2008 Olympic Games: Why isn't Adam Hansen racing the TT for Australia?

Only a few hours left before the Beijing Olympic Games start with the opening ceremony and the usual fireworks display. This year it promises to be the biggest ever as the hosts are the inventors of the science of pyrotechnism. It makes me wonder if the city of Beijing needs any more smoke in its atmosphere...

It is also one day for what most of us (readers of this Blog) are apprehensively waiting for, the cycling races. Ok, I shouldn't be so narrow minded and should watch all the (don't really know how many) different sports and support all the Australians, and all the Brazilians, and all the Germans, and all the South Africans, and all the Portuguese, and all the Cubans, and all the... Or should I, based on my limited-political, limited-social believes, boycott the games by not watching them at all?

Still, a few other questions to answer...

1. Who is going to get done for doping?

I will get sworn at for starting with this one. Of the road cyclists, it might be someone that I think had a chance to win and/or I claim to have been following their careers for a few years... This year, so far, I went for Ricco as my favourite climber in the TdF and for Sella in the 2008 Giro. S..t, I pick well, don't I? If Carlos or Andy get done, it is going to be the collapse of my world...

If we talk Track cycling, I find hard not to mention the Chinese. It is a discipline in which huge muscles are necessary, reminding me of the female swimmers that came out of that country in the 90's. It is also such an old culture with such an ancient history in "natural medicine" that they can create something that would work as well as EPO out of any endangered African animal's pubic hair and get away with it. How would any doping agency ever know that certain "exotic chemical" even exists?

So, I wasn't going to post any names and/or get involved in any arguments on BSNYC's blog but one name keeps popping in my mind, and I am sorry for that. I also better copy and paste to get the spelling right or Groover will tell me off. Here it is: Stefan Schumacher for one of the races... Or both?

2. Should Beijing (or Chinese Government) be allowed to have the Games with their terrible Human Rights records?

As I watched a morning TV show, some radio personality was asked if there should be more protests or talks regarding China's policies on Human Rights during the Games. His answer was that we should all forget those issues (the people put in prison for no reason, the problems with Tibet, the Chinese involvement in Darfur, the treatment their own people receive when "progress" knocks on their door and tell them to p..s off ) and get into the spirit of the games. At least they are using old roads for the road race but the answer is/should be No!

3. Is Cadel Evans brave enough to take his little dog to the Chinese city, taking the risk of having "it" kidnapped and served as an European special? Or will he take "Skippy" instead?

In the Herald Sun, I found a piece written by an Australian journalist who went to Beijing a few weeks before and was reporting on some of his pre-Games experiences. This one was on a visit to an exclusive restaurant where the "local specialty" was dog penis in some kind of soup where a small turtle floated and struggled for its life. His point was that the piece of dog anatomy didn't have much flavour unless dipped in some kind of soy or sweet chilli sauce.

Nothing else to add. Just hope the athletes know what is in those McDonald burgers served in the Olympic Village.

4. Why isn't the Australian Time Trial Champion racing the same event in the Olympic Games?

I thought it would be the right thing to do but they put Adam Hansen on the bench and let Cadel Evans make a decision first. Perhaps they should give Cadel a break, or give us a break. There was so much on Cadel and about Cadel in July that the guy was getting intolerable. His tantrums, his security, his complaints about his own team, everything was getting into too many people's nerves. And I like the guy but if all the focus in the race for gold will be on Cadel, it is going to be really boring...

5. What do Chinese cyclists do after a Sunday bunch ride? Or should I say, Noodle Ride?

I think it is a valid question. And why not, a noodle soup with some rice dumplings and a few green leaves will be a healthier option than the usual double-shot skinny Latte I order after my rides. Back to China, cycling as we know is growing very rapidly. Trek has set up a few concept shops around and at one point even made sure there was a Chinese pro-cyclist in the Discovery Team. So has Starbucks, with dozens of shops, which makes me think a Chinese cyclist will be more likely to order a double-shot rice-milk Latte.

What ever happens, once again, it is going to be the best games ever...