Phantom Reflections

And so it begins...

Link: VeloNews | Schumacher has his own out-of-competition positive to explain | The Journal of Competitive Cycling..
The Tour de France is only a few days old and we have our first doping controversy:

Germany's Stefan Schumacher pulled on the Tour de France yellow jersey here Tuesday, and was then forced to defend himself quickly over a positive test for amphetamines last year and explain why he was invited to race the Tour, while Tom Boonen was not.

Schumacher, who denies taking the stimulant, tested positive after a police stop while returning from a disco. The incident reminds some of Boonen's out-of-competition positive test for cocaine this spring, which resulted in Boonen being denied a Tour start.

I really don't know what to say. The whole credibility of the Tour de France is gone in my opinion. It's hard to know who is telling the truth anymore.

For the record I've been watching, but only the last couple minutes of each stage. The Tour doesn't have the excitement for me as it did in the past. I much more enjoy the Tour of Califormia. Still, I'm pulling for Team Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle. It's nice to see two strong American teams in the tour.

Incidentally, if you swing by a Chipotle restaurant they are serving up a special Le Burrito -- apparently the same one the team likes to eat to recover from those brutal training rides. I just worry that if Garmin-Chipotle does well this year, the burrito will become a banned substance... I'm just saying...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!

LET FREEDOM RING!

CAS Rules Against Landis - My Thoughts

As many cyclists already know, CAS ruled against Floyd Landis in his quest to overturn his conviction for doping during the 2006 Tour de France. It ended up being three to zero in opposition to Landis, and what was more stunning was the wording of the ruling. I don’t think anyone can miss the personal attacks against Floyd and his legal team for “embarrassing” the doping controls process, the lab, and all the rest of it. Basically, Floyd was chastised for being a “mean person” and has been fined $100,000—money he does not have, since he drove his finances into the ground defending himself. (For more detail check out Trust But Verify.)

This decision is sobering. It tells all cyclists out there that if you are accused, just sit down and shut up. Do not defend yourself. Do not fight against city hall. You are all just serfs and the ruling lords of cycling shall do with you as they wish.

If you remember, the organizations that accused Landis are the same that tried in vein to go after Lance Armstrong. I just think that they believed they had found an easy target with Floyd, but boy did Landis fight them tooth and nail. Also keep in mind that the next winner of the TDF after Floyd and his entire team were not invited back for the 2008 edition. Conspiracy? You be the judge.

What the CAS ruling does more than anything else is prove Floyd’s innocence. Why would they go to such lengths to personally attack the man? If the facts were against him all they had to do was state those, deny his appeal, and then move on. I think that would have gone down a lot better with the entire cycling community.

For those riding the 2008 Tour de France that starts tomorrow, just make sure you don’t stand out too much, be mindful about having a really good day, and really really think about going for the win. That podium has been proven to be nothing but trouble.

So now I think Floyd should train hard. His suspension ends in a little over six months. Then he can come back and win race after race, pee in every cup, and show the world that he was wronged, and moreover that he is the true champion of the 2006 Tour de France. In my book, the way he defended himself and his honor proves the strength of his character and his belief in his innocence.

And for the record: Now, more than ever, I stand by Floyd Landis.

'Wanted' Opens Today

WANTED by director Timur Bekmambetov opens in theaters today. I was on the fence about seeing this film in the theaters, but then I read that Bekmambetov is the man behind NIGHT WATCH and DAY WATCH. I haven't yet seen NIGHT WATCH, but DAY WATCH just blew me away. The whole movie is subtitled, but after about five minutes I didn't even notice... normally subtitles annoy me. DAY WATCH is a fantastic film.

I'm going to run out to Blockbuster and rent both of them before seeing WANTED this weekend. I know they're not related, but I love Bekmambetov as a filmmaker and hope that WANTED will be his ticket to big blockbuster stardom here in the United States.

Landis to Hear From CAS on June 30th

Link: VeloNews | Floyd Landis CAS decision expected Monday | The Journal of Competitive Cycling..
Just the other day I was trying to find out about what happened with Floyd's CAS hearing. Well it looks like they are ready to make a decision.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will publish its decision on Floyd Landis' appeal on Monday, June 30 at 7 am EST. CAS held a closed-door hearing in New York in April.

Landis hopes the CAS appeal board — David Williams of New Zealand, Paris attorney Jan Paulsson and New York lawyer David Rivkin — will overturn the ruling against him by a US arbitration panel last September.

Where’ve you been? Huh?

If you hadn’t noticed, I took a break from blogging for a little while. And it’s not because of the old standard “I’m too busy” excuse, but just ‘cuz I needed a little break. There’s been a lot going on in the news with the presidential election, gas prices, the looming actors’ strike, bookstore sales, and all the rest of it. I just haven’t felt too much like jumping into the middle of all the controversy.

I will say that I attended Book Expo America last month in Los Angeles. It’s the third time I attended, and it really gets old after a while. It must be hard for a lot of the sales people to stand there day after day, hour after hour. I have a lot of respect for their endurance.

I loved IRON MAN. It was one of the few films that I’ve seen lately that had me up and cheering as I left the theater. Robert Downey, Jr. was brilliant.

That’s all for now.

Next Couple Days Packed with Cool Stuff

This is a big big big big weekend folks. For me, I get to run another 10 mile race this weekend after doing a half marathon last weekend. Am I nuts? Hey, you read this blog so you should know. I just checked all the things coming up that hit high on my coolness meter, and here they are:

Tonight, Friday - The Premier of Season 3 of DR. WHO
I've been a huge fan of DR. WHO since John Pertwee manned the TARDIS. And let's be honest: if Russell T. Davies did a mini-series based on John Cage's 4' 33" I think we'd all watch. Check your local listings, but look for it between SARAH JANE and BSG.

Sunday April 20th - Women's Olympic Marathon Trials
A day before the Boston Marathon, beantown will be hosting the Olympic trials for the women runners. I get nervous just thinking about how nervous I would be.

Monday April 21st - The Boston Marathon
It's a tough race, and a lot of people say it's one of the toughest in the world. Maybe ... maybe not, but I know that it's damn hard to get in. Only uber fast runners need apply, unless you are a member of a sanctioned running club or something like that. Still, I don't think there is any runner on the planet who doesn't dream about running over Heartbreak Hill in Newton. All I can say is practice that speed work.

Monday April 21st - The Tour of Georgia
We can thank the Tour of Georgia for starting the trend of American cycling tours that has led to the Tour of Missouri and the Tour of California. The bad boys of Rock Racing are in and it should be a fun week.

Di Luca Cleared of Doping Charges

Link: VeloNews | Di Luca cleared | The Journal of Competitive Cycling.
Wow! Danilo Di Luca has been cleared:

The Italian Olympic Committee’s court of last instance acquitted defending Giro d’Italia champion Danilo Di Luca of doping charges on Wednesday.

Prosecutors representing the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) had been seeking a two-year suspension for Di Luca after he returned an “anomalous sample” following the 17th stage of last year's Giro in May. Had he been found guilty of a violation, his Giro title, too, would have been negated.

"Finally justice has been served," Di Luca said. "It's true I lost a year of my life but now I'm only thinking about riding and winning. Victories are the best cure for unhappiness.

"I have suffered a lot during the last year during which I have tried to avoid a lot of the criticism. Now I'm back in a happy mood. "

And on doping allegations, Di Luca added: "There was no proof and there could not have been any."

That's good news for cycling. I just wonder what will happen next, meaning will he bring any civil charges against anyone? This will hopefully make it easier for cyclists to get acquitted of trumped up charges. Now let's clear Floyd.

'The Sarah Jane Adventures' Rocks!

I have to say that I LOVED watching THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES premier on Friday night. It was light, fun, entertaining, and I enjoyed all the characters. I know it's aimed at kids, but since I stopped growing up around age seventeen it was right up my alley.

With TORCHWOOD, DR. WHO, and THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES, Russell T. Davies could be said to be the Gene Roddenberry of our generation.

'The Sarah Jane Adventures' Premiers Tonight on SciFi

If you were a youngster in the 1970s and a fan of DR. WHO, it was difficult not to have a crush on Elisabeth Sladen. She played Sarah Jane Smith, companion to the 3rd and 4th Doctors -- John Pertwee and Tom Baker. Her first spin-off K9 AND COMPANY didn't make it past the pilot, but now under the new regime of Russell T. Davies, Sarah Jane is back with a hit. And the best part is we finally get to see it over here in the colonies. No need to dump that tea in protest! The Sci-Fi Channel has seen fit to pick up the new series THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES, and it premiers tonight. Check your local listings, fire up the DVR, and get ready for some fun. Rose Tyler was a great companion, but Sarah Jane Smith will always be tops on my list.