Title: Cadel Evans - Close to Flying
Author: Rob Arnold, Cadel Evans
Publisher: Hardie Grant
Pages: 304
Strengths: very well written (for a sports bio); interesting sections from Chiara, mum, old coaches and other riders (Damian Grundy, Hendrik Redant, Dario Cioni, Matt Lloyd, Charlie Wegelius...), gives a thorough picture of Cadel's early life, formative years as a cyclist and his family.  Not too cycling-geek heavy for non-cycling readers.
Weaknesses: a cycling geek might want more racing anecdotes, very occasionally the odd sentence is a bit drippy.
Rating: 4/5

More on the flip...

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 According to both the Silence Lotto and Cadel Evans' websites, Matthew Lloyd will be starting the Dauphine Libere.  After his big crash in Amstel Gold (where he sustained multiple vertebral fractures), that's a pretty impressive recovery and great news.  

Oh no - I need another 35 words!  So I'll try this:  check out this video that did the rounds a while ago on another cycling forum.  

here

If it doesn't work, the URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3qvJgY9XQI

Absolutely nothing to do with cycling, but will make you laugh.  Yes it's safe for work and for all ages too.  Hope that's 75 words now...

Today's cyclingnews.com has an article concerning an anonymous ex-Telekom rider who is giving evidence on doping.  

What's interesting to see who was on Telekom/T-Mobile in 2003 and 2004.

link here

T-Mobile rider claims widespread EPO use

The rider, whose name was not released, rode for the team in those two years, but it was not clear as to whether those were the only two years, or whether he is still active. He allegedly made a comprehensive statement about doping practices at the team during those years.

A former Team Telekom/T-Mobile rider claimed that team doctors from the Freiburg University Clinic distributed EPO (Erythropoietin) to riders during 2003 and 2004, public prosecutors in Freiburg, Germany said Monday night on German TV.

What's interesting is to see who was in the squad in 2003/04.

The info is taken from cyclingwebsite.net; I've just included riders who were in the team for both 2003 and 2004.

Mario Aerts, Rolf Aldag, Santiago Botero, Cadel Evans, Giuseppe Guerini, Torsten Hiekmann, Matthias Kessler, Andreas Klier, Andreas Kloden, Daniele Nardello, Paolo Savoldelli, Jan Schaffrath, Stephan Schreck, Alexanre Vinokourov, Steffen Wesemann, Sergei Yakolev, Erik Zabel.

Some big names left after the 2003 season: Danilo Hondo, Bobby Julich, Stefan Schumacher

Interesting signings for 2004: Jan Ullrich, Heinrich Haussler

Quite a few of these have been busted for doping or admitted as such.  Aldag, Botero, Kessler, Vino, Zabel, Hondo, Schumacher to name a few.  

Rampant speculation begins now as to who is coming clean...

The rumors have been confirmed: as per cyclingnews, Bernhard Kohl is going to Silence Lotto.  The polka-dot jersey should really beef up the mountain firepower for Cadel, which was desperately lacking at this year's Tour.  Quote from CN: 

In a press statement, Kohl said, "the whole team is strongly focused on the Tour de France as the season's high point. As we saw this year, you need a strong team to really be able to win. That means you must have at least two or three riders who have the class to ride in the top ten. With Cadel Evans and me Silence-Lotto now has two strong riders, who can be at the top of the race. We will have to wait and see which of us will be stronger in the end."

Sounds like he has ambitions to be the leader as well if Cadel falters.  Will he play loyal domestique?  Next year's Tour is already shaping up to be very interesting.  I can't wait!