Poor Lance. As if he didn't have enough trouble with his conspiracy. Now his better half - funding of cancer research - is also in trouble. Read about it here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/us/more-scientists-quit-texas-cancer-research-institute.html?hpw

The gist of it is . . .
At least seven more scientists have resigned in protest from Texas’ embattled $3 billion cancer-fighting program, claiming that the agency in charge of it is charting a “politically driven” path that puts commercial interests before science.

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, created with the backing of Gov. Rick Perry and the cyclist Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor, has awarded nearly $700 million in grants since 2009; only the National Institutes of Health offers a bigger pot of cancer-research money.

Scrutiny of how the state agency selects projects has intensified since May, when its chief scientific officer, Dr. Alfred G. Gilman, a Nobel laureate, resigned in protest after it approved a $20 million commercialization project without scientific review.

I actually kind of wonder whether I should have used PEDs in college to study longer, code longer, and focus on my tests and amateur journalism career better. The juice was rampant in my engineering program, and I declined offers from study mates on two occasions. I wonder why that doesn't seem particularly wrong to me, but taking banned PEDs in sport does.

@ Jeff I think you really hit the heart of it.  Are these guys "cheating" if the rules are in name only, and never enforced - or actually actively subverted?

If the defacto rules are "anything goes" which they certainly were for a very long time (remember the 50 hematocrit in Pantani's time was just a guideline at first) can we really pillory these guys as the root of the issue?  (I realize that isn't what Adam said)

LA should be given 10 tours b/c he was so good at doping. Like Jules said, there's been doping and cheating in the sport since its inception. He was the tiger woods meets michael jordan of doping, so that's gotta count for something. Just cuz these other guys got caught and finally were forced to "apologize" when they had no other options, only means they suck. If you're not cheating, you're not trying, and it's only cheating if you get caught. That's why 'Merikka rawks, y'all. Out.

"cycle of denial", oy vey

Jules, by claiming that 95% of the peloton doped, you're helping justify Barry et al's actions.  The dopers caught don't know how many of their competitors are actually doping--they have convinced themselves of it to explain why they did it, too.  And by us buying into it without question, we're enabling the cheats to get and keep their jobs.

@ Wump I don't think I'm justifying anything, just putting it in context.  If the number were 10% does it change things?  It sure seems pretty clear just looking at TDF podiums that everyone in the running for Grand Tour victories was dirty.  Frankly I'm inclined to believe 90% sooner than I am 10%

Nice INRNG summary of the "level playing field myth"

Here's some news.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/omega-pharma-quickstep-terminates-leipheimer-contract

So good:

 ‏@StevilKinevil

Doping is where @Nike drew the line, but if you wanna torture and kill some dogs, renewal of your contract is a guarantee. #justsuckit

And tee hee: http://deadspin.com/5952466/nike-dumps-lance-armstrong-in-the-smarmiest-way-possible

Looky here; the giant jackass is on the NYT's front page (the article is terribly composed)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/sports/cycling/inquiry-into-kayle-leogrande-led-to-lance-armstrongs-eventual-fall.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&hp

He thought he was going to get to Tour level.  Heh.  Now he gets his name associated with LA.  Douche.

In 2007, Leogrande was on Rock Racing and was killing it in hilly road races.  Wasn't Frankie Andreu running the team then?

This is amazing:

Just when I was wondering why nobody ever wore a wire...

I can't keep up!

Gesink saying out loud what we're all saying

"David Millar ‏@millarmind

Dear Rabobank, you were part of the problem. How dare you walk away from your young clean guys who are part of the solution. Sickening."

Sic 'em, Millar!

Kristen Armstrong

That article with Gesink has changed substantially since I first read it this morning, when he was quoted as simply saying something along the lines of 'the doping allegations have nothing to do with us, they were from the previous generation'. I wonder if the author revised the article, or whether Gesink revised his comments.

LL Sanchez appears to have ties to Ferrari.  He appears to be the last guy in a string of dopers on the team that include Leipheimer, Rasmussen, and Menchov.  

I think I'll make a blood bag of wine too:

http://tomzirbel.blogspot.com/2012/10/weighing-in.html

Lance who? Pat McQuaid has just turned Harry Potter into Voldemort...the one of which we do not speak. Lance and Harry? There are parallels; tough home life, absent father, under dog with undeniable natural gifts and never quit demeanor. Voldemorts death will be considered humane by comparison as Lance is going to be tied to a bumper and dragged to a slow death of public opinion. The lawsuits will pile up. The clawback on money will be merciless. The only people made whole will be Lance's lawyers who made the cheddar on the way up and even more on the way down.
yack fu

Lance is going to jail for perjury.

Oh man, Julich too...