Friday update

The Guardian posts a grudging clarification to the disputed Lance interview story. I'd guess that the lawyers have been busy.

Training in Hawaii is all the rage these days.

Hincapie tests out a jersey in the new mind-bendingly hideous Saunier-Duval Columbia design. Is this jersey some sort of devilish stratagem to force us to think constantly of Ricco and Piepoli's eternal perfidy every time we see a Columbia rider? Can I just say to whoever idiotically agreed to this vile jersey: I HATE IT!! I mean, what are those things, painted-on ab muscles? A faux six-pack for the muscularly challenged cyclist? An attempt to imitate Skeletor? Does Scott have so much influence that they can push a Saunier-Duval version 2.0 jersey on Columbia, a team which ought to know better? And on the topic of Scott, I hate that the bike is called The Addict. Really, in the sport of cycling, that is not funny. I guess we should look forward to their upcoming new models, The Junkie, The Mainliner, and The Dope Fiend. Forget painting a Cobra on the frame, why not just put a nice big syringe right on there.

Mask-gate fallout continues.

Is it just me, or does Cedric Vasseur's latest call to action take some inspiration from the Wobblies? Quite a grand and sweeping pronouncement. Too bad the CPA is apparently permanently cowed into submission by the hard-handed control of the UCI.

Rejoice, for thee are not alone in anti-twitter cycle-fandom.

Fuji-Servetto jersey. And Bettini says no way to taking on any role with this team.

Elephant in the room....

Piepoli actually attempts the patented "I only did it once so you should feel very sorry for poor despairing me" defense, and miserably fails to stir even a wisp of sympathy. You could diagram this oft-used, deluded excuse like the predictable plot of a bad melodramatic and formulaic novel: The hero acts heroic. The hero faces terrible temptation. The hero tragically falls from grace. The hero nobly faces his failure and is redeemed. The only problem is that all of this only happens inside the twisted mind of the so-called hero. He wants to pretend he is sorry that he doped, when really he only regrets that he was caught. The part of this charade that I find inexplicable is that so many fans fall for this faux-remorse head over heels. Look at the cooing hordes of Basso devotees, France's hypocritical undying affection for Virenque, the legions who proudly announce their favorite rider is a doper and then shrug.

Doping in soccer? Never!

An actual anti-doping comment at Pez! About as rare as a woolly mammoth.

AS drags the Cofidis scandal back into the spotlight, with special mention of Stilnox and Viagra.

Another day, another unwelcome planned comeback. CAS seems to be stalling.

The sad sagas of the Puerto refugees never end.

Upon his signing, new Saxo Bank rider Jakob Fuglsang was expressly forbidden by squeaky clean Bjarne Riis from continuing his previous friendly habit of training with his dirty dope-tainted neighbor Michael Rasmussen. However, according to Rasmussen (a truly credible source who would never lie!), Fuglsang has not heeded the quarantine decree. If this is true, poor Fuglsang could now be facing the infamous and dreaded Wrath of Bjarne. Beware the lightning bolts from on high.

John Devine has seemingly disappeared from the Columbia roster. Wonder if he will surface on another team?