I have a quick question for you. Have you been putting off creating a mini site, because you don’t consider yourself a “techie”?

If you have, then I’ve got some exciting news for you which will allow you to finally have a mini site of your own, without all the confusing trial and error that usually comes with creating one.

Here’s what this is all about:

Michael Rasmussen (a VERY successful online marketer) has just released an incredible set of online training videos called ‘Mini Site Profits Exposed’. These videos will teach you how to create
your own moneymaking mini site with ease, even if you’re a non-technical person.

Michael will guide you step-by-step through the entire process from start to finish, and after you’re done, you’ll have a killer mini site that can make you money 24 hours a day, even while you are sleeping!

IS CREATING A MINI SITE HARD?

Actually, I have a hunch that you’ll be surprised at how easy it really is!

Most people think that you have to create a massive website with tons of content in order to make money online. That’s simple not true, .
Every single marketing guru I know uses the mini site model, because it’s:

* Fast (you can create one in less than 24 hours once you know how to do it)

* Easy (it’s not complicated at all, once you know all the secrets)

* Cheap (you can have your own mini site up and running TOMORROW for less than $100)

Mini Site Profits Exposed will walk you through the entire process, and leave no stone unturned. You’ll be a mini site expert after you’re done watching them, and then you can finally start making the kind of
money online that you’ve been dreaming of.

Want to see these videos for yourself? Believe it or not, you can watch them right now for FREE!

WHAT WILL I LEARN FROM THESE VIDEOS?

You’ll learn:

* How to design a mini site from the ground up the EASY way.

* Secrets of creating a killer product funnel.

* How to automate virtually every aspect of your mini site

* Copywriting secrets that only the pro’s know about, and how to use them to crank out a high converting sales letter.

* “Insider” formatting tricks that will give you an instant boost in your conversion ratio (which means more money for you!)

* And much much more!

WAIT… DID YOU SAY THESE VIDEOS ARE FREE?

Actually, yes I did! Michael Rasmussen realizes that you might not know who he is yet, and so he’s willing to GIVE AWAY one of his best products in order to win you over.

He figures that you’ll be so blown away by his videos that you’ll want to do business with him in the future. To be honest, , I wish every
marketer was like that!

Go ahead and check out ‘Mini Site Profits Exposed‘right now, and see what all the fuss is about.

Where is my pre-pen? I want to sign my contract.

Here is another classic in the strange world of cycling contracts. Michael Rasmussen has dissolved what he called the “pre-contract” with the CDC-Cavaliere team. I suppose we can officially call it a post-contract. Pre-signatures mean nothing — especially when you sign with those gimmicky pre-pens with the invisible ink.

He supposedly has signed a genuine contract, with no pre-contract and that team will have a post comment soon. Such is the state of professional cycling contracts. Alberto Contador has one with Astana but the UCI claims he is free to go but privately says he isn’t free to go. Meanwhile he’s stuffing it with every protective clause and loophole he can think off.

Bradley Wiggins has a contract with Garmin but team Sky is ready to buy him out. They have a pre-offer on the table but Garmin boss Jonathan Vaughters says that’s pre-mature. Sometimes these pre-nuptials don’t’ work out.

Cloudy, mystifying and strange. But we leave the final explanation to Mr. Rasmussen, who offered this classic Kafka meets George Orwell bit of nonsense-speak: “The two parties have commenced the liquidation of the cooperation that has never existed,” said the doping Dane.

Is that brilliant? Or maybe just pre-brilliant.

Doping scandals aplenty, Velo News reports. They’re taking another look at 2008 Giro d’Italia samples for CERA, undetectable previously but now testable. The same may happen for the 2009 Giro and Tour as testing catches up with ever newer, previously undetectable substances.

“The report also outlined a new blood doping practice which evaded current testing protocol which monitor blood parameters. About 200ml of blood is extracted, mixed with an anti-coagulant, and re-injected. The practice does not alter blood values and is all but undetectable, the report said.”

And the UCI, whose efficacy anti-doping authorities continue to question, emerges with another black eye:

“Earlier efforts to back-test Giro samples for CERA were squashed by the UCI, but now Italian officials in Padua have taken up the case.”

The Chicken is back! Michael Rasmussen, who was on track to win the 2007 Tour de France before his team suspended him for deceiving it re his whereabouts before the race began, has picked up a new team following his two-year ban.

Rasmussen’s case bears some investigation, because he essentially beat the doping system. He never actually tested positive. He was put on ice simply out of suspicion of cheating.

Which means the system must be pretty easily beatable, because they suspected Rasmussen well before the Tour began and one would assume must have tested him rigorously during the race. So what went wrong? How could this happen? They’re so convinced he doped that they barred him, but nothing in their vast array of testing procedures could prove it?

Euskaltel-Euskadi on the comeback trail from doping scandals? Can they stay clean? And with this kind of money involved, will they get reported if they aren’t clean?

“As part of continued 1 million euro commitment to the team’s total 6.5 million euro budget, the government has included a clause in the sponsorship contract that would end the deal if more doping cases pop up. Reports in Basque Country media also point to an early exodus of title sponsor Euskaltel – the regional telephone operator – if there’s another doping case.”

Floyd Landis got caught and paid the price. Now he’s saying “politics” will keep him from ever competing in the Tour again.

Here’s an idea: Floyd and the Chicken and Tyler Hamilton and Bernhard Kohl and Vinokourov and a bunch of other banned cyclists get together and form a Tour team sponsored by BigPharma companies that make methadone. They could call it Team LiveClean.

World Champion Cadel Evans now wants to finally win the Tour, a prime motivator for his move from Silence to BMC Racing. We wish him luck. Cadel is one of the few pros who proactively says he does not dope. We trust he’s telling the truth and admire him for taking a stand. We also like him because he’s a former mountain biking champion. (So is Rasmussen, but we don’t admire him because, as with a lot of big names in cycling, there’s too much evidence he’s a cheat, even though he never actually got caught.)

Winner Vaquera, before lingerie show.

Aiii CHuhuahua.

Mexican rider Cesar Vaquera (Orven) proved that Mexican riders can win a stage of a Mexican Race. Hometown fans were treated to an exciting finish in the 140K etapa from Parral (where Pancho Villa was murdered) to the beautiful tourist town Carmago (where Vaquera was victorious.)

Welcome to the finish line.

The 20 year old Vaquera took advantage of the disorganization and chaos of the sprint into Carmago to grab the wheel of Javier Benitez, (Contentpolis-Ampo) winner of two Chihuahua stages.

Benitez was forced to launch before he was ready, then faded badly. “I had to jump early, and it was very long for me so I could not win.”

Vaquera rocketed past Benitez and took the biggest win of his career. ”I got on Benitez’s wheel and I managed to pass him,” he said.

“It is a very important victory for me because I’m looking for a European professional team and I hope this may serve me to get it.”

The big surprise for the young Vaquera was the seductive woman waiting for him at the finish line. Actress, singer and Chihuahua native, Aracely Arambula. The beautiful Aracely gave Vaquera a spontaneous rendition of her hit songs Sexy and Arriba, her duet with DJ Kane.

Then things got mucho festive for Vaquera and Day-glo green race leader Oscar Sevilla, as Armabula treated them both to a lingerie show based on her Hanes underwear advertising campaign.

Not your average podium girl.

The star of numerous top rated Spanish telenovas, Aracely showed several revealing outfits and neither Vaquera nor Sevilla — nor any of the hundreds of spectators at the finish line could see any genetic resemblance to the famous Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa. Not that he wore much lingerie.

But in fact, Aracely is related to the train robbing, swashbuckling, tequila slurping National Hero with the crossed leather ammo belts and bad-ass sombrero. Twisted Spoke will repeat that, due to our propensity for making stuff up. Fact: Aracely, Pancho, related. You see, Chihuahua has it all: Anthony Quinn, Pancho Villa and sassy starlets.

Cycling and lingerie. A perfect fit.

Such is the continually surprising, bizarre and thrilling action in the Vuelta a CHihuahua, the race of the yapping toy dog and our new favorite on the long and winding UCI calendar.

The Chihuahua wraps up tomorrow with Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) set to win the overall. Twisted Spoke is already experiencing withdrawal pains and sadness as the sun begins to set on the Tour of the Yappy Mutt.

But amigos, the Chihuahua has its sights set high. Race organizers have already opened discussions with the UCI about hosting the World Championships in five short years. Yes, soon, the Chihuahua will be the top dog. Faithful readers were in on the ground floor, already soaked in chihuahua lore, local history and famous characters. Manana, amigos.

On the road to Parral.

Welcome back to Chihuahua, stage 4 with Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) in the day-glo lime green jersey and facing 188 kilometers of racing from Guachochi to Parral. There will be attacks — nothing personal, no knives or sawed-off shotguns — but attacks. It’s a bike race, compadre.

Michael “el pollo” Rasmussen woke up in a foul mood ready to attack after his own teammate Gregorio Ladino torpedoed the Dane’s chances for overall victory. In stage 3, Ladino fouled up team tactics, jumping into the winning break that finished over seven minutes ahead of Tecos captain Rasmussen.

Reese and chihuahua.

“Yesterday, the team made a mistake in its tactics, as the strongest rider of the team was me, and today I have again demonstrated this,” said the modest Rasmussen. Why stop bragging there — he’s also the skinniest and baldest.

But we’re jumping ahead. We begin today with our favorite mangled Spanish to English translation from the always amusing Pan American Cycling Foundation.

Highlights of their etapa quarto coverage included: “It was the longest stage, undulating, with prizes of lesser mountains. Oscar Sevilla, Spanish leader is preserved, as missing two stages to realize the International Fair.” How can Twisted Spoke compete with that, amigos?

The chicken attacked relentlessly today, making three attacks and eventually breaking away. Only Daniel Moreno (Caisse d’Epagne) was able to bridge up to Rasmussen. The two gained two minutes on the peloton, Moreno doing the bulk of the workload.

Hilary Duff and pal.

“Rasmussen didn’t work in the final kilometers, but I didn’t stress because I knew that he was very tired and also knew that I was faster than him,” said Moreno.

The Caisse d’Eparge rider took his first win of the season, with Rasmussen trailing him in seconds later. Race leader Sevilla’s Rock Racing team had the peloton on San Quentin lock-down, no dangerous escapes and all possible threatening riders accounted for. With a strong team and Francisco Mancebo as his right hand man, Sevilla was never in danger.

“It [the stage] was hard but we know that we controlled it very well; Paco Mancebo and I are perfectly attuned and to have someone like him makes me much more confident. He did a great job for me,” said Sevilla.

The Hollywood atmosphere in this years’ Vuelta Chihuahua continued in Parral as chihuahua-totting stars continued to arrive. Hilary Duff, Adrien Brody, Reese Witherspoon, Brendan Fraser and George Lopez all made the trek to Chihuahua to see the their favorite cycling event: the race of the yapping toy dog. Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France always bring out the American fans. But it takes a cute, yippy mutt to get Hollywood worked up about a bike race.

Yo Adrien, nice chihauhua.

The only famous celebrity now missing is famous bandito (and Chihuahua local boy) Pancho Villa. However he has a reasonable excuse: he was ambushed, shot and killed in Parral, our finish line town, back in 1923. Somewhere up in the sky, Pancho is looking down, yelling arriba, arriba Oscar!

Rasmussen was ambushed by his own team yesterday but Oscar Sevilla has a loyal squad, not much chance of that happening.  But you never know what what’s coming next in the silliest, rockin-est race on the UCI calendar. Vive Chihuahua.

This is the place where I will be updating you one my personal progress with Michael Rasmussen’s Affiliate Launch Blueprint.

I am pretty much starting out without anything.  No list, no network of websites that could get me ranked higher, no already existing templates for the type of pages Mike creates…

What is Affiliate Launch Blueprint?

It is basically a blueprint for how you can do affiliate launches successfully and make at least $500 – $2 500 per launch even if you are new.  Pretty cool.

Why should you listen?  Because these are the tactics that one of the absolute best Super Affiliates out there is using.  Of course, he is pretty good at this and so he is making a lot more than $2 500 per launch.

The Blueprint comes in video form.  It is strait forward, step-by-step, and very clear.  Michael Rasmussen shows you what to do and how to do it.  Get over to Affiliate Launch Blueprint Review to read a full review.

But before you do you should know something…

Still Available!  – Hurry – Don’t Miss This

The blueprint is still available!  But it will go off line any time now.

I suggest you head on over to the Review Page and Click to see his video.  If you like it… Get the blueprint Now!  You have a 30 day guarantee. If you for some reason decide you don’t like it, just get your money back.

But my bet is you are really going to love it!  It is solid information that can really boost your business.

My Progress

Day 1 I listened to module 1 – the blueprint.  Excellent material.  Very useful.  Cannot wait to try it out.

Day 2 I listened to all the other modules.   Concrete examples and some very cool stuff for people without any lists.

Day 3 Action.  I start out without a list and set up a Review Page for a product I know, following some Mike’s guidelines.  This is actually for an ongoing launch so I don’t really think I will have the time to get enough traffic through my site.   But I want to see test out the part about traffic.

Day 4 I continue working on the details that will get me traffic.  I start looking for a launch that I could do from the beginning. Do it all the right way.

Dos, baby, dos.

Javier Benitez (Contentpolis) won his second dogfight in the Vuelta Chihuahua. Todays’ etapa odometer read 117 kilometers from Cuauhtemoc to San Juanito. Another smokin’ day in the Chihuahua, the race of the yapping toy dog.

The escape group had “siete corredores” (seven riders) with David Vitoria (Rock Racing), Angel Madrazo (Caisse d’Epargne), Florencio Ramos (Tecos), Gonzalo Rabuñal (Xacobeo Galicia), Esteban Plaza (Andalucía-CajaSur), Daniel Bowman (Kelly Benefit) and Pedro Merino (Fuji Servetto) all ignoring the odds and racing for glory.

The local scenery. Fantasico!

They didn’t get too far — no more than two minutes ahead as the Tecos team of race leader “el Pollo” Michael Rasmussen kept the safety leash tighter than a nervous dad with a hyper-active 4 year old boy. That is to say, mucho tight.

However, our man from Colorado, Mr. Bowman, surely got in some free Spanish lessons from his tutors in the breakaway. Who needs that pricey Roosetta Stone language software? “Hey, como se dice, lactic acid, fellas?”

The climbs of the el Terrero, (category 4) and el Nogal (category 3) proved no problem for winner Benitez. The fire drill into San Juanito was arriba-arriba madness — in the foreshortened photo it appears the entire peloton has Benitez’ wheel. But he squashed Michael Kreder (Rabobank) and José Antonio Carrasco (Andalucía-Caja Sur) like cucarachas.

“Today’s win was easier than yesterday’s, my legs were heavier then,” said Benitez. (Maybe sprinters should weigh their legs each morning and then they’d know what do to.) “I still think it will be hard to win as many stages as last year, but after today I’m going to try.”

I think I bonked, senor.

It was a sad and miserable day for the cartoon cousin of Speedy Gonzales, senor Slowpoke Rodriguez. The LosLoony Tunes rider disappeared out the back and missed the time cut. Generous race officials, taking into account Slowpoke’s huge fan base, decided to keep him in the race. The Chihuahua is full of love, amigos.

The crazy day-glo limeade jersey remains on the skinny backside of “el Pollo.” Ahh, but Wednesday is “la etapa reina,” the queen stage of the majestic Chihuahua. On the menu: four categorised climbs: one category 1, one category 2 and two category 4 ascents. We shall see what a chicken can do– crossing the road, easy. Crossing over the mountains, not so much. With four riders, including Mancebo, Moreno and Seville all within 4 seconds, expect a dogfight.

There will be tequila shots in San Juanito tonight. Two wins for Benitez the sprinter and what does he care about mountains? Make that dos tequilas! Manana, my cycling compadres.

The race mascot.

The Vuelta Chihuahua in Mexico is the silliest, rockin-est race on the UCI calendar. The race of the yapping toy dog. We would be remiss if we didn’t enrich the experience of the 7 day stage race with a short bio on el canine.

The chihuahua is from Chihuahua, Mexico — a happy coincidence, don’t you think? What are the chances? They’re descended from the Techichi, a companion dog favored by the ancient Toltec civilization.

Eons later nut-ball author Carlos Castaneda wrote a slew of bestsellers based on his metaphysical conversations with his Toltec teacher Don Juan. Lot of deep talk and peyote but no biking.

The Aztecs, who came along later, believed the techichi held mystical powers. They used to sacrifice chihuahuas in the hopes that the priests would ride faster. That first part was true, uhh, not the second part.

Archeologists have found ex-chichuahuas from the 2nd century B.C. — way before the UCI sanctioned 2.1 race, which is only four years old. Thus, time in Mexico may be divided into Before Chihuahua and After Chihuahua.

And finally, let no Mexican food loving cyclist forget the Taco Bell Chihuahua. The campaign ran for six years, embedding the catch phases “drop the chalupa,” and “Viva Gorditas.” Okay, that is all the chihuahua you need to know. This is Berlitz Chihuahua, an intensive course, no need for more because you are now fluent.

Does Danish race leader Michael Rasmussen have a chihuahua? Doubtful, maybe a great dane.

Big dog in the Chihuahua.

Javier Benitez (Contentpolis) won the first sprint etapa, in the 118 kilometer stage from Chihauhua to Cuauthemoc.

Cartoon character Speedy Gonzales, riding for the Los LooneyTunes squad was nipped at the line by the Italian fast man and settled for second place. Ah, just kidding, amigos. Numero dos was actually Cristian Benatti (ISD) with Michael Kreder (Radobank) on his wheel.

Noted Mexican sprinter

The early show featured escapados David Vitoria (Rock Racing), José Gómez (Canel’s Turbo), Andrey Amador (Caisse d’Epargne), Gorka Izaguirre (Contentpolis) and Eric Boily (Planet Energy). They built a five minute lead before the Tecos team of race leader Michael Rasmussen reeled them back.

The “chicken” or “el pollo” as we call him in Chihauhua-land, retains the lead in the overall classification, keeping his lime jersey that’s the exact same color as a bottle of Jarritos lime-limon.

As usual, the excitment never stops at the Chihuahua, the race of the yappy toy dog. Stunned riders learned that the infamous Frito Bandito and his gang of marauders had ransacked the feed zone. There were no energy bars or Gatorade left when the wearly riders rolled past.

The bandito struck.

According to reports, the bandito sang a modified version of his classic jingle: “Aye, yii, yii, yiiii, I am dee Frito Bandito. I like Clif Bars. I love them, I do. I want Clif Bars. I’ll take them, from you.”

The Bizarre Dutch link. We said the Chihauhau just gets stranger and stranger. Latest oddity: When we read etapa one ran through Mennonite country, we assumed some translator had just completely blown a mental fuse. Mennonites in Mexico?

But no, a group of Mennonites from a sect started by Dutchman Menno Simons  left Canada in the twenties and set up shop in Cuauhtémoc. No wonder Dane Michael Rasmussen feels so at home. This means you can get a chicken enchilada with sauerkraut. The mind reels. But we have no time for that because etapa 2 is on tap.

Hola Chihuahua!

The cycling world continues to hold its collective VO2 max breath as we await Sunday’s results of the opening prologue of the Vuelta Cyclista Chihuahua. Twisted Spoke has officially adopted the 2.1 rated UCI race as the silliest race on the calendar.

This snap is from last-years’ Chihuahua. Looks like fun, huh? We’ll be lavishing attention on the race named after a toy dog. Disgraced Dane (no, not Great Dane) Michael Rasmussen has pinned on a number. Will the rider nicknamed the “chicken” win the Chihuahua? Will two time winner Francisco Mancebo be top tog again? Will hordes of chihauhuas line the Mexican roads, yipping and yapping and handing out Clif Bars and Negro Modelo beer? We’re about to find out– so hold on to your fish tacos?

Vive el Chihuahua, amigos!

Maybe you missed this classic race. The Vuelta Ciclista Chihuahua Internacional. Yes, chihuahua, like the yappy little dog that, surprise, comes from the town in Mexico where they run the esteemed bike race.

Yes, this is hilariously true. A race named after a toy dog. Sort of like if there was a Tour de Poodle or a Giro del Gerbil. This Mexican Vuelta is the real deal, a 2.1 UCI cat race. Oscar Sevilla has done this race, Francisco Mancebo of Rock Racing has won the Chihauhua twice already. Dos chihuahuas, amigo! (Don’t make fun of chihuahuas in this part of Mexico or they take a switchblade to your brake cables and neck.)

But wait, the story (and the race) just gets weirder. Former Rabobank star Michael Rasmussen, the man booted from the Tour de France with the yellow jersey on his emaciated, Buchenwald back, plans to ride the Chihauhua. The Danish climber is nicknamed the Chicken — a Chicken in the Chihauhua. Apparently his wife is Mexican (true) and she loves small, rodent-like dogs nominally involved in bike racing (speculation). The town moto is “bravery, loyalty and hospitality,” which might be what you need to invite the blood-doping, centrifuge-buying Danish rider.

If you love the unique humor inherent in mangled translation, check out this nugget from a bizarre write-up on the Pan American Cycling Federation website. It reads like they went from Spanish to Chinese to English: “Rasmussen is registered again with the Tecos Trek, since then we have loved, we must not forget that in 2007 when he was leading the Tour of France, was removed from the fair, accused of doping, in a movement in the which was a plot.” Is that comic and yet touching and beautiful in a strange way?

Mancebo: "I want THREE chihuahuas.

By now, you’re thinking “I have to see this race.” Yeah, Paris-Tours or the Giro de Lombardia is exciting but wow, this race where pro cyclists chase a chihauhua across Mexico, now that’s the pinnacle of cycling action. Well no, they don’t chase a chihauhua — it’s not greyhound racing. There may be a cock fighting match in one of the team buses — can’t really say.

I would not expect the roads to be crowded with chihuahuas on leashes held by sassy senoritas in tight red leather mini-skirts all yipping and yappy as Seville or Mancebo go tearing by. The dogs, not the senoritas. That sounds like an old Taco Bell commercial for those step-above-dog food chalupas. Having spent my entire Useful Working Life writing TV spots, that campaign is a classic. Which reminds us, what about a new Powerbar or Clif Bar flavor that’s called fish taco? That sounds … horrific.

There, case concluded. Deluge Versus with e-mails — “I demand full stage-by-stage coverage of the Vuelta Ciclista Chihuahua!” Insist that Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen be dispatched immediately to lend their vocal gravity to this singular event. Force cyclingtv and Universal Sports to take affirmative action. The Tour de Runty Mexican Dog begins in less than a week. We must have stories, photos, insightful coverage and a few pics of chihuahuas biting Rasmussen’s tiny buttocks.

The first stage of the Tour of Denmark was a 175 km trek from Hirtshals to Rebild. The stage was won by dane Matti Breschel of the dane team Saxo Bank. The Saxo Bank all dane line-up looks set to win this tour but the continental Cervelo Test Team looks quite evenly matched on paper, with the lithuanian Konovalovas, winner of the final time trial in Il Giro set to wipe the field at the ITT.

A mention: Michael “Chicken” Rasmussen, whose suspension expired on the 25th of July is not entered in the race, altough he expressed his desire to compete. Rasmussen already competed in the Designa Grand Prix in Kjellerup and finished second.

Some who still are watching cycling after Michael Rasmussen was cheated in 2007 may have noticed that they played the Danish national anthem during the Ceremony for Contador.

While it by no means can ever replace the loss they have inflicted on Mr. Rasmussen by forcing a manager close to a nervous breakdown to redraw him from the race, it was a nice way to state that they were sorry and did a terrible mistake back then.

As Danes we are happy to receive this confession.

Maybe next year we may actucally watch Tour de France again.

As for Contador he was the real champion in this race, which became his first real win. Of course he is now listed for two victories, but the first one did not count in our hearts.

It will interesting to watch who will be at the top of the race next year. This year a almost impossible route and only two teams competing for the victory made is a boring race. That does not make Contador’s victory less impressive. He wanted to win and he beat not only Saxo Bank who was the only competitor outside his own team, but also teammembers like Armstrong and Kloden, who could have won on their own if he had not been in the race.

Congratulation Mr. Contador.

Thank you Tour de France organization for the apology

Bicycle.net: UCI opposes letting Michael Rasmussen, the 2007 Tour “winner” who was kicked off his team as he was poised to take the yellow jersey to Paris (for lying about his whereabouts earlier in the season), return to competition because he hasn’t paid his share of anti-doping costs. Although Rasmussen was certainly a cheat, he was never actually caught doping (amazingly). And still hasn’t been “detected.” Further support of the argument that cycling cannot adequately police cycling.

France’s anti-doping agency, which has had a spat or two with the UCI over thoroughness of testing, says it will re-analyze 2008 samples from the Tour. About 15 riders will be affected, although they are not yet being named. (Thanks to BikePure.org for the link.)

The Science of Sport: Can scientific analysis tell if Contador juiced? A detailed look at the VO2 max issue in relation to Contador’s time trial win. Fascinating even though ultimately too many variables (especially wind direction and velocity) impede an accurate consideration:

There are people (experts in the sport) who believe that the upper limit of performance should lie around 5.6 to 5.8 W/kg on a longer climb. This is well below what is being calculated for the current Tour, particularly the Verbier. However, if the wind speed is not controlled, then the calculated power output may well fall below that “ceiling”. The point is, we just don’t know what the wind is doing and so the margins are currently too large. Therefore, you cannot use isolated performances, lacking control over variables, to infer doping.

Thanks to Cyclelicio.us for the link.

Kyllingen!?

Den danske middelmådighed version 2.0 – og den franske med – har netop nået nye højder!

Michael Kyllingen Rasmussen (Chicky Pops blandt venner) skal angiveligt betale en mindre sum tilbage til det franske atletikforbund! At der kun er tale om småknaster, er en anden side af sagen; det og dog stadig princippet, der tæller, boys! 5 mille fra eller til får man ikke meget badebuks for! Anyhoo anytime!

Men hvad fanden går der spliff i, når man ikke længere i ny og næ kan rulle sig en heksebryg, uden at hele kulturparnasset kommer rendende! For helvede .dk! Jeg spiller da heller ikke et parti skak eller uden solide sjusser – faktisk laver jeg heller ikke noget arbejde – eller seriøst arbejde – uden en sidevogn.

Tja. Indrømmet. Det er min dope. Sådan er det!

Et glas heksebryg er en del af branchen, som jeg holder af, og alle i øvrigt kender til! Men Kyllingen, han er bare little league, gi nu drengen fred. Lad nu gøgleren gøgle, thi det er det, gøgleren kan!

Faktisk gider jeg slet ikke at se Touren, hvis ikke feltet er rocker-dopet. Ellers går sporten fløjten! Det ender med, at Lance ødelægger det hele med sin se-mig-se-mig-jeg-lever-af-kakaomælk-stil. Det er fanme sørgeligt. Først var det Brix, så Lars Lucky dernæst kom Morten Lucky og nu Kyllingen. Det hele ender sikkert med, at man heller ikke må nive sig et ordentligt skud stægt flæsk som borgmester – God danmit sådan er verden jo – lad os nu lige stoppe op og slappe af du øjeblik inden vi lukker branchen helt!

Middelmådigt. Middelmådigheden er lige præcis Problemet (TM) i det moderne Danmark, som jeg ser det. Det her land er ikke stort nok til de super-kreative iværksættersjæle.

Sådan er det bare. Der er jeg sgu enig med Morten Albæk.

Nu annoncerer Kyllingen så sit comeback. Ikke i Paris. Ikke i New York. Men til gadeløb i Kjellerup.

Ja, okay så. Støvet pustedes af Guldbjarkes gamle globus. Den svigter aldrig.

Kjellerup?

Bjarke Guldand

Det er med blødende hjerte at jeg skriver dette, men der er ingen vej udenom.

Cykelsporten er syg og den eneste måde at de kan rense sig er ved at nogle af de kommercielle interesser bliver fjernet.

Vi havde en cykelrytter – Michael Rasmussen – som var ved at vinde Tour de France. Så blev han offer for en række politiske interesser.

Man sporer lidt Jantelov brygget af en tidligere rytter som har været snuppet med hænderne nede i dopingglasset og som nu beklæder en toppost indenfor Dansk cykelsport.

Dansk cykelsport – ja, man fristet nærmest til at benævne det som Dansk cykelmafia, da ingen tør risikere at afsætte formanden fordi at han har bundet diverse sponsorater op på at han forbliver formand.

Jeg ville som erhvervsleder ikke støtte cykelsporten med en krone. Som erhvervsleder vil jeg have underholdning for folket, så mit produkt kan blive promoveret. Jeg vil ikke have produktets navn forbundet med diverse retssager og det er hvad en sponsor af cykelsporten får idag.

Når de dropper alle de tests og alle de retssager, så får vi måske en værdig underholdning igen.

Men hov, hvad med det sportslige?

Vågn op! Hvis du vil se på sport, så tag ud og se en af de mange motionscykelløb der finder sted hver Søndag. Der ser du ægte cykelløb med mennesker som kæmper imod den værste modstander enhver kan møde i livet. Dem selv!

Professionel cykelløb er en forretning. I en forretning som den jeg er chef i, er jeg fuldstændig ligeglad med hvad der har kvaliceret en ansøger til et job i virksomheden.

• Har vedkommende af sine forældre været dopet med Ritalin som barn upåagtet at der ikke har været grund til det, er jeg ligeglad.
• Har vedkommende brugt hjertemedicin for at booste sin performance i en tid med højere optagelseskrav på de videregående uddannelse, er jeg ligeglad.
• Overtræder vedkommende fartgrænserne for at opnå sine salgsmål, er jeg ligeglad.

For undertegnede tæller resultater. Det burde også have været Rabobanks holdning til tingene, men de var i den grad uprofessionelle. Jeg vil ikke prale, men jeg ved hvor at mine sælgerbiler er. Jeg har intern rapportering i mit CRM-system. Michael Rasmussen var Rabobanks vigtigste “Sælger”. De burde vide hvor at han var hvert sekund! Hvis han ikke er boglig mindet, så burde de have stillet en sekretær til rådighed så papirene kunne være i orden.

Men det faktum at der er nogle rejsepapire som ikke var ordentlig udfyldt og at Rabobank har forsømt sin rolle som arbejdsgiver i forhold til hvad man kunne forvente som arbejdsgiver, burde ikke have medført hans exit fra Touren. Det var en uværdig forestilling som for altid vil stå som en skamplet for både Rabobank, Touren og cykelsporten.

Og nu vil de have kontanter før at han må køre igen.

Til det må vi som potentielle sponsore og fans kun svare en ting:

Det er totalt uacceptabelt!!

Og da den eneste måde at sporten kan fatte hvad vi mener er via pengepungen er der følgende at opfodre til:

• Drop sponsoreringen af sporten!
• Drop TV-transmissionerne af touren!

Så kan de lære det.

Source: Corporate Integrity website

Michael Rasmussen (blog, bio, Twitter) is a former Forrester analyst now with his own boutique firm, Corporate Integrity. In his recent blog post The Forrester GRC ‘Ripple’ (OOOPS . . . I Mean, ‘Wave’) Michael calmly dissects the Wave methodology and makes several suggestions for improving it. It is well worth the read. 

However, this SageCircle blog post is actually in response to a Twitter direct message Carter received about Rasmussen’s post: “while part of me admires Rasmussen for offering critique, why didn’t he do so while AT Forrester? Hints at sour grapes.”

Probable Answer: It was only after he left the firm could he see the problem in the methodology

Major firms are constantly tweaking their methodologies with input from the analysts. But that is typically done around the edges with the goal of increasing the efficiency, fixing minor problems, or silencing vendor complaints. Frankly, it is the rare analyst at a major firm who takes the time to do an in-depth analysis of her firm’s research methodology to see where it is really broken. This lack of observations occurs for a variety of reasons:

• Analysts are too busy with day-to-day activities
• They drank the kool-aid that what the firm does is perfect
• “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” attitude toward things that appear to be working

So Rasmussen should not be criticized for not criticizing the Wave methodology when he was an employee of Forrester. Rather than think of this post as “sour grapes,” it is much more likely that he did not have an “ah, ha!” moment until he was on the outside looking in.  We all know that hindsight is 20-20.

SageCircle Technique:

• Research consumers and AR professionals should develop a deep understanding of the methodologies used by their key analysts
• Research consumers should press analysts for detail on data and methodology underlying the analysts’ recommendations
• AR should understand the weaknesses of the analysts methodologies so as to take reasonable countermeasures to limit the damage of analysts working with incomplete information or insights

Bottom Line: It is likely futile for research clients or vendor AR to try to convince analysts about the weaknesses of their methodologies. What is more important is to understand the methodologies so as to ask the right questions and provide the right ideas.

Question: Research consumers – Have you tried to ask questions of your analysts about their methodology and data only to be stonewalled?

Se la giustizia sportiva li ha condannati a due anni di stop, quella penale potrebbe avere la mano ben più pesante. Michael Rasmussen e Bernhard Kohl, implicati in vicende di doping al Tour de France rispettivamente nel 2007 e nel 2008, sono infatti al centro di un’inchiesta della magistratura austriaca che li accusa di traffico di sostanze dopanti. Nel dettaglio, i due sono sospettati di aver messo a disposizione di altri sportivi, dietro pagamento, un apparecchio....“centrifuga” destinato alla manipolazione del sangue, che sono accusati di aver comprato in società con il loro manager Stefan Matschiner e con un campione austriaco dello sci di fondo.

«Noi indaghiamo su tutti coloro che sono coinvolti nell’acquisto di questa apparecchiatura e che sono quindi complici nella diffusione di doping ematico» ha detto il portavoce del tribunale austriaco Gerhard Jarosch. Stefan Matschiner e i tre atleti avevano cercato, secondo la giustizia austriaca, di ammortizzare l’acquisto del macchinario che era stato nascosto prima a casa del manager e poi trasportato a Budapest, dove però gli inquirenti lo hanno rintracciato.