It's getting cold

Ok so "cold" may not be the best word to describe the conditions in Southern California, and I am admittedly a giant wimp when it comes to riding in the cold, so i don't want to hear any crap from you guys in CO or MN about riding in the cold. You chose to live there.

I guess it's not as bad as I make it out to be. It's been a bit cool in the mornings, but still this last Sunday as I finished a local group ride and headed off for the second half of my ride I kept the arm warmers on the entire time, and I didn't feel like a sissy for doing so either.

The winter training has been going pretty well. It's almost time to start picking up the intensity, and judging from the teams finalized schedule next season, the sooner i get in shape the better. At first I thought with the demise of a number of pro teams, and large percentage of guys NOT getting new contracts, that the p1 races may actually slow down (just a little) compared to last years craziness. Upon second thought though, I think it will be even faster. The talent, which had been more spread out, will no be more focused on less teams. Now more of the really fast guys will be working TOGETHER instead of against each other, which spells doom for me.

It looks like USADA has really stepped up their game as well. They are now able to convict and hand down suspensions to guys who NEVER tested positive. Kayle LG was popped for 2 years this week, without ever having a positive test. That seems outrageous to me. The USADA actually said in a release that the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming enough to warrant to suspension. Circumstantial is not proof. I am all for getting rid of dopers, and I had heard plenty of rumors about Kayle, but at the end of the day he never had a positive test result. And if he was doping shouldn't dope control at races picked up on that? Seems to me they are able to find other racers, why not this guy? Hell they gave Monniger a 6 month suspension for taking a supplement that contained a chemical that wasn't listed on, and wasn't supposed to be in the supplement. How could he have possibly ever known that the pills he bought at a GNC (or some health store) had been contaminated at the production process level? Even the manufacturer said the pills were tainted with a chemical that wasn't supposed to be in there. Yet USADA handed down the suspension. They have NEVER lost a case. Ever. The implications of handing down a suspension to a racer with no concrete proof, just circumstantial evidence is very scary.