Check out my new podcast - I did it on my Vaio laptop, and jeeze, I sound like I'm at the bottom of a well, but it's too darn much trouble to re-do it.....
Go to Velogal's Cycling Podcast.

As the one-year anniversary of Katrina fills the media, let us not forget all the animals of Katrina. It is estimated that over 125,000 animals suffered cruel deaths from drowning or starvation - many at the end of chains in yards or porches, with no chance at all of survival. Although thousands of animals were rescued, it was only a small percentage of those who suffered and died. Go to the Link below to read an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, sent to me by Virginia. And go to Dogs Deserve Better to find out how you can help an organization that helps chained dogs. Ironically, as I drove around Utah, I saw many dogs chained in yards - out in the sun - no shade, no shelter, no companionship. Just there - Watchdogs? Pets? They deserve better than a degrading life on the end of a chain.

So I decided to bring my Mac from the office and watch the Vuelta on cycling.tv this morning, using wireless. It did not freeze up, not once. So the problem is either with my Earthlink DSL or with all the stupid anti-everythings that I have on my computer to protect it from all the cyber-nasties. The picture was a bit fuzzy on my Mac, but otherwise it was just fine. Mea Culpa, cycling.tv.... You know that I was one of your early supporters....

It was interesting to see in today’s Vuelta Stage 4, that when Fernandez, of Cofidis, went over into a ditch, that the Euskadel team mechanic helped him out and gave him a push to get going again.

Another good Discovery rider is leaving... Roger Hammond’s destination is still not announced, but it is a sure that he is leaving. He is such a great guy, so genuine and sincere - a good rider and hard worker. Roger will give to his last leg twitch for the team in a race. I will miss Roger - he has always been so nice to me. I wish him the absolute, very best.... The face of Discovery Channel Team is going to look very different next year, with several new European riders, I think....

And I see that Hayden Roulston is having to end his cycling career because of a serious heart problem. He has some scarring or something in one ventricle. I really didn’t get to know Hayden very well at training camp - he was pretty reserved and quiet when I was around them. And he usually rode in a different group than the one that Johan had me follow. I know he was kind of a wild child when he partied, and that got him in trouble. I also know that cycling means everything to him, so I wish him well, too. It is so difficult when one loses the thing that they love best, and the adjustment can be tough. It’s like the rug is suddenly pulled out from under you...

Watched the Vuelta on cycling.tv - still freezing up periodically. What a joke on me (if not anyone else) that the frame froze up just the instant the guys reached the finish line in the blazing sprint. I got this unending freeze frame that looked like what the officials use to determine the winners’ wheels on the line. It was like the Cyber Gods were pranking me right at the finish line... I never saw the winner’s arms raised or anything else about the finish.

But Thor Hushvod stays in the Leader’s Jersey by eleven seconds. I’ve said before what a nice guy he is and such a devoted family man. Well, one of my long-time readers (and one of my top course marshals at the first Tour of Georgia) just sent me a note about an entry in Saul Raisin’s guest book. Yep, it was from Thor, before Stage 3 started. Here it is:

Thor and Mads from C - from Spain
Signed on: Mon 28 Aug 2006 04:06:32 EDT
Hello Saul! Just a quick hello from Tour of Spain. We getting ready for the 3rd stage, and I've the leaders jersay. So my team mates have to ride, but think they are happy to work, and defend this jersay. We all thinking about you, and had a talk about you this morning at breakfast. We looking forward to the day when you're back! Take care, and keep the motivation up my friend!

Taking time to think about and write to Saul from La Vuelta.... Yes, indeed, Thor is one nice guy.... And, thanks, Joan, for the heads-up.

We need to hear more about the good stuff that happens all the time in the peloton - cyclists are really a bunch of nice guys and the cameraderie is very much alive. Speaking of that, my blog that was about Matthew McConaughey and “Failure to Launch” has generated a lot of comments, most about Lance rather than McConaughey. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and I’m sure that you all know you are not gonna change anyone else’s mind, But I commend all of you for keeping you comments civil and not flaming anyone. And I know that everyone is gonna pull together in the fight against cancer and for cancer research and support.

And don’t forget about the Tour de Pink on October 6 - 9, 2006. It’s a benefit ride for The Young Survival Coalition - the focus is on young breast cancer survivors, and breaking the cycle of breast cancer. Follow the Link to find our more and to sign up to ride with some strong women cyclists, like Dede Barry and Mari Holden. And I’ll be there driving a support vehicle. Come on, gals and guys, and join us!

Tried to watch La Vuelta on cycling.tv - not a very pleasant experience - kept freezing up on me. The live-streaming action froze up with Discovery Channel on the track, and that’s all I saw through the entire finish and podium ceremonies. I could hear what was going on, but all I could see were the Discovery Channel rider’s backsides. From what heard, Sastre took the leader’s jersey for CSC - hard worker for his team and deserves some time in the spotlight. Discovery came in fourth at nine seconds back.

See that Andreas Kloden has signed with Astana for next year. He’s been talking Tour yellow jersey for 2007, but with Astana, it’s gonna be all about getting Vino on the podium. Kloden will be the super-domestique once again, I guess. Interesting decision...

Did you see the story that George and the DC guys were going to throw his Eneco second place award out the window of the team bus? He was really, really pissed alright. Some Dutch journalist or photographer rescued it, and the award is now sitting in a bar somewhere in The Netherlands... Can you say “Snakes on a Plane”? What did Samuel L. Jackson say about snakes on the plane? Maybe that's what George said....

Just got an email from PJ Rabice, actually written by Jared Meltzer, announcing that Jose Azevedo will be leaving the team at the end of this season. Although he has one year left on his contract, a mutual agreement was reached so that he could return home to Portugal and spend more time with his family. Evidently, he will continue to race there with a local-type team.

So we will lose Ace and Triki, Jurgen Van de Broeck, Leif Hoste and Eki (Eki to become a DS for the team). I heard something about Guennadi leaving, but no confirmation yet. Seems that I am forgetting a name or two, so give me a shout-out if you know others who will leave at the end of this season.

Saw Sheryl Crow on Larry King Live last night and she looked just great - happy and healthy. Was really good to see her being so well and taking care of herself. Photos from her tour are just full of life and enthusiasm and love of her music again. Can’t wait to see her at Shoreline in October.

Speaking of celebs, I have to say that on my trip to Colorado, I was at my family’s home, and we decided to do PPV on Direct TV and watch Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. It was so crappy that we clicked off after not even fifteen minutes. My rating: Rotten....

MM played himself, I think. An arrogant, slimy, alcoholic has-been was all I saw on the screen, exactly like what I see in the shots with him and Lance skanking around together. MM has partied himself into looking about twenty years older than he is.... About as appealing and sexy as a derelict on Skid Row..... He’s gonna be the next one that gets dumped by his studio.... Pic is the boys in Miami, from jaunted.com.

I dunno with this movie stuff about Lance. I just don’t see it being a big blockbuster hit. We’ve all seen the real story as it happened, and what can a movie offer over all the real life documentation that already exists? Between Nike and Discovery Channel, film crews have been around Lance all the time. We’ve all seen and collected everything Lance that there is. And you know that Hollywood would just tinker around with it enough to screw it up - shades of Breaking Away....

So, I’m back from hanging out in Colorado for a few days - beautiful country around the Colorado Springs area, and also spent a couple of days around Grand Junction. Between this trip and the Tour of Utah, I sure saw a lot of big country. I’m still pretty fried from the ToU - it was so much more difficult than it needed to be - all due to lack of planning and organization. It was a rough gig, for sure....

Took my little D70 along to Colorado, but it took a dump along the way. All the buttons stopped working, except the one to take shot. No LED image, no adjustments - nada... I found online that Nikon has issued a D70 “service advisory” for what sounds like my camera problem. So I sent it in to them and hope they’ll fix it for free. I have three Nikons and two of them have had “service advisory” problems now, and had to be returned to the factory. Doesn’t say much for Nikon quality, does it? Plus, they do not refund the cost of shipping and insurance, which is not small....

Well, Poor old George (as Phil would say) had another bummer luck event at Eneco Stage 7 - he was again robbed of a victory. Got knocked on his arse by Schumacher in the final sprint and lost the whole race by one second or so... Big controversy - Schumacher didn’t hold his line, but it sounds like another damn spectator-caused crash. Schumacher swerved to avoid a spectator leaning way too far out from the barricades. Guess they are going to have to start double-barricading all finish lines like they do along the Champs Elysees for the Tour. If the sprint is flying down the side of the barricade, wouldn’t you think the people would have sense enough to get their hands, arms, cameras and bloody flags, poppers and crappy green hands out of the way? Guess not....

My Iron Man, Eki, will ride his last ride with Discovery at GP Plouay. Then he will become an Assistant DS for Discovery. Can’t think of a more experienced and knowledgeable guy than Eki to work with all the young riders that DC is going to acquire. And, speaking of young - Tom D will lead the Vuelta for sure.. I have to sign up for the cycling.tv additional Premium Channel to see it. I think it’s well worth the cost for three weeks - just wish I could get clearer, faster live-streaming.

Jeeze - I’m back from the Tour of Utah, and trying to recover from the toughest gig that I’ve ever had.... It was an extremely difficult and challenging situation, and my crew made it happen under ever-changing circumstances. I had the best, most dedicated and responsible team captains, all five of them. I was supposed to have six, but lost one guy at the last minute. So standing cheers and bravos to Dex, Steve, Blake, Brett and Joe. I couldn’t have done it without you, and we accomplished the impossible in those six stages, and did it very well...

So, once more into the fray, dear friends.... John Eustice, who has been involved in the cycling world for 35 years, wrote an excellent article about Floyd Landis in the International Herald Tribune today. At the risk of getting nailed by the IHT for reprinting it here, I want you all to be able to read this voice of sanity in the cycling world.

What if Floyd Landis Were Innocent?

John Eustice - International Herald Tribune - Published August 16, 2006

We all have every reason to believe that the American cyclist Floyd Landis cheated to win this year's Tour de France. Not only have his tests come up positive for high testosterone ratios, but damning evidence of exogenous, or synthetic, testosterone has been found as well.

All this comes on top of a never-ending series of massive doping scandals that have blackened the sport. Landis represents the 10th positive doping case in the past three years for his Phonak team, which this week was forced to disband for lack of sponsorship.

Landis's flailing public relations efforts, consisting of ever-changing feeble excuses, have turned him into an international laughing stock. Add the fact that his positive test came after a ride dubbed "improbable " by many, on the Tour's 17th stage, which had televison commentators (including me) gushing about "the greatest performance ever" and the entire episode seems neatly done up as the story of a desperate man in a dirty sport who reached too far.

Yet I believe that Floyd Landis is innocent and that we are witnessing a terrible injustice. I've lived this sport for 35 years and know the European professional cycling circuit intimately, and I feel strongly that in this case something is wrong.

The credibility of the Châtenay-Malabry laboratory that analyzed both of Landis's tests has been question. In 2005, the president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations called for the investigation and suspension of the lab after it was involved in the leaking of Lance Armstrong's (and only Armstrong's) results from experimental testing done on frozen 1999 Tour samples.

When Pat McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Union, explained why the union leaked the initial news of Landis's positive test, he said, "We know that the French laboratory has a close connection with L'Equipe" - France's leading sports newspaper - "and we did not want this news to come through the press, because we are sure they would have leaked it." Labs are not supposed to be able to identify samples or leak information. This is a fundamental principle of ethical scientific testing.

Whenever an athlete tests positive for banned drugs, you look to see who is close to them. Landis's trainer, Dr. Allen Lim, an exercise physiologist from Colorado, is an expert in the use of power meters, devices that attach to racing bicycles and measure power output. According to Lim, the "improbable" stage 17 victory on July 20 was a triumph of strategy, science and Landis's vitality. Landis averaged 280 watts over the five hours of the ride, but he has averaged 320 for six hours in training - documented proof, according to Lim, that the performance was well within Landis's capability.

The real trick on the day was the 55 bottles of cold water in the team car. Landis, alone in front as planned for easy access to them, continuously poured them over his head and body, keeping him in a "thermoneutral" state. Behind, the chasers, with less access to liquids, raced with core body temperatures reflecting the day's scorching heat.

Cycling is not by any means unique in suffering from major doping problems. But not every athlete cheats, and many are clean. Landis had an ironclad reputation in the racing world as a clean rider.

If Lim and Landis were going to cross over to the dark side, testosterone would not be their bridge. There are many more effective means to cheat. Testosterone has limited effect, and in any case must be used in a cumulative manner; it is not a one-day wonder, like taking a shot of amphetamines. So where was it in all the other tests?

It is also worth noting that the validity of current testosterone testing methods is not universally accepted within the scientific community. A similar testosterone doping case brought to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was recently overturned.

Landis is either another sad example of a rider without the will to escape the doping problems that cloud the sports world, or a man who represents a new way, a belief that clean sport can triumph, who has nevertheless somehow run afoul of the system. Whichever is true, he has the right to due process, which has so far been denied him because of all the leaks and the resultant media firestorm.

Landis deserves a chance to clear himself. He had an unblemished reputation, the laboratory that tested his samples has a credibility problem, and the organizations put in place to ensure his rights to due process have either attacked him or ignored him.

Floyd Landis won the Tour de France. Reserve judgment until the facts are clear.

John Eustice is a sports commentator and former professional bicycle racer.

Whoah - it's been quite a while since I blogged in. Right now, I'm in Provo, Utah, looking out at a cloudy, overcast morning. Things are in a whirl here, getting the Tour of Utah ready to go on Monday. Lots of last-minute details to take care of. This is gonna be one tough race, especially Stage 4 and Stage 6. I wonder if some of the teams that signed on really realize the kind of riding they will have to do in those stages.

Same old stuff going on in the cycling world.. He did it - He didn't do it.

Everybody has their own opinion, based on what they read in a frenzied media race to keep things stirred up and sell news. The press interviews everyone they can find, from has-been pro racers in America or Italy or Spain, from coaches to doctors to labs - none of whom has one iota of credible, factual, first-hand information about the facts in the allegations. As soon as it is in print or online, it becomes the God's Truth, and people swallows the "information"- hook, line and sinker. All the "information" that can be bought on the sly from lab asistants, all the leaks from "unnamed UCI officials". All the self-serving ravages of confidentiality, privacy and ethics: everybody has their own agenda, their own promotions or attempts to keep their jobs or status, or just plain selling-out. You got Euros? Then you got "information". But if you read it somewhere, it must be right.

The media further whips the frenzy with quotes out of context, snappy, slurring headlines and the usual, standard innuendos. We all become experts in the matter, expounding our superior point of view that we have derived from the media stories and sound bytes - exhibiting anything from pity to scorn on anyone who thinks differently.

Come on people, the reality is that none of us know crap about what the truth really is - me included. I don't think he did, but that is just what I think - not what I know... So please don't send me anymore emails telling me why you are right - You don't know, OK?

Very sad to say that the only thing that has taken away the cycling headlines was the appalling, drunken crap out of the booze-saturated mouth of Mel Gibson. And you know what I THINK? In vino veritas - in wine there is truth....

Here is something heartlifting and heartbreaking to take your mind away from cycling stuff. Follow the Link to see the photos and story, then go to the website and do something to make yourself feel really good today...