A Nice Resource

The Versus schedule page: http://www.versus.com/cyclysm/#schedule

Catching Up on The ATOC

Gesink, Leipheimer & Antler Head (flickr cc/the dublin reeds)

Levi Leipheimer still retains the overall lead that he established on Wednesday during a breakaway with Robert Gesink (see above).

Other notes:

--It's been a good tour for Antler Head (see above). Lots of TV time and even some commentary during stage one.

--I hope this helps. Go to http://www.letleviride.com/ to sign the online petition. Maybe you can help save cycling.

--Watching the circuit on stage one is painful for anyone who has ridden a criterium. Every time you'd see a close-up of the riders crossing over those road reflectors, you tense up expecting a fall.

--Chris Horner -- great rider. I never get tired of watching him out there.

Fabian Cancellara As Expected

Cancellara for the win flickr cc/user -- flying gutterball

Fabian Cancellara powered through the two-mile Tour of California prologue and won by a four-second margin over Bradley Wiggins. The result was no surprise.

Kind of amazing that most of the riders lost the line through the turn on the oval. Maybe take your hands off of the TT bars for stability. Hey, what do I know -- I've never been on a TT bike, they scare me.

Please let Tyler Hamilton out of jail.

Let Go of the Past

murphy-r flicker cc

It will be a while before we truly understand how the ASO ban of Astana this past week will play out. The immediate repercussion is to jab a stick in the festering wound that was first opened smack dab in the middle of cycling's chest during the 2006 Tour de France. Hardcore fans stick to the mantra, cycling as a sport is true -- the current caretakers are simply a model of incompetence.

The sport is the same -- an awesome challenge of team and individual strategies played out in an picturesque endurance environment. It's a great spectator sport, engaging, entertaining and beautiful. A percentage of teams and athletes have used performance enhancers to cheat the game. Cycling tests and finds those athletes and unlike the New England Patriots, any win is forfeited and a suspension is likely. Does it sting when a universally admired cyclist like Vino tests out in the middle of the premiere event. Absolutely. Still, in 2007 they weeded out the cheaters during the race and came up with a true winner with Alberto Contador. A household name? Not yet, but he could be. I stood on the streets of Kansas City and watched fans clamour around Contador and it re-asserted my belief that the Tour lives on.

I think the challenge that the cycling organizations have is that they have to let go of the past (possibly the mlb as well). I'm not sure what causes that mentality, but the example was the constant pursuit of Lance Armstrong. The desire to reach back in time and take away a title is fruitless. The emphasis needs to be on finding rules violators during an event. Test results need to be more rapid. In some cases, that simply is not techonologically possible. In the case of Floyd Landis, it was simple to me. The test results were not official until after the final day of racing. The man retains the title and if he cheated, he lives with that. Maybe it feels like a dirty win to fans/media, but you live with the call "on the field." You suspend the cyclist going forward, but once a race is closed it's over. Move forward. Increase testing.

So, 2006 happened and 2007 brought more heartache. ASO kicks off 2008 by taking away our Tour winner and pain lives on. Astana looks like a team that changed out as many players as possible to get clean. If this is the example, how can cycling retain sponsors. If Astana was to be banned, it should have been announced in July of 2007. If nothing else, once word was out that Contador might sign with Astana, ASO should have reached out to offer the possibility. Again, the punishment is retroactive. In hockey, we call this chasing the puck (instead of playing your position).

Johan Bruyneel Responds To Snub

EdTarwinski/Flickr/CC

"The Giro directors have the freedom to choose. We regret that. Lodging a complaint will not help us. In the coming weeks, we will prove that we still have our place in all big cycling events."
--Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel

Does This Help?

So, the Giro decides to exclude Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Kloeden and George Hincapie. Is that a good start to building the sport back up after a disasterous 2007?

Tour of Missouri Expands

Big time. The TOM expands to a seven-day event with a start in St. Joseph. Definitely a nice win for the Northwestern city. Full schedule:

STAGE 1 / Monday, Sept. 8 St. Joseph to Kansas City , road race with circuits (90 mi / 144.81 km)

STAGE 2 / Tuesday, September 9 Clinton to Springfield , road race with circuits (125 mi / 201.13 km)

STAGE 3 / Wednesday, September 10 Branson , individual time trial (18 mi / 28.6 km)

STAGE 4 / Thursday, September 11 Lebanon to Rolla , road race with circuits (105 mi / 168.95 km)

STAGE 5 / Friday, September 12 St. James to Jefferson City , road race with circuits (100 mi / 160.9 km)

STAGE 6 / Saturday, September 13 Hermann to St. Charles , road race (110 mi / 177 km)

STAGE 7 / Sunday, September 14 St. Louis , circuit race (75 mi / 120.68 km)

http://www.tourofmissouri.com/