Post-tuneup, I’ve been back on the roads the past couple weeks.

My enthusiasm for being back in the saddle has been tempered by the awful shape of the roads. The harsh winter has resulted in a burgeoning crop of spring potholes, which likely get worse as temperatures rise.

Local governments may not have the cash – or be getting it from the state or feds – to do the types of patchwork they’ve done in the past.

My rides have toured northwestern Westchester, including Routes 133, 134, 100 and 35; Moseman Road; Shinglehouse Road; and the bike path between Millwood and Yorktown.

In one instance, on Route 100 near Somers, I struggled through a stretch where some holes had been temporarily filled. The stuff stuck to my tires and I almost ground to a halt.

I’d like to hear about other riders’ experiences on the roads this year; which places to avoid or which ones are in decent shape, etc.

A 48-year-old Eastchester man was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident after striking a Yonkers man who was riding a bicycle in the town and then driving away before police arrived, police said Monday.

Daniel Minozzi of 260 Garth Road was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with a personal injury, a misdemeanor.

The 34-year-old Yonkers bicyclist was treated at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville and may have suffered a ligament injury in his knee. He also suffered cuts to the right cheek, right arm, both hands and both knees, police said.

Eastchester police learned of the accident from a 911 call. The caller said a bicyclist had been struck by a car that left the scene. The caller also gave police the license plate of the car. Police attempted to reach the owner of the 2004 Mercury Sable but could not.

When police arrived at Garth Road just after 5 p.m. Saturday, they found the victim, who said he had been riding near Essex Place and Garth Road and tried to pass the car, which was stopped at the time. He said the car suddenly moved, and its front left bumper struck him, causing him to fall. The victim told police the motorist got out of the car and yelled at him, then got back into the car and drove away.

At 7 p.m. Minozzi called the Eastchester police department. He said he had left because the victim told him to. Minozzi also told the police did not report the accident because he did not know he was required to until he consulted the Internet. He was arrested by town police and released without bail to return to town court Wednesday. Police said his car had scratches on the left bumper.

By CIARAN GILES and JOHN LEICESTER
The Associated Press

PINTO, Spain — Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador blamed contaminated steak Thursday for his positive doping test, vowing to clear his name and not let cycling’s latest drug scandal “destroy everything that I have done.”
The Spanish rider was provisionally suspended after a World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Germany found a “very small concentration” of the banned substance clenbuterol in his urine sample on July 21 at the Tour, according to a statement from cycling governing body UCI.

“It is a clear case of food contamination,” Contador told a news conference in his hometown near Madrid, during which several times he appeared close to tears. “I am sad and disappointed but hold my head high.”
“I think this is going to be resolved in a clear way,” he added. “With the truth behind you, you can speak loud and clear, and I am confident justice will prevail.”

Contador said the beef was brought across the border from Spain to France during a rest day during the Tour at the request of the team’s cook.

Contador said the beef was brought by a Spanish cycling organizer, Jose Luis Lopez Cerron. Cerron said earlier Thursday on Spanish radio that he was a friend of the team chef, who had complained of poor quality meat at the hotel where the team was staying.

Lopez Cerron said he bought filet mignon for the team in the Spanish border town of Irun on his way to Pau, France, to watch a few stages of the tour.

Contador said he ate the meat on July 20 and again on July 21. He called the UCI’s suspension of him “a true mistake.”Clenbuterol is sometimes given to cows, pigs and other animals to increase their growth rate.Contador said he learned of the positive test on Aug. 24 and met with UCI doctors two days later.

“On the 26th we talked at length about how all this had happened. The UCI itself told me to my face that it was a case of food contamination,” Contador said.

He said he has been in conversations with the UCI ever since “to handle this the most appropriate way possible and analyze it and see clearly that it is a case of food contamination in which I am the victim.”

Contador said it would have been better for cycling’s image if the case had not been made public.

“It’s almost normal for people to doubt this sport now,” he said.

But he added: “The idea of anyone questioning my Tour victory does not worry me. I am not going to let something like this destroy everything I have done.”

Contador beat Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by 39 seconds in winning his third Tour in four years.

“What a crazy day in cycling with the news about Contador,” Schleck said on Twitter. “I only heard about it in the press. I hope he is innocent and I think he deserves the right to defend himself now.”

The allegations are the latest to a hit a sport whose credibility has been battered by doping scandals. Within hours of Contador’s case becoming public, the UCI announced that two Spanish riders failed drug tests during the Spanish Vuelta in September — runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera and David Garcia. The UCI said they tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch, which increases blood volume.

The UCI said the amount of clenbuterol in Contador’s sample was “400 time(s) less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect.”

Both Contador’s A and B samples tested positive, and the cyclist has been “formally and provisionally suspended,” the UCI said.

With seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong now back in retirement, Contador is cycling’s biggest star, so it could be devastating for the sport if the Spanish rider is found to have cheated.

The UCI’s statement gave no indication of whether Contador will be stripped of his latest Tour title or be banned.

“The UCI continues working with the scientific support of WADA to analyze all the elements that are relevant to the case. This further investigation may take some more time,” the statement said.

The company that runs the Tour said race organizers were awaiting the UCI’s definitive decision and offered no further comment in a short statement.

If Tour officials strip Contador of his title, he would be just the second cyclist so punished. The first was American Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after a positive test. For years, Landis denied doping but admitted this spring that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

Contador said he and four other Astana teammates ate the beef that was brought in from Spain but that he was only one that underwent a doping test on July 21.

Contador said that since he was the Tour leader at that point, he underwent three doping controls before the July 21 test that was positive. He said nothing awry turned up in the earlier tests.

“This is something strongly in my favor,” Contador said.

He said that in tests over the two days after his positive result, the clenbuterol level first went down drastically, then was virtually negligible.

Contador insisted the amount of the drug found in his urine was so small it could not have been administered and had to come from food, and that in any case was so tiny it would be useless as a performance-enhancer.

Contador said the UCI knows where the meat was purchased in Spain, but he would not name it so as to protect its reputation.

Having invested millions of dollars in recent years in what is widely regarded as the one of the most stringent anti-doping regimes anywhere, cycling authorities hoped to be turning the corner on widespread doping by riders that had long made a mockery of the sport and repeatedly sullied the Tour, its showpiece race. Although just 27, Contador is already the greatest rider of his generation. His victories at the Tour starting in 2007 and at other major races were seen as a possible break from cycling’s dirty past.

“This is serious and this case needs to be clarified,” Pierre Bordry, the outgoing leader of France’s anti-doping agency, told RTL radio. “Clenbuterol is a forbidden substance, whatever the amount which is detected. If they really found it, it’s forbidden.”

WADA director general David Howman told The Associated Press that testing positive for even the most minute amounts of clenbuterol could be enough to sanction an athlete, although he declined to discuss the specifics of Contador’s case.

“The issue is the lab has detected this. They have the responsibility for pursuing. There is no such thing as a limit where you don’t have to prosecute cases. This is not a substance that has a threshold,” said Howman, reached by telephone as he was changing planes in Dubai on his way to the Commonwealth Games in India.

“Once the lab records an adverse finding, it’s an adverse finding and it has to be followed up.”
“Clenbuterol is a substance that has been used for over 20 to 30 years,” he added. “It is not anything new. Nobody has ever suggested it is something you can take inadvertently.”

Douwe de Boer, a Dutch anti-doping expert hired by Contador to study his test, said the rider told him that smaller traces of clenbuterol also were found in his urine in the two days after the positive result but were so minute that the UCI classed them as negative.

All of Contador’s tests before July 21 were negative, De Boer said. The July 21 test was conducted on a rest day at the Tour, when the race was near France’s border with Spain.

“My conclusion is that it is very likely that this extra-low concentration (of clenbuterol) entered his body without him knowing it and one of the scenarios is contaminated meat,” de Boer said in a telephone interview. He said the UCI’s “lack of speed” in deciding whether to sanction Contador suggests the cycling body is “seriously” considering the contaminated food argument.

Clenbuterol has anabolic properties that build muscle while burning fat. It is commonly given to horses to treat breathing problems. In medicine, it is used to treat asthma. In similar ways to stimulant drugs such as amphetamine or ephedrine, it can increase the heart rate and body temperature.

Athletes and body builders are thought to use it in combination with other performance-enhancers such as growth hormone and steroids to build and define muscles. It is listed by WADA as an anabolic agent that is prohibited for use by athletes at all times, both in and out of competition.

Contador’s positive test distracted attention from cycling’s world championships in Australia. Some riders there were not yet ready to condemn Contador.

“I 100 percent give Alberto fully the benefit of the doubt,” said British rider David Millar, himself banned for two years in 2004 after admitting to using the banned blood-booster EPO. “It doesn’t make much sense in that it was a rest-day control and it’s a micro-dose … Alberto gets controlled every day when he’s in the yellow jersey and that would have come up the day before or after the race.”

I received this e-mail Monday from Michael Pagano of Stony Point, who  hosted weekly training rides for people participating in last weekend’s MS ride across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Michael also was quoted in an article about the event on our website: http://www.lohud.com/article/20109270327

Hi everyone,

The Southern New York  MS Bike event was yesterday and let me say, it was perfect in every way.  The weather was ideal for cycling, with a some sun and mostly clouds but with no rain. The temps stayed in the low 70s and we are all off the bridge before the late morning winds came into force.

The final count of participants was in the 700 range with total donations at $230k and still counting.  There was much excitement and enthusiasm at the line where I acted as MC for the starting ceremonies and then completed the 20-mile ride with my son and nephew. My son’s cross country training is really paying off as he rode stronger then I have ever seen him and wasn’t far behind me on most of the climbs…..sorry for the proud father routine.

I am so happy and proud to be a part of this wonderful organization that is doing so much for those suffering with MS, both in terms of research grants and with critical services to those in the local community.

I want to thank all of you who have been so generous in your support of me and my commitment to this cause, words can’t fully express my appreciation.  Because of your generosity I have far exceed my goal, actually, I nearly doubled it….thank you !!!!

To those of you who have not had a chance to contribute but still wish to, it not too late.  The attached link can be used through October and any contribution would be greatly appreciated.

Again, thank you, on behave of all those with MS, for your support !

Michael Pagano

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/michaelpagano

Bike or Walk to prevent vision loss at Doubleup4Vision, the 5-K Tandem Bike/Ride Walk sponsored by Lighthouse International,  a non-profit organization fighting vision loss.

The event starts Saturday, Oct. 23, at 10 a.m. at Riverside Park at West 135th Street in Manhattan, and continues along the Hudson River.

Participants can ride or walk for themselves or for someone else to support Lighthouse International’s mission to fight vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowerment.

Individual walkers and cyclists are welcome.

A Family Fun Festival, featuring booths, entertainment and activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pier I, Riverside Park South and 70th Street.

For information and registration visit www.doubleup4vision.org

Note: This post was written by Robert F. Rodriguez, a visuals editor at The Journal News/LoHud.com and a recreational biker living in New York City. He and his wife, Stephanie, enjoy biking throughout the boroughs for sightseeing, exercise and finding good food in out-of-the-way places.

My wife, Stephanie, and I try to do some long bike rides from our place in Morningside Heights in Manhattan into Brooklyn, with our destination being one of the many good pizza places in the borough. In recent years the bike paths on the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges have been upgraded, making the trek across the East River a pleasant one. Forget about dodging strollers, joggers, bikers and tourists on the Brooklyn Bridge.

We took the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn. The path begins at Delancey and Clinton streets where you find a wide, well-paved path – no stairs and a relatively easy incline. About a quarter of the way up you see a grafitti-scarred plaque telling you (duh!) that you are on the Williamsburg Bridge. At this point bikers are directed to head to the north path and pedestrians are pointed to the south side – of course, with the better view.

No issues getting across the bridge with only a handful of bikers coming and going. At Bridge Plaza in Williamsburg, you’re only a few blocks from the revered Peter Luger’s Steak House, but our cuisine today was pizza. On a previous trip we had pizza in nearby Greenpoint at Fornino at187 Bedford Ave. where we enjoyed outdoor dining.

We also have plans next trip to try Motorino Pizza at 319 Graham Ave. to judge for ourselves which pizza has the thinnest crust and best flavor. But this time, we had plans to try a place in Fort Greene (now fashionably called Clinton Hill) called Graziella’s at 232 Vanderbilt Ave.

The trek from Williamsburg to Graziella’s brought us through one of the Hasidic parts of Brooklyn as well as the fabled Brooklyn Navy Yard. This part of Brooklyn has changed dramatically in recent years with manufacturing moving out and artists and entrepreneurs moving in. We passed numerous blocks of lovely brownstones and mini mansions as we neared Fort Greene. Many of the streets we were on had a bike lane, making our ride somewhat safer.

Graziella’s has a cozy second-floor deck with views of the Chrysler Building and midtown Manhattan – we grabbed a shady table and cooled off from our ride. Adventurous eaters that we are, Stephanie and I shared grilled octopus and an arugula with shaved parmesan pizza – nothing too filling as we still had a long ride ahead of us.

After our lunch we opted to take in a few more sidestreets and head for the Manhattan Bridge home. One advisory if you are looking for the bike ramps from the Brookyn side of the Manhattan Bridge – you have to be on either Sands Street or Jay Street to enter the plaza that gets you to the ramps. There’s such a confusion of streets in the area because of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the ramps to the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges all criss-crossing.

Be sure to check New York City Bike Maps. Incidentally, the featured video on the page is “Bike Ride across the Manhattan Bridge.”

I confess that we cheated and took the pedestrians ramp (southside). It has the great views of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor. Luckily, there weren’t that many people so we did not have to weave around too many people. If you plan on taking the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn, the bike ramp is on Canal and Forsyth streets. It’s clearly marked and the incline is steady but not steep. And besides, you’ll probably stop a few times to take in the sights.

Our ride over the Manhattan bridge left us on the Bowery, where we made our way through Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo to get over the West Side/Hudson River Green Path.

Even though we had to fight the wind most of the way home, we made good time back up to 114th Street. Overall, a very nice ride and a very pleasant meal. We hope to do a three-borough ride next, heading into Queens over the Queensboro Bridge and, who knows, maybe we’ll come back over the Brooklyn Bridge.

JIM VERTUNO,AP Sports Writer,  AUSTIN, Texas (AP)   Lance Armstrong just keeps rolling along.

While prosecutors examine his past as part of a federal investigation into drug use in pro cycling, Armstrong is sticking to a relentless public schedule of charity bike rides, speeches, endorsements and meetings with policy groups.

This Aug. 22, 2010, file photo shows cyclist Lance Armstrong greeting fellow riders prior to the start of his Livestrong Challenge 10K ride for cancer,  in Blue Bell, Pa. While federal prosecutors dig into his past as part of an investigation into drug use in pro cycling, Armstrong sticks to a relentless public schedule of charity bike rides, speeches, endorsements and meeting with policy groups while avoiding interviews about the probe. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower, File)

He’s doing anything but hiding.

And that, public relations experts say, is the way to stay popular — or at least, limit the damage to his reputation — even as prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury.

“It’s all the right moves. Other athletes could learn from him” said Gene Grabowski, who guides high-profile figures through public relations crises as a senior vice president with Washington-based Levick Strategic Communications.

Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times after fighting back from testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Since returning from this year’s race, which he says will be his last, he has kept his fight against the disease at the forefront of his public appearances.

Armstrong was scheduled to be in San Francisco on Monday to visit a hospital with Mayor Gavin Newsome. When a federal grand jury considering the investigation meets in Los Angeles on Wednesday, he’ll be in New York City for the Clinton Global Initiative where he’s headlining a panel on cancer in the developing world. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are scheduled to be at the Clinton event later in the week.

Meantime, Armstrong is constantly updating his 2.65 million followers on Twitter with his musings on life, racing and music.

“We call it ‘brazening it out.’ You act as if there’s nothing wrong,” said George Merlis, founder of Experience Media Consulting Group. “All of these are laudable if he’s doing it for the right reason, such as fighting cancer.”

Do you support Armstrong? Vote in our new poll.

Had a great time riding the Westchester Cycle Club’s Golden Apple on Sunday. The day could hardly have been better: a fall-like feel with summer greenery.

Did the 50-mile loop this year after getting a rather late start. The 50 this year seemed hillier than last year’s 75-miler; my Garmin tallied about 3,900 feet of climbing, which sounds a bit high but is probably close.

There were a few hills thrown in that I hadn’t tackled before – Croton Avenue between Baptist Church Road and Jacob Street in Cortlandt Manor and Lalli Drive in Somers, for instance, plus a short hump on Moseman Road in Yorktown Heights that most rides avoid by using Hanover Street instead of Front Street.

So clearly the route masters had a sense of humor this time around.

As usual, the club did a great job running the event. The routes were well marked with signs and volunteers stationed at major turns. You hardly needed a cue sheet.

Congratulations to event organizer Kate Marshall, club President David Wilson and the dozens of WCC volunteers who gave up a spectacular day of riding to help the cause.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A former teammate of Lance Armstrong’s has reportedly told federal investigators that widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs on the U.S. Postal Service team was done with Armstrong’s knowledge and encouragement.

The New York Times reported in Thursday editions that the cyclist, who was identified only as a former Armstrong teammate, backed up claims by Floyd Landis that the Postal Service team engaged in systematic doping.

The cyclist told the newspaper he had spoken with federal investigators looking into cheating in professional cycling. Special agent Jeff Novitzky of the Food and Drug Administration is leading the probe, which is focused on a sport that Armstrong once dominated with seven Tour de France victories.

Armstrong has strongly denied any allegations he took performance enhancing drugs.

The former teammate said he detailed some of his own drug use to investigators, even though he has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs or methods. He said he has not been called to testify before the grand jury in Los Angeles that has been convened for the case.

Bryan D. Daly, a defense lawyer representing Armstrong, said any cyclists who claim that Armstrong doped are not telling the truth.

“They just want them to incriminate Lance Armstrong and that’s my concern,” Daly said. “To the extent that there’s anyone besides Floyd Landis saying things, the bottom line is, if you take away the soap opera and look at the scientific evidence, there is nothing.”

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after failing a doping test, recently dropped longtime denials and said he used drugs during the height of his career. He implicated several cyclists, Armstrong among them.

Armstrong’s attorneys have said the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has been trying to broker deals with cyclists who testify or produce evidence against Armstrong. If those riders have used performance-enhancing drugs, they could receive reduced punishment, Armstrong’s attorneys said.

More riders are expected to meet with the grand jury as early as next week, people close to the investigation told The Times.

Armstrong was in Denver on Wednesday to announce a new multistage race beginning next year.

AP Photo of Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France during his U.S. Postal days.

CyclingNews.com reports that German press agency SID reported that Hans-Michael Holczer in his new book about managing Team Gerolsteiner claims that Levi Leipheimer, his team leader for the 2005 Tour de France showed a high-probability of manipulating his blood.

“Garantiert Postiv” or “Guaranteed Positive” is the name of Holczer’s new book and in it he alleges the UCI asked him to find a reason to remove Leipheimer due to off-score co-efficient of 132.8, which is only 0.2 below the 133 limit,, which would have mandated his removal and would have been considered evidence of doping. A normal score is 85-95.

His frankness of being caught between a rock and a hard place with the UCI asking him to find a reason to remove Leipheimer from the race on the first rest day of the 2005 Tour in Grenoble. He felt he could not do this for two reasons, the legal implications and his team had already had a positive rider earlier in the season, Danilo Hondo, his team’s sponsor Gerosteiner had made it clear that they would immediately pull their sponsorship if there was a second positive. This would have bankrupted him and the team, causing great hardships on the riders and other employees. “I was caught between a moral obligation and a legal threat,” Holczer said SID during his book presentation.

Leipheimer finished sixth that year 11:21 behind former teammate Lance Armstrong. Leipheimer could join a long list of former teammates of Armstrong’s who have been charged or accused of dopping including, Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton.

Levi Leipheimer of the US trains on the time trial track in the center of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Friday July 2, 2010. The race starts on Saturday July 3, 2010, with an individual time trial over 8,9 kilometers (5.5 miles) in Rotterdam. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)