Good for Discovery??

I don't think so. Having your top competition being picked off by stupid involvement with doping is no way to advance in the GC. So, no we have lost the entire Cofidis team, the entire Astana team, the current yellow jersey wearer and probably the entire Rabobank team before the stage starts tomorrow. This is getting really disgusting. What is happening with professional cycle racing? I am a big supporter of Discovery. I really hoped this would be Levi's year, and I have been very impressed with Contador. Now I can't help but wonder, if they end up with podium finishes, will we find out that they too may have cheated? I certainly hope not, and choose to support them totally, just as I still do Lance and Floyd. Am I just being naive?

Velonews Story about Vinokourov

Vinokourov tests positive; Astana withdraws from Tour
By VeloNews.com
Filed: July 24, 2007

Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping after his time trial win on Saturday
Double stage victor Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana)learned Tuesday that he had tested positive for homologous blood doping following his victory in last Saturday's stage 13 individual time trial.
Vinokourov and his Astana team have reportedly withdrawn from the Tour.
The 33-year-old had lost all chance of winning the Tour with a dismal performance in Sunday's 14th stage but then bounced back to take Monday's 15th stage in the Pyrenees.
Vinokourov, whose performance in Monday's stage was feted in the French press with headlines such as the 'Courage of 'Vino'', had been criticized before the Tour by UCI president Pat McQuaid for his association with Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari.
McQuaid declined to make any statement on the matter until results of a likely B sample test are released.
"I can't comment on it. We have to follow the rules," said the Irishman, who like predecessor Hein Verbruggen has now seen a team pull out of the world's most famous cycling race over a drugs scandal - Festina having been kicked off the Tour in 1998.
If Vinokourov's B sample comes back positive, Aussie Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto) would be declared the winner of stage 13.
Vinokourov becomes the first cyclist to test positive for homologous blood doping - the injection of an other person's red blood cells - since American Tyler Hamilton and Spaniard Santi Perez were found positive for the banned technique in 2004.
Vinokourov's Astana confirmed that the Kazakh star tested positive for blood doping.
"The anti-doping control on Alexandre Vinokourov, which was carried out on July 21 after the time trial in Albi, has tested positive," read a statement released by the Kazakh team. "According to the ethical code of the Astana Cycling Team Alexandre Vinokourov has been suspended from the team with immediate effect. The rider has asked nevertheless for a B sample analysis.
"Informed by the Astana management, the organisers of the Tour de France invited the team to withdraw, which was immediately accepted."
Quick reactionThe news spread through the Tour press corps like an electrical current.
Journalists were attending a Saunier Duval-Prodir team press conference about the team's plans to plant 1 million trees in Mali when the first story moved across the wire: Vinokourov positive for blood doping.
David Millar was the first rider to react to the news: "Jesus Christ - there you go, that's my quote," he blurted out. "What timing, huh? This is just f#cking great."
Addressing Irish sportswriter Paul Kimmage, a former cyclist who exposed doping in pro cycling his 1990 book "Rough Ride" and made waves this year when he challenged Vinokourov for working with Ferrari at Astana's pre-race press conference, Millar said, "Well there you go, Paul."
"I wanted to believe it was a really good day [for Vinokourov]. It makes me very sad. Vino is one of my favorite riders. He's one of the most beautiful riders in the peloton. If a guy of his stature and class has done that, we all might as well pack our bags and go home right now."
Millar later backpedaled on that statement, saying, "The Tour de France should go on. If it stops, I would have to retire tomorrow."
"The irony here is that I was hoping to make an announcement today about my future plans," Millar said, likely referring to rumors that next year he will ride for Slipstream Sports, the strict anti-doping squad run by Jonathan Vaughters.
"I have some projects in the works. I am hoping to work with young riders, to show them that you don't have to dope to succeed."
Millar broke down into tears when he was asked by British journalist Jeremy Whittle if he was all right, saying, "I just feel like crying right now."
The third positiveIf Vinokourov's B sample does indicate the presence of a secondary population of red blood cells, the man from Astana will be only the third rider to have ever triggered a positive on the homologous blood-doping test introduced in 2004.
American Tyler Hamilton tested positive for the presence of foreign red blood cells after a time trial victory at the Vuelta a Espana on September 11, 2004. His then-Phonak-teammate, Santiago Perez, tested positive soon after and both men were suspended for two years. Hamilton, however, embarked on a lengthy and costly legal fight to clear his name. Hamilton continues to maintain his innocence.
Hamilton's suspension ended last fall. He signed a contract to ride with Tinkoff Credit Systems, but has been in limbo with that team since being suspended purportedly for his involvement in the Operacion Puerto drug scandal in Spain.
The homologous blood doping test is based on the recent application of a relatively old technology designed to sub-type populations of red blood cells.VeloNews's Andrew Hood, Neal Rogers and Charles Pelkey contributed to this report

I just can't believe it!!

Just when I was hoping we would get through this Tour de France without a major doping scandal, Vinny and crew are sent packing. As much as I love cycling, it gets harder and harder to answer the naysayers when they claim that professional cycling is nothing but a bunch of dopers. I always defend them, its only a few dummies here and there. Now I really begin to wonder. I have always defended Lance and Floyd, do I need to start worrying about being naive? What about Rasmussen? He is wearing the yellow and is still under suspicion. Is Contador next? Surely he couldn't be doing so well as a young rider without assistance from doping.

Some wise advice

One of the things I love to do is Spinning. If you are not familiar, Spinning is a particular type of workout on a special Spinning stationary bike. It was invented by a guy named Johnny G and is a terrific cardio workout. A class generally lasts about 45 minutes. I have been known to do two classes on a Monday night with 50 minutes on the bike on my own in between classes, a total of about 2-1/2 hours on the bike. I like the way I feel after one of these workouts. I have an online Spin buddy who is also a personal trainer. She tells me that these long sessions may be counter-productive. Her point is that anything over about 45 minutes can start to burn muscle mass rather than fat cells, especially if done at an intensity that approaches VO2 max.

I have to do some thinking about this. I definitely don't want to burn muscle, but at the same time I want to train to be able to stay on the bike for extended periods of time. There is no way I can get into a Spin class and not work intensely, so I may need to re-think the double sessions.

What to eat

Staying healthy as a senior has to involve a combination of proper exercise and proper eating. I think many of us handle the exercise pretty well. Especially as cyclists, because we love our bikes and our rides so much that no body has to tell us to get out and exercise. On the contrary, some of our family and friends think we need to get off the bike and get some other stuff done.

Where I struggle, and I have a feeling I am not the only one, is eating the proper foods in the proper amounts. There are so many things to think about - calories, carbs, sugar, preservatives, artificial this and that, cholesterol. If I pick a food that is low calorie, it has too much carb. Something that is low in cholesterol and sodium is too high in calories. On and on it goes. I need to lose about 15 lbs. There are just some things I shouldn't eat. Chicken wings, pizza, ice cream........ What generally happens is that I eat anything I want in moderation and end up eating too many calories so that when I subtract the calories burned with all my exercise, instead of creating a deficit so that I lose weight, I end up breaking just about even, which means I maintain my overweight condition. Grrr......

I am not as old as I am

A recent reader commented that "I am not as old as other women my age". That is a very interesting comment. I often tell people that, this year for instance, I am celebrating the 31st anniversary of my 30th birthday. That is because I feel a lot more 30 than I do 60. Tonight for instance I did two Spin classes and stayed on the bike for the 50 minutes in between classes for a total of 2-1/2 hours of Spinning. My heart rate maxxed at 93% and averaged 77% over the entire ride. My point is, we don't have to accept diminished fitness as a natural consequence of increased age. That is not to say that we can run as fast, cycle as fast, endure as long - but we can still maintain a high level of fitness within the parameters of obvious physical limitations. So, stand up, move forward and repeat. Then do it again. We can go into our senior years and still be healthy and fit, it just takes a little more determination