Above the law

Saying "UCI ignores all court rulings anyways," the Belgian Appellate Court withdrew its order to rescind Iljo Keisse's suspension. The immediate effect is that the embattled rider can no longer race in Belgium either and now has to wait until August 6 before he can race anywhere again.

The fact that Keisse's suspension is about to end did play a major role in the Court's decision, but the admission by a High Court that its rulings "would be ignored" and would thus be "senseless" did shock some people. In essence the justices did not want to intervene any longer but the way they put it seemed to imply that UCI was effectively above the law and could do as it saw fit. The news was largely ignored outside cycling circles and was no doubt welcomed in Switzerland, but it should give all citizens of the free world pause. If any organization can put itself above the law, then what exactly does the "rule of law mean?"

In the US meanwhile we have seen many similar "adjustments" albeit outside the world of sports. Here too, government lawyers and government officials feel emboldened to legalize any behavior they wish to engage in, be it revoking "habeas corpus," spying on citizens, illegal detainment and kidnapping, torture, pre-emptive strikes, or ignoring the sovereignty of nations.

It now appears neo-pro Marcel Kittel is going to win every single stage of the vierdaagse van Duinkerken. The cyclo-crossers who are using this race as their road debut are barely visible. Stybar did manage to get into a break-away yesterday but Sven Nys could do no more than avoid a major crash.

Marcel Kittel (R) here with Taylor Phinney at the U23 worlds

Tomorrow is the start of the Giro d'Italia. For you endurance racing fans, tomorrow is also the second running of Ironman St. George, considered by many the toughest race in the lower 48. And while we have seen pictures of snow-covered peaks for the former, the latter is going to be a scorcher with temperatures above 30C/ 88F.

And finally, a great shot of Hunter in the final stage of the Ster van Zuid-Limburg.

Thunder and hail

Well, it is obvious that Pat McQuaid is not the only one who's upset with the Spanish Federation. No sooner had Alberto Contador set out in the Tour of Algarve or all hell broke loose in Northern California. A surprise hailstorm lashed the blossoming cherry and plum trees and covered the earth with ice for a brief moment. Clearly the weather gods are angry about what is happening to the purity of the sport and to show it they covered the earth with a dusting of pure white.

Hail, I'm sure the plum tree is not happy.

But like McQuaid, who said he may not appeal the Spanish verdict, the gods are confused and soon enough the sun broke through and added luster to the white landscape. The battle between storm clouds and sun is ongoing at this time, and I hope it gets resolved sooner than your average doping case.

Then the sun came out

One thing, McQuaid is not confused about is headphones. Despite protests he is insistent, headphones are out. He said as much in Oman earlier today. Following in the footsteps of the local leaders, McQuaid said, "The riders deserve a voice and we have heard that voice. We made a decision and we will execute that decision." Whether McQuaid will be more successful than said leaders in calming the popular revolt remains to be seen.

We do know that the riders and their teams are sensitive to the large amounts of cash being dispensed in the Gulf so they have agreed not to wreck the party and disappoint the non-existent supporters. But it is anyone's guess what could happen when they return to supporter-rich, but financially-strapped Europe later in the year.

The social media (read facebook and twitter) reactions to the Contador story have been varied. Most people, especially those who earlier expressed their disdain for the Spaniard, kept quiet. Others are furious that a doper is getting away with murder -figuratively that is, only football players get away with real murder in this country. 

But there were some voices of moderation. Some pointed out that cheating is human nature and that it happens in all sports. They stated that most people cheat when given the opportunity, and that Alberto very likely did not cheat any more than the others around him. Some compared doping in riders to tax evasion and politicians, or speeding in California (or red light running in New York). One guy pointed out that removing Alberto from competition would diminish the value of other people's victories in races such as the Tour.

Iljo Keisse said, "I wish Contador much success." Lance on the other hand just stated he was innocent of doping and that he once again decided to leave the cycling world, although he added, "Never say never," and then later "No, no, it is just a joke."

One thing is for sure. The system is badly broken and in need of overhaul. I think UCI should move away from forbidden substances altogether. The approach smacks of magical thinking. It invites workarounds and does not provide the right incentives.

But if they do insist on keeping a list they should at the very least establish a minimum value for each substance. We live in an era of science, not magic. Pharmaceuticals only work if given in adequate doses. It makes no sense to suspend people for ineffective or homeopathic doses, especially when a substance is a known food contaminant.

In the meantime I am happy to see that non other than Philippe Gilbert won the first stage of the Tour of Algarve. That is to say, he won for now. Because we really have to wait for the lab results to see if his victory will stand. As this could take a few years, let's just cherish the moment and call him the winner for now.

And finally, the results of yesterday's 20 minute power test. 325W for 20 minutes, body weight 77 kg, for a value of 4.2 W/kg.

4.2 W/kg, it's in the Cat 2 range

The sky's the limit

When it comes to dining, you can count on the Belgians to come up with creative solutions. One such solution, now in 32 countries including Las Vegas, is Dinner in the Sky. This is to be taken quite literally as you and your companions, together with a handful of waiters, go up some 50 m (165 ft) in the air to take in the views while eating. Although you are wearing a four point seatbelt -and going to the bathroom is out- you are reminded not to drop your fork or any other item that is particularly dear to you.

There they are suspended by a crane

Don't drop your fork, or your cellphone...

The Dining in the Sky business has since expanded its reach not just to other countries, but also to other events such as meeting in the sky, showbizz (sic) in the sky and of course marriage in the sky. I do note that mafioso events such as firing co-workers in the sky are out- at least as far as I can tell.

Firing in the sky (Scarface)

Speaking of executions, the Spanish Federation is letting Alberto walk. This move is sure to evoke wide-spread condemnations and appeals to the purity of the sport, and a setback in the fight against doping. Expect the UCI and WADA to appeal or to ignore the Spanish or if all else fails, to enforce a ban against him outside Spain. Regardless of what these organizations do, the organizers of the Tour will want to add their 2 cents too. Expect a ban to compete here. It will be Alberto's second ban after ASO snubbed Astana (with Contador) earlier on.

I can't believe it. This can't be happening!

The Contador saga is is a repeat -with two subtle twists- of the Iljo Keisse story that I covered earlier on. The twists being that Keisse was only temporarily rescued and he was rescued by a Belgian court whereas Alberto is declared innocent and that was done by the Spanish Cycling Federation.

Sporza immediately commented that Alberto's guilt remains unproven but so does his innocence. In many ways the verdict is not unexpected and we will probably see many repeats of such scenarios in the future. Now that we have a precedent, expect future accused and their lawyers to respond.

Regardless of how one feels about Alberto and doping, the right course of action is simple: if one cannot prove guilt, the suspect has to walk. Remember OJ? Deviating from this course will only cause more trouble for the sport and the sporting federations. Our entire legal system is based on people presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Although UCI and WADA have the freedom to set rules, they also need to show common sense. Clenbuterol is a known food contaminant. Maybe the doses were off, or maybe its presence here was indicative of a transfusion or other misdeed, but unless they can prove it, they need to stay silent. They also need to show flexibility with respect to "any level." This is simply not good science.

Proclaiming that riders are responsible for what goes into their bodies is no longer feasible in 2011, where extensively prepared food is the rule. Nobody knows what they put into their system and those who claim they do are just plain ignorant. All you need to do is look at the volume of recalls FDA handles. Furthermore you can rest assured that this is just the tip of the iceberg. FDA simply does not have the personnel to investigate all claims of contamination. Innocent people go to McDonalds and Burger King and end up dying of E.Coli. Do we blame them for what they put into their system?

Meanwhile the cycling world is turning its eyes to the Middle East, where more upsets are expected. Just today a Dutch rider, Theo Bos, bested Mark the missile man Cavendish in the first stage of the Tour of Oman. Long term ruler Tom Boonen was unable to sprint. Although he was in an ideal position, half a kilometer out, that changed as the final dash started. Tom also blamed his hip after a crash in Qatar.

Three day weekend

For many of us this is a three day weekend. In typical American fashion, more than half the country does not observe the holiday. This is something Europeans have a hard time understanding. Why do Americans feel the need to go to work all the time? It is not like productivity is that much higher in the US, and studies show that when people take a break every once in a while, they do better, work harder, and are happier.

The other day I was reading some sections in Keith Richards autobiography, Life. The book has been well received, something some attribute to the fact that it supposedly makes fun of Mick Jagger's manhood. I have not read any of these passages but rumor has it Keith is quite explicit and it would not surprise me if these spicy notes contribute to sales. The passage I did read revealed that Keith was probably quite damaged by the whole Anita Pallenberg affair.

Life

Life is interesting for several other reasons. The Economist thinks it can teach business people lessons in management, partnerships and collaboration. How's that for an endorsement? The fact that The Economist even considered looking at it is surprising enough. Second, the book shows that all the hoopla about drugs and drug addiction is overblown. I can still remember the days when Keith Richard topped the lists of "Rock stars most likely to die within a year." He was on top of that list for many years. Well, good old Keith has survived many of his supposedly healthier peers already.

Nothing much happened on the Keisse front after Rotterdam, as Iljo dropped his lawsuit and decided not to go to Bremen. In an interview with Sporza he said he never wanted a war with UCI. Pat McQuaid on the other hand was quoted as saying lawyers are "wrecking the sport." But is it surprising that people go to lawyers, when their livelihood is at stake and their cases drag on forever? The most revealing part of the McQuaid statement was that he stated, "Unlike others, ...UCI cares about doping" and then added "I know nothing about the Keisse issue." Nothing except that he is determined to keep Keisse out because he thinks the man is guilty?

McQuaid, a former racer and team director. Does he know something we don't?

Sporza also reported that Belgian star Philippe Gilbert rode his bicycle at 119 km/h (74 mph) during a retreat in the Spanish resort of Palma de Mallorca. Gilbert did this by drafting his team car. Hopefully he was wearing a helmet and fortunately he did not go through the rear window when the car had to brake. Ullrich, the man who did go through a car window in 2005, was in the news too recently, when he reported to be feeling better and "cured from his burnout." Still he is not considering a comeback, instead preferring to "concentrate on the birth of his child."

Three day weekends means long rides and on Saturday we rode for 3 hours in Marin. Yesterday I took out the mountain bike and went on a two hour ride through Redwood park. It was very muddy and I was dabbling along when a cyclo-crosser zipped by me near the start of the trail. Not wanting to be outdone I powered it up and managed to stay with him until I had to turn off for home. He dropped me on all the technical descents -I am still somewhat freaked after my crash- and on all the muddy sections -he had great technique- but every time I caught him again. Even on the road I managed to stay with him although he did try to drop me. Today looks like an ideal day for a long run.

A brief update

Leon van Bon and Danny Stam took the win at Rotterdam, where Keisse and De Ketele ended up in second place. So far UCI has not said much although they stated earlier they would not recognize the Belgian duo's result. As for Keisse, the battle continues now that Bremen, next stop on the tour has said no to him. The rider started another emergency legal procedure and we all anxiously await the court's decision.

Meanwhile the mass delusions continue in this country as well. Many have called for all citizens to be armed to avoid the type of massacre that occurred in Tucson over the weekend. America's addiction to guns runs very deep so statements like these no longer surprise anyone here. As a matter of fact they are expected. Any alcoholic will tell you that the best cure for a hangover is another drink. Not drinking is simply not an option.

bankers at lunch

At the same time the bankers tell their audiences that banks are not to blame for the crisis. And that the poor today are not as poor as the poor of the last century. As a matter of fact, we were told by the CEO of one of the largest banks in the country that the poor now have houses, SUV's and flat screen TVs. So why worry? If the poor have money and shootings happen because not everyone has a gun, all should be fine?

Explaining the crisis

Excitement of various sorts

With two hours left to go, Keisse and De Ketele are in the lead in Rotterdam. Click here to get updates or watch live here. According to reports it has been one of the most exciting six-day races in the history of the Rotterdam track. Keisse and De Ketele had started out in the lead but then lost a few spots, only to regain them last night. If they win, UCI will surely step in to invalidate the results! How much better can it get?

In other news Danilo Di Luca offered to ride for free for Katusha but that too UCI won't allow. Riders must be paid, the union says. One could argue that it is a good thing that UCI looks after the interests of professional riders. However, their dogged pursuit to rob those it deems unworthy from any and all income puts the good intentions into perspective.

Meanwhile BART riders in San Francisco's shopping district were once again served a special treat this weekend. Thousands took to the public subway in their underwear in the No Pants Subway Ride. The international event has been going on since 2001 and has its own FaceBook page (of course!). It is the type of event that has a great following in the city.

The scene at Powell St. Station in San Francisco this weekend

Market St. in front of Nordstrom

A little distance away from all that excitement healthcare investors and company executives were pondering the future of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology in the nation's most important Health Care conference of the year.

Dealmaking at the St Francis on Union Square

Although most in the pharmaceutical and managed care sector stand to gain big from what is affectionately called ObamaCare, yesterday's keynote speaker at the investor event showed just how contentious the whole healthcare issue is. Despite the sorry state of the US Healthcare System, to which I have personally been a witness -and subject- a number of times, several people in the audience voiced their resentment at any attempt to change it. Many suspect these individuals were either insurance executives in disguise or tea party loyalists crashing the event.

Lychee martinis and Belgian beer

Last night we went to a friend's birthday party in the now gentrified part of downtown Oakland. There, in an up and coming bar scene we were treated to a lychee martini. I have to admit that I do love a good martini and a lychee martini certainly sounded exotic, exciting, and novel so I was tempted to give it a try. Although the drink looked great -and smelled great too- I don't think it qualified as a martini. For some reason martini and sweet don't go together in my book.

Lychee martini

However I did discover that the bar sells Belgian beer and to my surprise they had Hoegaarden on tap. There are few drinks that can match a fresh Hoegaarden on tap and I was about to order one when we suddenly had to leave. Next time?

Oakland is suddenly becoming a haven for Belgian beer lovers. Nearby another bar, a bona fide bierkroeg, called The Trappist has 28 rotating taps and over 100 specialty bottles in stock. The Trappist serves all authentic trappist beers except of course WestVleteren. The menu reads  BIEREN VAN T VAT (beers on tap) in almost perfect Dutch. I have to point out that there is an apostrophe missing before the T, but hey this is the type of typo you may find in Belgium too.

For those who follow the Keisse situation, I am happy to report that Iljo is now in the officially-not-recognized lead in Rotterdam, and that he is safe for a few days. The reason is that the organizers won't pull him until UCI guarantees to pay the fines, and UCI is enjoying the weekend. So, until Monday at least Iljo is safe. In the meantime, Quickstep manager Patrick Lefevere has made some noise too, saying the Keisse-UCI affair has "damaged his trust."

It's all entertainment, or is it?

One thing we often hear is that athletes are role models for our kids. And as such they need to behave in proper fashion. Presumably that means "to behave differently" from actual role models such as movie stars, stage performers, and musicians. When is the last time Hollywood did a drug test on its actors? And wouldn't it be great to read that Sylvester Stallone was banned from movie making for two years for using growth hormone? Or steroids?

Sorry Rambo, that is a two year ban for you.

Or how about suspending a bona fide hero who was eager to drop his multi-million career to go fight in Iraq?

Bring it on fellas

Would you be surprised if you read that the Recording Industry of America, known as the RIAA was going to institute whereabouts rules for its artists (instead of slapping lawsuits onto kids who download a few songs?) 

Not a good role model

Apparently the use of performance enhancing substances is not limited to popular musicians. Opera stars too feel the pressure as this Times of London article illustrates. I am told the use of beta blockers is rampant among stage performers. Now there is something WADA should look into. Why is it OK to take a beta blocker before a piano concerto or a violin performance, but not in bobsleigh, golf, or curling?

Steady hands or propranolol?

Meanwhile we read in Het Nederlands Algemeen Dagblad that organizer Frank Boelé is considering pulling Keisse, who is now in the officially-not-recognized number three spot in Rotterdam, if only UCI would agree to pay the legally imposed fine of 50,000 Euro per day. I am sure the spectators are thrilled to hear that.


I see a solution here that could make all parties happy. The sporting world could hang on to its image of sanctity and purity. They could continue their big brother monitoring of athletes every minute of every day and night. I would recommend officials take a look at the new Garmin GTU-10 that was presented yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show.

In the meantime, we could start a new form of entertainment that is governed by the rules of the entertainment industry, which means bad behavior is not only condoned but expected. These shows will have the added benefit of providing help to one of our most distressed cities, America's foreclosure capital Las Vegas. As the Economist pointed out recently the city is in trouble and at least part of Vegas' trouble is existential, that is to say, very hard to fix unless some new forms of entertainment can be brought in. A special form of no holds barred track racing could be just what Las Vegas needs.

Watch out Vegas, here comes Iljo.

Not until the fat lady sings

Latest news: 
UCI issued a press release at 3PM European time (a few hours before the start) stating that Keisse cannot start, and if he does start, his result and that of his team mate won't count. 


The latest news is that Keisse did indeed start. Follow the races here.


It appears the suspense in cycling is shifting from the actual race to pre-race legal contests about who can start when, to be followed by lab tests that reshuffle results weeks, months or even years later.


The Keisse ping-pong match keeps going. First Rotterdam invited him to their Zesdaagse (six day races),  spurning the Manchester rejection. Then all was quiet on the Western front, and Patrick Sercu went ahead and paired Keisse with De Ketele for the upcoming event. WADA made some noise about "setting a bad example" and the "purity of the sport," but that was largely ignored and nothing much happened.

Then, a few days before the start, UCI sent a rather ambiguous letter to organizer Frank Boelé asking that he not allow Keisse to race. Boelé immediately responded saying he had a contract and that, unless UCI were more specific, he was going to let Iljo race. This was apparently followed by another UCI letter stating that Keisse was only allowed to race in Belgium, and since Belgium and Holland are no longer one -that happened in the Belgian revolution of 1830 by the way- he would have to be booted. For a while it looked as if UCI was going to win, but Keisse decided not to sit still and go American in Holland. He went to court and to everyone's surprise, he won.

"UCI got a taste of their own medicine," he was quoted as saying.

Speaking of legal challenges, Italian Franco Pellizotti wants UCI to pay him EUR200,000 ($260,000) in damages for barring him from competition after they discovered "disturbing values" in his biological passport. The rider was later cleared by CONI. The Italian also claims UCI is dissuading teams from hiring him.

Pellizotti

In other news, the Schlecks announced that their new team will indeed be called Leopard. They had earlier denied the rumor, but maybe that was because they knew the real name is Leopard Trek. As you can imagine the great American bicycle company is supplying the bikes. The other American bicycle company apparently lost out the new dream team and presumably the next Tour winner.

Schleck ready for action

Dutch squad Vacansoleil announced that they had a good chat with ASO and are now 100% assured of a slot in the 2011 Tour de France. Whether that will include Riccardo Ricco is not clear yet. Apparently that decision will be made in May. ASO is upset with Ricco after he was found guilty of using CERA in 2008.

There is also some sad news. Raymond Impanis, aka "the little baker from Berg" was buried today in Berg-Kampenhout. Impanis, who won both Paris-Roubaix and the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1954, died last week at age 85. Even though he was a fantastic rider, he never managed to acquire the legendary status of his contemporaries Rik van Steenbergen and Rik van Looy.

Raymond Impanis

Another Belgian, Emile Masson Jr., the oldest living winner of Paris-Roubaix (1939) died last weekend at age 95. Masson Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father, Masson Sr., who won a stage in the 1922 Tour de France.

It ain't over yet

This just in: At 11 AM PST Sporza reported that Keisse won't be allowed to start in Rotterdam after all.

Tomorrow evening is the start of a track event known as the Zesdaagse van Rotterdam. The organizers of the event invited Iljo Keisse, who would team up with Kenny De Ketele. Keisse who has been embroiled in a long fight with UCI and WADA regarding a doping charge that started in 2008 was recently allowed to race by the Belgian High Court. He promptly went on to win on his home turf in Gent.

The final sprint to find the real winner

Later he raced in Zuerich, Switzerland, the official base of UCI. But when he tried to start in Manchester England a few weeks later, he was denied and UCI issued a statement that said the Belgian court decision applied to Belgium only. Nevertheless that did not stop the Dutch organizers from inviting Keisse for Rotterdam.

Now, two days before the start of the event, UCI has sent a letter to Frank Boelé, urging him not to let Keisse in. According to the Belgian paper, Het Nieuwsblad, the letter does not explicitly forbid Keisse from starting, nor does it give a reason as to why he should not be allowed to take part. That has left Boelé in a bind. Rotterdam has a contract with Keisse and the organizers are not willing to break it without an explicit stop order from UCI. Once again the Keisse case is making headlines.

Former Belgian track star Patrick Sercu, who is responsible for selecting the teams in Rotterdam called it "an especially sad affair." He could not have picked better words in my opinion. The press recently called it the new vaudeville.

Patrick Sercu in the glory days

Sercu is also involved in the organization for the Bremen event that is coming up soon. He was quoted as saying,"We have not heard anything from UCI yet. It will come, I fear. I no longer understand it. Thursday we start and I am still unsure who will ride with De Ketele. It is ludicrous."

Clearly neither UCI nor WADA appears to be very concerned about what the military euphemistically calls "collateral damage." Much like Donald Rumsfeld they understand that "war is messy."

In other news, Spanish superstar Oscar Pereiro, who won the Tour de France, after Floyd Landis was defrocked, was just yesterday cleared of his own doping allegations. An Italian newspaper, no doubt upset that no Italian was available to take the Landis slot, had linked Pereiro to Operacion Puerto. They had even identified his codename. It does not get any better than this.

Rummy explaining the inexplicable

When it comes to doping, perhaps no other statement so beautifully captures what the dope hunters are trying to achieve as this Rummy quote regarding weapons of mass destruction.

He said, "There is another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It is basically saying the same thing in a different way. Simply because you do not have evidence that something does exist does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist."

Oscar, who has since left cycling and is now a pro soccer player, found the whole affair rather silly and said with respect to his code name, "what a disappointment!"

And in other news, the Spanish Federation probably won't make a decision in the Contador affair until mid-February.  You may know that manager Riis selected Contador for the Tour of Murcia in March. No doubt the Spanish Federation, taking a clue from UCI,  wants to keep the suspense going until the last possible moment.

Meanwhile, as NPR reported a month or so ago, the new US drug Czar has quietly given up on "the war on drugs." "We no longer use the phrase," he said in a statement that is reminiscent of companies making deals with prosecutors without admitting any wrongdoing.

Solstice lunar eclipse

Last night I witnessed something that the world had not witnessed for the past 400 odd years: a full lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. Not that it looked different from other lunar eclipses I have seen, but to think that something like this hadn't happened since way before bicycles were invented and before triathlon became the sport that it is today, made it extra special.

The bringer of good tidings???

Meanwhile I am still out recovering from my separated shoulder and cracked rib. I still haven't been able to get a refill for my prescription despite five calls and a useless visit to the pharmacy where nonplussed personnel told me they did not have any refills for me. Given all that I was extra pleased to see the attorney general from the Commonwealth of Virginia talk about his court victory against the recently passed, but not yet fully enacted health care reform bill. It is good to know that so many people care about keeping the US healthcare system in the poor state it is currently in.

Cycling on the other hand could not be doing better. The drug scandals keep on coming and WADA is deeply concerned "about the Iljo Keisse case and the message it sends." One message that WADA no doubt does not approve off is the recent Sporza vote that picked Keisse's win in the Zesdaagse van Gent as one of the major cycling events of 2010. WADA would have preferred a message that is more in line with the "purity of the sport," whatever that may mean? Like Woody Allen would say, all good things in life are messy.

Meanwhile another rider, the Dutch National mountain bike champion tested positive for clenbuterol. He too blamed tainted meat, this time consumed in Mexico. So far, no reaction from the Mexican butcher's union. If someone thinks the bad news will ever stop they must be dreaming or maybe they are smoking the same stuff WADA is smoking.

An ongoing battle

The Wall Street Journal weighed in on the doping matter with a story about the people behind the scenes. Here we read about the men (and women presumably) whose money carried Lance and his postal buddies to victory and who are now in danger of being dragged into a rather nasty court case. One famous backer was quoted as saying, "most fans couldn't care less."  I said as much in an earlier post.

But then I uncovered that some fans think we should let bygones be bygones because the whole matter is getting better. That -it appears- is also the official position of cycling's national governing bodies and ASO, the most famous race organizer in the world. They seem to think increased scrutiny is working and the sport is getting to be "cleaner." Victory is just around the corner!

I have no data to say otherwise of course, but I strongly doubt that that is the case. Why would it be? Do people really think increased scrutiny works? Has it ever worked before? Fortunately, now is as good a time to believe in magic as any. Christmas is the time when we all pay lip service to "Peace on Earth," which must be the greatest wishful thinking of all. But perhaps now that the heavens sent us a signal they haven't sent in over 450 years, things will change?

The Keisse saga continues

Iljo Keisse won the six days of Gent and put in a good showing in Zuerich. But when he went to Manchester to compete, he was sent home, apparently by UCI. That happened even though the Belgian courts had imposed a EUR100,000 fine to anyone who would step in Iljo's way.

Clearly someone does not mind paying 100,000 euros to get Keisse. Someone is out to get Iljo come hell or high water. Someone does not just want him out of the sport they want to wreck his career, maybe even burn him at the stake to save his soul?

If this does not smell like cruel and unusual punishment or vengeful behavior to you then I don't know what will. It is clear that this is no longer about sport or fair competition. This is punishing people for transgressing holy laws. Stoning for adultery? Does that sound excessive to you? Maybe you should think again.

This is taboo in the Old Hawaiian sense, but this time with no place of refuge.

Anyone who thinks this is acceptable behavior should ask themselves a simple question. Is there any other form of cheating that would result in this type of prosecution? And then bear in mind that Iljo did not show any evidence of forbidden fruits. Only masking agents were found in his sample. But hey, it's the thought that counts right?

In the matter of Iljo Keisse

Iljo Keisse and Peter Schep won the zesdaagse in Gent today. The spectacular victory was Keisse's fourth title and came after a suspenseful session in which Keisse and De Ketele switched the lead several times. It is quite obvious that without Iljo the zesdaagse would have been a whole lot less interesting and entertaining. It is also obvious that whomever would have won in that case, would have had a lesser victory.

Iljo Keisse

If you have been reading this blog you will know that Iljo was only able to start after a Belgian High court stepped in to temporarily suspend a ruling TAS made. Keisse got the green light two weeks before the event. In addition he suffered a brief illness and had a fever until just before the racing started.

Keisse is accused of using doping in a complex case that has been dragging on for more than a year now. It is a prime example of all that is wrong with the way doping cases are handled. To add even more irony, the zesdaagse was in turmoil a few days ago, when a group of anti-doping officials showed up and apparently threatened to interrupt the racing so they could take samples. According to the reports, these individuals were not welcomed by the crowd.

I do firmly believe all competitors should play by the rules, whatever those rules are. I therefore believe that riders who take forbidden substances should be punished just like anyone else who cheats.

What I do NOT agree with however is the following:
-that the rules banning particular substances are in any way different from the rules that define a competition legal bicycle. These rules are just conventions and it is up to us to find conventions that are sensible, workable and enforceable. The recent hoopla about mechanical doping proves that this viewpoint is valid.
-that doping is a special kind of cheating -this is just magical thinking that may sit well with primitive societies but has no place in a modern scientific world. There is nothing magical about doping. It is not even proven to be effective and its effects are in any case far less than those of drafting, pushing, or towing riders, and other forms of cheating where the competitors gain a real tangible advantage.
-the punishment and stigmatization associated with drug use is wildly excessive and out of touch with the way other incidents of cheating are treated.
-retroactive punishment should be abolished. Results should be finalized a short time after the race and they should be final and unalterable. Even crimes have a statute of limitations.
-the way doping cases are handled is shameful. Riders are guilty until proven innocent and the damage done to people's livelihood and to the sport of cycling is excessive and vindictive. The modus operandi reminds one of the Spanish Inquisition or that of the Salem witch hunters. Once you are in the system you rarely come out unharmed.

The quest for clean competition is nothing more than a modern form of the age-old quest for virginity. The responses to doping cases are emotional rather than rational and remind on of the practice of stoning women for adultery that is still prevalent in some societies. About the only positive thing we can say is that so far WADA has refrained from using real stones or actually killing the defendant.

An evening with Chris McCormack

Last night a friend and I attended the Chris McCormack event at the new Clif Bar headquarters in Emeryville. Apart from getting a free Clif shot, Clif Cafe lasagna -which was a tad greasy- and New Belgian Brewing hoptober ale, we were serenaded by the company band with solo performances on the trumpet by Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson. Mr. Erickson also gave a short presentation of his own athletic career covering nearly every sport from rock climbing, dancing, skiing, to surfing and triathlon.

Gary entertaining the crowds

Next, Mark Allen, the six time Hawaii ironman winner made a short intro appearance in which he was full of praise for Chris's most recent victory. Compared to when I last heard Mark Allen talk -at the 2005 CaliforniaMan- he appeared a lot more reserved and less self-centered.

Then Macca came up on stage and settled in for a long interview that was filled with stories from his long career and personal life. A large amount of time was spent on recounting the key events in the 2010 Hawaii race, which was, as Mark Allen had previously remarked, one of the most memorable in Ironman history.

But he did not stop there and Chris went into great detail on nearly every Hawaii ironman race he took part in, highlighting pitfalls and strategy. Whatever one might think about the value of tactics and strategy in what is essentially a solo time trial event, it is clear that Macca and his team have given it much thought and attention. It is also obvious that they think of it as a group event instead of a solo race.

Strategy and tactics really matter to a man who, by his own admission, watches replays of nearly every race and memorizes splits for all his competitors and illustrious predecessors.

In the short question and answer session, Chris remarked that there are no magic formulae, no magic workouts and no magic recipes. He said everyone has to find out for themselves -maybe with help from a coach- what works and what doesn't. He also expressed the opinion that some athletes train too much and overreach. He was not shy in mentioning fellow athletes like Bozzone and others, whom he thought were training too much. I suspect it is this eagerness to name names and openly express his opinions that has gotten Macca in trouble before. He has often been labeled arrogant and the label clearly offended him so he took some time to dispel this notion.

After the event there was time for pictures and signing autographs. Unfortunately my camera malfunctioned and so I did not get my shot with the champ. I did get an autograph on one of my Ironman finisher shirts however. Mark Allen also posed for pictures and signed autographs but on the whole he kept a low profile and left the stage to Chris.

Chris McCormack after the interview

Mark Allen signing autographs

Asked by one person if he had ever run a marathon and what his best marathon time would be, Chris first said, "no, and ouch, painful" but then confidently predicted he would be able run a 2:19. (2:20 is the Olympic qualifier time) He looked over to Mark and Mark said he had once tried to run a marathon -in Berlin- and his goal then was a sub 2:20, but he never made it past mile 18. He and a fellow runner then jumped on the subway for the 8 mile ride back to town. He called it his very fast half marathon.

In other news, the Belgian high court has given Iljo Keisse the green light to start racing in the Gentse Zesdaagse (Ghent six day track event) in two weeks. Keisse tested positive for masking agents (cathine and a diuretic) in the race in 2008 and was fired by his team. The Belgian Federation cleared him of any wrongdoing in November of 2009 and Keisse was able to race for Quickstep in early 2010. But then WADA appealed to Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), where Keisse was once again suspended and Quickstep was forced to let him go. Even though the high court overruled that decision today, it has not cleared Keisse yet. That is not expected until a hearing next April.  The whole affair is yet another example of the sorry state of affairs in cycling.

Next week some more on training with power and racing in Belgium. Have a great weekend.