Thursday was a busy day – I ran into so many people that I know. The cycling world is small, and, as I’ve said before, Interbike is kinda like a family get-together. I took this shot at the Hincapie booth. There were two awesome posters of Melanie (George’s wife), modeling items from the Hincapie line of sportswear. I chatted with her for a bit – they had just spent some time with Lance and Sheryl, but are not going down to Austin for the concert.

In case you haven’t heard, the word is that the big wedding will take place in Santa Barbara in the spring at a very posh resort…

Speaking about posh, there was an evening reception for Eddy Merckx at a posh store in the shopping mall at Caesar’s Palace – it sold very high-end watches – it was called something like Tours. I got there late with some photog friends and did not take my camera along. I always regret it when I don’t, but I had packed it around the entire day.

Frankie Andreu was interviewing Eddy, but the cocktail chatter was so loud that we could hear very little from our balcony viewing spot. Someone in the crowd asked Eddy what was his best day when he was riding the Tour, and he responded that they were all good days… He is still loo0king very trim and fit.

I talked with Odessa Gunn for a long time about working together with One Leg Up, an organization in Santa Rosa that rescues dogs. Odessa is developing a program for felines for them: spaying as well as rescuing. Newborn kittens are literally killed by the thousands every month in shelters during the summer birthing season. That’s why Odessa was caring for a dozen kittens that she rescued from a shelter in her area. One Leg Up is really in need of both foster and permanent homes for dogs that they have rescued.

And, there may be a glimmer of hope for that poor dog in Pennsylvania that I have been advocating for. I can’t tell you anything more right now, but I will let you know as soon as I hear something… Keep holding positive thoughts on this one for us…

Interbike was a happenin’ place on Wednesday – Names like Tom Danielson and Floyd Landis created long lines of fans with pens in hand. The parking lots were totally full – a constant stream of cars circled floor after floor of the huge parking structure, in an endless, hopeless search for an empty spot. I kissed it off after a half-hour and hit the valet parking. Even that was a wait…

Tom D. is such a great guy: totally nice, genuine and available to fans. A firm handshake and looks ‘em straight in the eye – takes the time to talk and listen to regular folks like us. I really like him… Chatted with Dan Osipow about training camp, and how we were gonna be missing somebody… you know who… But I betcha Numero Uno will be there on the bike, maybe not all the time…

Dave Letteri came up to say Hi – he’s one of Lance’s buddies from way back, and one of the good guys. Dave has a bike shop in Santa Barbara, so he was scoping out all the new stuff. We talked about last year’s Ride for the Roses – he liked my shots from the back of the old turnip truck. Actually, it’s a new truck now, and has lost quite a bit of charm from the old one of years past…

Ran into Frankie Andreu, with his usual devilish, charming grin. He and I spent about three hours sitting by each other on a VeloSport Vacations tour bus a few years ago. Tooling along thru the French countryside to the next stage of the Tour, I really got to know him well – he is a treasure… So funny…

Phil Liggett was signing away at the Cycle Sport booth, but he stepped away to give me a little hug and kiss. People just love Phil so much. When I saw him at the Tour of Georgia a couple of years ago, he was just like the Pied Piper of Cycling – people followed him everywhere he walked. He is so gracious to fans – he’ll always stop to have his photo taken with everyone, and say a word or two to them. Every four or five steps, he has to stop and stand beside someone, with his arm around their shoulder and a smile for the camera.

I put up a few shots in the smugmug gallery - click on the Link.

I’m heading to Interbike early this morning, but I want to update you on what is happening with the chained dog. The photo shows where the dog lives day and night, in this dismal situation all the days of a miserable, unloved life....

I called the Clearfield SPCA yesterday morning, and followed up by sending this letter, to both the local and the Pennsylvania State Federated SPCA:

“I am writing about a case of animal neglect and abuse that is spreading all over the Internet. This has previously been reported to the Clearfield County SPCA. The address where the dog is located is 632 Link Road, West Decatur, PA. This is the situation:
This dog is chained to a dog house 24/7. He is left without water. His chain doesn't have a clip on it - it is wired in place. His owner works 12 days in a row and does not get home until 10 or 11P.M. He is not home on his days off. The dog does not have a cover over his door to keep out the weather. He is left out in the freezing cold. The dog lives in very unsanitary conditions, his food and water dishes are filthy. In the winter, if he has any water at all, it is frozen. Last winter he had no bedding in his pen. When it rains the dog is always soaked. His collar is encrusted with filth.
The owner will not sell, nor give away the dog. Neighbors have tried to buy it from him to rescue it. One neighbor sneaks in during the day and gives the dog food and water, but is scared that the owner will catch them. The owner is obviously a disturbed person to keep a dog under these conditions and not give or sell it to someone who wants it. The dog has been chained since it was a puppy.... I doubt that it has ever received any veterinary care....
I have looked at the Pennsylvania Animal Cruelty Law and it says:
Title 18-Section 5511 Pennsylvania Anti-Cruelty Law As of 2/96
(c) Cruelty to animals. --A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care , whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's body heat and keep it dry. This subsection shall not apply to activity undertaken in normal agricultural operation. "
This dog needs to be removed from the owner, and offered up to a good home.... I know that this has been reported previously and I am wondering why no action has been taken by the Clearfield County SPCA. The law seems pretty clear to me... ”

Well, calls from some of us, and my letter finally got the local SPCA off their duff. They sent out their “Humane Officer” yesterday afternoon, who assessed the situation by looking only at whether the dog had food and water and was maintaining body weight. They sent back a letter saying that having a dog chained up was not against the PA law. They said, “It is our belief that the care this dog receives conforms with PA Law”. The Clearfield SPCA is totally ignoring the part of Title 18, Section 5511 that refers to neglect, and refers to the animal having “access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal’s body heat and keep it dry.” If it does not, then it is animal cruelty....

I believe that the SPCA is wrong when they use the criteria of food, water and body weight to assess that the PA law is not being broken. This is not just about a dog being chained.... The PA law about cruelty states differently, and they are overlooking the definition of cruelty to animals contained in the Anti-Cruelty Law that they are there to enforce.

I’ll be heading out to Interbike early tomorrow morning, and my blog will likely be done in the afternoon/evening instead of morning while I’m in Vegas and Austin. I took this shot of Bobke last year at Interbike - he was sitting down and chewing the fat with someone while he was between book signings. The shot is a little out-of-focus, but what the Hell, so is Bobke sometimes...He’s a funny guy - he can tell story after story that just keeps everyone in stitches...

I see that Discovery guys George, Tom and Tony will be at Interbike, signing autographs for some of their product sponsors. George usually appears at the Carnac booth and of course, at the Hincapie Sportswear booth. Freddie Rodriguez is usually there . I think last year Damian Cunego was there and Gilberto Simonei, too. My friend and co-author, Phil Liggett will be there on Wednesday, I think. He was up in Calgary for Lance’s big Tour of Courage ride - raising $1.3 million. George rode along, just to keep Lance from doggin’ it too much.... They, of course, did a competitive sprint near the end of the ride. The left the corporate execs in the dust, I hear....

So thanks to a few of you who have contacted the West Decatur SPCA - I am going to give you the address where the dog is chained up: 632 Link Road, West Decatur. I’m going to call the SPCA again this morning....

This morning’s blog is not going to be about cycling - it’s a look at animal abuse that is being overlooked by the local Humane Society in West Decatur, Pennsylvania. One of our blog readers saw my posting about helping Odessa Gunn with rescuing animals, so they wrote to me with pictures, including the one above. Other photos show empty food and wter dishes, and filthy conditions. I am asking anyone reading this blog to help if they can. Do you know anyone anywhere near West Decatur who will help rescue this poor dog? I have written to the SPCA there and never received any response at all. If I lived anywhere in PA, I’d go there and take the poor dog away, and to Hell with the crazy owner, the SPCA and the cops.....

Here are excerpts from the letter I received:
“ This dog is chained to a dog house 24/7. He is left without water. His chain doesn’t have a clip on it - it is wired in place. His owner works 12 days in a row and does not get home until 10 or 11P.M. He is not home on his days off. The dog does not have a cover over his door to keep out the weather. He is left out in the freezing cold. The dog lives in very unsanitary conditions, his food and water dishes are filthy. In the winter, if he has any water at all, it is frozen. Last winter he had no bedding in his pen. When it rains the dog is always soaked. His collar is encrusted with filth.”

The owner will not sell, nor give away the dog. Neighbors have tried to buy it from him to rescue it. One neighbor sneaks in during the day and gives the dog food and water, but is scared that the owner will catch them. The owner is obviously a disturbed person to keep a dog under these conditions and not give or sell it to someone who wants it . Yes, this has been reported to the West Decatur SPCA, but nothing has changed. The dog is still a prisoner on the chain, and has never know any freedom from the chain at all. It was given to the owner as a puppy and has been chained all its life....

Winters in Pennsylvania are fierce and cold, and you can tell by looking that this is just a cheap, plastic doghouse. The poor thing must suffer terribly during the heat and cold. If you know anyone who will take steps to help this poor creature, email me and I’ll give the address where the dog is located... Let’s find someone who will help this poor creature who has no voice and no choice....

The Clearfield County Humane Society has this on their website:

What is that Clearfield County SPCA?
It is a charitable organization with the express purposes being to promote and provide for the care, protection and humane treatment of animals.
How Do We Fulfill these purposes?
The Clearfield County SPCA operates an animal shelter and provides for qualified personnel to care for and protect animals. We also enforce the laws pertaining to animals as set forth in the Pennsylvania crime code.

On the Clearfield County SPCA website, under the section You, Your Pet and the Law - Pennsylvania State Law - Dog Law:
Pennsylvania State Law - Cruelty to Animals - PA Crimes Code Section 5511
Title 18-Section 5511 Pennsylvania Anti-Cruelty Law As of 2/96
“(c) Cruelty to animals. --A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's body heat and keep it dry. This subsection shall not apply to activity undertaken in normal agricultural operation. ”

Maybe we should all contact the West Decatur SPCA at 541 Graham Station Rd, Philipsburg, PA, 16866 Telephone: (814) 342-3810 and ask them to enforce the law of the State of Pennsylvania. I’ve already contacted them once. Or maybe that Humane Society has heard of the organization called Dogs Deserve Better.... See the Link..

Yup, a pic George again - 2005 Tour... I’ve got tons of pics of him.... Hope you saw the great article about/interview with George in cyclingnews.com a couple of days ago. It was about George’s involvement with the junior cycling team Les Amis. Les Amis is in George’s hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, but George works to inspire young cyclists everywhere.

For instance, when George and his brother Rich rode with the young diabetic cyclist, Stradford Helms, in the 2003 Death Valley Century ride in California. He has inspired this kid from that day on, and Stradford’s mother says that George is the reason that the young cyclist has beaten the odds as a diabetic cyclist.

I remember seeing George with his family at the first SF Grand Prix. We were sitting in the hotel lounge one night across from the Hincapie clan. George was just the greatest with all the kids in his family. They were pestering him for attention, crawling all over him, jumping on his back - George was just great with them. Gave them all love and attention, and was patient and gentle with them. I said at the time that he would make the best Dad in the world, and I’m sure that he is right now.... George’s own father is a modest, humble and down-to-earth man - his love and pride in George just radiates in a big grin. What a loving, warm family the Hincapies are....

Also, in case any of you have gone to my smugmug photo gallery and noticed that all the Cougar Mountain Classic photos are gone, there is a reason. I received a call from a representative of CM, telling me that the race promoters owned all photo rights, and nobody else has the right to sell any of the race photos. No problem (not that anyone was going to buy any of those images), but I deleted the images from my gallery. But I don’t see how an event that has low attendance and needs publicity can overlook the value of having advertising “buzz” from photos being seen by cycling fans. This is free publicity for the event....

I think I mentioned that I didn’t see any of the usual professional cycling photographers there - the guys and gals that I see at all the cycling races: Redlands, Merced, SF Grand Prix, etc. Now I know why. I was actually the only photog who was taking podium shots... Sure doesn’t make sense to me - photographers are not going to cover a race where they can’t recover a pittance of the costs for their time, travel, lodging and food expense by selling a few photos... It’s a great little race, but fans gotta know about it to show up and pay the admission...

I can now tell you that Ryder Hesjdal and Pat McCarty are leaving the DC team and are joining Phonak... More news to come...

Just read an interesting article about a cycling organization in Santa Cruz, Cyclists for Cultural Exchange, who are raising funds for the Iraqi Junior National Cycling Team. I had read about this team in VeloNews a few months ago. This article is in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, by Sentinel correspondent Marina Malikoff, dated September 22, 2005. I will copy the article here, risking the wrath of the Copyright Gods, in case anybody wants to help out...

Cyclists Help Young Iraqis Ride Toward Dreams
By MARINA MALIKOFF
SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT
SANTA CRUZ — While last week marked one of the bloodiest weeks in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, here in Santa Cruz a small army of cycling enthusiasts celebrated a victory in their effort to bring peace and hope to the war-torn nation.

After a year-long campaign, Cyclists for Cultural Exchange has reached its $10,000 fundraising goal to equip the struggling Iraqi Junior National Cycling Team. Their Italian racing bicycles and gear were destroyed during the looting of Uday Hussein’s palace, where the bikes had been stored.

"Most of the equipment and clothing the team uses now is old, rusted and out of date," said Matthew Werner, a local cyclist and Cyclists for Cultural Exchange board member. "None of their jerseys or helmets match. They don’t look like a team."

The 10 members caught Werner’s attention after he saw a photo essay about them in a cycling magazine. "There was a picture with barbed wire in the foreground where the riders are practicing," Werner recalled. "It hit me as a courageous thing to do under the difficult circumstances."

The young members, in their late teens and early 20s, train in the congested, chaotic, bomb-blasted streets of Baghdad. "Every day there is a car bomb," Werner said. "I can’t imagine what it’s like to be riding when any car at any moment could explode."

After exchanging e-mails with the team’s coach, Dea’a Abbas, the nonprofit group launched its fundraising on the Internet, selling custom-designed jerseys emblazoned with the Iraqi team’s name, Iraqi flag and colors. George Hincapie, a teammate of Lance Armstrong, owns the jersey manufacturing company.

People nationwide bought the $90 jerseys — including servicemen, who had returned from their deployment in Iraq and support the young men’s dreams. Werner’s partner, Aptos Bike Trail owner Steve Jonsson, solicited corporate donations, including Santa Cruz-based helmet company Giro, Michelin, Smith Optics, PowerBar, Van Dessel Cycles and Shimano.

Last Monday, Cyclists for Cultural Exchange hosted a bike-building event at Aptos Bike Trail. Five volunteer mechanics assembled the 10 professional-grade bicycles, now ready to be shipped to Iraq. Yet they are still short an estimated $1,000 to cover shipping costs.

Several supporters at the event penned messages to the team in a guest book:
"To Our Iraqi Brothers,
I hope your country finds peace soon. I hope you enjoy the bikes and equipment, and that you all have long, happy, healthy lives. Peace!" — Bill Schoenbart.
The Iraqi team members have expressed their gratitude. Wrote team member Ahmed Raed:
"I grow up in a loving sport family, and I chose this particular kind of sport after my father gave me a bicycle as a gift. Then I participated with it in school races and I loved this sport more and more, so I joined a special team. In it I am the youth champion in Iraq in 2000 and 2001. My dream is that I will be a special rider that everybody respects."

For more information about the Iraq Team project: http://www.strawberryfields.org/iraq.html

Donations may be sent to Matthew Werner, 260 Dufour St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060, or by calling 427-3153. Please make payments payable to "Cyclists for Cultural Exchange."

I guess the one thing about the article that find curious and frankly, distasteful, is that the Iraqi Junior National Team bicycles were stored in Uday Hussein's palace. I guess I wonder about the connection there....

Photo: Hincapie Sportswear is the manufacturer of the jerseys, and I never pass up the opportunity to put up a photo of George - This is from Stage 19 of the 2005 Tour.

Link is to the Cyclists for Cultural Exchange website.

Guess the biggest news is that Lance and Sheryl are putting on a Thank You Austin concert on October 2nd. A freebie - so it will be packed, for sure. They are totally footing the bill themselves, and look for a few surprise guests, too. Yep, I’m heading down there, straight from Interbike in Las Vegas to Austin. I’m hoping to get a ringside seat, or at least in the press area, so I can get some good photos.... I’ve ordered a Quantum Turbo 2x2 battery so I can flash away with my Speedlight 800.

Both Lance and Sheryl have been doing a lot of traveling. My Belgian connection, Ann, tells me that Sheryl was in London, doing a benefit show for breast cancer research on Lance’s birthday. Lance, of course, traveled to George’s celebration day in Greenville. Lance has been doing a lot of mountain biking and loves Idaho, I hear. Yes, that is where he proposed to Sheryl...

A big thank-you to a couple of my buds who spent quite a while last night spiffing up and speeding up my desktop pc. It works like a charm now, and I am totally stoked about it. Thanks, guys! Adding a 400 Gig hard drive is deluxe....

Photo is from Stage 15 podium of the 2004 Tour de France.

Kudos to Tom Danielson for finishing the Vuelta in 8th spot in the GC. This was his first big challenge in a three-week race and he certainly accomplished his goal. Michael Barry was such a stalwart support to Tom - MB worked his arse off, and it’s great to see MB in 8th spot for the final stage today. With only four guys left in the last stages, do you realize how hard they had to work to keep Tom in the top 10? Cheers to all of those DC guys: Michael, Tom, Benjamin and Stijn. They truly raced in keeping with this quote (slightly altered) from my Discovery Team Fan Zone:
“Difficulties show men what they are. In case of opponent or hors categorie, remember that fate has pitted you against a rough antagonist that you may be a conqueror, and this cannot be without toil.... Epictetus”

Today is Lance’s 34th birthday and all the best wishes go to him for 34 years of a life well-lived and well-raced as a true sportsman. I’m sure that he must be spending the day with Sheryl and his kids. I have to confess that I forgot to set my PVR, so I missed the 20/20 show on Friday night. Of course, I’ve read the recap of the interview, but what a joke on me to miss it....

Last night, I volunteered to man a donation table for the Red Cross at a 20-year High School reunion at the Hotel Valencia in San Jose. The hotel is fabulous, located in Santana Row, and a real hot-spot, in-place. Santana Row, itself, is a really cool, hip, hoppin’, happenin’ place. The Valencia Hotel management was very gracious to me, and the attendees at the event were incredibly generous to the Red Cross. A big thank-you to everybody there...

Couple of real quick things - busy day for me. There’s a good interview with Egoi Martinez, the newly-signed Basque rider to the DC team. in Velonews. Of course, I immediately thought about a future Tour with Egoi riding thru the Pyrenees with the DC team. He’s been with Euskatel for quite a while... Perhaps the reception for the team would be a bit more friendly if Egoi is riding with them. Check the Link for the interview.

Want to let you know that I’m gonna be doing some talking with Odessa Gunn about raising some funds for animal rescue. She is an animal lover and so am I. I got the idea of contacting her when I was talking with Levi at the Cougar Mountain Classic Animal Rescue Slow Ride that he led. He said Odessa was busy with rescue efforts... I just heard from her that she has twelve rescue baby kittens that she caring for - six of which require bottle feeding. Wow - Hats off to her - she really walks the walk when it comes to caring about animals...

I’ll keep you posted on where and how you can help us to help these fellow beings on this earth - those who have no voice and have no choice, but are always our faithful companions....

Photo is Odessa and Sheryl at the 2005 Tour.

I was finally able to catch the Tour of Poland on iTPV this morning. (See the Link) Got back from Spinning at the gym in time to see the last 7km of the race. I thought that Max was gonna take it, but Kirsipuu was too hot... Max ended up with third spot - I think he was fifth yesterday... Watching the livestreaming again (just like on CyclingTV) it sure is difficult to pick out the Discovery kits among all the other varieties of blue kits...

Just got a notice from Interbike folks that Levi is going to be there for a poster signing at the Protech booth on Thursday afternoon. Monique Sawicki will be signing on Thursday morning. I love the Protech skin care products, especially the sun protection - they handed it out to us workers at the Sea Otter - but it’s a little pricey. Good stuff, tho....

My Belgian connection tells me that Sheryl is making the rounds of the talk shows, etc in Europe to promote her new CD. I guess she’s flashing a ring the size of a heart-rate monitor. You Go, Girl! She says she’ll support Lance all the way if he decides to open a can of whoop-ass at the Tour next year (my words, not hers).

I got real lucky at the Cougar Mountain Classic. I never win anything, ever, but one of the sponsors was Treo - a drawing was held and I won a Treo 650. Guess the Cycling Gods smiled on me - it was a Verizon model and I do have Verizon for one of my cell phones. I have T-Mobile for the other, using a HP IPAQ 6315, which is a piece of crap as a phone...

I’ve called T-Mobile customer service constantly since I got the IPAQ last February, (can’t say that we are old friends, tho) for all kinds of issues, all phone related. Yesterday, I finally decided to open a can of whoop-ass, myself, and worked my insisting way up the hierarchy from customer service rep to some customer service poo-bah, who offered to exchange it for another one. My response was, “Why in the Hell didn’t this get offered to me six months ago?” I’ve been on hold for probably a minimum of 10 hours on this.. T-Mobile stopped selling the IPAQ, so they know it has problems.... A $500 pda - $500 of mine down the tubes.... Too bad their IPAQ phone doesn't work as well as this sharp, old T-M VW in the caravane at the Tour.

Now I love the T-Mobile Hotspot and Internet service - I use it everywhere I travel with my laptop and with the IPAQ, but for a cell phone, I use Verizon... My contract with T-Mobile expires in February, and I may be history with them unless I can finally stop saying, “Can you hear me now?”

Jeez - it turns out that Michael Barry has been riding the Vuelta with a broken rib! Doing those killer climbs with a broken rib - unbelievable. These guys are so effing tough that it boggles my mind. When I was a kid, I broke a rib or two from crashing my bike full speed into the garage wall. It hurt like Hell and I could hardly breath.... I know that Michael is riding in pain every day and he is doing a killer amount of work to keep Tom in the top ten. And so is Benjamin, but with his body intact, I think. And talk about tough, Tom rode the whole stage on Friday while barfing his guts out.... all the way. Never gave up.... Damn, I love those guys....

And, talking tough guy, my Iron Man Eki, is riding the Tour of Poland, along with Chechu, who seems to have recovered from his leg injury. Boy, the Discovery Team sure had their share of injuries this year...

So I spent hours yesterday going thru my hundreds of photos of the Cougar Mountain Classic. Then uploading them to smugmug is a slow process. Follow the Link to check them out... I could make them low res and they would upload faster, but then it takes time to make a copy of everything in low res mode.

But, downshot is that you gotta go to CM next year - it’s really a cool venue and the downhill from the top is freakin’ scary. One of my colleagues from Sea Otter drove me to the top in a four-wheel truck on an almost vertical dirt road. She and I both can drive anything, anywhere, anytime. It was a totally cool view of the whole Bay Area from the top. Took a few shots of the riders lined up inside a tent start gate that dropped over the edge, kinda like off a ski lift. No way would I ride a bike down that sucker...

Hello from the Supercuts Cougar Mountain Classic at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Hadn’t been here before, but I’ll be back. It’s a really cool venue and this event is going to take off, especially for the fans that love the Sea Otter.

Levi Leipheimer, local boy gone good, was there to lead the Supercuts Slow Ride – a fundraiser for Katrina animal rescue efforts. Odessa wasn’t there – Levi said she was busy organizing a bunch of fundraisers, so stay tuned for more information and put up some dollars to help our most faithful and forgotten friends – the silent victims of Katrina and the evacuation. Many animals that survived were abandoned and left to starve by the forced evacuation… The existing Animal Rescue teams were blocked by the idiotic bureaucracy of FEMA – who wouldn’t give the OK for the teams to get out there and save animals…

Several lucky people and one delighted kid were riding the Infineon Raceway course with the guy who came in Sixth at the 2005 Tour de France. You shudda been there… they did several slow laps – every rider was grinning from ear-to-ear. Levi is a great guy and was just super with the people who rode with him…I have a bunch of shots that I’ll put up in my smugmug gallery in the next couple of days.

By the way, Levi said he wasn't surprised that his team-mate Fabian Weggman won the BGI Grand Prix SF. Levi said that Fabian was so on form and ready for that race...

No road events today, so I’ll shoot some MTB stuff..

Text of the Associated Press article by Uta Harnishfeger 9/9/05. Copyright AP

Cycling Body Says It Has No Doping Evidence Against Armstrong
By Uta Harnishberger
Associated Press Writer

GENEVA — Cycling's governing body said Friday it had received no evidence of doping by Lance Armstrong and criticized world doping authorities and a French sports newspaper for making allegations against the seven-time Tour de France champion.

"The UCI has not to date received any official information or document" from anti-doping authorities or the laboratory reportedly involved in the testing of urine samples from the 1999 Tour de France, the cycling federation said.

Allegations that EPO was found in Armstrong's 1999 urine samples were first reported by the French sports daily L'Equipe last month.

Armstrong has angrily denied the charges, saying he was the victim of a "witch hunt." He questioned the validity of testing samples frozen six years ago, and how the samples were handled.

UCI said it was still gathering information and had asked the World Anti-Doping Agency and the French laboratory for more background. It also wanted to know who commissioned the research and who agreed to make it public.

"How could this be done without the riders' consent?" the UCI said.

It also asked WADA to say if it allowed the results to be disseminated, which UCI says is a "breach of WADA's anti-doping code."

"We have substantial concerns about the impact of this matter on the integrity of the overall drug testing regime of the Olympic movement, and in particular the questions it raises over the trustworthiness of some of the sports and political authorities active in the anti-doping fight," the UCI said.

UCI president Hein Verbruggen has asked for harsh sanctions against dopers and suggested Armstrong should face sanctions if here were shown to be guilty.

He also told Friday's Le Figaro that Armstrong had proposed before the Tour that all of his urine samples be kept for tests over the next 10 years.

UCI said it was still "awaiting plausible answers" to its requests to WADA and the laboratory.

"We deplore the fact that the long-established and entrenched confidentiality principle could be violated in such a flagrant way without any respect for fair play and the rider's privacy," it said.

UCI singled out WADA president Dick Pound for making "public statements about the likely guilt of an athlete on the basis of a newspaper article and without all the facts being known."

It also criticized the article in L'Equipe as "targeting a particular athlete."

L'Equipe said it would react of UCI's criticism in Saturday editions. Tour de France organizers had no immediate reaction, spokesman Matthieu Desplats said.

Claude Droussent, the editor of L'Equipe, denied his newspaper targeted Armstrong because he is American, and said it would have treated a French rider the same.

Armstrong retired after winning his seventh straight Tour title in July, but said this week he is considering a comeback. He plans to attend the Discovery Channel team training camp this winter.

As you’ve probably read by now, it was Benoit, Ace Azevedo and Triki Beltran who went down in the big crash yesterday at the Vuelta. Benoit broke a tiny bone in this wrist, which can be a major trouble point if it does not heal correctly. Tiny little part in the wrist mechanism, but vital to the movement of his wrist. Benoit will be off the bike for quite a while, I think - it is unclear if it will require surgery, or just a long healing time. Jeeze - Ace has been bedeviled by crashes lately, and has about three layers of big-time road rash. Neither Ace nor Benoit took the start today, and Triki abandoned early in the stage, leaving his 7th place GC... His knee must be more thrashed than he realized yesterday when he finished the stage after the crash. Photo of Triki is from the 2005 training camp, when we were in Ojai.

With three of the team missing now, it may be tough for Tom to hold onto his 6th place in the GC. Most embarrassing blunder of the year in today’s Stage 13: Ardila, of Davitamon, sprinted to what he thought was victory and raised his arms, but he wasn’t at the finish line! It was the KOM - a couple of hundred meters from the finish... Jeeze, how embarrassing... Pereiro, in second place, kinda sat up, and the third place guy, Samuel Sanchez of Euskatel, kept up the steam and took the win, laughing like crazy.... But you know, the route was screwed up and changed because of a truck broken down on one of the climbs, so the route was longer, and then the officials shortened it by three meters. So, I guess you can see how Ardila may have been mistaken.... But where was the DS? Or maybe he told Ardila that it was the finish... Whatever, but it’s kinda like running the wrong way on the football field in high school.

Been on overload again since I’ve been back from SF - sorting thorough a couple of thousand images is pretty time-consuming. I guess I should be able to identify the Saunier-Duval Prodir guy in the photo - I saw them all three times a day. But I don’t check names at meal time, so I don’t necessarily know each guy by name.... But, no doubt that this rider was suffering like all the other guys on the killer Fillmore climb. I’ve put up two galleries of Fillmore shots in my Velogal Smugmug gallery...

I hear that three or so DC guys went down in today’s Vuelta stage... Haven’t had an injury report, but I don’t see any DC guys on the DNF list. Heras messed up his knee, but kept riding, and Jacob Pill was taken to the hospital with a concussion, I think. Jacob has raced in the US a few times and I usually saw him at the races here: Wachovia or SF or both...

A few of you have asked me who is going, and who is staying with Discovery: I am going to respect the guys and let them make their own announcements, but I can tell you that our team is going to be more international than ever next year.... And will it include The Numero Uno or not?
Only time will tell....

I’m heading up to the Cougar Mountain Classic at the Infineon Raceway this weekend. Check the Link for info. I’ll probably just drive up and back each day on Saturday and Sunday. However, with the price of gas, I probably should just stay in a motel! The race traffic is usually pretty jammed up, whether its cycling or NASCAR, so plan on sitting in a traffic jam and keeping your cool....

This guy started in the middle of Fillmore as soon as the last lap was finished. He made it about two blocks up the hill with this heavy load... Everybody was cheering him on as they walked down. The cops were just looking and shaking their heads in disbelief. I heard some guy say, “Damn, talk about having legs...”

So the big news is not that Lance and Sheryl are engaged, but it’s that he would even mention going for Eight... "I'm thinking about it," Armstrong said. "I'm thinking it's the best way to piss ‘em off." Johan says that Lance is getting pretty bored and missing his training rides....

Or maybe Lance just did it to give LeBlanc and his L’Creep entourage a jolt.. I bet Jean Marie almost had a stroke when he heard that quote. Ditto for Jan - Oh, no, Not Again! But I can imagine that Lance is just pissed off enough to think something like: OK, you F’ers, throw every test you have now and in the future at my pee, I’ll win Number Eight just as clean as I’ve won the last seven. I’ll ride once more and prove that you all are liars and full of merde....

So last evening, two of us Threshold staffers drove a celeb list of the CSC team to the airport: Ivan Basso, Frank Schleck and Bjarne Riis. I sorta kept hoping for a few traffic jams so I could be in such illustrious company for a bit longer. I’ve really had fun with Ivan about the Go Lance tattoo on my leg.

The second day, at breakfast, I saw Ivan looking at my tattoo - I reached down and put my hand over it, like I was trying to hide it, and we both were laughing. That night, at dinner, I said to him that I thought maybe he was going to be the one who wins the Tour next year. He said, “If I do, you must tattoo Go Ivan on your other leg.” I told him if he did, I just might do that. When I saw him Sunday evening, he again told me that he wanted to see Go Ivan on my leg. Then, last night, when we took him to the airport, Ivan waggled his finger at me and said, “Don’t forget... I want to see Go Ivan the next time we meet!” He is really nice, and funny and such a fox. I think I’m in luv.... Ivan and Chechu are my favs...

Wow, what a race today in SF! I swear that Fillmore was more brutal than ever – I saw more pro riders doing paperboys near the top than I’ve ever seen. That Creed dude was so awesome – he wasn’t gonna let the Fillmore get him… I’m not sure it did, either – he may not be back 100% yet. Hope he gets a chance to do it again next year.

And did Jason McCartney shine or what? Taking a third spot on the podium, with all the past winners coming in behind. Great DC team work…I got some great shots of Jason, and here is one of them…

Hello from Race Headquarters in SF! The teams from Europe are all here – most of Lampre arrived really late last night. We have Gerolsteiner, Lampre, Saunier Duval, CSC, and Discovery here at the hotel. So I have the distinct pleasure of greeting all of those riders three times a day at mealtime. What a great bunch of guys. They all headed out around 10 this morning to do a training ride. Some will brave the City traffic and do the race route, while others will head over the bridge towards Marin.

I was warmly greeted by the Discovery guys – kinda like old home week. Pavel was grinning from ear to ear, so was Tony. They both look so race-tough – Pavel looks in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. Super! The Creed looks really healthy and happy. He may have some news for us real soon… Jason said he is so happy to be with Discovery – he has really blossomed since I saw him at training camp. Haven’t seen George yet – he may be coming in today. Laurenzo is the DS, and Vince and Julien are the wrenches. Saw Dave Z, but he had some press guy talking to him. Ivan Basso hasn’t shown up yet at the dining room… Maybe I’ll see them for lunch.

There is a big dinner tonight: both Discovery and CSC will be there. I will go as the photographer for Threshold… Yeah, I know, I know….