If I read some Pro say this is a different era of the sport and that doping isn’t prevalent still, I’m going to puke. Or maybe I should say puke more.
Andy Schleck is the guy that, nearly robotically, says this each and every time he opens his mouth. This makes me respect the guy even less, if that is possible.
Today at Cyclingnews.com, this article states that the Spanish police arrested former pro rider José Luis Martínez, along with a few of his associates. It says that José had been producing and distributing products including plasma, clenbuterol, testosterone and anabolic steroids.
The guy had machines that could manipulate blood and produce the drugs. That seems pretty complicated to me.
But, maybe more disturbing that this, the guy has been working the last two years are a UCI chaperone for the Vuelta a España, watching over the riders between when they finished and the actually doping control. Talk about the fox watching the chicken coop.
Anyway, I have to assume that José wasn’t producing these products for his own consumption. Hopefully, since the authorities have been on him for nearly a year, there will be more to follow.
Talk about screwed up people, how about Levi Leipheimer? I’ve posted before about my disdain with the guy for coming back from Europe and cherry picking Leadville and such. But, when he decides he’s going to mosey over to a “local” MTB race and not register, just tag along, while serving his slap-on-the-wrist suspension, it just goes to show you that he isn’t close to the smartest tool in the shed.
Yeah, Levi couldn’t help himself, so he decided to “not participate” in a bike race by just riding it, not registering, and then turning off before he cross the line. The race was so local, that Peter Stetina, Garmin Professional, won the event.
Levi’s answer about competing was, “My sanction doesn’t prohibit me from training and staying fit. This is a local adventure series, as they call it, that’s been going for years. I’ve always done it and supported the local cycling community.”
Okay, where do I start. Your bullshit sanction doesn’t prohibit you from training Levi, but it does prohibit you from racing bikes. And I’m virtually positive that this constitutes a bicycle race. And addressing the 2nd point, I’m so happy that you always have done it to support the local cycling community, but I’m pretty sure you weren’t suspended from racing bicycles at that time.
I can’t understand why Levis isn’t just sitting in basement, riding his Computrainer, ecstatic about how fortunate he has been in this whole process. But, no he can’t help himself, so he has to go “not race” a race, just to stay fit.
He also stated, “First of all, I’m sanctioned and I take that very seriously. I would never jeopardize or do anything to prolong that.”
Levi, you just did jeopardize that, you raced a bicycle race. If I had anything to do with it, maybe someone at the USAC does, I’d politely ask Levi to sit out bicycle racing from, now, January 19th, for the next 6 months. And if he decided against that, I’d go through the motions to try to make him not race until July 19th. As a licensed Professional, he could have been suspended for participating in this event. As a suspended Pro, he shouldn’t be treated any differently.
Man, what a tool.
There was nothing stopping Levi from just going out and riding with a bunch of his buddies. Back in 2010, I guess that was enough from him to stay fit, but not this year.
