Still Waiting on Puerto Evidence, ENECO Drags On

“Lost: One large, black, three-ring binder, labeled ‘Operacion Puerto dossier’. Was to be passed to teams, UCI, WADA, etc. this week, but ran into Juan Antonio Samaranch on the Metro & got caught up in
Franco regime nostalgia. Must have accidentally left on seat. If found, please return to Guardia Civil HQ; have been promising evidence since May, fans, media, cyclists, cyclists’ lawyers, etc. beginning to suspect vaporware.” So that, or something like it, is the only explanation I can find for this Puerto delay. All over Europe, the high hopes of crushing this dope ring are falling – Swiss officials have even reopened the Camenzind case, possibly because Jan Ullrich may prove too big a fish to fry on such currently paltry evidence. Renewed allegations are being made against Camenzind’s former Phonak mate Tyler Hamilton (who just won Mt. Washington again). Phonak officials are slapping each other secret high-fives at the news.

While Magnus Backsteadt eventually gets around to blaming the media for it all, I’ve long held Dick Pound, or more precisely, his attitude, to blame. And it seems I have the support of relentless Lance-slobberer and declarative sentence enthusiast Sally Jenkins; I imagine this is how a political movement feels when it receives the open support of the KKK. I suppose I should be thankful she cares – many writers muddy any commentary in their wandering-yet-informative pieces into oblivion. But the racing? That’s what’s important, right? Ha. With events as dull as the ENECO tour (Petacchi, you can’t get back soon enough; Boonen can’t even lose when he’s trying to), it’s just hard to do. A week of flat stages makes a nice appetizer to Grand Tour, but it’s a piss-poor entree; and no, a 16k TT does not make it any more palatable. At least throw in a sweet crash every now and then, to keep it exciting.