Chris Horner did exactly what I wanted him to do. That is to say that he isn’t rider #15 in the USADA report. The problem is that he did it so badly that it did nothing but detract from his believability. I think it would behoove Chris to just stay silent until the UCI gives everyone a get-out-of-jail-free card.

In this article at Cyclingnews, Chris says what he should have said originally a couple weeks ago. When asked whether he is the redacted rider #15, he answers, “Nope”. Then he proceeds to go and make a mess of the rest of the interview.

He goes and contradicts himself a few times about whether doping and drugs were prevalent when he first went to Europe. He uses the explanation that he was only 25 years old and didn’t speak French as the main reason that he didn’t go to the dark side. His quote here is beautiful, “But there is not the option as a 25-year-old kid who doesn’t speak the language in France to just go do EPO. But really you think of it as you weren’t given the option more than you didn’t take the option.”

He pretty much sticks with the, no one gave him the option 15 years ago when I was “young” and naïve, so that means that no one in the last 15 years presented it again, reasoning.

He talks of his early bad results and says, “I had a difficult time in Europe. It’s difficult to say whether the drug problem was there or it wasn’t there, and that was the reason. I was 10 pounds overweight; that was one of the reasons.”

Difficult to say whether the “drug problem was there or it wasn’t there? Chris, obviously, you haven’t read enough about it on Cyclingnews, since that is where you get all your doping news, because nearly anyone reading this can attest to the fact that there was a serious drug problem going on in cycling during those years. And all the years after. Maybe he was too busy racing bicycles and missed the last decade + of doping news in cycling?

Maybe just a tad amount of outrage would make it seem more plausible. Just a little bit. I guess we were just trying to stay on topic?

Maybe he is right and it was just a weight issue. I wonder why all these guys listed below, had to use drugs to win races? I think I’ll skip lunch.

The pictue is of Tour de France top 10 finishers that have either tested positive, admitted to doping or been sanctioned by an official cycling or antidoping agency.

I’m finally getting around to posting about last Sunday. Well, maybe not last Sunday only, but some. I am a little in shell-shock from the whole thing. I knew going in that I was not anywhere close to in shape for cyclo-cross. But, that being said, I didn’t think I was that horrible.

The starts in these races are critical. And starting close to 50 guys back doesn’t help much. But I never got going any faster than the guys around me. I wasn’t necessarily being that lazy, I just wasn’t or couldn’t go any faster than my groups. And my groups were going a lot slower than the leaders.

I’ve never liked sand much. Especially sand in the United States. Our sand isn’t the same as Belgian sand. Our sand is much bigger and doesn’t hold a line nearly as well. But in Louisville, the sand held a pretty good line. I just sucked at it. It always caused me issues. It doesn’t help not to have a lot of power going into it, but you need to finesse your bike through the sand, not fight it. I was fighting it.

I didn’t get that sore from all the dismounts and short runs like I thought I would. That is an upside I guess.

Both the elite men’s and women’s races were exciting up front. Katie Compton kept it interesting in the front for the women field and the finish of the men’s race was super tight. Ryan Trebon had it in the bag, but clipped a pedal on the last off-camber climb and slid out. He was still in the lead at the top, but Jeremy Powers got by him and he kind of just melted, letting Ben Berden and Danny Summerhill ride by. I’ve never lost a race that close to the finish, but can imagine that it must have been super frustrating for Ryan.

I am in better shape than finishing 35th at Louisville. I just didn’t show it. I’m not sure I can show it right now, but you never know. I have to decide, like in the next 24 hours, whether I want to go to Iowa City and do Jingle Cross. I’m teetering pretty good on it. It costs close to $500 by the time you add in fuel, entry, hotels, etc. I’m not sure that is a well use of money. We’ll see.

It was great staying with my friends, Stacie and Karl, for the weekend. It is so convenient. Sunday night, Stacie invited a bunch of people over and Katie Compton and her husband Mark came too. I’ve never had a chance to talk much with either of them, so it was pretty fun. It is funny seeing people all the time and never having the opportunity to meet them properly. Both were super nice and very interesting. I enjoyed the evening immensely.

I’ve felt a little under the weather the last couple days. It doesn’t help that I drove back into winter for the first time. I rode my MTB bike yesterday for just a little over an hour and it was in the mid 20’s. Riding home later, after meeting the local guys for a beer, it was in the upper teens. I’m not ready for winter yet. It is supposed to warm up some today, so that will be better.

I was always off balance in the long sand section.

I kind of like this step through photo that Rich Wachtel took on Saturday.

The men’s races weren’t until 4 pm, so the shadows got long early in the race.

Katie Compton won both days handily.

And after the races on Sunday night, she had no problem drinking lots of good wine.