<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
	xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
>

<channel>
	<title>Cyclismas &#187; UCI</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/tag/uci/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits</link>
	<description>a fresh take on cycling news and commentary</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:25:23 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38</generator>
	<copyright>Copyright &#xA9; Cyclismas 2014 </copyright>
	<managingEditor>lesli@cyclismas.com (Cyclismas)</managingEditor>
	<webMaster>lesli@cyclismas.com (Cyclismas)</webMaster>
	<image>
		<url>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg</url>
		<title>Cyclismas</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits</link>
		<width>144</width>
		<height>144</height>
	</image>
	<itunes:subtitle></itunes:subtitle>
	<itunes:summary>a fresh take on cycling news and commentary</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
	<itunes:category text="Society &#38; Culture" />
	<itunes:author>Cyclismas</itunes:author>
	<itunes:owner>
		<itunes:name>Cyclismas</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>lesli@cyclismas.com</itunes:email>
	</itunes:owner>
	<itunes:block>no</itunes:block>
	<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress_large.jpg" />
	<item>
		<title>New drug scourge DB01050 rampant in peloton</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/new-drug-scourge-db01050-rampant-in-peloton/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/new-drug-scourge-db01050-rampant-in-peloton/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:55:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank Mercer]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News or Not...?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DB01050]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phillippe Verbiest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=14219</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On the heels of WADA&#8217;s revealing memos outlining the scourge of GW1516, Aicar, and other substances rumored to be rife throughout the pro peloton, the UCI&#8217;s lawyers announced another drug discovery which has been revealed as &#8220;DB01050.&#8221; &#8220;Upon examination by our extensive legal team here at the UCI, numbering in the hundreds, we have gone through our lab notification archives to discover a new drug scourge which previously went undetected. It is known to be DB01050. For some reason, our software programme has been unable to flag the widespread use of this product,&#8221; stated head legal council Philippe Verbiest during a press conference in Ulan Bator, where Verbiest was signing off on the latest WorldTour scheme for Global Cycling Promotion SA. &#8220;The drug cause pain sensors to be dulled, and can actually repair certain tissues which have been damaged by overuse of muscle groups, in particular the legs and arms. It works in concert with the central nervous system to allow riders to extend their performance in difficult stages,&#8221; continued Verbiest. Verbiest refused to comment or speculate on the reasons why the UCI has previously been unable to detect such widespread use of DB01050, which has been rumoured to be ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On the heels of WADA&#8217;s revealing memos outlining the scourge of GW1516, Aicar, and other substances rumored to be rife throughout the pro peloton, the UCI&#8217;s lawyers announced another drug discovery which has been revealed as &#8220;DB01050.&#8221;</p>
<div id="attachment_14220" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/04/new-drug-scourge-db01050-rampant-in-peloton/db01050/" rel="attachment wp-att-14220"><img class="size-full wp-image-14220" alt="The latest shortcut for cycling performance enhancement was revealed by the UCI today." src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DB01050.jpg" width="600" height="421" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The latest shortcut for cycling performance enhancement was revealed by the UCI to be DB01050</p></div>
<p>&#8220;Upon examination by our extensive legal team here at the UCI, numbering in the hundreds, we have gone through our lab notification archives to discover a new drug scourge which previously went undetected. It is known to be DB01050. For some reason, our software programme has been unable to flag the widespread use of this product,&#8221; stated head legal council Philippe Verbiest during a press conference in Ulan Bator, where Verbiest was signing off on the latest WorldTour scheme for Global Cycling Promotion SA.</p>
<p>&#8220;The drug cause pain sensors to be dulled, and can actually repair certain tissues which have been damaged by overuse of muscle groups, in particular the legs and arms. It works in concert with the central nervous system to allow riders to extend their performance in difficult stages,&#8221; continued Verbiest.</p>
<p>Verbiest refused to comment or speculate on the reasons why the UCI has previously been unable to detect such widespread use of DB01050, which has been rumoured to be as high as 80%.</p>
<p>&#8220;We perform cost/benefit analysis on a daily basis at Aigle. And it could be that one of the other members of our law cadre at the UCI might have felt the damage to the sport would have been too high if it had been revealed. I&#8217;ll have to look through my legal notes in Asana to determine where our oversight occurred,&#8221; continued Verbiest.</p>
<p>Cycling commentators around the world have begun to scream &#8220;CONSPIRACY&#8221; as the UCI, once again, deals with yet another scandal following a series of death blows beginning with the Festina Affair, then the haematocrit debacle, followed by the constant Armstrong denials peppered with CERA exposés, and continuing right through to the Contador drama.</p>
<p>&#8220;The level of ineptitude at the UCI has reached biblical proportions. I&#8217;m expecting the four horsemen of the apocalypse to lay waste to the monstrosity of pompous legal mumbo jumbo known as UCI headquarters. How many screw-ups can this organization have before the IOC just decides to shut them down? It&#8217;s an absolute joke,&#8221; stated one commentator who refused to be named for fear of reprisals.</p>
<p>Several professional cyclists came out slamming the latest string of stupidity from the UCI, including noted homeopath, Francesco Mancebo, who chose to colorfully comment on the situation.</p>
<p>&#8220;Look, I see guys popping pills during races faster than a Pez dispenser hooked up to a tennis ball launcher. It doesn&#8217;t surprise me that the pro peloton takes whatever they can, as the odds of them being caught are slim. I&#8217;m waiting for some guy to jack up on EPO at the start line as the UCI say they can&#8217;t do anything because their lawyers said he was on the wrong side of the barriers and can&#8217;t be punished,&#8221; revealed the 5-hour Energy/Kenda star, who took time away from a meeting with anti-doping crusader and team manager Frankie Andreu for his comments.</p>
<p>Verbiest refused to comment or speculate on when the UCI would begin an in-depth investigation into the DB01050 scandal. The UCI legal counsel stated that with the array of scandals they have currently on the UCI docket, DB01050 would have to take a number and probably wait until 2018 for resolution.</p>
<p>UCI president Pat McQuaid refused to comment on the developments, saying he would defer to the expert legal advice of the UCI advisors who, to date, haven&#8217;t steered him wrong.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/new-drug-scourge-db01050-rampant-in-peloton/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>WADA releases adverse analytical finding for TV commentators</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/wada-releases-adverse-analytical-finding-for-tv-commentators/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/wada-releases-adverse-analytical-finding-for-tv-commentators/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:42:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank Mercer]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News or Not...?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Schlanger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Todd Gogulski]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universal Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WADA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=14163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a weekend which saw some bizarre race commentary from Universal Sports co-hosts Steve Schlanger and Todd Gogulski during Vuelta al Pais Vasco, WADA confirmed what the rest of the cycling world suspected during their commentary when they returned an adverse analytical finding in a surprise out-of-commentating anti-doping test. &#8220;After conducting a random out-of-commentating test on April 7th, 2012, we found substances that would indicate possible performance enhancements by both Steve Schlanger and Todd Gogulski. In line with our code, we have forwarded the file to the UCI for follow-up. As of today, Schlanger and Gogulski have not requested a review of their B sample,&#8221; stated a representative from WADA. Most of the cycling world were expecting to the duo to be nabbed for commentary doping after their performance on April 6th, 2013, when they made a series bizarre on-air references about Movistar rider Nairo Quintana. Instead of the typical veiled commentary made popular by most journalists and analysts, the Universal Sports pair chose to publicly question the validity of Quintana&#8217;s performance. However, legal representation for Schlanger and Gogulski are incensed over the findings, saying his clients were the victims of a &#8220;witch-hunt&#8221; and &#8220;target-testing.&#8221; &#8220;It&#8217;s a proven fact that 90% ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a weekend which saw some bizarre race commentary from Universal Sports co-hosts Steve Schlanger and Todd Gogulski during Vuelta al Pais Vasco, WADA confirmed what the rest of the cycling world suspected during their commentary when they returned an adverse analytical finding in a surprise out-of-commentating anti-doping test.</p>
<p>&#8220;After conducting a random out-of-commentating test on April 7th, 2012, we found substances that would indicate possible performance enhancements by both Steve Schlanger and Todd Gogulski. In line with our code, we have forwarded the file to the UCI for follow-up. As of today, Schlanger and Gogulski have not requested a review of their B sample,&#8221; stated a representative from WADA.</p>
<p>Most of the cycling world were expecting to the duo to be nabbed for commentary doping after their performance on April 6th, 2013, when they made a series bizarre on-air references about Movistar rider Nairo Quintana. Instead of the typical veiled commentary made popular by most journalists and analysts, the Universal Sports pair chose to publicly question the validity of Quintana&#8217;s performance.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g2660DUHobM" height="315" width="560" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>However, legal representation for Schlanger and Gogulski are incensed over the findings, saying his clients were the victims of a &#8220;witch-hunt&#8221; and &#8220;target-testing.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a proven fact that 90% of the commentating pool would return an AAF. My clients are being singled out for actions echoed in commentating booths around the world. The fact that this &#8220;out-of-commentating&#8221; test should happen to occur the day after they caused a well-justified uproar is the sort of problem facing the entire sport today,&#8221; stated Steven Sondhurst, legal representative for the beleaguered duo.</p>
<p>In keeping with WADA rules, Universal Sports immediately took action to suspend the duo from commentating duties pending an investigation into the matter.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will be cooperating fully with WADA and the UCI to get to the bottom of this situation. However, we are shocked that these two credible journalists would be singled out after so many commentators on Sporza and Eurosport have been known to be guilty of journo-doping in the full presence UCI brass and yet have escaped testing and sanctions,&#8221; stated Bonnie Fromstein, a representative from Universal Sports.</p>
<p>WADA refuses to divulge what may have been the substances discovered during the out-of-commentating test. However, other commentators have been speculating as to what the duo may have been guilty of ingesting.</p>
<p>&#8220;We all know that comments like the ones that occurred on April 6th are usually the result of some sort of hallucinatory product, maybe even something peyote-like, which is also used for commentator medicinal purposes. If it was peyote, I&#8217;m sure there will be the appropriate Therapeutic Use Exemption produced to explain the positive,&#8221; commented one Eurosport commentator familiar with the situation.</p>
<p>Some in the commentary pool were not as pleasant in their assessment.</p>
<p>SBS Cycling Central pundit Phil Gomes <a title="Out of nowhere?" href="http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/philip-gomes/blog/127664/out-of-nowhere" target="_blank">wrote a well-reasoned rebuttal</a> to the duo&#8217;s on-air comments in addition to tweeting,</p>
<p>&#8220;Schlanger and Gogulski&#8217;s take was particularly egregious, and seemingly misinformed, a cheap shot.&#8221;</p>
<p>No word from the UCI when a resolution to the case will be had. The duo remain on &#8220;administrative paid leave pending investigation&#8221; status at Universal Sports.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/wada-releases-adverse-analytical-finding-for-tv-commentators/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>UCI entertains WWE offer for product management</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/uci-entertains-wwe-offer-for-product-management/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/uci-entertains-wwe-offer-for-product-management/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:34:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News or Not...?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cycling has turned into a three ring wresting circus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hein Verbruggen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vince McMahon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=13258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After former UCI president Hein Verbruggen fired off a terse and angry letter to the IOC outlining the shadowy campaign against his rightful cycling fiefdom, Verbruggen held a press conference in Lausanne to announce his latest scheme to give cycling a &#8220;bright future.&#8221; &#160; &#160; &#8220;After consultation with Burson-Marsteller, Ernst &#38; Young, and Deloitte – at considerable expense – I have determined the best future for my sport is to have the WWE wrestling people administer it. Cycling is more than just riding a bike, and the WWE people know how to put on a show,&#8221; stated Verbruggen. &#8220;Our work on this project began in earnest in 2006. I saw how wrestling weaves a story line to create interest, which we tried to emulate with the doping question marks, the strange bans on certain riders, the dismissal of bans on other riders, and the nonsensical behavior of the top brass of our sport. It&#8217;s true we used Vince McMahon as our template for cycling&#8217;s top boss character, and even though it&#8217;s been a rough go at times Pat has done an admirable job trying to play the role,&#8221; continued Verbruggen. However, Verbruggen outlined the UCI&#8217;s lack of expertise in keeping ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After former UCI president Hein Verbruggen fired off a terse and angry letter to the IOC outlining the shadowy campaign against his rightful cycling fiefdom, Verbruggen held a press conference in Lausanne to announce his latest scheme to give cycling a &#8220;bright future.&#8221;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_13280" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/uci-entertains-wwe-offer-for-product-management/vince_mcmahon/" rel="attachment wp-att-13280"><img class="size-full wp-image-13280" alt="The &quot;New Boss&quot; of Cycling? (photo courtesy Wikipedia)" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Vince_McMahon.jpg" width="500" height="397" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The &#8220;New Boss&#8221; of Cycling? (photo courtesy Wikipedia)</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;After consultation with Burson-Marsteller, Ernst &amp; Young, and Deloitte – at considerable expense – I have determined the best future for my sport is to have the WWE wrestling people administer it. Cycling is more than just riding a bike, and the WWE people know how to put on a show,&#8221; stated Verbruggen.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our work on this project began in earnest in 2006. I saw how wrestling weaves a story line to create interest, which we tried to emulate with the doping question marks, the strange bans on certain riders, the dismissal of bans on other riders, and the nonsensical behavior of the top brass of our sport. It&#8217;s true we used Vince McMahon as our template for cycling&#8217;s top boss character, and even though it&#8217;s been a rough go at times Pat has done an admirable job trying to play the role,&#8221; continued Verbruggen.</p>
<p>However, Verbruggen outlined the UCI&#8217;s lack of expertise in keeping the plot lines &#8220;sensical&#8221; as the main reason for ultimately opening discussions with the WWE.</p>
<p>&#8220;We lost our way with who the heroes and villains are, and we seemed to have picked the wrong people for the main protagonists. In &#8220;heinsight,&#8221; it should have been Armstrong as the evil villain in the plot, and that has come back to bite me in the ass hard. As you know, my &#8220;heinsight&#8221; is always one hundred percent right,&#8221; commented Verbruggen.</p>
<p>When asked why he felt the need to write a letter to the IOC and defend his honor to the committee, Verbruggen refused to comment.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m here to talk about my sport, and my vision for the future of my sport. I&#8217;m not interested in talking about anything else. Shame on all of you for putting me in this position by asking me ridiculous questions such as this! Don&#8217;t you know I&#8217;m Hein Verbruggen? This is about WWE management of the sport of cycling and the UCI,&#8221; stated Verbruggen.</p>
<p>WWE head honcho Vince MacMahon was on hand for the announcement and offered his take on the proposal.</p>
<blockquote><p>I&#8217;m just excited to add cycling to our sports management portfolio. I think we have the skills to help cycling change up the plot lines and get past this doping nonsense. I mean really, everyone dopes everyday. I&#8217;m flying high on 10 cups of coffee and a couple of caffeine pills right now. I think we can bring the entertainment value back into the sport and remove the political plotlines and put the action back on the road. I&#8217;m thinking a chain fight between Brad Wiggins and Chris Froome for starters.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Pundits weren&#8217;t really surprised by the announcement.</p>
<p>&#8220;At this point, with what the UCI has done to date, in a perverse way this makes total sense. To hear Verbruggen&#8217;s aspirations were to emulate the WWE over the past decade or two puts everything that has occurred into complete perspective. Could we see bike gladiators in a velodrome shortly? Maybe it&#8217;s not a bad thing,&#8221; commented one pundit who may or may not have been Matthew Beaudin of VeloNews.</p>
<p>Details of the management deal were, as per typical UCI operating procedure, sketchy at best. Rumors of &#8220;The Rock&#8221; kicking off the Tour de France Grand Depart in Corsica remained unconfirmed at press time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/uci-entertains-wwe-offer-for-product-management/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Armstrong biopassport coverup</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/armstrong-biopassport-coverup/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/armstrong-biopassport-coverup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:04:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Veloclinic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biopassport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coverup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lance Armstrong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=13273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[now that the uci has gone on record that armstrongs 2009 tdf biopassport never made it to expert review: Armstrong&#8217;s blood profile was never submitted to bio-passport experts after May 2009 the question becomes was it incompetence or something far worse? while its believable that the biopassport software never flagged armstrong: Why the biopassport software didn&#8217;t flag armstrong the software was about the only thing that didn’t flag armstrong the suspicious values were first raised in danish media and picked up stateside by nyvelocity: Armstrong Tour blood values suspicious the no-longer-working-must-read link would have taken you to a blog with these figures: &#160; &#160; &#160; at the same time discussion picked up quickly on cycling forumns: Lance Armstrong&#8217;s blood values from the Tour de France looks suspicious and indicate doping and also by mainstream media: Damsgaard responds to speculation about Lance Armstrong&#8217;s Tour blood samples and Analysis &#8211; Armstrong&#8217;s Tour blood levels debated from the cycling news article it is clear that UCI was aware of the suspicious values. The UCI took the same approach when contacted by Cyclingnews, the governing body stating that it will not speak about athletes unless it wrongdoing has been proven. Lance Armstrong is part ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>now that the uci has gone on record that armstrongs 2009 tdf biopassport</p>
<p>never made it to expert review:</p>
<p><a title="Armstrong's blood profile was never submitted to bio-passport experts after May 2009" href="http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13931/Armstrongs-blood-profile-was-never-submitted-to-bio-passport-experts-after-May-2009.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>Armstrong&#8217;s blood profile was never submitted to bio-passport experts after May 2009</strong></a></p>
<p>the question becomes was it incompetence or something far worse?</p>
<p>while its believable that the biopassport software never flagged armstrong:</p>
<p><a title="Why the biopassport software didn't flag Armstrong" href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/" target="_blank"><strong>Why the biopassport software didn&#8217;t flag armstrong</strong></a></p>
<p>the software was about the only thing that didn’t flag armstrong</p>
<p>the suspicious values were first raised in danish media</p>
<p>and picked up stateside by nyvelocity:</p>
<p><a title="Armstrong Tour blood values suspicious" href="http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2009/armstrong-tour-blood-values-suspicious" target="_blank"><strong>Armstrong Tour blood values suspicious</strong></a></p>
<p>the no-longer-working-must-read link would have taken you to a blog with these figures:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/armstrong-biopassport-coverup/ba25s2fcyaecviw-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-13274"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13274" alt="" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BA25s2FCYAEcvIw.jpg" width="489" height="295" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/armstrong-biopassport-coverup/a_zy5edccae0lcy/" rel="attachment wp-att-13275"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13275" alt="" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/A_zY5EdCcAE0LCy.jpg" width="494" height="342" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>at the same time discussion picked up quickly on cycling forumns:</p>
<p><a href="http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=80407" target="_blank"><strong>Lance Armstrong&#8217;s blood values from the Tour de France looks suspicious and indicate doping</strong></a></p>
<p>and also by mainstream media:</p>
<p><a title="Damsgaard responds to speculation about Armstrong's Tour blood values" href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/09/news/damsgaard-responds-to-speculation-about-lance-armstrongs-tour-blood-samples_97468" target="_blank"><strong>Damsgaard responds to speculation about Lance Armstrong&#8217;s Tour blood samples</strong></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333;">and</span></p>
<p><a title="Analysis - Armstrong's Tour blood levels debated" href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/analysis-armstrongs-tour-blood-levels-debated" target="_blank"><strong>Analysis &#8211; Armstrong&#8217;s Tour blood levels debated</strong></a></p>
<p>from the cycling news article it is clear that UCI was aware of the suspicious values.</p>
<p>The UCI took the same approach when contacted by Cyclingnews, the governing body stating that it will not speak about athletes unless it wrongdoing has been proven.</p>
<blockquote><p>Lance Armstrong is part of our Biological Passport,” UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani said. “As for all profiles generated within this programme which are submitted on regular basis for reviewing to the independent experts, the UCI doesn’t and won’t make any comment.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote>
<p>And even armstrong defender Damsgaard is in agreement that</p>
<blockquote><p>“I definitely think it should go all the way to the expert panel and they should reach a consensus,” he said. “We need to establish it beyond any reasonable doubt if something was wrong.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote>
<p>At some point from within the biopassport committe itself Ashenden raised concerns:</p>
<blockquote><p>“It was obvious to an expert eye that his published values during the 2009 Tour were not typical, but until and unless the file was sent to the experts it was completely outside our control,” he told VeloNation. “All that I could do was raise my concern at what I had seen published as Armstrong’s values at one of our passport meetings.</p>
<p>They listened, but I never heard anything more about it. Whether the UCI made a decision to proceed or not proceed is something only they could answer. To this day, I don’t know whether Armstrong’s passport file was ever sent to any of us experts.”</p></blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Read more:</p>
<p><a title="Ashenden: I don't know whether Armstrong's passport file was ever sent to any of us experts" href="http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13026/Ashenden-I-dont-know-whether-Armstrongs-passport-file-was-ever-sent-to-any-of-us-experts.aspx#ixzz2KljAkUjt" target="_blank"><strong>Ashenden: I don&#8217;t know whether Armstrong&#8217;s passport file was ever sent to any of us experts</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a title="UCI's suspicious list leaked from 2010 Tour de France" href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ucis-suspicious-list-leaked-from-2010-tour-de-france" target="_blank">similarly Armstrong was identified on the UCI suspicion index as suspicious</a></strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>4: Lance Armstrong, Janez Brajkovic, Bernhard Eisel, Cadel Evans, Pierrick Fédrigo, Juan Manuel Garate, Andriy Grivko, Jesus Hernandez, Ignatas Konovalovas, Sebastian Lang, Levi Leipheimer, David Millar, Daniel Moreno, Serge Pauwels, Manuel Quinziato, Luke Roberts, Samuel Sanchez, Christian Vande Velde, Nicolas Vogondy</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ucis-suspicious-list-leaked-from-2010-tour-de-france"> </a></p>
<p>yet the profile never goes to expert review</p>
<p>in fact</p>
<p>if armstrong had never published his values</p>
<p>they would never have made it in front of expert eyes.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a title="Gripper concerned over biopassport publishing" href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gripper-concerned-over-bio-passport-publishing" target="_blank">Which makes UCI’s statements regarding publication</a></strong></p>
<blockquote><p>I’ve probably modified my views on that &#8211; if riders want to do it, then they put themselves at the mercy of anyone who wants to interpret whatever they interpret from that. You can look at the profile, but unless you’re a Michael Ashenden, who’s building it, you can really put whatever protection you like on it.</p>
<p>Because I think it undermines what we’ve engaged the experts to do, and what they spend hours of their own time analysing and agonising over. It really undermines their expertise, particularly when you have the media picking up on some scientist from the University of Lyons or something that says ‘I think this’ because it’s controversial.</p>
<p>So I would still caution riders doing that unless everybody does it and it’s a level field. People can sit back and think they can interpret these things, but it’s very technical to do it. I know, just from dealing with the nine scientific experts we had, how specialised this concept of interpreting a profile is, and to be honest, to get the full picture you actually need different types of experts.”</p></blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>a bit ironic.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.twitlonger.com/show/l1a43r" target="_blank">ashenden sums up the situation well:</a></p>
<blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>it is simply untenable to believe that the UCI did not examine the passport profile of the podium finishers from the 2009 Tour de France.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a title="Giro d'Italia tests show cycling is cleaner McQuaid says" href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-tests-show-cycling-is-cleaner-mcquaid-says" target="_blank">but as mcquaid and the UCI are far from &#8220;biologically illiterate&#8221;</a></p>
<blockquote><p>“In the past we’ve seen situations where the level has gone down then back up again, which can be evidence of blood transfusions. But the tests from the Giro look normal and that’s very encouraging.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>the only remaining conclusion</p>
<p>is that armstrongs passport data</p>
<p>was knowingly withheld from expert review.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><a title="veloclinic on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/veloclinic" target="_blank">veloclinic</a></strong> is the reincarnation of one of our favorite Twitter friends, <strong><a href="http://slonie.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/farewell-captain/" target="_blank">@captaintbag1</a></strong>, whose tumblr blog posts were a kind of blank verse, Tecate-soaked haiku of truthiness that cut through the slick bullshit and to the very core of what is gloriously fucked up about the sport of cycling. Although the Cap may be gone (sort of), his Doctor tbag/Captain Hyde alter ego lives on, and we’re glad to share his pithy analysis here. Lest you think these are the idiot ramblings of a madman, we’d like you to know that the doc is a legitimate professional in the science of sports medicine, and a savant when it comes to doping analysis. You have been warned.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/armstrong-biopassport-coverup/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why the biopassport software didn&#8217;t flag Lance Armstrong</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:21:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Veloclinic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biopassport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lance Armstrong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=13259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Another explainer from Doc @veloclinic showing in pretty simple terms why the UCI is full of shit when they say the biopassport program works.  * * * * * please note educational license was taken in over simplifying the limmits so the expert experts kin jist simmer down uh bit &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; Armstrongs hgb plotted with biopassport limmits from 2 real live dopers notice armstrongs values never cross the limmit from doper 1 &#160; &#160; &#160; armstrongs retic plotted with the limmits from 2 real live dopers notice Armstrongs values don cross either dopers limmits … a software program that flags based on limmits is never gunna see patterns … solution hire sum fuggin interns to screen that shit or get sum med students there very trainable n exempt from labor laws hell outsource it to some night hawk “readers” oversees what ? what’s good enough for real world medicine ain’t good enough to catch a doper ? c’mon thefuggonnow &#160; * * * * * veloclinic is the reincarnation of one of our favorite Twitter friends, @captaintbag1, whose tumblr blog posts were a kind of blank verse, Tecate-soaked haiku of truthiness that cut through the slick bullshit and to the very core ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Another explainer from Doc <a title="Veloclinic on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/veloclinic" target="_blank">@veloclinic</a> showing in pretty simple terms why the UCI is full of shit when they say the biopassport program works.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> * * * * *</p>
<p>please note educational license was taken in over simplifying the limmits</p>
<p>so the expert experts kin jist simmer down uh bit</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9Shcj-5YDJk?feature=player_embedded" height="340" width="620" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/bc9pk5nciaaoty9/" rel="attachment wp-att-13261"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13261" alt="" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BC9PK5NCIAAOTy9.jpg" width="599" height="285" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Armstrongs hgb plotted with biopassport limmits from 2 real live dopers</p>
<p>notice armstrongs values never cross the limmit from doper 1</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/02/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/bc9pnj_ceaevw4b/" rel="attachment wp-att-13262"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13262" alt="" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BC9PNj_CEAEvW4b.jpg" width="598" height="323" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>armstrongs retic plotted with the limmits from 2 real live dopers</p>
<p>notice Armstrongs values don cross either dopers limmits</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>a software program that flags based on limmits</p>
<p>is</p>
<p>never</p>
<p>gunna</p>
<p>see</p>
<p>patterns</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>solution</p>
<p>hire sum fuggin interns to screen that shit</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>get sum med students</p>
<p>there very trainable</p>
<p>n</p>
<p>exempt from labor laws</p>
<p>hell</p>
<p>outsource it</p>
<p>to</p>
<p>some night hawk “readers” oversees</p>
<p>what ?</p>
<p>what’s good enough for</p>
<p>real world medicine</p>
<p>ain’t good enough</p>
<p>to catch a doper ?</p>
<p>c’mon thefuggonnow</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><a title="veloclinic on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/veloclinic" target="_blank">veloclinic</a></strong> is the reincarnation of one of our favorite Twitter friends, <strong><a href="http://slonie.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/farewell-captain/" target="_blank">@captaintbag1</a></strong>, whose tumblr blog posts were a kind of blank verse, Tecate-soaked haiku of truthiness that cut through the slick bullshit and to the very core of what is gloriously fucked up about the sport of cycling. Although the Cap may be gone (sort of), his Doctor tbag/Captain Hyde alter ego lives on, and we’re glad to share his pithy analysis here. Lest you think these are the idiot ramblings of a madman, we’d like you to know that the doc is a legitimate professional in the science of sports medicine, and a savant when it comes to doping analysis. You have been warned.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/why-the-biopassport-software-didnt-flag-lance-armstrong/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Makarov to buy UCI headquarters in Aigle</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/makarov-to-buy-uci-headquarters-in-aigle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/makarov-to-buy-uci-headquarters-in-aigle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:14:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News or Not...?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Igor Makarov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javier Barrio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat McQuaid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renato di Rocco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tracey Gaudry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=13088</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a roller-coaster UCI management committee meeting which saw fists flying and insults of every kind hurled from all sides of the table, including from the normally mild-mannered Middle Eastern contingent, Itera tycoon Igor Makarov&#8217;s offer to purchase UCI headquarters was ratified in an 11-2 vote. &#160; &#160; &#8220;This is a momentous day in the history of cycling. We have secured the long-term financial viability of this sport of two-wheels with the sale of UCI headquarters to one of the best, most finest human beings on the planet, Igor Makarov. His selfless interest in cycling is well documented, and we are happy to have completed this deal,&#8221; stated UCI vice-president Renato di Rocco. The deal was crucial for the UCI, as soon-to-be former president Pat McQuaid had expended the entire UCI reserve fund, along with the remaining funds in the ProTour reserve fund in his bid to create a smokescreen to distract the cycling public from the legacy of corruption, cronyism, and nepotism that marked his reign and that of his best friend forever Hein Verbruggen.  McQuaid had reached out to several Swiss banks in a bid to mortgage the montrosity known as UCI Headquarters in Aigle, but after his ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a roller-coaster UCI management committee meeting which saw fists flying and insults of every kind hurled from all sides of the table, including from the normally mild-mannered Middle Eastern contingent, Itera tycoon Igor Makarov&#8217;s offer to purchase UCI headquarters was ratified in an 11-2 vote.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="width: 472px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="" src="http://cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/new-makarov.jpg" width="462" height="260" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Makarov in happier times at the UCI championships in Copenhagen. The billionaire&#8217;s financing of UCI headquarters will save the embattled sport governing body</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&#8220;This is a momentous day in the history of cycling. We have secured the long-term financial viability of this sport of two-wheels with the sale of UCI headquarters to one of the best, most finest human beings on the planet, Igor Makarov. His selfless interest in cycling is well documented, and we are happy to have completed this deal,&#8221; stated UCI vice-president Renato di Rocco.</p>
<p>The deal was crucial for the UCI, as soon-to-be former president Pat McQuaid had expended the entire UCI reserve fund, along with the remaining funds in the ProTour reserve fund in his bid to create a smokescreen to distract the cycling public from the legacy of corruption, cronyism, and nepotism that marked his reign and that of his best friend forever Hein Verbruggen.  McQuaid had reached out to several Swiss banks in a bid to mortgage the montrosity known as UCI Headquarters in Aigle, but after his desperate letter to the IOC begging for help, the Swiss banking circuit declined to assist.</p>
<p>&#8220;It was really dire times. Our main partners were refusing to pay their sponsorship dollars, which made it difficult for the team in Aigle to keep the lights on. In fact, the electricity the headquarters was consuming while trying to battle the entire world caused the Swiss energy commission to demand a reduction in consumption, or the UCI would have to pay for a new hydrodam to be constructed,&#8221; stated di Rocco.</p>
<p>UCI employee Jarvier Barrio concurred with di Rocco&#8217;s comments.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since McQuaid and Verbruggen had been handing out six figure salaries like drunken Enron executives, our overhead is astronomical. If we hadn&#8217;t put the Makarov deal together, I have no idea how we would have met payroll in March,&#8221; commented Barrio.</p>
<p>The Makarov deal will have no direct impact on the day-to-day operation of the UCI. Rumors of Makarov moving into the office space next to the UCI presidential office, formerly known as &#8220;Verbruggen&#8217;s dirty lair,&#8221; have not been confirmed as of press time. However, the resignation of Pat McQuaid was one of the key points in the transaction.</p>
<p>&#8220;While Igor was demanding Pat to stand down immediately, especially after the Katusha debacle that was completely mishandled by the existing power structure, we were able to receive a concession of Pat retiring when his existing term is up,&#8221; stated a representative from Ernst &amp; Young, the organisation handling the transaction on behalf of both parties.</p>
<p>Pundit reaction around the cycling world was mixed.</p>
<p>&#8220;So does this mean Makarov will be the next UCI president? This has been the pattern for the last 25 years. Cycling seems to kiss the arse of the money men in the sport. I&#8217;m hoping we&#8217;ll have a change, and maybe Tracey Gaudry might show all these old cronies how to run an organisation properly,&#8221; stated a journalist who may or may not have been Rupert Guinness.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure what the fuck I&#8217;m going to do. I banked my whole career on the Verbruggen/McQuaid/Armstrong money train. I mean, I&#8217;m too old to start over, and I haven&#8217;t been wise with the money they all threw at me. What&#8217;s a middle-aged, bald, and slightly plum photographer going to do now?&#8221; stated favored UCI suck-up Graham Watson.</p>
<p>The financing deal is set to take effect March 1st, with the funds paid out monthly via a structured 10-year program, since Makarov has concerns about UCI bureaucratics burning through on the dough in the first month.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/makarov-to-buy-uci-headquarters-in-aigle/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Winds of change begin to blow away the smokescreen</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/winds-of-change-begin-to-blow-away-the-smokescreen/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/winds-of-change-begin-to-blow-away-the-smokescreen/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:25:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hein Verbruggen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IOC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat McQuaid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sport Accord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI independent commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USADA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WADA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=13002</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The depth and breadth of the connections inside the sport of cycling are truly becoming apparent to the public eye, especially in light of the developments during Friday&#8217;s UCI Independent Commission hearing. We were able to see first-hand just how Aigle likes to maneuver behind the scenes in order to maintain their revenue streams and their control over the sport. I can safely say that without the efforts of a certain UCI management committee member who may or may not be from the British Isles, we wouldn&#8217;t even have an independent commission in the first place. During the emergency management committee meeting a faction group, which included the aforementioned individual, asked for the removal of Hein Verbruggen as honorary president of the UCI. Our current president, Pat McQuaid, said that was completely out of the question. As a compromise, we have what is now the UCI Independent Commission. While many individuals (including the Change Cycling Now group) were worried about the neutrality of the independent commission, we can now say we have a good sense that unlike the Vrijman inquiry of 2006, we have a panel which is interested in assisting the sport to escape its shite past.  And to ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The depth and breadth of the connections inside the sport of cycling are truly becoming apparent to the public eye, especially in light of the developments during Friday&#8217;s UCI Independent Commission hearing. We were able to see first-hand just how Aigle likes to maneuver behind the scenes in order to maintain their revenue streams and their control over the sport.<a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/08/how-do-we-fix-the-uci/new-overlord-avi-600px/" rel="attachment wp-att-10429"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-10429" alt="new Overlord avi 600px" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/new-Overlord-avi-600px-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>I can safely say that without the efforts of a certain UCI management committee member who may or may not be from the British Isles, we wouldn&#8217;t even <strong><em>have</em></strong> an independent commission in the first place. During the emergency management committee meeting a faction group, which included the aforementioned individual, asked for the removal of Hein Verbruggen as honorary president of the UCI. Our current president, Pat McQuaid, said that was completely out of the question. As a compromise, we have what is now the UCI Independent Commission.</p>
<p>While many individuals (including the Change Cycling Now group) were worried about the neutrality of the independent commission, we can now say we have a good sense that unlike the <strong><a title="Vrijman report of 2006" href="http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news/2006/jun06/vrijmanreport.pdf" target="_blank">Vrijman inquiry of 2006</a></strong>, we have a panel which is interested in assisting the sport to escape its shite past.  And to those who gave me shite privately about my faith that this panel wouldn&#8217;t be another &#8220;UCI lapdog of ridiculousnessyness,&#8221; I told you so (yeah, I&#8217;m talking to you, Jaimie Fuller, among others). You all owe me a beverage. Grey Goose vodka,  thank you.</p>
<p>What does yesterday mean? That the &#8220;IC&#8221; part of that acronym well and truly means &#8220;independent.&#8221; UCIIC had the stones to say to the UCI, &#8220;Um, no thank you, we&#8217;re not going to suspend inquiries. And if you&#8217;re worried about costs, and the fact you&#8217;re going to potentially have two separate inquiries going, that&#8217;s just too damn bad. You made this mess, you have to clean it up.&#8221; The sticking point is the UCI has now agreed to explore a Truth and Reconciliation process and is currently having discussions with WADA on this front. While doing this, the UCIIC is still going forward with their inquiry and investigation into the allegations from the Armstrong business. However, the UCI seems to be hung up on how this procedure works, as it falls outside the current rules over which WADA presides.</p>
<p>The response by the UCI should give everyone an indication on how they operate, and reveal potential motivations behind their actions. Do they have something to hide? Are they concerned about what may be exposed? The fact that the UCI has responded to requests for information by the UCIIC at the eleventh hour might indicate their reluctance to share information. Or does it? Could the UCI be a victim of simply biting off more than it can chew?</p>
<p>The public response by Pat McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen to criticism of the &#8220;warnings&#8221; they gave riders shows me one thing with crystal clear 20/20 hindsight – the UCI is completely obsessed with finances and revenue. It drives all their decision-making. Could it be that the warnings were simply done in order to avoid additional costs of having to prove a rider was dirty?</p>
<p>The American auto industry is a prime example of this mentality. It&#8217;s a known fact that if an auto company discovers a flaw in one of their automobile products, the failure analysis process for the company evaluates which is cheaper for them to absorb: a mass recall in order to fix the problem, or responding to insurance claims from individuals who may become disabled/dead from the automobile failure. There are individuals at all the major American automobile companies who make these evaluations, and their recommendations are what drive this decision-making process. It&#8217;s cold, it&#8217;s clinical, and ultimately it puts bottom-line profit above the wellness of humanity. I find it completely disgusting, personally.</p>
<p>By the same token, this mentality permeates the upper levels of the UCI. There are a number of lawyers who preside and advise the UCI by making similar sorts of decisions, and have been doing so since Verbruggen took over. It&#8217;s why we have comments like &#8220;all the international federations were doing it, don&#8217;t blame us,&#8221;  or &#8220;we need to end this independent commission and start over with a truth and reconciliation process,&#8221; or &#8220;our financials will not allow us to commence two independent evaluations in parallel.&#8221;</p>
<p>Instead of doing what is &#8220;right&#8221; for the sport, the UCI is obsessed with what is &#8220;legal&#8221; or what is &#8220;cost-effective&#8221; for the governing body – at the expense of the entire sport. This reflects the overly-strong influence of individuals like Jean-Pierre Strebel and Philippe Verbiest, among others. This is also why having folks from Ernst &amp; Young determine what is best for cycling is absolutely the wrong way to move the sport forward. And what we&#8217;re left with are these sorts of recaps, <strong><a title="UCI Independent Commission rejects call to suspend inquiry" href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-independent-commission-rejects-uci-call-to-suspend-inquiries" target="_blank">as reported by cyclingnews.com yesterday</a></strong>, where the UCIIC noted the UCI had FAILED to comply with providing the information asked:</p>
<blockquote><p>Counsel for the UCI said that it had 16 lever-arch files of documentation ready, but that these files had not been disclosed due to the lack of clarity regarding how the independent commission would proceed in the wake of its call for the installation of a truth and reconciliation commission. The UCI has since agreed to provide this documentation to the Independent Commission, which it will read before next week’s hearing. During the hearing, a draft proposal from USADA concerning how a TRC would function was circulated.</p></blockquote>
<p>It&#8217;s going to be a long process for the UCIIC to slog through the layers upon layers of smokescreens which have been laid down over the past two decades by the UCI itself. Cycling should be thankful that WADA and USADA are two agencies willing to spearhead this effort, and hopefully there will be more agencies/federations joining in this effort shortly. As demonstrated by the UCI&#8217;s actions, they are ultimately unwilling to do it themselves without the constant prodding.</p>
<p>Where does this leave us?</p>
<p>There is a renewed call by many for cycling to lose its Olympic standing. In fact, if the UCIIC is able to demonstrate there were dubious activities being conducted by members of the UCI during the Armstrong era, this could be a distinct reality. The IOC is about protecting its legacy, and while McQuaid is saying he &#8220;didn&#8217;t have the time&#8221; to be part of the 2020 Games selection committee, the timing of the announcement casts doubt on this spin. When the sport&#8217;s top leaders are being removed from WADA executive committees, from the helm of SportAccord, or from IOC standing committees, it should be an indication that those in the halls of sporting power are beginning to look at cycling unfavourably, no matter the attempted spin.</p>
<p>In fact, maybe the best thing that could happen to cycling is see it removed from the Olympics. It might give us all the opportunity to rebuild track, road, MTB, and BMX the proper way without the influence of risk/benefit analysis drones ruining what we&#8217;re all trying to accomplish. Nonetheless, the next six months could determine the course the sport takes during the ensuing decades. It remains to be seen if this change will be driven by the UCI itself, or as the smokescreens continue to dissapate, its fortunes will be ultimately determined by others, including the UCIIC and the IOC.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/01/winds-of-change-begin-to-blow-away-the-smokescreen/smokescreen/" rel="attachment wp-att-13008"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13008" alt="smokescreen" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/smoke_screen.jpg" width="500" height="299" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/winds-of-change-begin-to-blow-away-the-smokescreen/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bruyneel leaves 45-minute message on UCI anti-doping hotline</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/bruyneel-leaves-45-minute-message-on-uci-anti-doping-hotline/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/bruyneel-leaves-45-minute-message-on-uci-anti-doping-hotline/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:25:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News or Not...?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Doping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johan Bruyneel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lance Armstrong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=12901</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By cyclodocus &#160; UCI officials say they are unsure what to make of a rambling message left by former U.S. Postal boss Johan Bruyneel on the organisation&#8217;s new anti-doping hotline. The message reportedly runs for almost 45 minutes and covers a broad range of topics. Bruyneel, who masterminded Lance Armstrong&#8217;s seven Tour de France victories, begans by delivering Christmas greetings on behalf of his wife Eva and children, Victoria and Christian. He then provided a recap of the 2012 calendar year, paying personal tribute to diva Whitney Houston and victims of Hurricane Sandy, before spending a full two minutes castigating pop music fans for the popularity of Gangnam Style. Appearing to become agitated while discussing the poor weather experienced during his family&#8217;s summer holiday, Bruyneel at one point launched into a semi-coherent diatribe against climate change scientists. He criticized scientists for relying on &#8220;flimsy evidence&#8221; before appearing to drift into another topic, making references to &#8220;cowboy justice&#8221; and &#8220;basic principles such as an individual&#8217;s right to be heard.&#8221; &#8220;If I could get back the hours I spent with Bill fucking Strickland,&#8221; Bruyneel lamented at one point. However, he did not complete the sentence, interrupting the call to answer a knock ...]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By <a title="cyclodocus on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/cyclodocus" target="_blank"><strong>cyclodocus</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>UCI officials say they are unsure what to make of a rambling message left by former U.S. Postal boss Johan Bruyneel on the organisation&#8217;s new anti-doping hotline.</p>
<p>The message reportedly runs for almost 45 minutes and covers a broad range of topics.<a href="http://www.cyclismas.com/2013/01/bruyneel-leaves-45-minute-message-on-uci-anti-doping-hotline/attachment/2016529746/" rel="attachment wp-att-12907"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-12907" alt="" src="http://www.cyclismas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2016529746.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Bruyneel, who masterminded Lance Armstrong&#8217;s seven Tour de France victories, begans by delivering Christmas greetings on behalf of his wife Eva and children, Victoria and Christian.</p>
<p>He then provided a recap of the 2012 calendar year, paying personal tribute to diva Whitney Houston and victims of Hurricane Sandy, before spending a full two minutes castigating pop music fans for the popularity of Gangnam Style.</p>
<p>Appearing to become agitated while discussing the poor weather experienced during his family&#8217;s summer holiday, Bruyneel at one point launched into a semi-coherent diatribe against climate change scientists.</p>
<p>He criticized scientists for relying on &#8220;flimsy evidence&#8221; before appearing to drift into another topic, making references to &#8220;cowboy justice&#8221; and &#8220;basic principles such as an individual&#8217;s right to be heard.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;If I could get back the hours I spent with Bill fucking Strickland,&#8221; Bruyneel lamented at one point. However, he did not complete the sentence, interrupting the call to answer a knock on the door.</p>
<p>UCI spokesperson Enrico Carpani said the UCI had transcribed the entire call but remained in the dark about what, if any, message Bruyneel had intended to convey.</p>
<p>&#8220;After the part where Johan and the family perform <em>The First Noël</em>, sung in harmonic rounds, there&#8217;s a long pause,&#8221; Carpani said. &#8220;You can just hear shuffling and the rustling of wrapping paper. But listen very closely and then you can make out breathing, as though Johan might have put down the phone but he isn&#8217;t far away. It&#8217;s almost as if he wants to tell us something. But what?&#8221;</p>
<p>Charged by USADA at the same time as Armstrong, Bruyneel is expected to appear before an arbitration panel later this month. As of this writing, he has also agreed to cooperate with Belgian anti-doping authorities, and is rumoured to be penning his own version of the U.S. Postal saga to tell his story the right way and &#8220;set the record straight.&#8221;</p>
<p>Before Armstrong&#8217;s televised confession with Oprah Winfrey, Bruyneel had sworn that his own fight against USADA was &#8220;not over yet … not by a long shot.&#8221; And the UCI confirmed that the Belgian made reference to Winfrey during his call to the hotline.</p>
<p>&#8220;He goes on for at least five minutes about Oprah and how she never returns his calls,&#8221; Carpani said. &#8220;That&#8217;s right before the part of the call where you hear CBS on in the background and Johan muttering things like &#8216;crazed with power&#8217; and &#8216;justice gone mad&#8217;.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bruyneel&#8217;s message will be forwarded on for further scrutiny by the UCI&#8217;s specialists in legal, anti-doping and medical fields, Carpani said</p>
<p>&#8220;Our experts&#8217; initial take was that Johan&#8217;s call may have been a cry for help,&#8221; Carpani said. &#8220;But our anti-doping team quickly ruled this out because the hotline specifically states, &#8216;If this is a cry for help, press 2&#8242;.&#8221;</p>
<p>The UCI said it was encouraged by the early response to the recently-launched hotline and confident the initiative would begin to contribute to the fight against anti-doping.</p>
<p>Besides Bruyneel&#8217;s call, Carpani said the hotline had already received a prank call by Floyd Landis and five messages from Riccardo Riccò attempting to hail a taxi.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/bruyneel-leaves-45-minute-message-on-uci-anti-doping-hotline/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cyclismas Cycling News Network 2012 Year in Review</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/cyclismas-cycling-news-network-2012-year-in-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/cyclismas-cycling-news-network-2012-year-in-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:40:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CCNN-TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cyclismas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cyclismas Cycling News Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jonny Gunn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pro cycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ripp Finklemann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saddleblaze]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Undercover Gunn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WorldTour]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=12479</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With this episode of CCNN, we&#8217;re heralding the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2. And what better way to start, but with our look back at 2012! Ripp and Jonny recap their top stories for 2012 and some of the highlights of the year – including compilations for the Top Five Moments in Suffering sponsored by The Sufferfest, Saddleblaze&#8217;s Eurorag Racing Roundup brought to you by sellmybikestuff.co.uk, and of course, the best moments from Undercover Gunn. BUT WAIT! What about bloopers? Yes! We&#8217;ve got guest bloopers, and we&#8217;ve also got bloopers from Ripp and Jonny. Enjoy the review! Follow along with the crew on Twitter: @RippFinklemann, @theJonnyGunn, @CyclismasMercer, @saddleblaze. Follow show updates on Twitter @CCNN_TV. Or take the show on the road with our iTunes downloads.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With this episode of CCNN, we&#8217;re heralding the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2. And what better way to start, but with our look back at 2012!</p>
<p>Ripp and Jonny recap their top stories for 2012 and some of the highlights of the year – including compilations for the Top Five Moments in Suffering sponsored by The Sufferfest, Saddleblaze&#8217;s Eurorag Racing Roundup brought to you by sellmybikestuff.co.uk, and of course, the best moments from Undercover Gunn. BUT WAIT! What about bloopers? Yes! We&#8217;ve got guest bloopers, and we&#8217;ve also got bloopers from Ripp and Jonny. Enjoy the review!</p>
<p>Follow along with the crew on Twitter: <a title="Ripp Finklemann on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/RippFinklemann" target="_blank">@RippFinklemann</a>, <a title="Jonny Gunn on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/theJonnyGunn" target="_blank">@theJonnyGunn</a>, <a title="Frank Mercer on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/CyclismasMercer" target="_blank">@CyclismasMercer</a>, <a title="Blazin' Saddles on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/saddleblaze" target="_blank">@saddleblaze</a>. Follow show updates on Twitter <a title="CCNN-TV on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/CCNN_TV" target="_blank">@CCNN_TV</a>.</p>
<p>Or take the show on the road with our <a title="CCNN-TV on iTunes" href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/cyclismas-cycling-news-network/id513617858" target="_blank">iTunes downloads</a>.<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/56665404" height="337" width="600" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/cyclismas-cycling-news-network-2012-year-in-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>McQuaid does Gangnam Style!</title>
		<link>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/mcquaid-does-gangnam-style/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/mcquaid-does-gangnam-style/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:35:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Videos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CCNN-TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cyclismas Cycling News Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gangnam Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat McQuaid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UCI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cyclismas.com/?p=12422</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After Pat McQuaid&#8217;s interview in the Irish Examiner yesterday, the crew at CCNN-TV (even though they&#8217;re in holiday mode) said, &#8220;How would McQuaid have conducted that interview? With the help of JibJab.com, the crew put this representation together. Enjoy! &#160;]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After Pat McQuaid&#8217;s interview in the<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/other-sports/ive-done-nothing-to-warrant-resigning-218116.html" target="_blank"> Irish Examiner yesterday</a>, the crew at<a href="https://twitter.com/CCNN_TV" target="_blank"> CCNN-TV</a> (even though they&#8217;re in holiday mode) said, &#8220;How would McQuaid have conducted that interview? With the help of JibJab.com, the crew put this representation together. Enjoy!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/56510050" frameborder="0" width="600" height="337"></iframe></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/mcquaid-does-gangnam-style/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
