It does seem odd since Italia has had its share of busted riders. Maybe he should go ahead and start and when he gets to the border he can just stop and moon the tifosi...

Stop posting and concentrate on driving Mr.!!!

I'm sitting in SEA-TAC airport...

Well, Landis and Hamilton are American. I'm sure if you visited El Slowtwitcho or whatever the Spanish equivalent they are arguing that it is BS.

What was funny to me was Contador trying to ally himself with Valverde during the Dauphine. I wonder if Contador knows something we don't....or doesn't know something we do. Maybe he doesn't read the newspapers. But it's funny to think of Contador at the start of the Tour de France with Lance, Levi, Kloden and Bruyneel near the start while he's jumping up and down saying to himself "Donde esta Valverde!! Dios mio!"

El Slowtwitcho!

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its also possible about half the things we think are alliances are just the result of people going as hard as they can all the time and some people happen to be able to hang on with others of similar fitness =)

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I say let him race and then watch him do something incredibly dumb ala the Vuelta 2008 and lose the race in one fell swoop...Valverde might as well be called Iban Mayo for all his dumb decision making at Le Tour.

that's easy - contador & valverde will be teammates next season.

do you have the url for el slowtwitchero?

Yeah, but according to post-Dauphine commentary and quotes we know which half the Contador/Valverde relationship falls under:

The first of them, Alberto Contador, clearly assisted Valverde at the Dauphiné every time that Cadel Evans attacked. Valverde denied there was an agreement between them but their cooperation was obvious. "If I can help him at the Tour de France, I'll do it," Valverde said to a question about the possible help that Contador could look for in case of an offensive by Lance Armstrong.

you know, all the time they spent waiting at the gynecologist they had time to become very close ;-)

The Tour is in Italy from the top of the Grand St Bernard to the top of the Petite St Bernard. So what are they going to do? Pull him off his bike in the middle of the race? They would have to physically stop him from crossing the border. Not saying they could not do it, but what if he was in the middle of a pack? What if he is surrounded by teammates. It could get ugly and look very bad for cycling. I suspect the AMO folks are being silent on this because they don't want him in the Tour. For them, suspicion is as good as convicted. They seem to hope that someday they will have this perfect tour where no one will be under suspicion of drug use and no one will test positive.
It would be nice, but won't happen when the stakes are way too high for the riders.
Chad

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rch_string=;#2370994

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I guess I just figure what's to argue about here, Francois? I mean...dude is getting shafted while other dopers get to party in Monaco. Seems all fractious, appropriate, and European to me! ;-)


Plus what do you expect? I mean when you put French, Italians, and Spaniards into the mix?

At least there aren't any French/Aussies in the tour - those guys are the WORST! ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

I'm not saying they should allow him in the tour...

Ivan Basso never tested positive either...

i find it funny that in this case, italy is going, 'hey we have a case here for this rider, spain is going 'no no no he is clean there is nothing to see here'....spain protecting their assets?

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Trek Speed Concept 9.9

Ullrich must be wishing he were Spanish or Italian

"Iban Mayo"

Doesn't this translate literally to "Captain of suck"??

Yeah, the Germans were not the least bit forgiving. I am most bothered by AMOs stance that any suspicious of wrongdoing and you are "not welcome". These competitions have rules and they ought to follow them. If you don't like them--for instance, you think cocaine use is bad for your image--then you change the rules. You don't make them up as you go along.

Chad

 
"Ullrich must be wishing he were Spanish or Italian"

Ugh.

I admit it. I really miss Ullrich and Vino. Two of my favorites. I'm just waiting for the day Horner gets busted and I disembowel myself. F'ing cycling.