Today's Six Degrees of Johan Bruyneel: Danilo DiLuca
 
DiLuca was recently suspended and fired from Liquigas for involvement in the Oil for Drugs Scandal. Oil for Drugs took place 2004. Nothing like rapid justice. In 2004, Danilo rode for Saeco.
 
DiLuca's teammate on Saeco was Eddy Mazzoleni
Mazzoleni rode with Paolo Savoldelli on Astana
Savoldelli rode for Bruyneel on Discovery in '05 and '06
 
3 degrees.

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The more I thought about the Six Degrees of Doping with Johan Bruyneel game, the more I didn't like my Richard Virenque answer. The Kevin Bacon game starts with Actor X and works its way back to Mr Bacon.

I started with Johan, went through Boonen and then to Virenque. I suppose I could just reverse that order. To make it more difficult though I will make the first degree an actual teammate of Virenque when he was busted.

So...
Virenque was a teammate of Moreau during the Festina affair.
Moreau was a teammate of Tomas Vaitkus at AG2r
Vaitkus was on Discovery Channel which brings you to...
Johan Bruyneel

3 degrees.

A couple nights ago I was lying in bed and listening to the radio.  The announcer mentioned the well known Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game.  A light bulb went on in my head.  Certainly there is someone in cycling that is the equivalent of Kevin Bacon. 
 
Actually, there are probably several candidates.  However, my mind was in a sarcastic mood and thought who could be the doping equivalent of Kevin Bacon.  The key was to find someone that has never actually been implicated in a doping scandal.  A shining beacon with troubled seas all around him.  Except you have the sneaking suspicion that things are quite what they seem.  After a few minutes thought, the obvious person came to mind.
 
I present to you a new game.  Six Degrees of Doping with Johan Bruyneel.  Obviously, this game most likely will not work with some domestic US rider or Pablo Hernandez from Uruquay.  But, in terms of the Euro Pro scene, I think I have always been able to make a connection with the cases I have tried.  A lot of the cases are simple because of the direct connection.  Heras, Landis, etc are one degree examples. 
 
Richard Virenque would have two degrees of connection with Bruyneel. 
Johan coached Boonen. 
Boonen was Virenque's teammate at QuickStep. 
 
Yes, I know.  Boonen wasn't a teammate of Virenque when he got busted but that's not the point.
 
After toying with just the dopers for a while I think a six degree connection could be between Johan almost all cyclists.

Frustrating day at the races yesterday.  The course was set up on a little different section than past years at Spanish Lake and that made for a more interesting race. 
 
We had another grass start with the added "bonus" of being narrow.  My favorite!
 
The start was decent and I had ambition of moving up quickly.  After a narrow little jog in the path I went to move around Rex and got squeezed into the trees.  That was followed by a little swerve to avoid hitting a thick dead branch sticking out toward the grass path.  The branch just grazed my finger.  Another half inch and it could have mangled my index finger or snagged my handlebars. 
 
Then it was down the hill and around the 180 turn only to be squeezed into the weeds again by Rex.  Each mishap required a little extra effort to catch back on to the main pack.  Then it was onward to the dirt mound which was a cluster with everyone bottling up.  I scampered off the bike and ran over a low section on the left.  This actually worked fairly well. 
 
On the way back to the start finish area, I came off the paved section to hot and swung the turn too wide.  Before I could do anything I found myself outside the tape.  I hopped off the bike, skipped over the tape and continued on.  I was quick about it but a couple guys went by me.  Once again it was accelerating back around slower guys to get back up to the main group.  These little bobbles and flubs continued for a few laps.  I passed a number of guys but they were all guys that passed me because of one of my boneheaded moves. 
 
Eventually I popped and had to back off the pace of the main group.  My lower back began hurting too.  It still hurts this morning.  I think the soft ground required a little extra strain.  The only bright spot was getting over the barriers nicely.  Finished a very disappointing 19th.

Andrey Kashechkin is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Who knew it would take him being busted for doping to appreciate his genius.

A week or so ago, he claimed he MUST be innocent. Why else would he deny his guilt for a whole three months. Absolute brilliance. Maybe that tactic didn't score well with the focus groups. In a unique departure from typical claims of innocence, he has now abandoned all the usual excuses. Instead, he asserts that cycling's governing bodies have no right to test his precious bodily fluids. Translation: "Okay, sure I'm doped up. You ain't the boss of me."

Very interesting tactic. It probably won't work, especially with the anti-doping frenzy in Europe, but it is still interesting. Our screwed up judicial system might let him off the hook, however.

It appears a portion of Pez's speculated Tour route was wrong. Latest rumors are that the Stage starting in Cuneo will not end at Sestriere and thus not include the Colle de Finestre. No shock, really. Instead the race will cross back into France with a stage using some uncommon mountains, the Col de la Lombarde, Isola 2000 and the Col de la Bonette which I believe is the highest paved road in France, before dropping down to the town of Jausiers

That would leave only one (I think) Alpine stage for L'Etape, the Embrun to Alpe d'Huez stage which will likely be very similar to the Gap - Alpe d'Huez stage in '06. I have a hard time imagining L'Etape doing such a similar stage so close to a previous edition.

There are rumors that L'Etape will be in the Pyrenees. That would break tradition of having the race in the opposite mountain range a week before the pros pass through. I suppose they could have L'Etape later than usual while the actual race in the Alps.

Also, the Digne le Bains - Cuneo stage is expected to finish atop a mountain near Cuneo. I count three mountaintop finishes total.

My wish that the race climb the Tourmalet before Hautacam appears to be true. The question is will they do it the boring way by going north around Lourdes and only climb the Tourmalet before Hautacam, or take my advice and climb the Soulor, then Tourmalet with a counter-clockwise loop back around to Hautacam.

I guess all will be answered Thursday.

Sunday's race went much better than I thought it did. Creve Coeur usually dishes a deceptively hard course. This one did not seem quite so bad though. The warm, dry weather and long, paved downhill made for a pretty fast course.

A first turn hairpin after a couple hundred feet strung the pack out before reaching the barriers. My start was average but the mid-pack start was far better than last week. A few folks went by me early and then I worked my back past others. The whole day seemed very average. Nothing special happened. I was clean over the barriers and the bumpy section that claimed so many riders during the day posed no problems for me. The toughest part was the uneven dirt uphill to the paved road. A few seconds of grinding wasn't that bad, though.

As I said, the race seemed average and I thought my placing was an average 11th-13th. After calling number in the A race for Buddy I looked at the results and somehow I finished in 6th. I had no clue. There must have been a few guys ahead of me that didn't finish or something. Usually, I have a pretty good idea how I placed but this one was a total shock.

Next week is Spanish Lake. This is a return trip after not having raced there in a couple years. Spanish Lake's flat land makes it hard to design a challenging cyclocross course but there are a few little bumps that can be creatively utilized. The features about the park that most stick in my mind is the bumpy field that we use and the large amount of gravel road that makes for some tricky handling if you turn at speed.

The past has a funny way of weaving it's way into the present when you least expect it.

Many years ago there was a petite, young brunette in my grade school. She was cool, smart, cute and athletic. At least that's how I remember her.

Childhood crushes are always remembered fondly, I suppose. Twenty-six years later she may be a bitter and hateful shrew. Even if that is the case, she will always be the epitome of 8th grade female perfection in my mind.

Before I get completely lost in childhood memories, let me say that I was floating through cyberspace this evening. That is when my hormonal past wove its way through history and popped up on my computer screen. There SHE was. Her name in blue letters, staring me in the ace.

Unlike my leprechaun story yesterday, this post actually has a connection to cycling. In a twist of fate, my first crush is the sponsor of a cycling team. I told you she was cool.

Important Story of the Day

Trouserless man blames leprechaun
Thursday, October 18, 2007

A man arrested for breaking into a car while not wearing any trousers came up with an impressive excuse – he told police he thought a leprechaun had let him into the car.

Kim Leblanc, of Cincinnati, reportedly admitted to authorities that he had been using drugs.

According to investigators, Leblanc broke into a car parked overnight on Central Parkway in Cincinnati on Tuesday, and promptly fell asleep inside.

He was trouserless when the car's owner found him, and called the police. Leblanc told officers that he had been taking drugs, and believed he had been let into the car by a leprechaun.

His leprechaun claim marks an impressive return for the 'mythical creature' defence for criminal actions. This defence first came to prominence when a man in Northern Ireland blamed his armed robbery of a lingerie store on an Elven rogue.

However, it suffered a blow when it turned out that an alleged drunk driver had not, as reported, told police that his vehicle was actually being driven by a unicorn, but by a woman. Women are not mythical creatures.

Leblanc faces a number of charges.

I've given some more thought to the tentative Tour stages on Pez today.

First off, I think the Toulouse to Bagneres de Bigorre stage will be relatively flat.

Second, the Pau to Hautacam stage. My longshot that includes the Tourmalet is possible. It would be about 180km. Long, but doable. I still lean toward a Marie-Blanque, Aubisque, Soulor, Hautacam stage.

Third, the Embrun to ??? stage. My guess is that it will finish in Albertville but that leaves a long valley road after the Telegraphe. Another possibility would be the Col de Vars before the Izoard and then finish in a town close to the base of the Telegraphe like St. Michel de Maurienne.

That leaves speculation of L'Etape du Tour which will be in the Alps this year. It won't be the Italian stage. That leaves two stages. Either one has climbs included in the '06 L'Etape. The organizers finished atop Alpe d'Huez in '06, so they may not do that again. That leaves the Embrun to Albertville or St. Michel stage. But, L'Etape went over the Izoard and Lauteret (the lead up to the Galibier) in '06 as well. It's a 50/50 guess. I might lean toward a finish at Huez again if they start in Albertville. Albertville would have plenty of accommodations for all the participants and more easily handle 9000 riders than Embrun.

The preliminary Tour stage list is on Pez today.  The rumors I had seen about the Tour actually going over the gravelled Col delle Finestre might actually be true.  The stage list shows a start in Cuneo, Italy and finishing in Sestriere, Italy.  The Finestre is not all that far from Sestriere.  I could see the race running north from Cuneo up to the mountains, going over the Finestre and then dropping southwest with a smaller climb or two in between it and the stage finish atop Sestriere.
 
Then they show a start in Embrun and going to an unknown finish.  My prediction:  Go NE from Embrun over the Col d'Izoard, through Briancon, over the Lauteret/Galibier combo, onward to the Telegraphe and finishing in whatever town.
 
The next day is shown as a stage finish atop Alpe d'Huez.  That makes sense.  The Tour skipped that stage this year and it has become an almost traditional finish.  My prediction:  Start in the unknown town, and then climb the Col de Madeleine followed by the Glandon and then go along the valley before the climb up to Huez.
 
That would be two mountaintop finishes and three days and plenty of climbing.  By my count, six HC climbs plus the Glandon at probably Cat 1, the Telegraphe would probably be a 3 in that direction.  Plus whatever other smaller climbs be along the way.
 
Before the Alps though, the race passes through the Pyrenees.  The first mountain looks to be from Toulouse to Bagneres di Bigorre.  My prediction:  South from Toulous toward the mountains and climb the Col de Port, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Peyresourde and Col d'Aspin before finishing in Bagneres.  Bagneres is in the valley so mountain finish.  Paul Sherwen will, however, be able to describe the stage profile as looking like an upside down saw.
 
The next stage is listed as Pau to Hautacam.  Hautacam is a ski village so that means an uphill finish.  Pau is not terribly far away, however.  My first thought is going over the Aubisque to Hautacam but that would only be about 80km.  My best guess is they will throw the Marie Blanque in front of the Aubisque and then finish at Hautacam.  A longshot would be leaving Pau and going over the Col du Soulor, down to the town of Argeles near the base of Hautacam, then south to the Tourmalet and looping around past Bagneres again, over some small roads south of Lourdes and then down to Hautacam.  I haven't figured miles on that loop.  It might be too far.  But, hey, thats why its a longshot guess.
 
The Lannemezan to Foix stage has my puzzled.  Normally, I would put Portet d'Aspet, Port on that route but I used them already on the Bagneres stage.  My guess:  Start in Lannemezan and head to St. Girons, down the the Col de la Core, Col de Latrape, Col d'Agnes and then maybe a couple other smaller climbs on the way to Foix. 
 
The more I look at the map, Col de Port may not be part of the Toulouse to Bagneres stage and instead be inserted after the Col de la Core, or the Col d'Agnes if it is included.

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Now that Kashechkin is waiting to learn his fate for a positive blood doping test and has time on his hands perhaps he should consider stand up comedy.  Today's quote of the day...
"I hope that justice will be done," said Kashechkin. "If I were guilty, I would not continue to proclaim my innocence."
 
That is correct, Andrey.  You are the first person to proclaim innocence for a three month period.  Your steadfast denials are a rarity among people who get busted.  Andrey, meet OJ.  OJ, meet Andrey.  And also let me introduce you to Marion and Bobby.  I think you already know Jan, Ivan, Tyler, David, Richard, Marco, Bjarne, Erik, Johan..............

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Today, I remembered the quote of the day overheard at this weekend's CX race. On lap 2 or 3 of the C race an unknown rider approached the wood barriers. Apparently, the barriers came quicker than expected or else he had a bad experience on the previous lap. While dismounting he was heard to utter "Oh shit!".

That sums up the situation pretty well.

Speaking of quotes, Bart Wellens has a big mouth. He's talented but he's not shy about ripping on a teammate. At this weekend's Superprestige race he had a bad start and complained about the way races are started. Eventually, he worked his way back to the leaders which led to this fine quote...

His [Zdenek Stybar] more experienced team-mate Wellens, wasn't on Nys' wheel going into the last lap, something that he later blamed on his team-mates. "My team-mates were already fighting for that wheel so I thought they would be good enough to follow him, that wasn't the case as Vantornout eventually lost his wheel," Wellens said looking back in anger.

This past January after his teammate, Erwin Vervecken, won the last World Championship Wellens' let loose with this gem.

His [Sven Nys] arch rival Wellens found it more difficult to deal with the loss. "Even though I had the best legs of the season I couldn't do much more than what I did. The jersey went to the wrong person, he shouldn't have won it even though he's a teammate.

Nice!

Speaking of Wellens, I stumbled upon this video the other day. The video itself is average. Lots of various clips of Sven Nys and Bart Wellens which is fine. What I liked was the soundtrack and the alter egos applied to Nys and Wellens.

The brief dip in temperatures last week finally motivated to train last week, even if it was inside on the trainer.  Thursday and Friday were good steady workouts.  Saturday we were in Columbia and knocked out 68 miles.  Three days of training like that concerned me a little, considering my recent training level.  Would my legs respond at Sunday's race?
 
Sunday's race at St Vincent park was a new venue.  When I drove by the park last week after work it seemed to have the potential for a nice course.  I think it lived up to its potential.  It had a little bit of climbing, a fast descent, a paved section for a change.  The course could have been a little more technical and the opportunity for a proper paved start was passed up but those are not big deals.  We had a good turnout.  Better than last year it seemed.  Hopefully, that turnout continues if/when the weather turns a little more sour.
 
We did start on a dirt section and it looked like a buffalo stampede as a huge cloud of dust was kicked up by the bikes.  Not a pleasant experience for the folks that started mid-pack and back.  My fears were realized when the race started and my legs did not respond at all.  There was no strength and I went backward faster than an eight man skull rowing team.  One rider after another went streaming by.  My morale sunk with each rider and near the end of the second lap I seriously considered quitting. 
 
Then something changed.  My speed didn't seem to change but those guys that went past me before, began to slip backwards themselves and I worked my forward.  The legs began feeling better.  Eventually I settled into a nice battle with James, Jose and Dent Wizard's Heffernan.  Looking back, I should have made them work more.  I faded slightly in the last 4 or so laps as my lower back began to suffer as usual.
 
After the race, I looked at the results and saw my name in 17th.  That seemed low but I was unsure.  Then I saw Ralph in 4th and began questioning the results.  Turned out that 4th-7th were lapped riders.  So, I finished in 13th.  Not great but not awful considering how I started.  The first race is out of the way now and maybe I can learn from some mistakes.

Finally, Autumn has arrived.  This is riding weather.  Crisp, sunny days with lows in the upper 40's to low 50 and highs in the 60's.  Perfecto. 

 

If only I had the ambition to get out and train and enjoy the weather.  This weekend's cross race is probably going to be ugly.  Two laps into the race the will be gasping for air and the legs will be locking up with another 40 minutes yet to race.  That should be some motivation to train.

 

While I'm not riding much, I am very excited.  This Saturday I plan to make a trial run of some new equipment on the famed Columbia IL ride.  What does this mean for anyone strange enough to be reading this nonsense.  Not much, actually. 

 

Yesterday, I also began work on a feature article that WILL be posted here.  A major portion of the groundwork has been layed and only some minor tweaking and finishing touches need to be applied.  The devil is always in the details, however, so it may take a little while to put everything together.

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What late season race has piqued my interest this year?  Lombardia?  Paris-Tours?  Nope.  Monte Paschi Eroica.  This is a new race in Italy with that's not ProTour.  The race may not even be UCI sanctioned but that isn't stopping several big names from entering.  Any new race that includes steep gravel climbs and somehow still attracts pros must have something going for it.  I want to see pictures.

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Sunday was the annual Gran Fondo Ste Genevieve.  This was the warmest edition of the ride yet.  That warmth was nice for the start of the ride.  I would have been much happier with a cooler finish, however. 
 
I really enjoy this ride but it turned into hell for me.  After crossing the river, my legs were a little heavy on the way into Prairie du Rocher.  Nothing unusual about that.  We stopped again in Prairie and something went wrong after that.  Maybe it was the extra drink I gulped down or the Honey Bun I gobbled up or the sandwich in Ste Genevieve, but I was nauseous when we started rolling again.  Sometimes you can ride through some stomach discomfort as the food digests.  It just didn't happen this time. 
 
On one hand, I needed to drink to combat the leg cramps that were quickly setting in and on the other hand my stomach was saying "No mas, no mas".   With each mile my legs lost strength. 
 
Another stop at Maeystown Rd gave me a little boost of energy but it soon faded and I slowly slid deeper into a hole that I couldn't escape.  My body's reserves dipped lower and my speed went slower.  Eventually I bottomed out and reached a level that I have had 2 or 3 times before.  A zen-like, but scary, zone.  A combination of determination, lightheadedness and very little thought process.  At the same time I am almost involuntarily pedaling despite a complete lack of strength. 
 
I finished the ride and fired up the car's AC for some cool air and had to sit for a few minutes to regain a little composure.  Another symptom of these deep holes that I sometimes ride myself into is that my hearing becomes muffled or hollow.  Even my own voice sounds distant.  I had the same sort of conditions on the Stelvio this spring with the dazed thoughts, bad hearing, etc.  Somehow, I make it through the end of these rides but pushing myself to that point of exhaustion is scary.  Next year will be different.

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Giuseppe and I had an unexpected attendee to the Columbia ride today. Mike Daley, who lives a few miles away, showed up. We did a fairly typical route except we didn't turn down Gall on the way back. Instead, we continued on Hwy 15something to New Hanover and eventually down to the Bluff Rd, to Fountain Lake and back on the Levee. We had a nice tailwind on the Levee.

I seem to have started a new tradition of crashing once a month. We were going along Gilmore Lake and I wandered into some deep gravel on the side of the ride. I made a desperate attempt to stay up and just as I thought it would happen, down I went on the left side. We were going fairly slow and I caught myself pretty well. Except for a knee that is a little scraped up and minor damage to the handlebar tape, all is well.

I was on surprisingly good form today. For the most part, I controlled any efforts but a few times I opened it up and was very pleased.

The hot rumor about Giro 2008 is a stage finish atop Passo Fedaia (Marmolada). The Fedaia is tough.

The bottom half reminded me of a MO climb. They layed down a straight road and were done with it. Then, its like the road crew remembered how to make hairpin turns. The road becomes a little less steep and you at least feel like you are making progress with each turn. But, by then, the lower half has softened up your legs pretty good.

Here is a distressing story.  Sure, pro cycling's leadership is not the greatest.  However, there is not problem that a politician can't find a way to screw up even more.

Pro cyclists and teams seek cooperation with EU to revamp sport
 
October 5, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The associations of professional riders and teams said Friday they will cooperate with the European Union to revamp the way professional cycling is governed.
The groups want to seize on the EU's offer to help improve the working conditions within sports.
 
Professional cycling has been hit hard by a succession of doping scandals and a rift between the ruling federation and the organizers of the major tours.
The CPA pro riders group and the IPCT team association said in a statement that setting up a committee with the 27-nation EU could "show itself to be a major instrument of renewal in pro racing and the modernization of its governance."
A recent EU White Paper on sports called on better cooperation between authorities and sporting associations to overcome the problems in sport.

There is plenty of lousy news in the world of pro cycling these days.

Old McQuaid had a ProTour.
Eeee ayeee eeee aye ohhhh.
And in this tour he had some riders.
Eeee ayeee eeee aye ohhhh.
A doper, doper here.
And a doper, doper there.
Here a doper, there a doper, everywhere a doper, doper.
Old McQuaid had a ProTour.
Eeee ayeee eeee aye ohhhh.

What is good about the sport? The weekend warriors with so-so talent that get out there and give their best shot at competing for a little dough. People who do it for the love of the sport.

Also good, are the youngsters. They also carry that same love but also provide the future of the sport. Hopefully, a future that is cleaner than what we have currently.

This story was published today about one such junior with huge quantities of natural, genetic talent as the story relates. With some luck and more hard work, perhaps he can remain part of a future of hope.

By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
October 4, 2007

CARSON, Calif. (AP) -- Davis Phinney held out his right arm to illustrate his point.

"See? Talking about the Olympics still gives me goose bumps," he said.

He might want to consider long sleeves. There could be a lot of Olympic talk in the Phinney household over the next few months, because one of the most-storied families in American cycling has a budding star quickly making a name for himself.

Taylor Phinney is proving the power of genetics. His father is Davis Phinney, the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France and an elite pro rider for two decades. His mother is Connie Carpenter-Phinney, a four-time national champion and the gold medalist in the inaugural women's Olympic road race 23 years ago.

So it can hardly be surprising that their 17-year-old son is already a junior world cycling champion -- and is considered one of USA Cycling's brightest hopes for the future, with eyes of trying to find a spot on the Olympic team destined for Beijing next summer.

"When you walk around as an Olympian, that's pretty good," said Davis Phinney, a 1984 bronze medalist. "When you walk around as an Olympic gold medalist, that's even better. So we wanted to instill that spirit, that honor and what it's like being an ambassador for your country in him."

With parents like his, some might think Taylor Phinney was raised on a bike.

They'd be wrong.

He didn't begin riding competitively until 18 months ago, then won 23 races in his first year. He never pedaled on a velodrome until four weeks ago -- yet Thursday, in his first real race on the banked track, was one of four qualifiers for the finals in the individual pursuit at USA Cycling's elite national championships.

"My whole motivation to get into doing the pursuit is to see if maybe I can qualify for the Olympics in '08," Taylor Phinney said. "So we decided to come out here, and it's exciting. My first pursuit. I like it."

The pursuit is a 16-lap event along the 250-meter track, with two riders starting on opposite sides. It's a race against the clock, not the other rider, but that didn't stop Taylor from catching his opponent during Thursday's heats -- while he clocked the fastest final-kilometer time among qualifiers for the finals.

"I know what I'm capable of," Taylor Phinney said. "I just haven't proven itself on the track to myself."

This was a good start.

He tries to remain a normal teen in many ways. He has a girlfriend, plays a lot of video games and doesn't do a lot of homework. And until a few years ago, soccer -- not cycling -- was his passion.

A trip to the 2005 Tour de France changed that. He spent some time there with Lance Armstrong, who was winning his seventh and final Tour. He met Axel Merckx, the son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx. And Axel told Taylor they have plenty in common.

Both are 6-foot-4. Both played soccer. And neither began competitive cycling until they were 15.

"You could see the light bulb going off in T's head when he said that," said Davis Phinney, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago and started a foundation to raise money for research about four years ago.

So after that trip to France, Taylor told his parents he wanted to be a bike racer.

And he's been on a meteoric rise ever since. Two months ago, in his first appearance at the junior world championships, Phinney won the road time trial Aguascalientes, Mexico, becoming the first American to medal in that race since 1994.

"A lot of kids don't know what they want to do and their parents get them into sports to meet friends, not necessarily to be great," Taylor Phinney said. "But when you're growing up and you choose your own sport and not have someone choose it for you, that's when you can really excel."