Well wouldja look at that? Three American silver medals at the Cyclocross World Championsips – only the U23 Men (of course, the squad I actually know people on) failed to podium, or, for that matter, to even play a major role.

While I’m as pumped as the next Yank about these finishes, let’s just keep in mind that both Elite American medallists received a serious support ride from domestique Lady Luck. Sven Nys and Bert Wellens – running 1 and 2 on the UCI points list – neutralized each other two laps in. And on the women’s side, World Cup leader Hanka Kupfernagel dominated early but suffered from a mechanical, letting the race fall to pieces.

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Today, Johan Museeuw did more damage to sport of cycling than any rider since the incorrigible Richard Virenque. At a press conference, the so-called “Lion of Flanders” gave tacit credence to the doping charges that haunted much of his career by saying, with resounding ambiguity, “I was not 100% honest”.

The phrase “not 100% honest” implies that, though a statement may be largely misleading, there is some non-zero percentage of truth to it. When Le Monde says Oscar Pereiro failed two drug tests, that’s not 100% honest. When Bill Clinton says “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”, that’s not 100% honest.

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Things are booming in the idiot business, and these days, there’s no shortage of work. Dick Pound, a sort of Google among the intellectually lacking, has been on a media blitz recently. Why the Canadian wants to parade his reckless impartiality and complete lack of technical knowledge to the general populace so close to the conclusion of the Floyd Landis case is beyond me; that having been said, I don’t really know much about being an idiot, either.

Not to be outdone, UCI president Pat McQuaid wandered over to the Netherlands and pinched off these delightful loaves:

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Some might say it’s a tad early yet to be declaring a given soundbite the Quote of the Month. But the way I’ve been posting recently, this may be the only quote I take a moment to rip on in January. So savor it. Trust me, it’s tasty.

“Mayo admitted he would find it strange to be ‘wearing from yellow now on after so many years in orange’…”

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