The fallout in the bike-Y world has been severe this week around the non-invite of Team Astana to this year's Tour de France. Here's an interesting tidbit I found...
The 2007 Tour runner-up Cadel Evans has already said that he does not want to start the Tour without his main rivals. Also, both the pro teams’ association and the pro riders’ union indicated last week that they are prepared to boycott this year’s Giro d’Italia should the organizers not accept Astana and other UCI ProTour teams to the Italian grand tour. It’s likely they will now threaten to boycott the Tour.
As i said on Wednesday, I doubt this is the last word...
http://www.velonews.com/article/72013
Let's go through some housecleaning...the Super Bowl is now behind us (only 10 weeks until the Draft!), but I did stumble upon this classic 19-0 commercial. Kind of an ironic icon now that Reebok can never use it...
Okay, before I get to two non-Bike-Y topics, there are other key happenings in the Pro Cycling universe. Bad news first...
It appears that the UCI is going to try and pursue a 2 year ban against Michael Rasmussen for missing drug tests when he was said he was in Mexico. Actually, the term they use is "evading controls in a premeditated manner" which does sound better. Interestingly, the UCI has no real power, and has to ask Monaco's Cycling Federation (who granted Rasmussen his pro licence) to investigate and potentially impose a 2-year ban. Again, Bike-Y will keep you posted...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/UCI_Calls_For_Rasmussen_Doping_Investigation_article_178603.html
Good news on the Bike-Y front...the Pro Cycling world comes to North America this weekend. The AMGEN Tour of California, which attracts a world class field (including Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Paolo Bettini, Oscar Friere, all 4 have been world champions!) and might be the only stage race that allows Team Astana to compete this year! Other teams include Gerolsteiner, Credit Agricole, Quick Step, CSC, High Road (formerly T-Mobile), and bike-Y new favourite team, Team Slipstream. Anyhow, the official Tour of California website has lots of interactive coverage of the race from the 17th-24th, so check it out!
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/press/2008-roster-announced.html
By the way, does anyone else think it's ironic that the company that sells EPO (Amgen) sponsors a cycling race (a sport with more EPO problems than almost any other)?
With 6 months to go to the Beijing Olympics, I found this story and found it interesting. I have always wondered how China can be so world-class in so many areas but still be so behind in human rights (i know, that's putting it mildly). Apparently, the British Olympic Association is concerned about its athletes bringing up the issue during the Olympics, so is making every British Olympian sign a contract which will ensure that the athletes don't make any political comments. If you dont sign, you dont go to Beijing...wow, nice free speech...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=513362&in_page_id=1770&ct=5
On the running front, this weekend also includes the US National Cross and Field Championships in San Diego. I guess this is only interesting to me since two US Olympians in the marathon (Dathan Ritzenheim and the simply amazing Ryan Hall) plus 6 other men who have run sub 28 minutes over 10 km. Pretty wicked race...the winners go to Glasgow in March for Worlds.
http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2008_02_12_14_36_31
Canada has already has its National Championship (last fall in Guelph) but I can't find out who if anyone is representing our fine nation. We are sending a team to a North American/Carribean/Central America XC Race in Orlando on March 1, which includes Calgary's Lisa Harvey and Edmonton's Paula Findlay (Jr Woman). Good luck to Team Canada.
Next week we'll update the Tour of California, plus lots of triathlon updates...oh yeah, NBC is showing their 1.5 hour Kona 2007 broadcast at 12 noon MT on Saturday. It's worth taping for some indoor trainer motivation!
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