Uh-oh

It seems to me that Floyd Landis has two problems at the moment: Cyclingnews via L'Equipe is reporting that Landis tested positive for testosterone originating outside the body; and he's hired Roberto Heras' lawyers. The last I heard, Heras had quietly returned to university, which though likely no reflection on the skills of the attorneys over Heras' actual culpability, sure as hell ain't the peloton, and does raise questions about their ability to help Landis weasel out of uncomfortable fact patterns. Not that he ought to be able to, if he even needs to. I'm just sayin'.

In pretty positive news ("pretty" because I am fond of both gentlemen), by contrast, Oscar Freire just barely snagged eternal sprint great/lately-a-bridesmaid Erik Zabel at the line at the former HEW classic. Rabobank, give that boy a major raise! I certainly hope he hadn't renegotiated terms before his Tour stages this year at least. And in contract intrigue, T-Mobile has finally confirmed the rumors and formally bagged its contract with its manager and his company, who had allowed Rudy "the Indiscreet Yapper" Pevenage back to play with Ullrich, in the wake of the immediate pre-Tour fiasco. While they're at it, they might consider refining their strategy anew and perhaps laying down some ground rules in remedial teamwork so their riders aren't constantly undercutting each other in favored stages (which they genuinely do seem to have overcome somewhat in their very fine Tour this year--I'm just sayin').