The arrival Fall in Florida (sort of)

The Fall has arrived! Cooler temps, dryer air, and more opportunities to ride your bike! What could be better? Well, riding a NEW bike would be better, but Christmas is still a few months away.

RANDOM RANT: I was recently in a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia and while perusing the various knick knacks (read: JUNK) in the “Country Store” section I saw, no joke, Christmas decorations!!!! Are you kidding me? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but in October? Before “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!” hits the airwaves? C’mon! In one fell swoop Cracker Barrel, those fine purveyors of fried food, caffeinated beverages and “Billy the Bass” dis-respected both the Pumpkin AND the Turkey! What’ next? A Baby Jesus Fireworks pack? The feature would be the “Star Spangled Star of Bethlehem Rocket.” Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Hmmmmm.

BIG NEWS in the world of cycling! 2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has come under suspicion of doping! There were minute traces of a substance, Clenbuterol, detected in a urine sample taken during the Tour. The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia. - Clenbuterol is a β2 agonist with some structural and pharmacological similarities to epinephrine and salbutamol, but its effects are more potent and longer-lasting as a stimulant and thermogenic drug. It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, central nervous system stimulation, and an increase in blood pressure and oxygen transportation.

In other words, it will make you ride faster and longer. The amount found was originally said to be 400 times less than an amount required to create a positive effect. I later read it was 40 times less. In any case, not enough to really make performance difference. Contador contends that these trace amounts are the result of some beef from Spain he ate during the Tour that had been injected with Clenbuterol. Using Clenbuterol in cattle is a common practice in the European beef industry. Evidently there are some Spanish beef cattle training for a bovine marathon. I guess the steer in question was too slow and didn’t “make the cut.” That is a horrible play on words.

HOWEVER, another test of the same urine sample (how much does this guy pee?) showed the presence of “plasticizers”. Why is this important? Because these plasticizers are present in IV bags, the type used in blood transfusions. So here’s the allegation; Alberto previously used Clenbuterol, perhaps for training, and, after his doctor felt the chemical was out of his system, they extracted blood for transfusion during the Tour. Why transfuse blood? Introducing more blood into his system while he was racing and stressing his system would give his body the capacity to carry more oxygen to his muscles thereby enhancing his performance. BUT – the Clenbuterol was not completely out of his system when the blood was originally drawn so when the blood was allegedly transfused back into Alberto, trace amounts of Clenbuterol were also transfused. It was the Clenbuterol that tripped the Dope-O-Meter and that led to the further testing that found the plasticizers. ‘Tis a tangled web we weave.

Still, Alberto’s “Where’s the Beef?” defense might hold up – if they can repeat the results (and test still MORE of this guy’s pee) by having him ingest more Spanish beef. Explaining the existence of plasticizers will be more difficult. Perhaps the steer from which the meat was taken had an artificial hip. I think I’ll send Alberto a vegetarian cookbook for Christmas.

Tomorrow will be a BEAUTIFUL morning to ride. Might be time go break out the arm warmers or a light jacket.

I’m fighting a cold and may not be there tomorrow morning. If I show up it might be a short ride. I know, “Wah, wah, wah – just shut up and ride!”

6:30, not 6:31!