Doping

RaceRadio reckons Horner climbed faster than Froome this season. He's a GT winner, and could potentially win another next season. If teams and everyone else thought he was too legit to quit, he would be getting that 750k. That sounds cheap for a GT winner, although I don't know much about the relevant salaries.

However I would think given the way World Tour points go, picking him up instantly boosts chances of keeping your World Tour license. That alone makes him money, right?

Although being a yank from the Armstrong generation must limit his appeal to European sponsors and audience. And the fact no-one believes he's clean. As I said, if he is clean, shafted.

#ididthat

Less need for WT points with teams folding? Aren't there 18 candidates for 18 spots this year now.

Yes. The remaining 17 WT teams (less Euskatel and Vacansoleil) plus Europcar who've applied for a licence.

Saxo-Bank are short of funds but have a news conference today with Riis and Contador where they are expected to announce a new sponsor (Alonso maybe?).

I'd be very surprised if Riis was getting the Alonso money, after the experience with Euskatel I think Alonso will be looking to build something of his own, without the baggage.

But he's a friend of Contador's and wants him on his team, so this would work out for both pf them. Stranger things have happened.

But Alonso is hooked up with Santander, not sure they will want to share billing with another Western bank

Saxo Are a small Danish investment bank, I doubt Santander see then as any kind if rival.

Anyway, it's just idle speculation on my part.

Saxo also has quite a good retail stockbroking platform that they whitelabel to other banks. Not relevant I know but still, I like to share.

The Citroën Saxo first came out in 1996. My mate Tony had a green one.

didn't that have offset foot pedals so you never felt like you were sitting straight?

Yes. The remaining 17 WT teams (less Euskatel and Vacansoleil) plus Europcar who've applied for a licence.

Saxo-Bank are short of funds but have a news conference today with Riis and Contador where they are expected to announce a new sponsor (Alonso maybe?).

How Riis keeps on trucking never ceases to amaze me. He doped himself, introduced riders to Fuentes and had multiple riders fail dope tests.

However sponsers keep falling over themselves to sponser his team when other teams fold, and he himself has not been investigated. How does he do it ?

After Armageddon only two things will survive; cockroaches and Bjarne Riis.

and cheese strings.

Yes. The remaining 17 WT teams (less Euskatel and Vacansoleil) plus Europcar who've applied for a licence.

Saxo-Bank are short of funds but have a news conference today with Riis and Contador where they are expected to announce a new sponsor (Alonso maybe?).

Live transmission (text updates) in 20 minutes. http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/cykling/article2119689.ece

No new sponsor for Riis, but Saxo Bank have upped their contribution for 2014.

I believe Riis only has 16 riders under contract for next season, so this will likely trigger off some interesting moves (Samuel Sanchez, Igor Anton, maybe even Horner?).

Well he'll have no shortage of options. LLS has denied he's signed for Saxo... Yet

Santambrogio just tweeted 'addio mondo' goodbye world and followed it with I can't take it anymore. Hope there is someone with him

Geee...

apparently he's tweeted he's saved now, must have been a bad night

Bill Burr Doesn't Buy Oprah's Holier-Than-Thou Lance Armstrong Interview - CONAN on TBS - YouTube

don't know whether im a bit late on this, but none the less i thought his views on this were quite funny.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/di-luca-facing-life-ban-after-epo-positive

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/sports-supplements-now-with-methamphetamine

I just twatted that.

Also, JTL granted extension to explain blood values.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/15/usain-bolt-coach-jamaican-sprinters

Bolt's trainer on WADA's investigation into Jamaica's barely existent dope testing regime (1 random test in 5 mths leading up to the Olympics, where their sprinters dominated, before they all started to get popped). You know the words, sing along:

• It's unfair
  
• Everyone's conspiring against us
  
• They're all jealous
  
• We're only successful because we work harder
  
  

Pretty much the template doper's response - now more suspicious of Bolt than ever.