Thursday, October 12, 2006

Are Too! Am Not! Are Too! Am Not! Are ...

Disco Fever: Well, Johan Bruyneel is vigoriously putting the kibosh on persistent rumors that it's going for Jan Ullrich to lead the team ("Am not!"), and also that he's in hot pursuit of Giro pinup/Lance sorta-protege Ivan Basso ("Am...uh,is that my mother calling? I gotta go into dinner now!") Which would certainly leave the Giro and the Vuelta for Basso if he wanted 'em both, but would more likely leave...what? Levi Leipheimer completely screwed into accepting the consolation prize of a stage win opportunity (like Basso would give away a mountain stage) in the Tour instead of the team leadership he signed up for? Basso agreeing to work for someone else at the peak of his power and after he was completely jacked out of the last ride into Paris (ha!)? Poor Levi!

In half-@#$edly translated intercontinental gossip, it seems to me (and again, with my pidgin Italian, I caution that I could actually be talking about the latest Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction) that Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that CONI, the Italian olympic honchos, are actually gonna cough up a decision today on Basso instead of later in the month as expected, and if, as expected, the case is adjudged utter crap on the basis of a few phone calls a fax and some dog slander, Basso could actually be cleared to ride the Giro di Lombardia this weekend. But for whom, you ask, now or in the future? Well, Riis has still got him at the moment, of course, but with Basso allegedly in a perhaps understandable (if perhaps factually unjustified--not to accuse Ivan of anything, particularly because he's got a dmaned good lawyer--I'm just sayin') snit at Bjarne, not for long I imagine! Anyhow, vai Ivan, and bite me and everyone whose career you tanked this season UCI!

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