WHY THE BALLAN SUSPENSION MAKES ME SO ANGRY

First, I welcome the suspension, that should be clear from the off.
The doping offence relates to 2009, for blood transfusions while riding for Lampre.
Lampre have been investigated since then, in the Mantova inquiry, and more will come out for sure as they go through case by case.
This has taken so long, and is still ongoing, because of lack of resources thrown at it. Add to it that Italian justice crawls to conclusion at best of times.

On the one hand is commendable that Italy will not let go of suspected riders (unlike their Spanish counterpart), on the other, the glacial pace taken to prosecute anyone makes a mockery of sporting justice.
Since 2009 signor Ballan has been able to ride and (although he was very briefly suspended pending investigation) has been paid for his services. He took gold at the Worlds in 2008 in incredible fashion, Flanders in 2007 and nobody can truly tell me he was clean then. The shine has gone.
He was paid handsomely to the detriment of riders who could not get a ride with Lampre or subsequently with BMC because he was in their ranks and with hefty pay packet.
This is what irks me so much about doping. Not just the health risks, not just the cheating, not just the false glory they bathe themselves in, but the potential careers of clean riders who never stood a chance because these dopers were there to rape this glorious sport.
A doping investigation should not take this long. Clean careers are affected by this.
Federations should step in to help these inquiries with manpower and/or financing. It cannot be left to one busy investigator to go through all these files, it's simply ridiculous.
I would also like to see these suspended riders pay back the money earned since the offence, plus a year's worth of wages, plus a hefty fine for denting cycling reputation. That could be a much better deterrent that the current suspension. At the moment, they keep earning money, then after two years they usually find employment again as they made their name while cheating. That has to change. Give them a second chance, but make them pay for it, empty their pockets of the money they stole.
Ballan has been fined a mere €2,400 in total and at 34 he was in the twilight of his career...

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REACH OUT, TALK TO PEOPLE

I wanted to share what we did at the weekend in the hope to inspire other people to try what my partner and I ended up doing. A few days ago we were walking the dogs late in the afternoon and on the way back, in this big field, we noticed an elderly woman walking slowly leaning on her stick. We asked if she was ok as she seemed tentative and a little confused. The very first thing she said, almost without realising that's what she was going to say was: "You are the first people I've spoken to all day". Neither of us expected that so we stayed with her, chatting away for about 40 minutes. We ended up walking her back to her house, exchange numbers and invite her for a Sunday roast. She was going to be 89 a few days later and it seemed a nice thing to do. She was really touched as she didn't have it in her to cook a roast for herself (and she admitted she hated cooking).

LA CLASSICISSIMA, A PREVIEW

As classics go, Milano-Sanremo is the longest of them all (almost 300km) and one of the oldest (1907). Eddy Merckx has won it a record 7 times. It has been marred by late snow at times and its route has been modified here and there, but at its core is the length and flatness, so one for the sprinters traditionally but not so much of late. There are a few lumps, but although short and not very steep, they usually come at the end of a long day on the saddle and have been decisive in the outcome of the race. In recent times, the climbs of Cipressa (added in 1982) and Poggio (added in 1960) have been the theatres of all-out attacks. The breakneck and twisty descent from the Poggio especially, induced some of the most entertaining racing... and some awful crashes too. The finish in the town of Sanremo has moved posts a few times but whether it was in the false flat of Via Roma or on the pan flat promenade by the sea, many a time it has ended in a bunch sprint.

AN OLYMPIC EFFORT

When the Olympic cycling road race and TT race routes were announced I was extremely excited. I live bang in the middle of both. One of the most important races in cycling was going to be ridden near my house. Television screens would be filled with images of roads I'm familiar with, the pros will be riding my commute to work AND some of my cycling club runs' routes (Kingston Wheelers).

The Clouds Factory

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