Cycling Commentary

Basso and Ullrich Forced to Prove Innocence

Ivan Basso of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling and Jan Ullrich, formerly of T-Mobile and rumored to be in discussions with the European continental pro cycling team Acqua & Sapone, may be forced to prove their innocence if they wish to race again.

Today, cyclingnews.com reported that Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme may not allow riders implicated in Operacion Puerto to race in this year's Grande Boucle. And the organizers for the Tour of Germany have said that there will be no television coverage if Puerto riders (you know who you are) take part in the race. Of course, without television coverage and the attendant sponsorship dollars, there will be no Tour of Germany.

So, what are riders like Basso and Ullrich to do? In the case of Ullrich, he has little choice. Velonews reported over the weekend that German prosecutors will be comparing DNA samples (presumably extracted) from Ullrich against the DNA in bags of blood in the possession of Spanish authorities obtained from Eufemiano Fuentes, the Spanish doping doctor at the center of the Operacion Puerto affair. Assuming that the bags of blood are unsullied, there may be a silver lining in this otherwise endless scandal: Ullrich will be found innocent or guilty based upon the analysis. "If the blood don't fit, you can't convict."

Basso may also be in a similar predicament. On Friday, cyclingnews.com reported that the organisation of the International Professional Cycling Teams (ICPT) has offered to provide the blood of riders implicated in the Puerto affair to officials for analysis. Simultaneously, the IPCT which had previously excluded Discovery from their ranks because of Discovery's signing of Basso allowed Discovery back into their exclusive club. Since Basso agreed at the time of his signing with Discovery to undergo DNA tests if required by cycling authorities, the clear implication is that Basso will be providing his blood for analysis as well. Again, the good news here is that implicated riders will be indicted or cleared based upon the results of this analysis.

As much as I loathe the 'guilty until proven innocent' mantra of European professional cycling, DNA tests will clearly set the record straight. With the new cycling year dawning, it would be great to get this mess behind us so fans like us can focus on riders and races instead of this ongoing Puerto nonsense.

Floyd Landis Pissed at Pound

Floyd Landis is pissed at World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) Chief, Dick Pound. And for good reason. In this weekend's NY Times Magazine, Pound not only condemned Landis as a guilty man for testing positive for testosterone after Stage 11 of the 2006 Tour de France, but he mocked him as well. From the NY Times interview with Michael Sokolove, Pound was quoted as saying, '“I mean, it was 11 to 1!” Pound said, referring to Landis’s reported testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, a measure used to identify doping. “You’d think he’d be violating every virgin within 100 miles. How does he even get on his bicycle?”

And surely, with a hip gone bad, Landis probably had plenty of trouble getting on his bicyle, but not for the reason indicated by Pound. Landis has every right to be pissed by Dick Pound's comments. Presently, Landis and his legal team are defending the cyclist against what they describe as faulty data submitted by a French lab, who with the help of Pound, implicated him publicly in violation of WADA protocol.

'"Dick Pound's recent defamatory and absurd public comments - in the midst of a process where the highest ethical standards should support a fair and just outcome - highlight the dramatic and systematic problems with global anti-doping enforcement and adjudication,"' said Landis as reported in Velonews http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/11427.0.html.

Floyd and his legal team further pointed to the data and his defense that is grounded in claims that the French lab testing his blood had numerous problems.

Again from Velonews.com, '"Mr Pound's published reference to the testosterone in my system proves he has not even bothered to review the facts regarding the unsubstantiated allegations against me," said Landis. "My testosterone levels were tested as normal following stage 17 of the 2006 Tour de France and this fact is clear to anyone who cares to review the lab data.

"Absolute testosterone levels are not even part of the allegations," Landis continued. "The LNDD (Laboratoire National Depistage de Dopage - the French lab that tested Landis's sample) tested a clearly contaminated sample of my urine, against WADA rules, and even then my testosterone levels fell into the normal to low range."'

Not having reviewed the online defense submitted by Arnie Baker, MD in November this year, I decided to examine Landis' defense more closely. Among the assertions demonstated by Baker in a Powerpoint presentation worthy of review by anyone proclaiming Landis to be guilty http://www.box.net/public/c9bxy2vzyk#main:
- An incorrect lab indentification number of the A sample
- An incorrect athlete identification number
- Improperly made forensic corrections to identify Floyd to the incorrectly labeled sample
- Questionable chain of custody documentation for Landis' A-sample
- An arguably contaminated urine sample for both the A- and B-samples
- Radically different results from the same urine sample
- Isotope ratio criteria not met on the T/E test

Long and short, there is enough here to suggest that Floyd Landis may not have taken exogenous testosterone on his amazing victory on Stage 17 of the Tour. Landis, like all other athletes, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Until such time, Dick Pound should observe his own rules of ethics and keep his mouth shut.

Tom Danielson Talks Tough

Tom Danielson of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling is talking tough for 2007. In a recent article appearing in the Durango Herald, Danielson told the reporter that "now is the time to develop myself as a figure in American cycling" - not "win a grand tour," or "win the Pro Tour Jersey," but "develop myself as a figure in American cycling." To achieve this allusive objective, he will need to overcome some steep competition this year now that both Levi Leipheimer and Ivan Basso are riding with Discovery.

To show his early season prowess, Danielson has set his sights on performing well in the second annual Tour of California in February. Last year, he came to the Tour of California in the best fitness of his life. Yet, when he attacked on stage 2 on the Sierra Nevada climb, he was unable to get rid of Leipheimer or Landis. Despite his high level of fitness, Danielson commented in the interview that "the other guys were just at another level." He has been training hard, harder than ever, and he intends to ride strong from the start of the season all the way through the Tour.

Acknowledging that the dynamics of the team have changed with the addition of Basso and Leipheimer, he claims the team will ride for the strongest rider. Apparently, Danielson intends to be that rider. Time will tell, and Danielson will bear watching in 2007.