Bettini: Italian for DOPER!

Robeasto had a bummer day at the office last weekend. After staying at the front for the entire CU Crit, he faded in the final lap. Not that it was his fault. He certainly looked strong enough, but the girl calling out laps was about 5'1", a buck-five and was was about as loud as a cat meowing when she called out the laps. And the lap cards were barely bigger than 3x5 notecards. With a shit-show like that, it's not surprising that Robeasto (and others) missed her the whole race and didn't hear the bell lap. I'm really appalled at this. The organizers should be ashamed of themselves for not making it easier for my friends to win races...

Nonetheless, Robeasto, unlike myself, is showing some early season form on the bike. For what it's worth though, I can out-drink him any day. That's all my hard winter's work put to use.

I also grabbed a few good pics of him out near the front:


In other news, Paolo Bettini is whining that he's not in good enough shape to race this spring. I find it a little dubious that the reigning Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion is unable to find his legs. Could something be astray?

Could it be that the new biological passport has interrupted his normal spring "training?" He's been implicated in several doping scandals in recent years and it sounds like there are very few in the peleton who believe he's clean.

So here's what I've been able to gather: Bettini--the single most outspoken critic of the biological passport and the man who told the UCI he would not sign an anti-doping contract--can't find his form after 15 years of racing at the top ranks of pro cycling and after he vowed three months ago to be in top form at the spring classics. I find it difficult to believe that a guy with that knind of experience and motivations would be so off form. Sounds like he missed a few trips to the doctor this spring. I wonder if the doping control efforts are finally weeding out a cheat or two.

All I have to say is thank Gad he's he's retiring at the end of the season. Good riddance. I say bring back the good old days of cycling!