Poor Frankie, after a 2-hour hearing with the Luxembourg anti-doping association (LADA) (OK, I know it's ALAD really, but LADA is funnier), he now has to wait another six weeks before getting a decision.
For heaven's sake, why???
And the Lux paper Le Quotidien has run a piece suggesting that Nissan are withdrawing their support from RadioShack, for unspecified reasons, but of course it's all to do with bloody Armstrong and the doping scandal.
Interesting side note - did anybody else laugh hysterically at the report that Dr Ferrari gave an interview in which he said he'd never seen Armstrong dope, and explained the "never had a positive test" as being simply because Armstrong always rode clean? Mind you, Dr Ferrari also said that he had never told anyone to dope, but was concerned only with giving advice on nutrition and training schedules, and the use of cunning tricks such as training at altitude. Somehow I don't quite believe him...
Anyway, the loss of Nissan might be a good thing as far as Trek are concerned. They were mighty cross this year at not being allowed to be in the team name - you remember, no more than two sponsor names for Pro-Teams - so next year it might well be RadioShack Trek.
Maybe RadioShack will give up sponsoring as well: after all, they are the main name associated with Armstrong. Then perhaps Leopard will come back in as sponsors, and hey! Leopard Trek!
Well, I'm very sorry for Frankie and all the family, it would have been so much nicer if this could have been resolved before Christmas. Still, let's send them all our very best wishes for Christmas, and we all hope to see a much better New Year for everyone.
Have a lovely Christmas break, Schlecklanders, I don't expect there will be much blogging over the holidays, so I will send you all my wishes for a super Christmas, and a very happy New Year.
Kisses!
Merry Christmas Coug and to all the other Schlecklanders! Here's hoping 2013 brings you all you hope for and that our boys have a better year!
ReplyDelete(temporarily relocated) Bris. Gal
Yay, doping use of Xipamide is quite unlikely in Frankie's case according to Cyclingnews!! He will definitely not get a 2-year ban, now we'll see what they will come up with.
ReplyDeleteP.S.: Christmas holydays are over, what are you waiting for to come back blogging? We miss you Coug!
Hey Alice, thank you for prodding me, alright, I'll be back tomorrow! (it's nearly lunchtime and I'm busy this afternoon.)
ReplyDeleteAlas, Cycling news don't actually know anything new - right from the beginning there was the hope of a short ban or just a fine: and that's what we are all hoping for, the absolute minimum.
The report from the lab in Cologne just repeats the same things: there are no valid reasons for a rider to take diuretics during a race, and there is the possibility that he ingested it from a contaminated supplement (we're all rooting for that one, of course) but there is still the chance that it was used as a masking agent.
This report was given to the Lux doping authorities, and they are not going to give their decision until the end of the month.
Sigh.
Meanwhile we have all the hoo-ha of Armstrong going on Oprah - my god, what a fuss about nothing this is going to be! The cycling press has been reporting "Armstrong confesses!" but Oprah herself gave an interview to the BBC (possibly, just possibly, a more reliable source than the thrice-translated cycling journalists) in which she does use the word "confess" but follows it by "something surprising."
So he won't be confessing to doping.
Well, we all knew that would be the case, didn't we? I mean, Oprah? Come on! Not exactly a hard-hitting serious interviewer, is she? For a start, she's a) female and b) black. Lance is a) a bloke b) a bolshy bloke - by his own admittance in his own books - and c) a Texan. She will ask exactly what he has agreed in advance that she can ask. If Lance can intimidate the entire Postal Team, Discovery Team, RadioShack team, management, UCI, etc etc, then I am sure he can control one woman.
Wondering what he will confess to? Something that will get him sympathy and win him admirers. Some additional charity thing, something that shows he has a heart, and a soft side. That's my thought.
Tomorrow, peeps!
Nice to see you are "back", Coug! :) - Kat
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