For those interested, the APMU is described correctly by veloclinic as I understand it by reading the WADA standards. However, the APMU is run by humans who are routing suspicious tests. Ashenden makes it clear that athletes have been caught with "too normal" values like Armstrong's.
Based on scant information provided over time, it seems Saugy's lab was providing the APMU service. IMHO, the samples were never passed. Someone, somewhere knew better than to pass Armstrong's probably suspicious results.
The UCI was picking winners. How exactly? Not sure. The test suppression explains Sky's **extraordinary** 2012.
To be clear, the UCI is Pat and Hein's fiefdom. They do as they please including suing journalists for, among other things, calling them terrorists. (which they are)
In rare, extraordinary circumstances the member federations show a little common sense and restrain those two predators.
There is only anti-doping controversy at Pat and Hein's level. Doping makes the sport more spectacular. Witness Sky destroying every stage race they entered in 2012 like never ever seen before in the last 100 years and raised the level of cycling as a sport awareness in the UK JUST IN TIME for their Olympic games.
No, none of this comes from the way Pat and Hein have been running the sport. it's about money and Pat and Hein getting paid.
Pat and Hein have a big-money fish on the hook and will further shrink competitive cycling to skim some money off of both ends of the deal.
Shrink the sport, but pay Pat and Hein better.
This may be shocking to some, but I predict World Cycling Productions is central to the yet-to-be-established events.
He's trying to stay employed and drop some hints.
**Everything** about the 7x win was suspicious and not a word out of Pat and Hein. To date, my crazy theory is the TdF wins were bought.
I think Roche is saying Pat's not the only one that needs to go. He's right.
Hein Verdruggen is the guy that got Pat hired. At minimum, Hein, Pat, and Alain need to go and World Cycling Productions needs to be killed.
Great job on the inline response to their junk.
Nothing says "I've got way more money than brains" than riding a Ritte. The joker at Ritte is reselling the usual imported carbon and Russ Denny customs at stupid-high prices.
FYI, Russ Denny has been a premium contract builder for other brands for a long, long time. I can't recommend him enough.
@CyclismasThack The answer is yes, not no.
First you claim "no, teams aren't paid." Then you claim "the teams did receive payment to attend the race"
You need to read basketball coach John Wooden's biography to get some background on doing parking lot drills.
John Wooden would start every season the same, no players excused from being taught how to put on their socks and shoes. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/wooden-shoes-and-socks-84177.aspx
There's always room for parking lot drills. In the spring it pays off on the tight classics roads. In the summer it pays off blazing down a col or two.
ColoradoMastersince97
Maybe you need to talk to some of the Junior's parents because a trip to Europe to race is not free. The privilege of being selected requires payment for use of the house and staff on top of the air travel. And the house is no bargain either!
How exactly does the USCF pay for cx camps? Again, it's not free to the rider's parents. Does traveling to some far away camp develop better riders? You are assuming it does. Is there a study to give us some insight?
As for OBRA's contribution, OBRA graduated one of their best to the UCI's road show. That's as good as it gets and they did it at a *major* discount to USAC's program.
ZacDaab Liability is another excuse. This excuse is defensible unlike the other Petty misinformation.
If there product is so awesome, why did they have to kill the ACA? Why did they walk away from reciprocity?
Bottom line, USAC hasn't been interested in grassroots racing for at least a decade. The graying membership and stagnant number of races has been the trend for years.
JoshLiberlesno_use_for_a_name
C'mon Josh,
Check USAC's annual reports. They break down membership by State by year. From there, you tell me how they get to over half a million. The VAST majority of USAC's membership is in NorCal. And racing there is Saturday/Sunday with rare exception.
Maybe a better way to do it is to explain how one recreates this Race Days statistic.
Seam sealant. Sometimes called "tent sealant" jawnp
mmurrayno_use_for_a_namecyclocrossNorCal Thanks for the clarification.
I don't follow Track closely enough and missed the distinction...
I'd like to know what factoid he's referring to when he claims 6% growth. It's not membership or number of races.
Where are all these 600,000 race days?
CXmagazine, you aren't helping matters by not checking out some of the blatant misinformation from USAC. Is whomever owns Velonews acquiring you soon?
cyclocrossNorCal ACA is gone too. So, OBRA, ABR and perhaps ATRA is all that's left. ATRA sanctions a bunch of track racing in the U.S. Yes, USAC abandoned track a long time ago.
cyclocrossNorCal CBR is gone though. USAC put Chris out of business by funding prize purses in his region. This from a federation that has zero prize money, or even a stinking jersey for their overall series winners. It's all about command and control.
The last 10+ years of zero growth in USAC events or membership means they really, really don't care about growing grassroots participation or a even the appearance of a viable domestic pro scene.
Brad Ross If you check this thread again, I suggest you consider motocross style starts where the course layout permits it. Nothing like a one-wide drag race for the first obstacle/corner for spectator drama.
Brad's method was much better than nothing, and for a first-try it was good. crossresults has a number of problems too. IMHO, no clear winner between the two.
"The contract that OBRA had with USAC did not have an expiration or reevaluation date attached to it."
That's a strategic blunder on USAC's part...
What have we all learned about USAC today? Johnson and Petty have no problem spewing boldface lies to meet Weisel's goal of complete control of competitive U.S. cycling.
Why do USAC member continue to support these liars when they haven't grown domestic participation in the sport in any meaningful way in the last 10 years?
Kenji and others,
USAC has zero interest in sharing competitive cycling. None. Interacting with Wiesel's coffee boy Johnson at all is a recipe for disaster.
They forced ACA out of business and then plainly lie about it.
They forced CRA out of business. CRA was a sanctioning body active in Southern California.
That said, many of the regional USAC groups have some well intentioned people that actually share the same goals as an OBRA.