Month: June 2006

The cycling world was stunned this morning when it was learned that pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso will not (repeat: will not) be allowed to race in the 2006 Tour de France. The T-Mobile and CSC riders have now been implicated as having been involved in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal about which I’ve talked on the show for the past several weeks.

Ullrich, along with teammate Oscar Sevilla and team manager Rudy Pevenage were suspended by T-Mobile earlier today, while Basso was banned from this year’s Tour by the organizers of the race.

According to Cycling News, the Spanish Radio station Cadena SER has released a list of 58 professional cyclists implicated in Operacion Puerto. The list includes people who have already been implicated in doping scandals such as Roberto Heras and Tyler Hamilton, a large number of riders from Astana-Wurth (formerly Liberty Seguros), as well as Ullrich, Basso and others.

This is a huge development and will certainly throw the entire peloton into confusion. With the two potential leaders now out of the race, it opens the door for riders such as Landis, Leipheimer, Salvoldelli, Hincapie and others.

I’ll be recording the podcast this evening, so stay tuned . . .

Hello Fellow Freds.

Yes, the rumors are true. I am back from my vacation. Now I just need another week to get caught up! You can expect an episode of The FredCast to appear before the start of the Tour de France. “See” you on the podcast!

In the meantime, please use the new script on the left-hand side of The FredCast home page to vote for the podcast at Podcast Alley. Thanks to listener Ray for the excellent script!

David

Hello Fellow Freds!

This is just a quick note to let you know that I will be on vacation starting on June 16th, so there will be no FredCast during the week of June 19, and possibly no FredCast during the week of June 26. I do promise to produce another show prior to the start of the Tour de France on July 1.

Thanks for your patience while I take my family on a well-deserved vacation.

Of course, if you happen to find yourself in the British Virgin Islands and you see a Moorings catamaran called Catywampus, please dinghy on over. I’d love to meet you and have a drink (or two) together.

While I am gone I hope you ENJOY YOUR RIDES!

David

For the week of June 5, 2006

In this show’s news: Armstrong cleared of doping charges, Dauphine Libere results, preview of Tour de Switzerland, Simoni faces the music over Giro/Basso comments, Liberty Serguros becomes Astana Wurth and more!

In the feature section: Listener Helen on cycling as therapy, Review of Mountain Bike Maintenance and Repair DVD, Fantasy Tour de France, YouTube Bicycling Videos, and a couple of shout outs.
Podsafe Cycling Music: Ocean by Zach Ashton

You can listen to the show directly by clicking here, you can subscribe to it in iTunes, or you can use the RSS feed in whatever pod catching client you use.

Show Notes are available HERE.