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Thursday, May 17, 2007
Notes:
Kaboom!
Unbelievable testimony from Greg LeMond at the Floyd Landis
arbitration hearing this afternoon. This is a sad day for American
cycling. Check
Cyclingnews
for the details. We will comment tomorrow.
The L'EQUIPE-o-meter measures the
"temperature" in the offices of French sports
daily L'EQUIPE's editor-in-chief. It is based
on proprietary calculations that we cannot
reveal at this time.
- We commented yesterday about the fact that French sports daily
L'EQUIPE sent Vincent Hubé to the Landis hearings
in Malibu instead of their full-time doping reporter Damien Ressiot
. Well, after watching some of the live video coverage of the hearing
yesterday, what should have been obvious before is this: Since Ressiot,
whose name did come up during yesterday's session, is the reporter who benefits
the most from LNDD leaks, he would do well to stay away from the hearings.
We commented before yesterday's session that the Landis lawyers
eventually will want to focus on lab director Jacques de Ceaurriz
with regard to leaks to the media, among other things. Landis
lawyer Maurice Suh did ask lab technician Cynthia Mongongu if
she was responsible for the leaks and she said no, as we would expect because
LNDD leaks have been going on for many years. Mongongu
surely has nothing to do with the leaks. Suh did note that he would
ask de Ceaurriz about the leaks later in the proceedings
. We anxiously await their questioning of de Ceaurriz, not only
in the context of the Landis case but generally. They will of course
ask if he was responsible for the leaks, if he knows who is, etc. They
should also ask him if he has EVER leaked lab results to the media...
Next to Floyd Landis, Jacques de Ceaurriz might be the most nervous witness
in Malibu this week...
Speaking of Damien Ressiot, he has a piece in today's L'EQUIPE. Ressiot
this week is in Montreal, home of.....WADA president Dick Pound
. L'EQUIPE apparently found it necessary to have Ressiot go
into damage control regarding the announcement yesterday that the International
Tennis Federation is moving its Roland Garros (French Open) drug testing
out of LNDD in Paris to Montreal. This news is a blow to LNDD
and by extension to L'EQUIPE. Ressiot is careful to point out that
this is all about economics and has nothing to do with problems at or controversy
related to LNDD. That may be true (though we have our doubts) but
there is definitely a whiff of propaganda in the air, as usual, at L'EQUIPE.
It must be killing Ressiot to not be in Malibu. He
loves all the technical stuff related to doping and anti-doping. You
can bet he's watching the live video streaming like the rest of us.
The announcement that the International Tennis Federation is moving
its drug testing out of LNDD begs the question of why the International
Cycling Union (UCI) hasn't already done this, though it would seem
that LNDD is something that just about all sides can use
for their own purposes in the supposed anti-doping war. That is
a question that someone should ask Hein Verbruggen, oops, UCI spokesman,
oops, president Pat McQuaid . We'll see what's
left of LNDD after the Landis hearings...
- Trust But Verify is doing a great job overall but they
are falling short with regard to their descriptions of European coverage
of the Landis hearings. TBV continues to present European
press website coverage as if it was their sole coverage and obviously
that is not the case. Today TBV suggests "All major sources seem
to be working from the same AFP report." But L'EQUIPE, for example,
has a reporter, Vincent Hubé, present in Malibu and TBV knows this.
Hubé had a lengthy piece in the print edition yesterday
with some useful information. And yet TBV continues to comment
on the European press as if they don't have print editions. Far
be it from us to defend the European media, especially L'EQUIPE, but TBV
claims to be interested in all points of view....
- The hearings apparently start earlier than what is stated on the
Floyd Fairness Fund website. 12pm U.S. Eastern?
- You can find links and login info to live video streaming
of the hearings at the Floyd Landis Official website or Floyd Fairness
Fund website. (links at right)
- The Floyd Landis arbitration hearings
(with live video streaming) begin each day at 12:30pm U.S.
Eastern (18:30 CET).
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Notes:
- The Floyd Landis arbitration hearings
(with live video streaming) begin each day at 12:30pm U.S.
Eastern (18:30 CET). We'll post our latest coverage of this event
before that time.
- Eurosport audio streams are now
live for the Giro d'Italia. If you are watching
RAI Sport and want to take a break from trying
to follow the Italian commentary, you can mute the sound in your media
player and then select the Eurosport audio commentary for
your language separately.
- The RAI Sport live broadcast has begun.
- Our next Giro d'Italia update here after 15:00 CET (9:00am
U.S. Eastern).
- Three-time Tour champion and USADA witness Greg LeMond
is expected to testify today at the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing
. Fun.
- RAI Sport live video streaming of today's stage should
begin at around 15:15 CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally during
the race for the latest live race coverage links
and information. The most recent notices always appear at the
top.
- Welcome to today's live coverage guide for Stage 5
of the 2007 Giro d'Italia.
- What's the fastest way to see photos from
today's race? Check out the
Yahoo photo gallery link in our Live Guide.
AP/AFP photographers will sometimes send in
photos from the road mid-race.
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Live video streaming:
(End of stage only?)
(more links to come)
Radio Tour graphics:
(go to page, select language)
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright © 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Notes:
Storm clouds roll in over the Laboratoire National de Dépistage
du Dopage (LNDD), the French national anti-doping lab in Chatenay-Malabry
outside Paris
photo Copyright © 2006
Pete Geyer
www.cyclingfans.com
Floyd Landis Arbitration Hearing
Today's notes:
- You can find links and login info to live video streaming
of the hearings at the Floyd Landis Official website or Floyd Fairness
Fund website. (links above right)
- David Brower and William Hue of
Trust But Verify
got a mention in today's print edition of L'EQUIPE
. Trust But Verify has been doing a great job of covering
the Floyd Landis case from the beginning. Vincent Hubé
is in Malibu covering the Landis hearings
for the French sports daily. (Perhaps full-time doping reporter
Damien Ressiot's English isn't good enough or he
is stuck in France dealing with his indictment for breaking the law
in the Cofidis Affair ? Or perhaps he is vacationing with
Richard Virenque...)
- The Landis lawyers will begin cross examination of LNDD
witnesses today . They may have a field day. These lab
technicians aren't used to this. It will get very interesting later
if lab director Jacques de Ceaurriz takes the stand. He
would likely try to play the "we are just scientists trying to do our
jobs, naive with regard to all the other stuff surrounding doping cases"
card. Don't believe it for one second. Particularly if the
Landis lawyers have researched past, pre-Vrijman Report
problems at LNDD , then they will be able to tear that card to pieces.
de Ceaurriz has played that card before in response to questioning
from an independent journalist over the lab's negligence in the Olga
Yegorova case in 2001. (see
"Past problems at France's national anti-doping laboratory"
) Landis lawyer Maurice Suh might bite his
head off. If de Ceaurriz was once a naive scientist, that is no
longer the case and he needs to be asked some serious questions outside
the realm of science. The Landis lawyers need to ask de Ceaurriz
about leaks for one thing. There may yet be revealed some very
interesting bits of information about the French Ministry of Sport and
WADA too, among others.
- L'EQUIPE reports in today's print edition that
three-time Tour winner Greg LeMond will be called
by USADA to testify tomorrow, Thursday, possibly with regard to telephone
conversations he has had with Landis . LeMond seems to have become
a professional witness in doping cases. Have phone recordings,
will travel? Eddy Merckx was orginally expected to
testify for the Landis camp but L'EQUIPE reports that now that
is unlikely to happen. L'EQUIPE also says that American
former cyclist Joe Papp will be called by USADA to testify
that he doped using testosterone . The Landis lawyers should have
no problem dealing with this witness as it is not uncommon for pro cyclists
to use products in the belief they aid performance when there is little
to no scientific basis for that. ( Actovegin , for instance,
as recounted by former Cofidis rider Philippe Gaumont in his book.)
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Notes:
- Eurosport live audio streams are playing
the Giro.
- The RAI Sport video stream is live
for today's Giro stage.
- Our next Giro d'Italia update here after 15:00 CET (9:00am
U.S. Eastern).
- RAI Sport live video streaming of today's stage should
begin at around 15:15 CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).
- Can't always watch the live video coverage of the
Giro d'Italia ? Miss a stage? Then
use our RAI Sport Giro d'Italia stage highlights videos link
in our Selected archive video clips, race replays and photo galleries
section. If you missed the Giro teams presentation
("La Vigilia"...on an aircraft carrier!), you can now watch it. Saturday's
Team Time Trial is also archived and available for
viewing, as are stages 2 and 3.
- More links to come...
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally during
the race for the latest live race coverage links
and information. The most recent notices always appear at the
top.
- Welcome to today's live coverage guide for Stage 4
of the 2007 Giro d'Italia.
- What's the fastest way to see photos from
today's race? Check out the
Yahoo photo gallery link in our Live Guide.
AP/AFP photographers will sometimes send in
photos from the road mid-race.
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Live video streaming:
(End of stage only?)
(more links to come)
Radio Tour graphics:
(go to page, select language)
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright © 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Today is the first rest day of the 2007 Giro d'Italia
. The race will resume tomorrow with Stage 4 finishing with
a little fireworks on the climb to Montevergine Di Mercogliano
.
Notes:
The Laboratoire National de Dépistage du Dopage (LNDD),
the French national anti-doping lab in Chatenay-Malabry outside Paris
photo Copyright © 2006
Pete Geyer
www.cyclingfans.com
Things are getting "interesting" at the Floyd Landis hearings
today as witnesses called by USADA include employees of the
French national anti-doping lab at Chatenay-Malabry
south-west of Paris where the contested Tour de France anti-doping
analyses took place. LNDD is by far the most controversial anti-doping
laboratory in the world. It will be interesting to see how
the Floyd Landis camp does in their questioning of LNDD lab technicians
as well as, possibly later, the lab director, Jacques
de Ceaurriz .
Over the years, the lab has mostly been spared serious investigation
by French journalists who have long depended on selective information
from the facility. These hearings will be a rare opportunity to
hear LNDD employees tell their side of things, including under cross examination.
Last September,
we called for LNDD to be suspended
so that the conditions under which it works could be investigated.
French journalists overall have not only failed to do some digging
on LNDD, despite
continued problems at the lab
, they have also been critical of those who criticize the
lab, as an AFP reporter was when suggesting that we at cyclingfans.com
were "part of the Landis entourage" simply because we took the
lab to task, with documentation.
-
Trust But Verify
reported earlier today that there will be no live video
streaming today of the Landis hearings. The proceedings should be archived,
however, and available for viewing later.
- The
Yahoo photo gallery
includes many shots of LNDD employees and others present
at the hearings.
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Monday, May 14, 2007
Notes:
- Eurosport live audio streams are now
playing the Giro. If you are watching RAI Sport
and want to take a break from trying to follow the Italian commentary,
you can mute the sound in your media player and then select the Eurosport
audio commentary for your language separately.
- The RAI Sport video stream is live
. Eurosport live audio should switch to the
Giro at the conclusion of the current tennis match.
- Our next update here after 15:00 CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).
- RAI Sport live video streaming of today's stage should
begin at around 15:15 CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).
- Can't always watch the live video coverage of the
Giro d'Italia ? Miss a stage? Then
use our RAI Sport Giro d'Italia stage highlights videos link
in our Selected archive video clips, race replays and photo galleries
section. If you missed the Giro teams presentation
("La Vigilia"...on an aircraft carrier!), you can now watch it. Saturday's
Team Time Trial is also archived and available for
viewing, as is yesterday's Stage 2.
- More links to come...
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally during
the race for the latest live race coverage links
and information. The most recent notices always appear at the
top.
- Welcome to today's live coverage guide for Stage 3
of the 2007 Giro d'Italia.
- What's the fastest way to see photos from
today's race? Check out the
Yahoo photo gallery link in our Live Guide.
AP/AFP photographers will sometimes send in
photos from the road mid-race.
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Live video streaming:
(End of stage only?)
(more links to come)
Radio Tour graphics:
(go to page, select language)
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright © 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Sunday, May 13, 2007
Notes:
Giro d'Italia live
video flash: We have an alternative live video
stream
here
. (There is a DSL stream and a 56k lower bandwidth
stream. You may need to let it install the Windows Media Player
ActiveX control.) Thanks, Mike.
- Eurosport has now switched over to
covering today's stage of the Giro d'Italia (live audio streams)
. Scheduling conflicts with other sports (like tennis today)
are more likely on weekends than during the week. We also continue
to look for alternative live video streams.
- The RAI Sport video stream is live
. Eurosport live audio streams should soon begin
broadcasting the Giro, after the tennis match.
- The Radio Tour graphics link is live with today's
first road stage.
- Our next update here after 14:00 CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).
- Can't always watch the live video coverage of the
Giro d'Italia ? Miss a stage? Then
use our RAI Sport Giro d'Italia stage highlights videos link in
our Selected archive video clips, race replays and photo galleries
section. If you missed the Giro teams presentation ("La
Vigilia"...on an aircraft carrier!), you can now watch it. Yesterday's
Team Time Trial is also archived and available for
viewing. (Thanks, Bernie.)
- More links to come...
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally during
the race for the latest live race coverage links
and information. The most recent notices always appear at the
top.
- Welcome to today's live coverage guide for Stage 2
of the 2007 Giro d'Italia.
- What's the fastest way to see photos from
today's race? Check out the
Yahoo photo gallery link in our Live Guide.
AP/AFP photographers will sometimes send in
photos from the road mid-race.
|
Live video streaming:
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Radio Tour graphics:
(go to page, select language)
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright © 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Saturday, May 12, 2007
Notes:
- It can take a couple of days to get together the full set
of links for live coverage of a Grand Tour
like the Giro d'Italia , links that will be available
through the end of the race. It is possible that some live coverage
links won't be active until tomorrow's first regular road stage. Stay
tuned...
- Mike reports smoother viewing of the RAI stream if
you do not allow the ActiveX controls the site wants to install. (Thanks,
Mike.)
- As always, if a video stream's commentary is not in your
language, try muting the sound in your media player and play the
Eurosport audio stream for your language separately.
- Some Eurosport audio streams are now live.
- Giro d'Italia live video streaming
flash: A first live video stream can now be found
here
. More links to come.
- Eurosport's Giro d'Italia live coverage today is scheduled
to begin at around 16:45 CET (10:45am U.S. Eastern).
- Our next update here after 15:30 CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).
- More links to come...
- The 2007 Giro d'Italia gets underway today with a
25.6km Team Time Trial from Caprera to
La Maddalena . The first team will depart
at around 15:30 CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern) and the last
team is expected to arrive at the finish at around 17:50
CET (11:50am U.S. Eastern) .
- Giro d'Italia live video streaming: Live
video options should include RAI (Italian television)
and official site streaming . We will post links as
soon as they are confirmed and we will continue to look for alternatives
throughout the race.
- Eurosport is covering the 2007
Tour of Italy . They should be streaming live audio
each day with commentary from Dave Harmon and the great Sean Kelly.
- We are pleased to welcome Mike Kunnecke as a new
cyclingfans.com U.S. correspondent, just in time for the Giro.
Welcome aboard, Mike!
- Be sure to reload this page occasionally during
the race for the latest live race coverage links
and information. The most recent notices always appear at the
top.
- Welcome to today's live coverage guide for Stage 1
of the 2007 Giro d'Italia. (aka Tour of Italy or
Tour d'Italie .)
- What's the fastest way to see photos from
today's race? Check out the
Yahoo photo gallery link in our Live Guide.
AP/AFP photographers will sometimes send in
photos from the road mid-race.
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Live video streaming:
(more links to come)
Live audio streaming:
Live tickers:
News and photos:
(cycling news)
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Copyright © 2007 www.cyclingfans.com
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Friday, May 11, 2007
Note: We are preparing our Live Guide for
the
Giro d'Italia
which begins tomorrow (Saturday) with a Stage 1 25.6km Team
Time Trial from Caprera to La Maddalena. The
first team will depart at around 15:30 CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern)
and the last team is expected to arrive at the finish at around
17:50 CET (11:50am U.S. Eastern). We'll have the
links to live streaming , live graphics
, ticker commentary , archive clips, race photography
, etc.
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