Does the Contador ban mean Pro Cycling is cleaner?

I have to be honest I am a bit stunned by the CAS decision today.  I really thought based on the small amount of clenbuterol in his system, other athletes' case wins for similar issues, and his home federations decision, he would walk.  I wanted to zoom out on the issue and take an honest look at it.  For the record, my belief has been and still is, that he took in a blood bag at the TDF from earlier in the year and that is why he had the small amount of clenbuterol in his system. Does that mean I hoped he was going to be banned and stripped of his titles?  No, I was actually hoping he would be free to ride the 2012 season.  Why?  Because he makes cycling more interesting, and I am not assuming he is any less clean than other riders.   I am really questioning the notion that cycling is cleaner today based on this decision. I am also challenged on what my stance is on doping in the sport and the way cycling approaches it.  Is cycling trying to be perfect in a sporting world full of leagues constantly pulling the wool over their fans eyes?

Eddie Merckx had this to say (via Velo Nation):

“It’s a sad day for Alberto Contador; it's a sad day for cycling,” he told the Eurosport cameras. “I think people want to kill off cycling.”

Merckx, who himself tested positive in controversial circumstances in his career, feels that the trace amount of Clenbuterol found in Contador’s urine – 50 picogrammes per litre, a far lower level than most anti-doping labs are able to detect – means that he should have been acquitted.

“I think we’re going too far,” he said. “The level of the control was incredibly low, and it’s only in cycling that this kind of thing can happen...

“It’s a terrible thing,” he added. “Alberto Contador’s won a lot of competitions, not just the Tour de France; the Giro d’Italia, we’ve seen the way he rode the Giro last year, he doesn’t deserve this.”

While Merckx acknowledged that it was necessary to try to catch the cheats in sport, he maintained that cycling paid a far higher price than most other sports.

“I’m the first to say that we need good anti-doping tests,” he said, “but I think that in cycling they go too far.”

Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11081/Eddy-Merckx-I-think-people-want-to-kill-off-cycling.aspx#ixzz1lcahLOyt


We can't approach the doping issue as many Bike Pure Twibbon flying fans do, acting as if doping entered the sport right around the time Lemond couldn't keep up (as he has claimed multiple times, that was the start of the EPO era).  Doping has always been around the sport in some form or fashion since the early 1900's. From arsenic, cocaine, blood transfusions, EPO, and even UV blood treatments, only the methods have changed.  The Mt Rushmore of cycling all admitted to, tested positive or are suspected of doping (Merckx, Coppi, Anquetile, Fingon etc..). Others have come under serious allegations and suspicions including Lemond with his "iron" injections from Otto to Lance's relationship with Dr. Ferrari.


 It has always been part of the sport, so do events like the Festina Affair, Operation Puerto, Floyd Landis and now Contador mean it is cleaner? Alberto Contador became the second TDF winner to lose his title in the last 100 years, but the second in a four year period.  Does this mean more are doing it, or did a few riders and doctors get sloppy?  Will the persecution of these few deter riders from this route going forward, or will they just work harder to hide it? I have to agree with Merckx from a business perspective - cycling does a clumsy job with doping in the sport.  They have tried to walk the line of a "pure" sport way out in front of other sports like soccer, track and field and EVERYTHING happening in a stadium in the US.  From the outside, cycling looks like Kirstie Allie battling her weight issues.  Events like Festina Affair and Op Puerto are mega diets for cycling resulting in a "beach body" for a short time.  "Look everyone, we are cleaning up our sport! See, look at us in our thong!"  No other sports has these major events and perhaps there are good reasons for it.  Futbol (Soccer here in aMerika) and tennis both had some ties to Operation Puerto but nothing ever surfaced.  Both sports had a ton of money and fans to lose, so it just didn't come out.... is this a better way?  MLB and the NFL have been very slowly "working" on testing for a long time.

When I watch a Sunday in Hell, I don't stop to ponder if Merckx or Devlarmick are on something; I just watch and enjoy it. Perhaps it is just the time we are in now, most people look at pictures of JFK and Jackie O without wondering about Marilynn Monroe.  I enjoyed the 8 stages of the TDF I was at (2001 and 2003-2005); Tours that included Lance, Jan, Basso and Vino.  For many fans looking back on video of these races now, they view them like vacation pics of the Clinton's.  All they can focus on is does Hillary know about Monica?

The inter webs have been a buzz with anti-Lance and anti-Conta tweets, FB posts, and blogs. Many of the fans are not short on venom for those suspected of doping and the fans of those riders.  My big question when people mount their sporting high horses is who can you prove to be clean?  Battles go back and forth from LA fans to fans of other riders.  Evans and Schleck fans call Armstrong a cheat, and say he is smug and arrogant.  Then LA fans punch back with YouTube videos of Cuddles being a jerk to reports and reminders that he was on T-Mobile.  Other chime in reminding those that forgot about  Frank paying 7,000 Euros to Dr. Fuentez and the fact they rode for the same DS as Basso and Hamilton.  Many arguments end this way with the thread going cold.

"You can't prove a negative" so we are left to wonder, does anyone get a pass for being clean?  Are we expected to believe they are clean based on the team they ride for or the rubber bracelet they wear?  As I have stated before, each and every rider can be tied to a questionable teammate, DS, DR. or trainer by 1 or 2 degrees.

Play this Game:

Take a rider and fill in the blanks...did they ride for ______ (Saiz, Riis, Johan, Lelangue) did they work with _______ (Ferrari, Fuentez, etc) _______  Do they train with or were they friends with______ (fill in any rider that has been suspended).  Did their results jump up drastically in one season in a discipline_____ (TT, climbing etc) or as a GC contender?

  When you do this, you will realize that a DS like Johan has had quite the eye for talent (Vaughters, Hincapie, Boonen, Devolder, Levi, DZ, Floyd, Tyler and Christian).  So do I actually believe that Jonathan Vaughter's and team are above suspension more than Johan or Bjarne's team?  The answer for me is NO. The likes of Ted Haggard (or substitute any other pious religious figure or politician) have shown us preaching and claiming one lifestyle doesn't not mean you are not living opposite of that behind closed doors. So I feel each rider, DS, and Team should get the equal amount of suspicion or belief in their positive intent.

In the end, Contador will be out of the sport until August when I assume he will roar back to win the Vuelta 2012.  Fans will go on taking shots at each other and defending their favorites.  I will just be watching each race in the moment hoping my favorites win.  I honestly don't think the sport will ever be 100% clean, and so I am not gonna bother dwelling on it.  I seem to watch other sports without wondering too deeply if they are on HGH.  I agree with Merckx that cycling and it's crash diet ways of fighting doping are bad for the sport.  Other sports and other fan bases live in a happier place, so perhaps an element of ignorance is bliss.  As cycling fans we seem to reserve this ignorance bit for only our favorites.

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Andy Schleck can win the 2012 TDF if....

We decided to to lay out how the Lanky Lux can win the 2012 Tour de France in response to this tweet @ us earlier today:

@hbstache He @andy_schleck is going to win the TdF this year. Even a good chance he'll win it twice... #againstallods

#1 There will need to be a massive crash crash like the one in 2003 that took out or hurt most of the GC contenders.  Andy will need to have Cadel, Conta, Basso, Wiggo and maybe even Levi hit the deck.  Team Nissan RadioSchack is researching what type of spectacles could cause this level of crash:

*Truth be told, Andy will need to have Frank  home as well; all that Schlooking around costs time and effort.

#2 Andy has to be okay with swapping bikes at the top of climbs (kind of a reverse Contador).  He might loose a bit of time putting on the armor & full face helmet but he at least he will have a fighting chance of making it down the descent in one piece.

#3 Andy will need Johan’s proposed UCI TT rule change to be approved.  The new rule would allow a teammate to ride Grand Tour TT’s for their leader.  "Hey Fabian take it a bit easy on your TT, save some for Andy’s."  When this idea was shared with Fabian, he responed in Fabanese “I am bit worried about Tony Martin, but he is busy with Chavenel’s pillow so it ok.  I ride hard for Andy!”

#4  A huge doping scandal could help his chances as well; something that will take out around a third of the field.  Think of what it would look like if 1998 met Op Puerto.  If Dr. Fuentez drove the Festina-mobile to the Saxo, BMC, & Sky team hotels with his cooler in the passenger seat. Andy is a lock for the top step (unless Frank bought "training plans" from Fuentez again)!

There is a chance Andy might end up as the  winner of the 2010 TDF if Conta gets  suspended.  But, Andy will always be SCHLECKnd to us!  

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NEW Spring classic T's Featuring: Philippe Gilbert & Fabian Cancellara

You know you are a BAD MAN, when Belgian fans hold up signs asking for your mercy!  Fabian Cancellara is one of the strongest riders in the pro peloton and we wanted to make a fitting tribute T!  This T is available in Men's & Ladies sizing and is set to deliver in late January. For a limited time it is Pre-Order priced at $22.  Buy NOW

$1 from this T will be donated to Ride for Reading

With a total of 15 race wins, Philippe Gilbert was hands down the best cyclist of 2011.  He earned his nickname of "Fast Phil" many times over.  This T is available in Men's & Ladies sizing and is set to deliver in late January. For a limited time it is Pre-Order priced at $22.  Buy NOW 

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Our USA Pro Cycling Challenge preview

We have lived in CO for about a year and half, and I am still amazed by the scenery, terrain and the weather.  The latter I feel will be a deciding factor in this 1st edition of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Most of these riders are aware that this will be the highest stage race they have done (until the ASO figures out how to add Tour of Tibet to the calendar).  Many non-CO pros are already out here acclimating to the altitude.  To give some perspective to the lack of O2, the arrival line on Alpe d'Huez is at 1860 Meters (6,102 ft).  Several of the start towns at this race are already a 1,000 ft above that.  For those riders that are not yet here getting used to the altitude, it will be a bit of a shocker.

Yesterday I went for a ride and already had 5,000 ft of climbing in when the wind picked up.  It was 95 degrees w/30mph wind on my way home.  I was in the hurt locker and was thinking about how the wind can and will change the US Pro.  You just don't know when and where it will hit you in CO.  I have been in the middle of ride that started with no wind to speak of, only to get blasted on a descent with 35+ mph gusts.  As Nick Legan and the Rapha N. America crew pointed out in their stage 1 preview (Rapha Stage 1 preview), the wind here can change the game.  That said, to win this race I believe it will require a strong GC contender and a very smart/cunning Director Sportiff.

Who does that count out?  

LEOPARD TREK and the Schleck brothers: 
Cunning and tactics are not the norm with the Lanky Lux boys.  They can climb, which is a very good thing for this race, but descending is not at the top of their skill list.  Add in some wind, rain, sleet, snow on 12,000 ft descents and this could cost them the race.  Not to mention what will happen when another team makes a move on a flat section with a wicked side wind.  We have wondered if the LEOPARD TREK director is playing Angry Birds during a majority of their races (Amstel Gold as the Schlecks escorted Gilbert to the line, or in the Pyrenees at the TDF as Andy and Frank looked for each other like Bert and Ernie). Add in the stress of their "Hotel Demands "we highlighted earlier in the season, and it might be just too much for this team. I think these two have their sights set on the 2nd and 3rd step of the podium.  Expect a quote like this at the end of August:  

Schlecks "happy" w/ 2nd and 3rd again.

Constantly Schlooking around for each other.

“We would have hoped to have one Schleck on top of the podium, but we’re proud of each other and proud of ourselves.”




Who does that favor?

Radio Shack:
They have had a very Jekyll and Hyde season so far.  They very quietly won early on in the year, but followed that up with one of the worst TDF's in recent memory.  Johan Bruyneel has many fans and an equal number of detractors, but you can not deny he knows how to win stage races.  We normally think of his victories in the context of Grand Tours, but he has dominated the US races as well.

Tour de Georgia:
3 of 6

Tour of California:
4 of 6

Tour of Missouri:
1 of 3

Levi is not a true climber by any means, but he can hang tough with most of them.  He has shown he can handle the extreme altitude with his victory at the Leadville 100.   It does appear that Levi has better "luck" on this side of the Atlantic, so we will have to see if that continues here. Levi raced against many of these riders at ATOC and his team won the race in dramatic fashion.

Garmin-Cervelo:
After a very impressive TDF by Tom Danielson, they look poised to shake this race up.  As a CO based team, they know about the altitude and the weather they will encounter.  I predict that this team will animate this race from start to finish.  They have 3 cards to play with Ryder, Christian and Tommy D.  Teams won't be able to mark all three of them, and a breakaway move on a hot and dry day when the wind picks up could actually steal this race.  Ryder fits that bill perfectly and I would expect he gives it a go on several occasions.

Rabobank:
This Dutch team knows a bit about how to deal with wind and the elements.  Robert Gesink is a world class climber, if he is recovered from his TDF injuries, he could be on the podium.

The big ?'s for me:

Cadel Evans:
Will he be riding this to maintain his World #1 ranking, or as a glorified post TDF criterium to help his US based Team add to their marketing strategy?  It is hard to imagine that one would come to race at this altitude and not be here to win.  A Tour win is a dream come true for any rider; there has to be a bit of complacency that sets in right? Since 2009's Worlds, Cadel has surprised us, so I would expect him to throw us another curve ball in CO.

Dark horse:
Could an "unknown" win this thing?  The GC guys might let a solid domestic climber go away and gain minutes only to regret that situation later.  Even at the TDF, they almost had a surprise from Voeckler.  This race is not that long, if 3-5 min. is given, it could stick.

We are sure of a few things; this race will be beautiful and filled with the highest level of suffering any cycling fan can wish for.  VIVA CO Cycling! VIVA USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE!

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TT showdown: Lanky Lux vs Spirited Aussie should be epic!

Andy will be in the start house in the Maillot Juane.  The question is will he have it on later in the day?  Cadel is one of the best Time Trialists in the world and seems to be in the best form of his career. He has also shown us that he can avoid bad luck for a full 3 weeks.  Andy is not built like a time trailist, doesn't look the part, has not performed well in TT's past.  All that said the same was said about Sastre vs Evans in 08.  Some how someway Sastre was able to put in the TT of his life to keep the jersey.  The only thing we are sure of is that one of these "brides maids" is FINALLY getting hitched.

Here are some recent battles that happened at the end of the TDF (Floyd vs Oscar, Marco vs Jan).  It doesn't always end as you would expect, so we are excited to see how it turns out!  Take our poll on the upper right of this page to let us know how you think it will turn out!

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Cadel Evans has a SPLEEN OF FURY!

Have to admit, for many years I was not a fan of Cadel Evans.  It was really several things that led me in that direction.  It was his lack of desire to attack and his following of wheels that drove me nuts.  He would ride and hang on, but never put his nose out in the wind. I remember dropping this comment during a group ride which almost resulted in Nuun water coming out the nose of a fellow rider, "Cadel doesn't really ride a Ridley, he rides a Hoover; all he does is suck wheels" This in addition to the tears when he pulled on the yellow jersey (mid race, not in Paris...man card deduction even if it was Paris, but at least you won the entire race).

Plus you had some media moments like this one:

I just thought he was a 2nd place holding jerk. Fast forward to Worlds 2009....Holy shit he owned that race!  I was stunned he attacked and even more stunned that he stayed away.  Cadel then went on to honor the Worlds jersey in a way no one has in years.  Some say that one race did not change him as a rider, I disagree.  He was no longer scared to take a risk and lose the podium.  2nd place was no longer a pleasing position to him; he wanted the top step. He has quickly become one of my favorite riders to watch.  No Andy Schleck here, this guy has a Spleen of Fury that does not go away in 24 hours. Now, he will cut your head off if you try to take his yellow jersey!

Cadel has paid his dues, had injuries (multiple c-bones in one season), worn and lost the jersey, had horrible mechanicals (Vuelta 2009). He has been bested by a few Spanish doper types at Grand Tours and I think he has a score to settle.  He is not only due, he has set his whole year up to peak at the Tour.  If Contador comes to the race with only 5 bullets in his Pistol then I think we could see Cadel hang close enough to pass Conta, Basso, and Schleck in the final TT.  He is my pick for the win in July.*

*or August/September if Conta wins and gets it taken away in court

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