To those who have written asking us what we think, we think Alexandre Vinokourov is an arrogant, selfish piece of shit, and he - and any rider who dopes during the Tour de France - should be banned from the sport for life.
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In his recent TEV guest review of Home Land, Jim Ruland called Sam Lipsyte the "funniest writer of his generation," and we're quite inclined to agree. We tore through Home Land in two joyful sittings and can't remember the last time we've laughed so hard. Lipsyte's constellation of oddly sympathetic losers is rendered with a sparkling, inspired prose style that's sent us off in search of all his prior work. In Lewis Miner's (a.k.a Teabag) woeful epistolary dispatches to his high school alumni newsletter ("I did not pan out."), we find an anti-hero for the age. Highly, highly recommended.
In that case, would anybody participate ? Still, you're completely right.
Posted by: Thomz | July 25, 2007 at 01:23 AM
Hi Mark,
I just wanted to make sure you still had the same opinion? Particularly now that Rasmussen is out, and Contador signed an immunity deal, with his (positive) results locked away (google 'Operacion Puerto').
http://marksarvas.blogs.com/elegvar/2007/07/vive-le-tour.html
Posted by: JH | July 25, 2007 at 04:09 PM
Unchanged. Dirty riders should be banned, clean ones should stay and compete. Rasmussen should never have been allowed to start the Tour, and if what you say about Contador is true (though you'll need to provide some evidence), ditto.
Posted by: TEV | July 25, 2007 at 04:15 PM
On Contador, from Velonews:
Contador also elaborated on why his name appeared last year on the infamous Puerto list. His name was among five Astana riders who were alleged to be linked to the Operación Puerto investigation last year in Spain.
Contador was among nine riders from five teams who were not allowed to start last year's Tour de France.
"I was on the wrong team at the wrong time. My name was on this infamous list, but one week later, the UCI had more time to examine the documents and I was taken off. My relation with Puerto was annulled," Contador said. "I was cleared of any link with the scandal."
Sorry, I find zero about any immunity deal. Do you have proof or just some understandable cynicism?
Posted by: TEV | July 25, 2007 at 04:25 PM
Hey Mark,
Didn't see this till now. I'm looking for it as I type...well, a little after I type.
Posted by: JH | July 25, 2007 at 07:43 PM
Hi,
Well, it looks like I made a mistake, though I am going by hearsay (a mistake, of course):
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Also today, a German newspaper has brought a story about Contador being involved in Operacion Puerto, but under what resembles a plea bargain, "Document #31" which implicates him was sealed in exchange for his testimony against Dr. Fuentes and other clients. It was a dosage chart which said "A.C. nothing or same dosage as J.J."
Contador is one of the riders Jorg Jaksche (the likely "J.J.") ratted out last month - they both rode on Liberty Seguros who was excluded from the Tour last year. Contador was among the riders later "cleared" and I guess we now know why. If the report is true.
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What's really interesting to me, of course, is that the Rides We Remember---Floyd's epic ride last year, Vino's insane time trial...both ended up being drug aided. And yet Lance was able to routinely (except maybe the last couple of tours, when DSC was so strong it didn't matter) to deliver big rides like Landis and Vino's.
One more link:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/02/1091432108050.html
Posted by: JH | July 25, 2007 at 08:04 PM