Wow. After watching this clip from HBO’s Tour De Pharmacy we really wonder if we’ll be able to make it though this film with any laughs at all. Seeing the BLOAT (biggest liar of all time) try to joke his way out his disgracing his sport is probably the most painful part. Yes, cyclists take themselves way too seriously, but this just looks like a junk show phoned in by everyone involved. Makes us wonder if there are any laughs in the movie? The BLOAT’s final line in the trailer likely sums it up well, “This is not good.”
It is hilarious listening to Bradly Wiggins defend his “UCI approved” use of performance enhancing drugs in an interview Sunday with the BBC. In a story on the interview on Cycling Tips, he is quoted explaining why his use of performance enhancing drugs was different from many others (including the BLOAT) who were caught using Triamcinolone acetonide.
“It was prescribed for allergies and respiratory problems,” he told journalist Andrew Marr on BBC television on Sunday morning. “I’ve been a lifelong sufferer of asthma, and I went to my team doctor at the time. We went in turn went to a specialist to see if there’s anything else we could do to cure these problems.”
Doping is doping. We agree with what Tom Dumoulin said in a story in The Advertiserregarding medical exemptions to banned performance enhancing drugs:
“It’s not something they do with normal asthmatics, let alone athletes who only have exercise-induced asthma,” Dumoulin said. “Apparently Wiggins’ injection worked for weeks — so in my opinion you should be out of competition for weeks. It stinks.”
Exactly. Anything else is doping by dopers and Wiggo (and Froome) should probably be treated just like everyone who had an unfair, drug-induced advantage. For more, please click the links below.
Garmin’s top-of-the-line multi-sport watch the fēnix 3 just got a high fashion sibling that looks more a Breitling Chronliner and less like a bloated Forerunner. Sure, the new fēnix Chronos still does all the cycling things that the fenix does. It can pair with your ANT+ power meter, cadence/speed sensors, and heart rate monitor and upload it live to Strava (when paired with a smartphone). It also keeps track of routes,compassing, altimeter, and temperature changes, but this one comes in titanium, steel, and steel with a vintange leather band.
“High-end design meets top-tier performance with fēnix Chronos,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “With luxurious materials and trusted Garmin multisport technology, fēnix Chronos is a necessary timepiece for anyone who wants to remain stylish through all of life’s adventures – whether its hiking through mountains, training for a race, or heading to a formal event.”
As you might have guessed all this fancy comes at a price. The fēnix Chronos titanium with titanium band will cost $1,500 (more than twice the cost of the previous top of the line fēnix 3); fēnix Chronos steel with stainless steel band $1000; and fēnix Chronos steel with leather band will cost $900. The price does include a silicone sport band for when you want to get it sweaty.
We’ve called the fēnix 3 one of the best bike computers you can wear on your wrist, and Chronos looks even better. For the official word from Garmin, follow the jump.
Jennie Price is a link-baiting writer who has a well shared story in the Daily Mail titled On The Shame of Being Married to a MAMIL (that’s a Middle Aged Man In Lycra). And while she goes over the top repeatedly about how much she’s bothered by her husband spending so much time on the bike, she did kick down a few truths we’re all guity of:
For those fortunate enough to have normal husbands, allow me to elaborate. Being a MAMIL is about much more than squeezing your ample frame into tight lycra. . . This means boring dinner parties into silence with endless chat about bikes, spending long hours of family time out ‘training’, embarrassing your children walking around the house in bib shorts (think a mankini with padding around the nether regions) and paying eye-watering sums for obscure items of kit.
We wonder, would Mrs. Price rather her husband spend his days hefting pints at the local pub and then come home drunk to rub his bloated, sweaty belly all over her sexy red dress? Somehow we doubt it.
We’ve been hard on the BLOAT (Biggest Liar Of All Time) for a while now. After watching this little edit, however, we’ve finally found enlightenment on the subject. The BLOAT is not some evil force in the world of cycling. He’s not an ogre, or a monster, or someone who will live out his days in infamy. No, he’s just a common, ordinary asshole who happens to be very good at cycling. . . and assholing.
Finally, the bloats who just love to shuttle have a theme song, Faster Than You. And, the funny thing, the guys who love this edit most probably don’t even race. Go figure.
Organizers of the 2013 World Cycling Championships say their choice of Pinocchio has nothing to do with the recent USADA indictment of the BLOAT (a.k.a. Biggest Liar of All Time) and that it is simply a historical figure, according to a story on Velonews.
“Ours is a Pinocchio connected to his origins, happy, athletic and attentive,” according to the official website of the 2013 world championships. “He is looking at the horizon, expressing an optimistic attitude versus the future. The expression of his face is smiling, happy, positive and at the same time astonished.”
Apparently, the Italian have no sense of irony. Wouldn’t it be better just to embrace it?
The UCI has completed its review of USADA’s ‘Reasoned Decision’ and appendices in the case against Lance Armstrong. . . The UCI considered the main issues of jurisdiction, the statute of limitation the evidence gathered by USADA and the sanction imposed upon Mr. Armstrong. . . The UCI confirms that it will not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and that it will recognize the sanction that USADA has imposed.
Oakley, the last of the Armstrong major sponsor holdouts, officially cut ties with the outlaw biker today saying: “When Lance joined our family many years ago, he was a symbol of possibility. . . We are deeply saddened by the outcome, but look forward with hope to athletes and teams of the future who will rekindle that inspiration by racing clean, fair and honest.”
As for us, we’re giving Armstrong one last opportunity to speak on the topic and then we’re striking his name from future postings and will instead replace it with our new name from him: The BLOAT i.e. Biggest Liar Of All Time.
