Lookin' Good, Liquigas!

Starting the Season in Style: as wussbag doper-enabler Pat "Dick" McQuaid at UCI, after righteously announcing the imminent bust of a big passel of sport-destroying scum-cheats, decides to put off actually nailing anyone anytime soon for it *again* (and, being kind, objective, and pretty lawsuit-shy, I won't suggest this has anything to do with concerns some of his more, well, preferred riders might be in trouble), Liquigas, lately blessed with heavy anti-doping artillery/studmuffinly pinup king Ivan Basso to pound the path to virtue, has already produced the first major drug bust of the season: wee little neo-pro/Duran Duran throwback Gianni Da Ros. Curiously, neither Team Liquigas' nor winged crusader Ivan's website mentions the incident in their news sections, but they do profess excitement for the team's chances at Tirreno-Adriatico. Oops, I see that Liquigas and the Italian cycling fed have both already leapt into action and suspended the boy. My, the "new generation"'s getting cleaner by the day, ain't it?

Johan's Choice: so with Contador having stomped the field in a shocker of a flat opening time trial at Paris-Nice (despite a miserable day and colossal time-suck yesterday), the obvious dilemma arises: if Lance can't pick up his game, and Contador keeps riding like he has been this season, Johan's going to look like a major Lance-pandering unjust-jerkface !@#-of-the-century if he doesn't give Alberto the unquestioned team leadership he's so clearly earned come July. Johan, I know Lance is your beloved and your mentee, the one you've nurtured, who in return has given you seven Tours and more dough, power, and prestige than even the most brilliant team director could ever hope to achieve. Heck, I even admire it, despite its wholly self-serving aspects. But if you don't give this babe-in-arms the full-court press he deserves, in favor of Lance who is not yet what he was and likely never will be again (particularly when he's made it spectacularly clear he's only fallen in love with the Giro out of concern he mightn't win an 8th Tour), you are doing a serious disservice not only to Contador, but to cycling itself. And I say this, of course, as one who firmly believes the child was doping along with everyone else in his infancy at Liberty Seguros, whose current purity I cannot help but cringingly doubt, and who is still deeply pissed at how repeat podium finishers Leipheimer and Kloden have been jacked out of not only the Tour but now the Giro as well, reduced to 3rd rate domestiques, and have given you (publicly at least) nothing but humility, acceptance, and hard work in return. *You* bought the goods, Johan, use 'em--tough for you if Lance came back, especially when you threatened to kneecap poor Contador for breach of contract when he completely justifiably objected to your perfidy after your empty promises of total backing. Let merit, and not your little cult-o'-Armstrong, really decide the outcome!