Marcus Burghardt of Germany struck a spectator's dog
that ambled onto the road. His front wheel buckled and he was thrown off his
bicycle. He finished the stage. The dog also seemed OK.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy came out to support the competitors Tuesday,
riding along with Tour director Christian Prudhomme in a car that followed
Soler's breakaway performance.

"I had to buckle up in the back seat, he was going downhill at 49 mph," Sarkozy
told France-2.


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This is what one blog says:

http://caliradocyclist.blogspot.com/2007/07/chicken-and-fat-man.html



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Do we have an active owner on this group?  If so and he/she doesn't have time to
remove the spammers, I would like to volunteer to be a moderator... we can set
the membership to approve new members - that actually does not deter legitimate
joiners but stops the spammers - some of them do leave notes but it's kind of
easy to tell like they will like "I like your group and want to join" or
something like that... I can also de-spammerize the group for you... (get rid of
the members who send spam ads).  Let me know...

Sue

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