Not news

This time of year is not a good time to be losing potential riding days to rain. I consulted last year's log and notice that October was rainy last year. The last three days have been rainy again. Oh, I think I could have ridden on Monday, but it was threatening and windy. Today was nice, a nice day for a bicycle ride.

This is not going to be news to anyone but fall is here. This is a view of my driveway from next to the mailbox.The ash tree in the front yard is one of the first to start dropping leaves. The maples change color sooner but when the ashes start to go it is a process that literally spans only days. The leaves go yellow one day and then a few days later they fall to the ground. Within a week the ash trees will be mostly bare.

But I got to ride today. It feels good to be back on the bike after three days off. Even with my continuing back issues it feels good. I am still not trying anything very strenuous, but I had a nice ride and I felt good enough.

I rode out past Lake Josephine. I have intended to get a picture of these bushes out there but I was hoping to get a picture with decent lighting. The sun dipped behind clouds today just as I arrived, declining to cooperate. I took the picture anyway. Who knows? This might be the best picture I get of this scene between now and blizzard season.Tour de France surprise time trial master Stefan Schumacher has tested postive for the third generation EPO product known as CERA. His future is in doubt. This was predicted by me during the race here and here.

His teammates were suspicious as reported here (second story down). Here is the most interesting bit:

"Sebastian Lang of Team Gerolsteiner said that the team had its suspicions of Stefan Schumacher during the Tour de France when they observed his reaction to news of the new CERA test.

"When it was announced that there was a new test for CERA, we were all happy. We sat on the bus and really celebrated," Lang told the Thueringer Allgemeine. "The whole team... except Stefan. He was suddenly very quiet and withdrawn."

Schumacher was "suddenly totally changed. So we other riders got together and discussed it. Finally we and the team management openly asked him whether there was something we should worry about." The response? "He just openly lied in our faces and said that everything was OK."

In other news CSC's Frank Schleck (yes, I was also vocally suspicious of him . . . and of his brother Andy) has been suspended by the team and has come under suspicions for his connections with notorious Spanish doping doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Doctor Fuentes has been at the center of what is generally referred to as Operación Puerto.

Isn't this fun?