The Cycliste Moderne, November 28, 2005

This week I had intended to write about some of our recent bike experiences in the Netherlands and in Belgium, however, with the announcement this week that Roberto Heras’ B sample from the Vuelta a Espana was positive for EPO, Cyclingnews.com’s detailed report on Tyler Hamilton’s doping case, and the fact that I finally watched the recent episode of Fox’s series “House” which dealt with a doping cyclist who was clearly modeled on Lance Armstrong, I think it is necessary to discuss some of these recent doping developments.

Heras Test Confirmed

The results of the test of Spaniard Roberto Heras’ urine from the second to last stage of the Vuelta a Espana was confirmed this week with the result of the test on his B sample. Unfortunately, rather than confirm the prior tests, the actions of the testing lab and cycling officials in dealing with the B sample test create greater confusion and concern. Originally, it was reported that extra safeguards were being put into place to ensure no problems with the second test. Spanish officials announced that the results would be due out on Wednesday.

However, when Wednesday came and went and no results were released, Heras and his attorneys attacked the testing procedures in a press conference. Testing officials responded by indicating that the test needed more time to be completed, because the initial results were inconclusive. Finally, on Friday Spanish cycling officials announced that the B sample was positive. Heras and his attorneys have announced that they intend to pursue any and all remedies legally available to them.

The problem in this case is that even if Heras did dope, the process does not instill confidence in the ability of cycling officials to manage a testing system that is fair and objective. Heras’ attorneys have alleged that the urine specimen taken from Heras following the Vuelta’s final time trial, which occurred on a Saturday, was not delivered to the testing lab until Monday. Additionally, the claim by officials that testing would be completed by a specific date and then their inability to adhere to that timeline causes concern, especially where they then claim that the test was not yet conclusive. Moreover, it does not appear that some races are as actively testing as they claim. In addition to random tests that occur during a stage race, typically stage winners and the overall leader will be tested daily. However, Velonews.com has reported that Vuelta officials did not conduct EPO tests for each stage of the race due to the fact that the EPO test costs more than 400 euros. Finally, there have been several successful challenges in Spain to the urine test for EPO by triathletes.

For any testing regime to be effective, it has to be legitimate in the eyes of those being tested as well as the public as a whole. The current system does neither. The current testing system does not instill confidence in the public due to the litigious nature of testing. You now expect positive tests to be litigated like death penalty cases. There have been several successful attacks on the EPO test this year including L’Equipe’s report regarding EPO usage during the 1999 Tour de France, which appears to show that Lance Armstrong used EPO as evidenced by five tests but ignores the fact that twelve other tests showed no EPO usage. With results like this, some are likely just to throw up their hands and discount the extent of doping in the peleton.

Race organizers that do not actually test for certain drugs due to cost do not evidence a real commitment to cleaning up the sport. This is especially true where race organizers insist on stages in their races which go beyond what can be reasonably expected. A prime example of that is the insistence of the RCS, the promoters of the Giro d’Italia, to have a split stage on the final day of next Spring’s Giro, requiring the racers to complete a difficult stage on Saturday, only to get up early Sunday to ride an uphill time trial and then after lunch finish with a circuit race around Milan. Moreover, the use of “rest days” during the Giro to make long transfers by air first from Belgium to Italy and then from Southern Italy to Northern Italy do not evidence any consideration by race promoters for the health and well-being of the peleton.

Hamilton Update

Cyclingnews.com published a detailed two-part account of what has transpired in Tyler Hamilton’s doping proceeding. Here are links to Part 1 and to Part 2.

Hamilton’s lawyers have criticized the UCI’s contributions to those stories as violating the agreement that none of the parties would comment on the proceeding until the Court of Arbitration for Sport finally rules. Currently, the next hearing in the Hamilton appeal is set for January.

Again there are no winners in this matter. The conduct of the UCI and WADA in the Hamilton matter has been suspect throughout due to apparent procedural lapses. Moreover, the willingness of UCI and WADA officials to comment on a pending case is deeply troubling to those that expect a certain level of due process from disciplinary proceedings. If Hamilton is found to have doped it raises questions as to why he would engage in such a risk to his health when he was already held in high esteem and was earning as much as any other rider in the peleton save Lance Armstrong and Jan Ulrich.

House Recap

For those of you that missed it, Fox’s series House had an episode a couple of weeks ago involving the diagnosis of a professional cyclist who admitted to using everything except EPO, because “that stuff can kill you.” The episode was as ham handed as you would expect from the network that brings you “The OC” and really failed to have a point other than the fact that cyclists and their managers are deceptive. In the end, the show fell back on the view that everyone lies and deceives and the cyclist, it turns out, had a health condition masked by his doping activities. I really expected more from what is an occasionally a very good series.

The Cycliste Moderne, November 21, 2005

Sorry, the Cycliste Moderne's hiatus was a little longer than I had originally intended. After getting back from Europe, I almost immediately headed back out on business. So after spending time in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Nijmegen, Antwerp, Lisbon and Cascais, I followed those visits up with Riggins, Grangeville and Bellevue. You can guess which trip was more fun. A lot has happened in the last three weeks that requires brief comment, so I apologize in advance for the following potpourri of bike talk for those of you who were looking for some depth.

Doping Part 1

Vuelta a Espana winner Roberto Heras is caught up in the latest doping scandal with the revelation that he failed a drug control for EPO during the Vuelta. He has professed his innocence and officials are awaiting the test of his B sample. Needless to say, Liberty Seguros terminated his contract while professing their support. It is utterly incomprehensible that team leaders are using EPO due to the fact that riders who win stages and who lead stage races get tested the most. Historically, EPO was the drug of choice of riders who were just trying to finish grand tours, not the actual race leaders. With the questions that have arisen with the EPO test due to the spate of triathlete tests that have been overturned this year, it appears that either cyclists remain incredibly stupid or there is a deficiency in the test.

Doping Part 2

Disgraced former world time trial champion David Millar looks to rejoin the peleton this summer with Spanish team Saunier Duval. Millar’s two year drug ban for use of EPO leading up to his world championship in the time trial will end shortly before the Tour de France. Millar is now advocating more stringent and frequent drug testing of the peleton. It is important to note that notwithstanding his doping preceding the world championships and the testing he was subjected to as a result of his victory, Millar never tested positive for EPO. Millar was done in by a police sweep of the homes of fellow Cofidis members as a result of allegations by Phillipe Gaumont of drug use within the team. Police found used doping products in Millar’s home that he had kept to “remind” him of what he had done.

Doping Part 3 or What Were the PR Guys Thinking

The Tour of California, which is set to begin this year with the support of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (which owns about half of the Major League Soccer franchises in the United States as well as the Regal and Edwards cinema chains), announced that the main sponsor for the inaugural Tour of California would be Amgen, the maker of EPOGEN and Aranesp. It is tough to criticize a company that wants to step up and financially support cycling. Amgen has long supported its employee cycling team. However, as a manufacture of synthetic EPO, you have to wonder why Amgen would subject itself to the bad publicity that will likely arise from this marriage, especially in Europe.

Giro d’Italia Preview

Giro organizers RCS announced the Giro route last weekend and it was a surprise to everyone. Discovery Channel and CSC were happy as the team time trial was incorporated into the Giro for the first time since the 1980’s. The climbers were happy with categorized climbs included on virtually every stage. The Belgians were happy as the first four stages will take place in Wallonia to commemorate a mining accident fifty years ago in Southeast Belgium that killed scores of Italian immigrant coal miners.

The sprinters were not happy as Alessandro Petacchi has already stated that with the possibility of only four or five sprint stages, he will likely focus on the Tour de France. The peleton as a whole was unhappy as both rest days will involve lengthy transfers by airplane. The organizers also announced a split stage for the final day with a mountain time trial in the morning and the more traditional Milan circuit race in the afternoon. ProTour officials have already rejected the split stage finale so the route will still need to be modified.

United States Pro Championship Moves

USA Cycling has decided to separate the United States Professional Championship from the traditional race in Philadelphia on the first Sunday in June. When the USPRO championship began as the CoreStates USPRO Championship in the 1980’s, there were only a handful of Americans racing professionally. The race had therefore always included foreign riders and teams in what was one of the richest single day races in the world. The race has survived CoreStates merger with First Union and First Union’s merger with Wachovia. However, Wachovia’s sponsorship ended this year and the race had lost some of its luster over the last few years.

As such, USA Cycling requested proposals for hosting a domestic professional national championship. Medalist Sports, the organizer and manager of the Tour of Georgia, will be responsible for putting on both the USPRO road race championship and for the first time, a USPRO time trial championship. The races will be held in Greenville, South Carolina, over Labor Day weekend.

Threshold Sports, the promoter of the Philly week of races, has announced that the traditional three race series will be held this year but has yet to announce who will sponsor the races and is seeking a replacement venue for the race traditionally held in Trenton, New Jersey. Moreover, Threshold is facing allegations that it has been slow in paying riders and teams the prize money owed.

With the new September date, the new USPRO Championships will likely be more hotly contested by the European based Americans than it has been with the Philadelphia race, which fell during the build up to the Tour de France. More importantly, without any foreign riders, team tactics will likely be very different in the future.

San Francisco Grand Prix Over?

The San Francisco Grand Prix may have been raced for the last time. It has been learned that race organizers were issued a permit for the 2005 edition of the race while owing the city approximately $90,000 for the 2004 edition of the race. Former mayor Willie Brown had been a big supporter of the race, which San Francisco supported as part of its bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Having not been selected to be the United States’ bid city and with new mayor Gavin Newsome facing heat from the city’s board of supervisors, the race had some difficulty over the last couple of years.

Moreover, the decision to move the race to Labor Day Weekend in 2005 created additional animosity from local businesses who felt that the race, and subsequent street closures, damaged their business during what is typically a busy weekend in San Francisco. I would guess that the likelihood of the race continuing in 2006 is less than 50-50. Threshold Sports had taken over the San Francisco race from Tailwind Sports prior to the 2005 edition. It has been a rough few weeks for Threshold Sports.

Urban Bike Rules

One last item for your consideration. After spending a few days in the Netherlands, I have developed the following rules for urban cycling:

1. No miniskirt is too short to wear when riding a bike. The shorter the better.

2. When giving your girlfriend/wife/mom a ride on your rear rack, she is obligated to get off and run when you have to go over any bridge or go uphill. She can only get back on once you reach the summit.

3. Do not purchase bike locks and replacement parts from flea market booths that specialize in both bikes and pornography. Stick to one or the other, but not both.

4. When riding your bike and talking on your cell phone, it is appropriate to either eat or smoke with your other hand.

5. Taxis can and will drive the wrong way in the dedicated bike lane. If you are going to ride your bike, make sure that you are up to speed on the latest international hand signals and greetings.