Today's shocking news story:

Quick Step manager Lefevere in no hurry to sign UCI anti-doping charter
By JEROME PUGMIRE, AP Sports Writer
July 11, 2007

JOIGNY, France (AP) -- Patrick Lefevere is in no hurry to sign the International Cycling Union's anti-doping charter.

Lefevere, the manager of the Quick Step-Innergetic team at this year's Tour de France, will first seek legal advice. "I don't do anything without a lawyer," Lefevere said Wednesday. "I give it to my lawyer and if he says it's OK, it's OK. If he says we have to make some changes, (then) I give it to the lawyer of the AIGCP."

Lefevere is also president of the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams. "We have an association, and then we will see," Lefevere told The Associated Press.

On Monday, UCI president Pat McQuaid added team managers to the list of people he wants to sign the anti-doping charter. "Each manager has to ask themselves what kind of sport do they want to be involved in," McQuaid said by telephone, adding that he has had "some very positive reactions."

After requesting that all 600 ProTour cyclists sign a similar charter last month, McQuaid asked team officials to promise they will not encourage a cyclist on their team to dope, or ignore such activities within their team.

The charter must be signed before Aug. 1 and is aimed at managers, sporting directors, doctors and other team staff. "I'm not in a hurry. It's the first of August, no?" Lefevere said. "I want to do the Tour de France. It finishes on the 29th (of July), and then we will see."

The document for riders asked them to pledge that they are not involved in doping and promise to submit DNA samples to Spanish authorities for the Operation Puerto probe into blood-doping at a Spanish clinic.

Lefevere issued lawsuits in January against a newspaper, journalists and Belgian lawmaker Jean-Marie Dedecker for alleging that the team was involved in doping.

Similar to the cyclists' charter, staff members who sign the declaration agree to pay a year's salary if they break their pledge. The names of cyclists and team officials who sign the commitment will be published on the UCI Web site.

Cyclists had until July 7 to sign the document. All 189 Tour de France riders signed the charter in time for the July 7 prologue. Tour director Christian Prudhomme had warned that anyone who refused to sign would not be allowed to race.

And all this time I thought Mr. Lefevere was leader in the fight against doping. He will only sign that as he is dragged to the table kicking and screaming and 11:59pm on July 31st.