So this post is going to be kinda all over the place.
First a little ranting:
Two things have come up in the news since last I posted and the first is Riccardo Ricco being hospitalized for kidney problems from an alleged blood transfusion gone bad.
Seriously, what the hell!? A guy who gets busted for CERA (new version of the blood booster EPO). Doesn't really show any remorse about doing it or getting caught. Then comes back to the sport early for turning states evidence about how he did it. And then once he is back in the fold swears up and down that he is clean and people can win at the highest level without doping. There was also a particularly endearing moment in there where his partner
That's her on the left....
(And mother of his child.)gets busted for doping as well (later the charges were dropped) and he rakes her of the coals in the press on how this all is terrible for him and his image (What an ass hat.). If the blood transfusion is true I think that guys deserves a lifetime ban from the sport and some sort of public humiliation. Like a drive by rotten fruit throwing contest. Where he is the target. Maybe anyone who wants to can go up an kick him in the balls or something. At least that way there shouldn't be anymore kids coming from him. Which would be a plus in my book.
The second is Alberto Contador being released of all charges by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) for Clenbuterol being in his system. Now the amount that was in his system when it was detected is such a small amount that there wouldn't be any benefit to his performance from it. But (Everyone I know has a big but...), the fact that it was detected and it could be a cursor for other nefarious (i.e. blood doping) activities. Many other cyclists got the "To bad, so sad!" from their perspective federations. It seems a little unfair. And a lot of favoritism for Ol' Burt to get off the hook when every other cyclist got the book thrown at them.
Not that I don't think the UCI won't step right in and try and get this thing overturned at CAS (Court for the Arbitration of Sport). Because as we all know. The UCI never looses. Just ask anyone busted for doping in the last... Well, forever. It's a really fair system in that way *eye roll*.
It would really surprise me if we see Ol' Burt finger banging his way through the Tour de France this year.
But who knows. The system is so screwed up as it is anything could happen.
The next thing is a run in we had with a motorist on a group ride last week. I know it seems like we've had a rash of them lately. And while this one wasn't near as scary as the last one. It was still disheartening for a couple of reasons.
I think the main one was that it was our fault. I don't ever want people to think that I always side with the cyclist. And in this particular instance I was one of the guys who caused the tift.
We were at a three way stop sign with a fellow who was on the opposite side of the road as us. I had slowed down to stop behind two other cyclists in front of me.
I should explain a weird cyclist phenomena now so you can understand a little where my mind was at the time. Whenever we (As in the group. I'm not speaking in the third person.) make the attempt to stop at a stop sign with a vehicle at the intersection as well. The driver 9 times out of 10 will wave us through. But, (another big but) if we don't they usually great extremely agitated (and rightly so...).
I was just looking at the cyclist in front of me and saw that after slowing way down he continued through the intersection. So I followed.And in doing so had the driver of the van go into a world of pissed off that was partially justified and part totally over the top.
I stopped and tried to talk with him. I mean an actual conversation not a shouting match. Which was really pretty useless. He just shouted at me for a minute and them peeled out and didn't use his signal as he made his turn.
He looked a lot like this guy.
It was an odd feeling for me. I don't think I've ever been in a position where I wanted to be depressed and kick someones ass all in the same moment. A real juxtaposition.
I just thought it was an interesting experience...
And lastly, as my previous post said. The Cherry Pie Road Race is coming up this Saturday down in Adair, Oregon (South of Independence, north of Corvallis). It's the first race of 2011. And I'm pretty pumped! I don't expect I'll be in the mix (Although you never know...) for a win or anything. But I'm looking forward to turning the wheels in anger once more. My race doesn't start until 12:50 pm. Which for a Cat 4 racer is a weird experience. Most of the time we're the first one's out of the starting gate.
I'm also right in the middle of gluing up the road tubulars and as I'm sure (I hope) you've read here. I do love that process. It really plays to my inner bike geek.
Hopefully this post wasn't to all over the place for everyone. Thanks for reading.
Rubber side down,
Big E
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