Official running, no, make that official CYCLING 97th Tour de France thread...

Don't look for Farrar to do much today. He said yesterday because of his busted wrist he can't pull on the bars.

 

Probe into cycling widens
by Agencies 12:55 GMT Jul 08, 2010 A United States doping probe into cycling, sparked in part by Floyd Landis' allegations, has become a global effort.

David Howman, director general of the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada), told AFP that Wada had helped US investigators establish cooperation with European counterparts through Interpol, the international police agency, as the probe broadens.

Landis' claims prompted the US authorities to launch a federal investigation led by Food and Drug Administration special agent Jeff Novitzky, who dismantled the infamous BALCO doping ring in the United States before.

"This investigation has been going on for many weeks and I think it is a significant inquiry," Howman said.

"And it's one that might go on for many more weeks because it essentially started with a US inquiry and is spreading," he explained.

"We've been persuading people to cooperate and think that would be helpful."

http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC100708-0000057/Probe-into-cycling-widens

 

As usual, Phil says it best:

Mark Cavendish is back!


(Finally!)

 

Strange to see Cav so emotional on the podium, but pretty endearing.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/97th-tour-de-france-gt/stage-5/photos/129779

 

At least he wasn't pointing at his crotch like last year.

 

Speaking of being a dick...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/07/news/alberto-contador-stops-by-radioshack-bus-to-deliver-gifts-to-armstrong-and-bruyneel_127230

LA's true colors are coming out. I wonder if his "being busy in the back of the bus" involved syringes?

 

Cav's crying on the podium yesterday made him seem endearing. His race to the finish today made him seem like a missile, yet again. I think it was Sherwin who said Cav is the greatest sprinter of all time. Not sure anyone can debate that anymore.

 

Landis supposedly told a friend by text after the WSJ article came out that Big Tex is going to jail. (if/when he comes back to the US??)

 

Landis should be in jail for taking money from people for his defense fund. What's the difference there and some crooked investment guy? People gave him money in good faith and he bilked them.

I'd like my money back for his book I bought. Even if only about 50 cents of the purchase price wound up in his pocket back, he owns me a refund.

I still say Floyd won, but STFU.

 

Speculation is beginning that some of the targeted cyclists won't return from Europe anytime soon. I'd find it hard to believe that LA would seemingly admit guilt by moving permanently to France or Spain. But it might not be out of the realm of possibility that Johan Bruyneel would stay there, a la Polanski.

I also would assume Landis has some sort of agreement w/ the Feds to receive some sort of hand-slapping when it's all said and done.

Can't believe Radio Shack or Nissan (both of whom are being displayed in a banner ad below as I type this) are looking forward to next year.

 

Probably a smart move for LA to pack up the kids and move to Lake Como. Would the stateside media even bother to roast him over the coals for it? Or is he 'too big to fail' in terms of sponsorships, reputation etc. like Mike Jordan...

 

Hein Verbruggen had reasons to be so upset in early June. A month earlier, Landis had send an e-mail to American cycling official Steve Johnson telling Johnson that Armstrong had told Landis he bribed Verbruggen to suppress a positive drug test when Verbruggen was the president of the International Cycling Union, or UCI. Verbruggen vigorously denies the claim (and told the Daily News his e-mails to Landis were borne of frustration over what he calls a false accusation). He denied taking Armstrong's side in the dispute. "The truth is we did NOT cover up," he said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/07/10/2010-07-10_disgraced_floyd_landis_rides_alone.html?page=1#ixzz0tL8rrXMd
Report: UCI got two, not one Armstrong donations
Station des Rousses, France - The ruling cycling body UCI has accpted not one but two donations from seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, the cyclingnews website on Saturday quoted UCI president Pat McQuaid as saying.

McQuaid told the website that Armstrong paid 25,000 dollars in 2002 and another 100,000 in 2005 after his initial retirement via his management. The money went to anti-doping measures in junior cycling.

"I said during the Giro d'Italia in May that we were going to investigate and look into the archives to discover exactly what happened. That's what we have done," said McQuaid in explanation why the second payment was only announced now. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/334199,two-not-armstrong-donations.html