fellowshipofthechainring.org

Ricco was caught with a new generation EPO (a blood booster), called cera. Apparently, some numbskull thought that maybe with a new strain of EPO, it might go “under the radar” (I’m really liking the “quote un-quote”). He’s been pulled from the Tour, and he’s got us wondering how deep this doping goes.

I’m glad they caught him; I’m glad the testing is working; I’m glad they’re holding their line; I’m sad there are so many desperate cyclists out there. I can’t imagine what might have happened had Floyd Landis won his appeal.

Now, Ricco’s entire team, Saunier Duval, has exited the tour.

“It’s a team decision not to start the race,” sporting director Matxin Fernandez told AP. “He’s our leader, we can’t act as if nothing happened. We suspend the activities of the team until we know what happened.”

Kim Kirchen of Team Columbia takes the yellow jersey from Schumacher in the last kilometer.

I don’t suspect foul play, but according to the Tour’s official website, Schumacher was behind Kirchen when Ricco stood up to sprint to the finish (Ricco did win the stage). When Ricco stood, Kirchen “pulled his foot”—I assume that meant he almost crashed and had to pull his foot out of his pedal. That must have made Schumacher crash. I can see how a crash like this can happen. Stage 6 ended in steep, 10% grade, climb for 1.5 kilometers. I don’t know about you, but I would be standing just for survival, as opposed to sprinting to the finish).

The crash was enough to put Kirchen in the yellow jersey for the first time this year (for the first time ever, I think). Kirchen has been consistently in 2nd place throughout this Tour, so he’s been biding his time patiently. I’m very happy for Kirchen, ever since I read about his performance in the Tour de Suisse, and the fact that he’s on team Columbia (formerly team High Road).

This bodes well for the Fellowship of the Chainring Fantasy Team. As of stage 5, the team was in 139th place (out of over 3,000). This stage will give the team 54 points: Valverde will get 20 points (he took 2nd in the stage) and Kirchen will get 20 points for taking the yellow jersey and 14 points for taking 5th place for the stage,

1. VALVERDE Alejandro (CAISSE D’EPARGNE) 49 points
2. MC EWEN Robbie (SILENCE-LOTTO) 22 points
3. CAVENDISH Mark (TEAM COLUMBIA) 31 points
4. GERDEMANN Linus (TEAM COLUMBIA) 0 points
5. KIRCHEN Kim (TEAM COLUMBIA) 71 points
6. CARDENAS Felix (BARLOWORLD) 0 points
7. SOLER MAURICIO (BARLOWORLD) 0 points
8. SIUTSOU Kanstantin (TEAM COLUMBIA) 0 points
9. CIOLEK Gerald (TEAM COLUMBIA) 18 points

On a sad note, Mauricio Soler, dropped out of the race yesterday after a second crash. I had high hopes for Soler seeing as he was the king of the mountain for last year’s Tour de France.

James Robert Shelton, 59, was found alongside Eola Hills Road, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s office. He was part of a Salem Bike Club group cycling from the Capitol through rural Yamhill County and back to Salem.

Shelton was one of about a dozen riders on the hilly, difficult course.

James Robert Shelton was one of three athletes who died in Oregon this past weekend (thanks Triguy for passing on the information). Another was a man (Patrick Findlay, 45) from Renton who apparently died of heart failure during the swimming portion of the Pacific Crest Triathalon, and the third was a man (Slieght Manivong, 34) who was found dead after a 10K charity run in Sandy.

Two of the deaths were heat-related, two were young (in my opinion—I’m months from 40), and all were tragic. Let’s stop for a moment and consider the three men. I want to give respect to their lives and their families and loved ones, which is why I posted their names.

“Man knows not his time” (Ecclesiastes 9:12)

The article said Shelton had a history of heart problems, and it seems he did not have water with him; the ride leader suggested that his water bottle could have rolled away when he crashed, which is possible. I cannot imagine that heat did not play a role. No matter what happened, it’s a good reminder for all cyclists to take extra precautions with the heat (it was our hottest day of the year). I think I’ll add a blog entry on safety precautions for summer rides in the coming days.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the lost ones’ families.