So am I the only one getting that sinking feeling for tomorrow’s (well, technically today’s) big announcement? Postal one-upped a seemingly stacked Astana on the Tour results sheet; are they looking to do it in the dope convictions arena as well? I’d like to feel bad about Kashechkin’s coming up positive, but honestly, nailing a guy at an out of competition test in Turkey, of all places? I am downright psyched that the UCI made that snag. Anne Gripper is fast becoming the anti-doping equivalent of Willie Mayes. And while were speaking of baseball…*.
Regardless of what Alberto Contador announces later today, the Hamburg Cyclassics race organizers have made it clear that the young Spaniard will not be welcome at the event. Of course, Contador hadn’t been scheduled to start anyway, but the announcement still makes a powerful statement, something along the lines of “Hey! We need to draw attention to ourselves by attacking popular figures via the media”. Good thing their countrymen at T-Mobile have taken a more mature approach to the doping problem.
Middling classics races aside, it seems that all the news this time of year is delivered with an eye toward the Vuelta (unless, of course, you are or are related to a famous American). Astana gets another dope positive – so what does the Vuelta think? Can we get through an article on the Quick.Step team bus without mentioning the Vuelta? Nope! Even with Valverde out, it’s still a big enough deal to completely eclipse the Tour of Germany. Now that Germany has finally agreed to watch a little bike racing, maybe we should all return the favor?
Nope, you aren’t. It doesn’t sound like it’s going to be good.
Yes yes, bravo Tour of Germany, still the best “new” race on the calendar. Leipheimer is the obvious one to watch, since he enjoys this race and has won it before. Voigt might be looking to repeat, but also look one name down the CSC list: Andy Schleck. Having rested up after a breakthrough Giro, will tomorrow’s best stage racer try to snag his first big one?
Also, Re: Discovery’s Disbanding — perhaps Predictor-Lotto will now be able to buy Cadel Evans one or two climbing domestiques at panic-sale prices!
I was getting a sinking feeling as well, but then had it pointed out to me that there’s no way AC would do anything other than take the LA tack of: “I have never doped, and I have never tested positive. okthnxbye!”
Then that’s what happened. I have to say that Discovery folding has blindsided me a bit though. I seriously did not see that coming.