Floyd Landis Guilty - Suspended

FLoyd Landis was found guilty by the arbitration panel hearing his case, the official result published today. I have read the story in Velonews and its fairly complex, but the final decision is clear. This case has gone on so long its almost not relevant anymore. The mood of people toward cycling is fairly negative since the latest scandals this year, and so the Landis case can hardly change that. I never held out hope for Floyd but no doubt some people will remain convinced of his innocence. I find the comments he made almost rather funny but sad at the same time. "I am innocent and we proved that I am innocent." Uhhmm, no you didn't.

While its true that an accused athlete is pretty much guilty in the court of public opinion until he/she can clear the name; that has come about for good reason: people cheat! Money and sports have corrupted many good people. Gawd knows how hard it is to be a pro cyclist in the middle of the peloton. If you don't win a stage let alone a grand tour, you are a complete unknown to the world - the world of advertising and endorsements is a ticket to some relative financial freedom. The motto seems to have been, for many years now, take your chances and if you don't get caught, you get glory! And it has proven to be true for many. (If Bjarne Riis did not admit - would we ever know).

I'm not going to join the conspiracy theorists. I'll take the decision and look forward to better, cleaner times ahead. Lets hope this is a solid blow against those in the peloton who STILL might think they can get away with it!

Where to Cycling if You only Have 2 Days

We often get calls from people who may be on a business trip in Paris or elsewhere in France and they have a couple extra days. We don't offer tours for only 2 days and we don't even offer bike rentals for 2 days only, but there are some things that you can do:

Alpes - for hard core cyclists primarily. A good suggestion is to go to Bourg d'Oisans at the base of the famed Alpe d'Huez. In the town there are a couple of simple hotels, the Oberland is one of the better ones. In town, 2 bike shops can rent bikes by the hour or by the day. They don't take advance online reservations, only walk in. Cycles et Sports, and Au Cadre Rouge are the 2 shops. From Bourg d'Oisans you can do Alpe d'Huez and much more.

Avignon - contact Holiday Bike for some bike rentals and suggested rides. With a map a good suggestion is to go to Chateauneuf du Pape or to the Pont du Gard and back.

Loire Valley - Blois - contact Loire Valley Travel for a bike rental and some suggested routes. Nearby is Chambord and Chaumont sur Loire to name a few.

Paris- Fat Tire Bike Tours. Mostly for tourists, but still a fun way to explore the city and surroundings.

Renting a house in France

Renting a house in France? Gite rental is a great way to spend a long vacation in France. They come in week long durations, from Saturday to Saturday, and are available in a variety of "quality" levels. The rating system is from 1 to 4 "wheat stalks" (un epi). Some things to know: Gite Rural - you have to have a car; its a rural location and probably very quiet if not isolated. In fact, a car is really a necessity because you will do your own groceries. Doing your own groceries will require that you buy durable bags to carry your groceries because plastic is no longer an option in most of France's grocery stores. Contracts for gites almost always require an advance deposit, but often can be paid by credit card. The balance is due at check in along with a deposit. Make sure in advance if the deposit must be CASH or not!. Linens can usually be rented but for a lot of money. Make sure you have a washer on site! Drying clothes - if no dryer, be prepared for long drying times on the line! Air conditioning - often only in the more luxe properties. Seasons: shoulder and low seasons are often significantly less than high season. Rates are not negotiable as most owners give up the management of their gite rental to the main service Gites de France. See www.gites-de-france.com

Note: if you don't have the time or are unsure of what would be a good choice, Discover France will help you find and book a gite for a modest service fee.

Looking for a villa or luxury apartments? This is probably not the best source for these kind of rentals. There are many companies out there, but one that will go to any extreme for its clients is Homes Away. www.homesaway.com