first, they came for the fixed gears, but i am not really a fixed gear rider, so i said nothing.  i think you all know how this ends... 

the racing union is currently out of the office attending to the needs of our dear comrade in cuba.  our hopes for a speedy recovery are with him.  all of the resources of the people's medical establishment have been made available and at this point, we hope for the best.

 

 

fidel castro

in consideration of our absence, and in honor of his manifold contributions to the glorious revolution, we offer an encore presentation of a post which we would make even this old warhorse a bit misty with nostagia...

viva la revolucion!

you may leave your thoughts for the people's hero in the comments section. 

i was planning to avoid this.  but people are just writing stuff that's not right.  and i don't care much for that.

 

>>>-----Original Message-----

>>>From: David Allen

>>>Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 1:37 PM

>>>

>>>I agree that doping is a serious problem and needs to

>>>be promptly and severely dealt with when it is

>>>discovered but what safeguards, if any, are in place

>>>to protect riders who are either intentionally or

>>>accidentally unjustly accused?

 

The problem here is that riders will always claim they did not dope and are the victims of either one or all of the following:

 

(a) an overzealous antidoping regime or agency

(b) a national sanctioning body that does not want them to get ahead

(c) a (intentionally or unintentionally) spiked nutritional product

(d) bad advice from a coach/soigneur/advisor

 

very few have the class to come clean and admit it.  i cannot remmeber the name of the world champion mountain biker who did htis.  I could google it but I'm so freaking lazy right now that it's beyond me.  millar also spilled the beans when he realized they had him dead to rights.  thiscompared to someone like virenque.  superlatives are useless in describing him. 

 

anyhow, from mr. allen's post, when you say they (riders) are unjustly accused, i feel that's a bit to general.  a test in a certified laboratory was performed, by qualified diagnostic personnel, presumably using good quality standards to calibrate the machinery.  if they are "accused", it is generally on this basis.  if your throat hurts and you see a doctor and he does a swab and he subsequently calls you and says you have strep, you don't ask for another test or a second opinion.  ask yourself why this is the case. 

 

if a rider i concerned about their ability to make a living by racing a bike, they must deny the allegation that they cheated in the strongest terms.  (example: tyler hamilton swore over the body of his dead dog tugboat that he had not cheated, and many people bought that story: hook, line and sinker.  his case was repeatedly arbitrated and his defense was found to be substantially lacking. 

he still has not come clean about what happened, in spite of overwhelming evidence.  he is serving a two year ban.  was he unjustly accused?)

 

i don't think this point should be conceded.  drunkenly yelling "dopage" and "j'accuse" at racers from a hillside in southern france is unjustly accusing them.  you have no factual basis for doing so.  but making an assertion based on results from a laboratory which has done a proper analysis doesn't strike me as the slightest bit malicious.  it's objectively based, not subjectively based.

 

now there may be issues or mitigating circumstances.  floyd has obviously passed numerous tests this year given his palmares so the result does seem odd, or rather, at odds with previous tests.  if floyd is getting good advice, he will have lawyered up and they will depose everyone in sight.  they will be sure the samples were appropriately cared for.  they will examine the standards used to calibrate the machinery.  they'll look at the service records on the gas chromatograph or mass spec units.  they'll interview the analysts and go through their procedures in minute detail.  and they will look for a mistake.  they will endlessly discuss the rate fo type 1 and type 2 errors coming from the analysis.

 

but even if they find one, can you still say that the person was unjustly accused?  the lab followed their standard procudure and they have been certified by wada.  everyone screws up on occasion.  it happens.  but the lab followed procedure and returned the result.  i'm not arguing that the current set of drug rules is a good idea (i'm not sure it is) and i'm not arguing that the current system is fair (i'm fairly certain it's not) but the rules were well defined and they appear to have been followed.

  

>>> -----Original Message-----

>>> From: Ron Carl

>>> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 10:21 AM

 

>>> Maybe it’s just me, but I believe that it is extremely

>>> unfair to speculate on the guilt or innocence of someone

>>> until all of the test results are in.

>>> When we see the results of the B test all this speculation

>>> and chatter may be for nothing.

this is true.

 

>>> A single and be beneficial (sic) is to send out samples to other labs that

>>> are completely outside of the cycling community. It may be extreme but how

>>> about sending samples to say the FBI? Apparently the quality of the test

>>> from and the FBI labs are used to catch terrorists and serial killers and

>>> send them to jail for capital punishment. I think that makes them more than

>>> capable of performing the tests. OK so maybe this is a bit extreme but how

>>> about a lab specifically set up in a neutral location with no ties to racing

>>> whatsoever and governed in such a way that it is completely impartial. Regular

>>> testing of the equipment and sterility of the lab assured.

 

i sort of feel like i get to have all the fun.  so i'm turning this one over to the rabble in comments.  there's a lot to look at here.  i mean assuming the dhs hasn't compiled all of this information on us already.  your turn.  is this a good idea?  why or why not?

 

- - - posted by scott

the thursday herndon ride is always fun.  i do not get to do it often but it's always fun.  the ride out to herndon on the wo&d is nice.  you can just sense that traffic is in gridlock all around you as you softpedal along.  that's pretty sweet.  unfortunately, i think i'm allergic to something on the trail.  i've tripled my claritin intake in the last 12 hours and i've passed the point of usefulness.  i'm useless without the medicine, but at this dosage, i'm useless with it. 

there's some major construction going on between reston town center and herndon adn still more out by church road.  this, in and of itself, is not unusual.  i was surprised at this one however as there's not really a clear cut through.  you sort of jump up to the old gravel path and wind around but there not signs or anything.  there were some herndon police aorund but they seemed pretty focused on operating a speedgun and ticketing motorists so i didn't bother to ask.

the crowd takes the sign in before the daily stage...

bill breslin and judd milne roll in from the west

judd shows the excitement and enthusiasm he feels for non-cross events.

and they're off.

aric and colleen sitting on comfortably.

rolling towards belmont plateau.

it was really nice to see joe marques out last night.  for those who know him, he seems to be doing well and has put off his move south for another couple of months.

- - - posted by scott

greenbelt!

the greenbelt race was hot.  not many people showed up so the pace was sort of hot as well.  on again, off again.  here, the route one synchronize disrobing begins.  is there anything these guys don't do as a team?

bill on the warm up. 

joe setting up for the corner

chatting with bill during the warm up.

after the greenbelt race, everyone always seems to be in a good mood.  whatever bagels are left over are quickly scarfed.  the last of the nutella is scraped from the container as people wind down.

we all owe ben a huge thanks for the water.  the hard attacks and stuff, well, you'll pardon me if i'm not quite so thankful for those.

andrew rode an aggressive race but he failed to pay me the hush money required to keep pictures of him from being posted

and finally, thanks to bill luecke, who was kind enough to give me a ride home after the race as well.  that was generous.

- - - posted by scott

early this week, ben, my neighbor and fellow commuter scott clokey, and myself all got together to try to work on some fairfax city and county connector trails.  these trails are a huge asset for getting aorund but the city and county don't keep them on the maintenance schedule.  and they were absolutely being taken over by poison ivy.

a few weeks earlier, i had taken the metro home from the greenbelt race and forgotten my lights.  I ended up cruising through here in the dark and rolling right off the trail into the ivy.  suh-weet.  my house was close by so with I was able to shower and with the help of a kitchen scrungee which was pushed into service as a loofa, i miraculously avoided the pox.

check out the ivy encorachment in the shot below....

we decided to deal with the symptom rather than the cause.  it was hot, but we knocked it out pretty fast and had a nice sense of accomplishment to boot. 

all the more reason for people to join organizations like fabb.

- - - posted by scott

the revolution takes a pause for a moment as i apologize for the lack of timely content.  current events around the globe are having a cumulative depressing effect, and degrading my ability to find humor in things.  in spite of advocating the overthrow of mabra by any means necessary, i will meekly admit that i don't care much for the images of armed combat i've been seeing.  it is my hope that all people will come to see less benefit in geopolitical machinations and more benefit in improving the lot of everyone, everywhere.

and just like that, the revolution resumes, and we'll have some posts up soon with additional proposals in preparation for the mabra annual meeting.  some of our previous proposals were very well received.  we continue to address the critical issues of, by and for the people.  also note that this serves as a final warning to mabra that their current state of being in thrall to various interests is at an end.  the people are speaking, together with a single voice, and demanding change.  and we're bringing change.  we have attempted to operate within their framework by suggesting badly needed reforms, but the lack of response is pronounced and they continue to ignore us at their peril.  they are locked in a single mindset, inflexible and unadaptive.  but the great impending change is a huge, irresistible force; a social tsunami which sends the elite tumbling from their precarious perches and brings a hightened tide which floats all boats.

along these lines, all responsible citizens and cyclists should take the time to study the material in the following link.  it clearly shows that breaking with old ideas can be difficult.  the elite of mabra should pay special attention.  the people move forward towards a better day.

I'll be riding out to greenbelt tonight from dc assuming there are no significant storms on the radar.  email me at i_want_to_ride_in_traffic_to_a_bike_race@racingunion.org if you're interested in riding out.  I'll be leaving from right near the capitol around 5:15.

- - - posted by scott

first and foremost, good luck to union stalwart roy who heads south to pass the bar exam.  our best wishes go with him.  while i know he has the chops, he has worried me.  rather than studying, he was digging out fascinating links like this one.

the environmental paradox of cycling

and it is the discussion topic for today.  i am interested in your comments regarding the author's points.  and to be clear, i will tolerate no jokes on our forums regarding the authors name.  you're all better than that.  i know you are.

anyhow, after roy crushes the bar, we'll party.  yeee haw.

evil forces conspire to overwhelm the message of the racing union.  mercantile and plutocratic interests have begun using the tools of the most recent technological revolution to saturate our area with their filth.  this will not stand.

we have had to modify the comments section to keep the perimeter safe and clear.  anyone is entitled to post, and you are still permitted to do so under a pseudonym.  you will be asked to enter a verificaiton code.  this will keep out robots but not cranks.  we'll still use our traditional time-honored techniques for dealing with those.  this is the people's forum, and the commons will not be spoiled by those who would use it strictly to line their pockets. 

mabra, sera libre, ahora mismo!  venceremos!!

- - - posted by scott

i hope people are taking the time to check in at jim's blog, unholy roleur.  it's good stuff and kept more current than most in this area, ours included.  his latest post had two things that made me crack up.  the story about the hairy-legged fred who wants to race is something we all know.  too well.  it happens to me on the custis trail all the time.  a guy comes by and gives me "the look" (tm)(r)(patent pending).  i'm so tired of that stuff.  all you guys on lance's tip?  that is his legacy.  5 or 6 or 7 tour wins?  i can't even remember.  battling cancer and becoming a hero.  well that's certainly good stuff, but all things fade with time.  what will be the most enduring aspect of his appearance on this small blue and green ball?  the look.  for aeons, people who jut want to ride their bikes at a moderate pace will be confronted with this uber-gestalt of competitiveness.  i say it's a killable offense.

the other part of jim's post i liked was the title.  i did a longer than necessary ride yesterday.  Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?  they sure as hell were not on the roads i was riding.  however, i had an unusual experience.  crawling back towards vienna on the trail, i passed an elevated section over a valley where i was buffeted (no exaggeration) by alternating hot and cold winds.  the wo&d has some unsual properties.  in the spring and fall, some parts of it can be frigid due to it being a railroad cut, and the cold air settling still in the cut.  but this one was a new one for me.  i can only guess that some sort of convection cell was set up where cooler air from the valley was coming up and over the trail.  it was wierd.  it could have been a hallucination brought on by the early stages of heat exhaustion but i don't think so.  messr. jim, les vents froids d'hiver sont ici.

item 2: people, please, can we find an entry into the giro di coppi for aric line?  if you have a 3/4 entry that you even think you might not be able to use, drop us a line here as soon as possible: hook_aric_up@racingunion.org.  do the right thing.  do it now.  the union commands it.

item 3: in honor of all the people who went to give it their very best efforts at nationals, I offer you mr. t who in turn is offering the new starts and striped avec chapeau.  the 2006 national championship jersey.  oh, except it can't be sleeveless.  the hardware will also be mandatory (rule 3.K.6).  all race winnings will be converted to precious metals and worn by the winners in subsequent events.  it's the great equalizer. 

look for several of our local riders to be sporting this snazzy new ensemble.  and they have earned it.  on the serious side, congratulate them often and imagine how hard they had to work to get where they are.  and it's not just the winners, we are proud of all who competed.  you did good.

- - - posted by scott

i will be straightforward and say that the stories i have read about the links between kids and guns and drugs and warlords have always freaked me out.  there is just something so very wrong about all this:

which is why i smiled so broadly when i read jay uhlfelder's email on saturday afternoon.  he always seems to come through with really good stuff.  he happened to catch this from the bbc web page:

DR Congo backs 'guns for bikes'

A scheme under which gunmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo are given bicycles in exchange for their weapons is being extended due to its success.  Ngoy Mulunda, a pastor in the south-eastern Katanga region, says he has been given some 6,500 weapons in the past year, which he has destroyed.  The programme is now being extended to the neighbouring South Kivu province. 

A BBC correspondent says it has proved more successful than the UN disarmament exercise, following a five-year war.  The BBC's Jonathan Kacelewa in Bukavu says a bicycle, worth about $50, makes a big difference to the lives of local people.  In South Kivu, however, zinc roofing sheets are being given out instead of bicycles.  The scheme, run through Pastor Mulunda's NGO Parec, is now being backed by President Joseph Kabila.  Congolese troops, backed by United Nations peacekeepers, have been forcibly disarming militias in eastern DR Congo ahead of landmark elections due to take place on 30 July.

I cannot imagine why this is not intuitively obvious to people all over the globe.  If you give people guns, there will be violence, chaos and a lack of stability.  if you give them bicycles, society immediately moves towards a utopian ideal.  is this so hard to fathom?  in the same manner as gyroscopic forces which provide balance for a wheel in motion, an abundance of bicycles stabilizes a society.  it's clear that there is a favorable direction of change that needs to be made.

the whole world bank and imf operation should be taken over by qbp (ed note: quality bicycle products) and a handful of mechanics.  bicycles should be shipped by the container load to all countries willing to accept them.  people here in the states can be employed in the building, transport and subsequent maintenance of these bikes.  is there a downside?  not one i can see.  it's a works program for us and it sure will work to help them.

some might argue that the existing gangs and thugs are there for a reason.  but even if that is the case, and it would take a lot of convincing for me, you're still talking about going from this: (real gangs)

to this: (bike gangs). 

and though they may turf your lawn on occasion and call you old man so-and-so, they're not really lowering your standard of living.  much.  consider the issue.  consider ways to help these efforts, both abroad and right here in our own neighborhoods.  and finally consider the glorious cause that is reshaping the nature of the relationship between cycling and the social order.  we hope to bring a new day for cycling, and a new day through cycling.  join us in the vanguard of change.

- - - posted by scott

As part of our on-going effort to bring bicycle racing to the people and in keeping with the tenants defined in our manifesto, Racing Union proudly presents

The Hains Point Grand Prix and 365-Day Omnium

For more info, see the race flyer.