Bike dopes

I plan to work on a Facebook Application over the holiday break. It's a bike racing game in which you join a cycling team to race in the big American and European races. You "train" by visiting the bike application, and more time spent training equates with better racing times. The races will occur at the same time as the real races, and I might even include real world events (such as weather, crashes, and DNFs) into the game world.

Recruiting friends to the game earns you sponsorship money which you can use to buy equipment, coaching, training aids and so forth. I'm trying to decide if drugs should be an option. If you get tested, you will be caught and if you win you will be tested. What do you think? What should be the consequences if you're caught doping?

More below...



In the real world, Floyd Landis has now been officially suspended from French, non-UCI cycling races by the French national doping agency. The UCI, which is the international union which regulates most pro cycling, had banned Landis already. The ASO is an independent organization that runs the Tour de France and Paris-Nice.

We also see that Iban Mayo's "B" sample has tested positive for the banned substance EPO. The sample was taken during the 2007 Tour de France. The Spanish sport federation had previously cleared Mayo and now they're in the uncomfortable position of going back on their assurances to Mayo.

Speaking of dopes, Richmond, VA police officer William McKay blew through an intersection at 40 mph without checking to see that the intersection was clear (as required by law). He hit cyclist Kristin Stokes, who was still in the intersection when the light turned red on her. The city of Richmond then sent Stokes a $3,000 bill for the damage to the cop car. After criticism from around the nation and offers of pro bono legal assistance to Stokes, the city dropped its claim. “In a state like this, the motor vehicle guy is always right and the cyclist is cluttering up the road,” says Bud Vye of the Richmond Area Bicycling Association.

From Jack's reports, we also know that the car is king in St. Louis, Missouri, where cyclists are anticipating increased harassment from motorists and law enforcement along bicycling corridors that will be overrun with traffic from the I-40 highway project.

We also see dopiness in Auckland, New Zealand, where errant cyclists who chain their bikes to ramp railings are fined the same $200 "towing fee" that illegally parked motorists are charged.

On a lighter note, VeloNews site of the day is this shocking news of another drug scandal from unexpected quarters.

I'm only posting this to scoop my friends in the Kansas City area: Gladstone, Missouri plans to build a pedestrian / bicycle bridge over Shoal Creek to improve access to Happy Rock Park.

Finally, Jennifer posted some wonderful bicycle haiku while commenting on urban cycling and the goofiness of outlandishly decorated Christmas bikes. I might as well just post a permanent link to Sue's blog in Urbana-Champaign because she posts several baikus every day! You can also find the answer to the question: Why did the chicken cross the road?