Paris-Nice So Far
Tirreno-Adriatico
Strade Bianche (Astana looking good)
Tour Of Murcia
Amstrong & Bruyneel Play Down Tour De France Chances
The “Why Me” Defence from Thomas Dekker
Can’t Go Wrong With Nazis In A Story
Recycled Tyre Sculptures
The Schweeb
London’s (Not So Super) Cycling Highways
Ride With Greg Minnaar
SRAMano
SRAM MAking e-Bike Components
Paul’s Medium Reach Centrepull brakes
Brooks Bar Tape
Pegoretti and Vanilla Collaborate
Engin Cycles
NAHBS Award Winners
Pegoretti Giro d’ Italia
Serotta Meivici AE
Sampson Sport Stratics Pedals
CityCycling’s Hinault T-Shirt

So, the Galloway perspective? Here it is in completely frank and forthright form.

How did I feel going into the interview? Well, slightly conflicted. Tyler has provided many of my best memories of cycling from the start of the 21st century. I loved his riding, I loved his attitude, I admired his resilience, his results speak for themselves…..but, there the whole doping thing.

What was my view re Tyler and doping? Before the interview I assumed Tyler was probably a doper but due to his problems with depression (which I can empathise with) and the fact that I loved his riding style I was prepared to cut him some slack. To be frank, I believed that if Tyler was juiced he was competing on a level playing field……hell, everybody was (is?) doing it!

So, after the chat? Well there’s a fair bit of conversation before and after the broadcast that was informal and unstructured but nonetheless very informative…….however…….even with just the podcast to listen to, I think it’s clear that Tyler’s responses are calm, thoughtful and have a ring of honesty. His enthusiasm for our sport shows. He said, without prompting, that he was happy for us to ask him absolutely anything. Scott got straight into the phantom twin issue and his question was answered openly, as was our raising of Operation Puerto.

Here’s the thing. Am I sure TH is/was clean? No, but I’m in a waaay different place than I was before the interview. Puerto? He hasn’t been contacted (this is a common complaint in this case, not just Tyler), UCI less than transparent?…No SHIT!……….

We’ve said since day one of the Velocast that there’s no point demonising riders in doping enquiries, the issue is in the underlying underbelly of the sport. All I can say re Tyler is that he came across as honest and passionate. I’m a lot less sure about “facts” than I was two days ago., Naive? Maybe… but I’m usually brutally intolerant of bullshit (ask Scott) and I really enjoyed Tyler’s company. He’ll be back on the Velocast if we have anything to do with it, leave your preconceptions at the door and enjoy the man’s insight. Remember there’s always a human being behind all of the hype/propaganda/press.

John

This episode of the VeloCast was broadcast live at www.velocast.co.uk/live on Sunday 7th March 2010 and features an interview with for U.S. Postal and Team CSC rider Tyler Hamilton

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Tour Of Oman Wrap-Up
Alberto Contador Wins in the Algarve
Alonso & Contador Team Rumour Re-Surfaces
Specialized Shiv Banned By UCI
UCI & AFLD Fight Over Paris-Nice
Bike Porn In Portland
CTC Fill That Hole
Belgian Brewing Urban Assault Ride
Presto
Human Powered Go-Cycle
SRAM Apex
“Travoy” Commute Trailer
“Over Pricing” Cycling Components In Australia
Knog Folding Tools
Moots Superlite RSL
Velo Orange Grand Cru Chainset
Salsa La Cruz Ti
Cervelo Test Team Project California
Thomson Seat Collar

Take tousel-haired, metrosexual, ‘Cipo’-lite, Filippo Pozzato, for example.  His inaugural post started well enough, titled  provocatively; “Only God Can Judge Me“.  Feisty stuff lies in wait here, you’d think?  But it soon becomes clear that the title was the probably the best thing that the publishing editor could salvage from this piss-poor ‘here’s what I did on my holidays’, pen-pal fodder.

Pippo – he wants us to call him that, y’know – kicks off by telling us that he really “honoured to be here” (cyclingnews.com) before saying that he will try not to be boring as he hates “anything that is bland, but hopefully via this blog you’ll gain a better idea of what I’m really like as person as well as a bike rider.”.

Moments later, though, I would have been cursing Pippo’s coquettish promise of literary excitement were it not for the fact that my brain, along with several other major organs, were pulling their resources in the hope of inducing a life-saving coma.  God only knows why Pozzato, or more pertinently Cyclingnews, thinks that I have any interest in his tattoos or what they mean.  ”Only God Can Judge Me” the tat across his shoulders says.  ”Only God Can Save Me” was the response to the tat before my eyes. This particular piece of fascinating body art was created as a “message to all those people who like to judge me without ever having really gotten to know me”.  Fair enough.  Do we think he will be whipping off his shirt to brandish the ink every time he feels slighted?  Who knows? Then we’re treated to the man’s philosophy as to why people who make judgements based on Pippo’s hairstyle or shoes are, like really superficial.  It’s like being stuck at a bus stop with a teenage girl from a North London comprehensive as she yammers into her mobile phone; “I was like, yeah, wha’EVAH!”.

By the time we got to how some people think Pippo is the David Beckham of the peleton I was fending off my right arm as it reached, like a self-harming Dr. Strangelove, for any nearby sharp implement to gouge my eyes out. After that I was just able to make out, through the tears of blood and what was left of my mutilated cornea, something about “big goals”, “working hard” and “Milano-Sanremo”. But I could be wrong. It might just as well have been about what else he did on his hols, how he “doesn’t like the food, but the weather has been FAB. Wish you were here!!!!”.

Of course all this isn’t Pozzato’s fault. He’s not writing in his native language and, to be frank, he shouldn’t be asked to write at all. By all means, Cyclingnews, stick a microphone in the general direction of his bronzed bouche at the end of an UCI event of your choice. Feel free to utilse whatever he says in a well constructed article in the time-honoured reportage style. Or even, if you really must, as part of a cheeky, thought-provoking opinion piece should the journalist of the day deem it necessary. But don’t, I implore you, ask him to jot down his innermost thoughts and feelings and try to pass it off as a ‘let’s get under the skin of’, morning sofa, lifestyle piece. As much as some fans want to know what makes their favourite riders tick, this isn’t the way to do it. Left to their own devices like this, I’m left only with the conclusion that what is going through Pippo’s head is as banal and infuriating as the Crazy Frog theme tune.

Anyway, I’m off now to read all about how rollercoasters make Andy Schleck feel a bit queezy. Ciao!

John

Katheryn Carri-Mattis is a member of the Webcor Builders Cycling team who, like every other professional cyclist, has to adhere to testing programme carried out by her national Anti-Doping Agency. Noticing how difficult it was for his wife to know which substances are currently banned by WADA, husband James, developed an iPhone app which offers easy access to the list.

The app also includes access to which substances are banned all year round as well as those which are only prohibited during competition.

Whether you have a need to know for professional reasons or, like myself, are just interested in what constitutes a banned substance, you can download the app from iTunes here.