Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:53:28 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss John Moretti :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/John+Moretti istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/sastres-quiet-sacrifice-pays-its-reward/82683/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST At Tour de France parties all around the world yesterday, cycling fans raised a glass of Champagne to toast a new champion, Carlos Sastre. We did so hesitantly, because we have been fooled before. When drug tests disclosed that the winner two years ago wasn't who we thought he was, it looked like this sport was headed for the medical waste bin. Last year's eleventh-hour dismissal of the leader on similar charges seemed to confirm it. On the other hand, tighter drug testing policies and an... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-recaptures-lost-glory-in-the-alps/82553/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Carlos Sastre won the most daunting test of the Tour de France yesterday, beating out CSC teammate Frank Schleck for the overall lead on the Alpe-d'Huez. It was a huge victory for the 33-year-old Spaniard on this last day in the mountains, but fortunately for the rest of us, this Tour is not quite over. Sastre's 1-minute, 34-second advantage over prerace favorite Cadel Evans is significant, but it may not prove enough in the end. An individual time trial awaits the riders on Saturday, and this... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-favorite-takes-yellow-as-true-contenders/81895/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The first week of the Tour de France is like the appetizers before a four-course meal: lots of color, neat little surprises that elicit a few oohs and aahs, but nothing of real substance in the end. The entrée arrived yesterday, which Cadel Evans served to great fanfare on a balmy Bastille Day in Southwest France. The Tour favorite edged out budding rival Frank Schleck by a mere second at the summit of the Hautacam, one of two hors catégorie climbs — climbs so hard they go beyond the difficulty... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/contador-wins-tour-next-task-help-save-sport/59396/ Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST RAPALLO, Italy – It was the closest race since Greg Lemond staged a miraculous comeback in 1989 and raced Laurent Fignon down the Champs Élysées for an eight-second victory. It was the most inspiring personal story since Lance Armstrong overcame testicular cancer to win a record seven straight titles. But instead of remembering Alberto Contador's Tour de France victory yesterday as the secondclosest in Tour history, or as the story of a young and brash Spaniard who overcame a life-threatening... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-gone-from-south-of-france-and-forgotten/58903/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST ANTIBES, France – It was a rare sight these days: Two men having pastis at the bar and excitedly watching the Tour de France on television. They were clapping, even, when Tour leader Michael Rasmussen allowed Alberto Contador to pass him just before the finish line and win yesterday's stage. There had to be some sort of explanation for this odd behavior, and then it came as soon as the men started cheering — in Flemish. It would take a lot, more than the recent doping inquiries and the ensuing... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-favorite-falls-hopelessly-behind-in/58655/ Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST ANTIBES, France — No one had to ask Alexander Vinkokourov whether he thought his Tour de France was over yesterday. His face told the story. He wrinkled his brow as he looked up fearfully at his microphone-wielding interlocutor, like a puppy that had just soiled the carpet. "I did everything I could," he said softly, in French with a heavy Russian accent. "It was another horrible day." And then the tears began to flow. Vinokourov is without question Kazakhstan's most revered celebrity. Not even... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-boils-down-to-its-contenders-in-the-alps/58449/ Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST ANTIBES, France – Danish climbing guru Michael Rasmussen rode alone for most of the 102 miles of yesterday's seventh stage of the Tour de France, making molehills of three first-category mountain climbs, and took the overall lead in top form. After crossing five minutes ahead of the yellow jersey, he prompted the inevitable question: Does he believe he can hold on to his lead until Paris? "I would be stupid not to," Rasmussen responded. He does have some reason to believe. Rasmussen is almost... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/cancellara-holds-lead-on-first-leg-of-tour/58018/ Mon, 9 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST MILAN, Italy — It came as little surprise that the Tour de France rankings remained unchanged after yesterday's stroll through the meek hills of southeast England, but Fabian Cancellara was still relieved to hold on to his 13-second lead and his leader's jersey. The Swiss rider said he has been wearing the same clothes ever since British Airways lost his luggage en route to London for Friday's opening ceremony, and that clean, yellow shirt is a welcome, if temporary, addition to his wardrobe... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/scandal-has-cyclists-dazed-before-tour/57790/ Tue, 3 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST MILAN, Italy — In the 1993 cult classic "Dazed and Confused," the star quarterback for a Texas high school, Randall Floyd, is told to sign a pledge that he will voluntarily refrain from taking drugs and alcohol over the summer, or else he will not play the next season. "I may play football next year," Floyd says to his coach, as he crumples up the mimeographed sheet of paper. "But I will never sign this." Riders from the Tour de France now stand defiantly in front of the International Cycling... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/arts/restoration-or-preservation/46375/ Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST Is Auschwitz a tourist attraction to be updated with the times, or a solemn burial ground to be left untouched? An international debate has focused on this question ever since the new director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Piotr Cywinski, announced plans to renovate and remodel parts of the infamous death camp. Controversy surrounding Mr. Cywinski's proposal was sparked by an article in Ha'aretz, following his visit in October to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/americas-new-tour-de-force/36614/ Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — The strangest Tour de France in many years culminated in Paris yesterday with what has become the most normal of outcomes: an American riding into Paris wearing the yellow jersey, sipping champagne. Floyd Landis added his name to the storied list of Tour de France winners yesterday, becoming the third American to enjoy that honor after Greg LeMond (who won three times, in 1986, 1989, and 1990) and Lance Armstrong (who won the last seven.) It was the first victory for the former... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/dramatic-move-in-the-alps-by-us-cyclist/36509/ Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — Do you believe in miracles? You would think that Floyd Landis does after yesterday's performance in the 17th stage of the Tour de France. His chances for a victory written off after his deflating performance the day before, Landis shocked the caravan yesterday by mounting an unlikely attack on an early climb, and turned it into one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of this century-old race. He roared ahead alone, in the lead for some 125 kilometers, and erased all... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/landis-helplessly-watches-as-his-tour-slips-away/36405/ Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — If Floyd Landis planned to lose the yellow jersey on the second Alpine stage in order to ease his Phonak team's burden, he did that successfully yesterday, and then some. The American totally fell apart on the final climb of Stage 16 of the Tour de France, losing eight minutes to the new leader, Oscar Pereiro of Spain. Barring a blistering attack today, a top finish on Saturday's time trial, and lots of luck, Landis's Tour hopes, which appeared golden just a day ago, are over... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/armstrong-nearly-steals-landiss-show-in/36346/ Wed, 19 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — Floyd Landis won back the lead of the Tour de France yesterday on the race's most storied climb, under the watchful eyes of retired champion Lance Armstrong, whose controversial visit nearly overshadowed his one-time teammate's achievement. Even if did, it is unlikely that Landis cared. There was some question as to whether Landis even would try to regain the yellow jersey on the Alpe d'Huez, as it would put exhausting pressure on his Phonak team. It was all but certain he... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/leaders-keep-pace-as-rocky-road-claims-three/36116/ Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France - Today marks the end of Bastille Day weekend, a vacation from responsibility for everyone in the hexagone, and that included most of the riders in the Tour de France. Floyd Landis decided to abandon the duties that come along with his leader's yellow jersey, until he gets back to serious work in the Alps later this week when earning it back will become a priority.The American remains one of the top contenders to the throne in Paris, but defending the shirt this weekend was not... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/move-over-lance-here-comes-floyd-landis/36039/ Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — It was not easy for the French to see the leader's yellow jersey pass from one of their own to an American on the eve of Bastille Day, especially after their nation's bitter loss in the World Cup final four days before. At least in this case, Floyd Landis, the strongest American presence on the Tour de France this year, was diplomatic after he ruined their party. "Yeah, sorry about that," Landis offered to his interviewer on French television, who reminded him of France's... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/new-favorites-emerge-with-every-passing-stage/35968/ Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST CANNES, France — At first, it was unsettling to be so unsure who would take control of this year's Tour de France. With its top five finishers from last year out of contention, forecasting the next would-be king of the peloton became a sort of sport in itself. Now, 10 stages into a race that has already reached the mountains and still has provided no clear leader, it is downright comical. The same cycling gurus interviewed on television who usually shout over each other to make their theories... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/ride-through-the-pyrenees-to-answer-lingering/35899/ Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST Headed into the second week of the Tour de France, the once fearsome CSC team looked like a captain-less ship whose sails were flickering in a limp breeze. Even the team's manager, Bjarne Riis, skipped out on Sunday's stage to watch the World Cup final in Berlin. He wasn't present for Monday's rest day press conference in Bordeaux, either, when the struggling team laid out its plan for the Pyrenees.The riders will start climbing today. "Our strategy hasn't changed," CSC's second-incommand, Kim... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/americans-knocking-on-the-door-as-pyrenees-await/35691/ Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST It is fitting that in this bizarre edition of the Tour de France, bereft of its marquee performers and eclipsed by World Cup drama, it is led by riders who were, for the most part, anonymous before the weekend began. A 36-year-old Ukrainian,Serhiy Honchar, won Saturday's time trial and launched himself into the leader's yellow jersey. He specializes in the event — he won a world championship in the time trials four years ago — but otherwise is about as nameless in the Tour de France as are the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/watching-the-madness-from-the-belly-of-the-beast/35707/ Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST ROME — Well, I gambled and I won. I had the opportunity to watch this World Cup final from the Cote d'Azure, where I am covering the Tour de France, or else go to Rome where most of my friends live. I chose the latter. It could go either way, I thought, but the party is always going to be better southern side of the Alps, and after all, Italy is where I spent the last five years of my life. I left on Friday. All weekend, Italians walked around dressed in azure, waving red-white-and-green flags... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/suddenly-wide-open-tour-de-france/35602/ Fri, 7 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST MENTON, France — A week into the 93rd edition of the Tour de France, cycling fans are still anxious for some sign as to who will fill the void left by retired, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. They are no closer to that answer than they were last July. A doping scandal last week all but wiped out the sport's ruling class, removing last year's second-place, third-place, fourth-place,and fifth-place Tour finishers from competition. Then a crash on Tuesday took out Spain's great hope... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/fun-and-games/28223/ Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - While military helicopters patrolled the closed airspace above the Olympic Stadium last night, Rudolph Giuliani and his American delegation to the closing ceremonies looked on as Turin bade farewell to the 20th Winter Olympic Games. Dancing tarot cards and troupes of clownish characters from Italy's Lenten carnival tradition feted the end of an event that, despite the glum predictions, will go down as a great success - both for the Italian hosts and their American guests. "You... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/vancouver-2010-takes-its-cues-from-turin/28088/ Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - The line yesterday afternoon outside the British Columbia house extended to the end of its decorative wooden bridge. People are pleading with the bouncer to get in, even though he has repeatedly told them the place is closed to the public for the day. This is strange, because there is no food served here in the afternoon - as there is in many of the other national pavilions at these Winter Games - and, oddly enough for Canada,no beer either. In fact, there isn't really much at... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/in-slalom-paerson-wins-duel-of-daddys-little-girls/28056/ Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - Going into yesterday's women's slalom competition, two fathers watched intently from the stands as their respective daughters dueled it out beneath cloudy Italian skies: Anders Paerson and Ante Kostelic. Both of their daughters are 24. Both reside in Monte Carlo. Both are coached by their dads, and most important, both were heavily favored in yesterday's race. It was almost a foregone conclusion that either Anja Paerson of Sweden or Janica Kostelic of Croatia, or more likely... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/miller-takes-another-step-toward-olympic-flop/27898/ Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - As skiing champion Bode Miller likes to point out - usually after he loses - his is among the most unpredictable of sports. The difference between a winning run and a middle-of-the pack finish is measured in 10ths of seconds. The slightest weather conditions can change everything. One slip of an edge can end a race. Indeed, the favorite is almost never the winner, but he usually takes home a medal of some kind in one of the five different competitions. Not so with Miller in these... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/not-everyone-can-digest-a-rebuilt-turin/27791/ Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - Surely you've heard this one before, or at least one of its variants: In heaven, the cooks are Italian, the lovers are French, the police are British, and it's all organized by the Germans; in hell, the cooks are British, the lovers are German, the police are French, and it's all organized by the Italians. Funny, then, that at the Winter Olympics in Turin, where the Italians do it all, the organization has been the least of their worries. It's actually the hospitality the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/dorfmeister-leads-austrians-to-long-awaited/27751/ Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - Tensions ran unusually high at the starting gate of the women's downhill competition yesterday. American hopeful Lindsey Kildow stared down the same icy slope where a dramatic crash on Monday nearly ended her Olympic debut, not to mention her life. Fidgeting nearby was the defending gold medalist from France, Carole Montillet-Carles, who also tumbled badly on Monday. The third woman to go down on that slick practice run two days before, Canada's Allison Forsyth, injured her left... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-miller-disqualified-unsung-ligety-takes-home/27630/ Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN, Italy - Ted Ligety once wore a hand-written ad for "Mom and Dad" on his helmet. But that sponsorship space became a lot more expensive yesterday when the Park City, Utah, native won his first Olympic gold medal. The 21-year-old skier staged an unlikely come-from-behind victory in the men's combined event yesterday, overcoming a 32nd-place finish in the downhill with two spectacular first-place finishes in the following slalom runs to snatch the overall lead. He is the first American... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/miller-time-is-short-lived-in-downhill/27442/ Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST TURIN - The lead-up to the men's downhill race at these 20th Winter Olympic Games had all the makings of an upset. Austria's brightest star, Hermann Maier, was battling the flu and in a bad mood in general. His compatriot and defending gold medalist, Fritz Strobl, was forced to ski with a brace on his broken hand. Meanwhile, American Bode Miller was struggling with his newfound infamy as America's Olympian du jour and turned in erratic performances leading up to the Games. None of them seemed... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/final-stage-a-formality-for-33-year-old-texan/17527/ Mon, 25 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong captured his seventh consecutive Tour de France yesterday, closing out a glorious cycling career and doing exactly what he set out to do: Ride his final race and come out a winner. The final stage, with its traditional eight loops around the Champs-Elysees, was marred by wet weather that made the course dangerous. Tour organizers decided to halt the timing of the race with the first crossing of the finish line, rather than the eighth, to protect the racers. The showcase ride... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/rivals-jockey-for-position-as-armstrong-enjoys/17460/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong has said that he doesn't want to have a 9-to-5 job after he retires from cycling next week. He did the cycling equivalent of that in yesterday's 189-kilometer stage from Albi to Mende. Armstrong kept his closest opponents in check, ate lunch on the go, stayed out of trouble, and then showed up on the podium to collect his yellow jersey. Aside from a tight sprint at the end with rival Ivan Basso (CSC), the stage was the six-time Tour champion's version of the daily grind, the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/discovery-team-led-by-savoldelli-surges-in-stage/17366/ Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong's inscrutable grin looked like a real smile yesterday after a superb stage in every respect for his Discovery Channel team. Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli, won this, the longest stage of the Tour de France. Another teammate, Yaroslav Popovych, remained in the white jersey of the best young rider, and Armstrong stayed comfortably in the lead, earning the 79th yellow jersey of his career. The mark tied him for second place in the history books with Bernard Hinault, and... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/as-armstrong-cruises-through-16th-stage-rivals/17314/ Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Yesterday's final mountain stage of the 2005 Tour de France was one of the last chances for Lance Armstrong's rivals to close the gap in front of them. But as they neared the Tour's last major challenge, the Col d'Aubisque, the race already seemed a battle for second place. Ivan Basso (CSC), Mickael Rasmussen (Rabobank), and Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) seemed to have yielded to the reality that it would take a miracle to beat the American. The entire top 10 finished with the same time in the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/discoverys-hincapie-captures-first-career-stage/17165/ Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST After the hottest and most torturous climbs of this year's Tour de France, Lance Armstrong has nearly cemented his bid for a seventh consecutive title. It was a banner weekend for the Discovery Channel team - not only for its leader, who added to his solid lead on his main rivals, but also for Armstrong's right-hand man, George Hincapie. The New York native captured the queen stage - the longest mountain stage - of the Tour yesterday - his first ever Tour stage win and the first such victory... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/armstrong-retains-tour-lead-but-loses-teammate/17089/ Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST "Cock-a-doodle-doo" rang out from the crowds in Digne-les-Bains yesterday as a Frenchman took the Bastille Day stage of the Tour de France for the second year in a row. Last year, fans brought out their roosters - the symbol of French sports teams - for climbing guru Richard Virenque. This year, the cock crowed for David Moncoutie, a 30-year-old climbing specialist on the Cofidis squad, at the end of the 187-kilometer stage. Moncoutie and 13 other riders took off from the peloton on the first... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/armstrong-keeps-tight-grip-on-yellow-jersey/17027/ Thu, 14 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong powered his way through the most punishing stage of the Tour de France yesterday and kept a firm grip on the yellow jersey, thanks to another reassuring effort by his Discovery Channel team. Escorting him from start to finish over three grueling climbs, the blue-and-grey train rolled into Briancon a safe 1 minute and 25 seconds behind Stage 11 winner Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile) and Santiago Botero (Phonak), giving their champion an even better chance at swiping his seventh... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/armstrong-back-in-yellow-after-dominant-climb-by/16957/ Wed, 13 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST With just 10 kilometers to go on the steep climb to Courchevel during yesterday's 10th stage of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong's heir apparent, Yaroslav Popovych, put the hammer down. The Discovery Channel riders had set a ferocious tempo up the 22 km climb, and their pace continually shrunk the group of leaders. Apart from Armstrong, Popovych was the last of the riders in gray and blue, and he hopped out of the saddle and upped the tempo. His goal was to exhaust the lead group and pave... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-tough-weekend-armstrong-surrenders-yellow/16803/ Mon, 11 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong surrendered the overall lead in the Tour de France yesterday, handing the yellow jersey to German rider Jens Voigt (CSC) after a tiring weekend for the Texan's Discovery Channel team. The six-time defending champion finished in the main pack yesterday, some six minutes behind Stage 9 winner Mickael Rasmussen (Rabobank), and three minutes behind Voigt and Christophe Moreau (Credit Agricole). Armstrong is now in third place overall. The change of leaders was entirely expected... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/hometown-hero-suffers-heartbreak-as-armstrong/16740/ Fri, 8 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Christophe Mengin had tears in his swollen left eye as he recounted how his hopes of hometown glory on the Tour de France ended on a rain drenched road. The 37-year-old Francaise des Jeux rider from the Lorraine region led the 199-kilometer sixth stage from near the start in Troyes to the final stretch in Nancy, just minutes from where he grew up. Two kilometers from the finish it looked like he just might hold off the pack and take the stage. But less than a kilometer from the finish, he... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/as-armstrong-reluctantly-wears-yellow-mcewen/16659/ Thu, 7 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong retained the yellow jersey during the fifth stage of the Tour de France yesterday, but if he had his way, he would have raced from start to finish in Discovery Channel blue. Armstrong earned the leader's jersey after Tuesday's time trial, which his Discovery Channel team won after the overall leader at the time, David Zabriskie, had a hard crash with two kilometers to go. The crash knocked his CSC team - who were leading the time trial at that moment - into second place, and... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/armstrong-grabs-leaders-yellow-jersey-after/16576/ Wed, 6 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Lance Armstrong could not have captured the Tour de France's yellow jersey in more dramatic fashion yesterday. The stage his Discovery Channel squad conquered was quite possibly the most nail-biting team time trial in the history of the Tour, and, as a matter of record, the fastest. The silver-and-blue streak clocked a 57.324 km/hour average over the 61 km course, eclipsing a record set 10 years ago. Yet even that record-shattering effort would not have been enough for Armstrong to take the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/boonen-takes-third-stage-while-americans-hold/16498/ Tue, 5 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST American cyclists celebrated their national day by continuing their dominance of the Tour de France. Not only is American David Zabriskie (CSC) wearing the leader's yellow jersey after three stages, but Americans hold four of the top six places in the general classification. Among them is six-time defending champion Lance Armstrong, who sits just two second behind Zabriskie and again looks like the man to beat. The only country with more to celebrate is Belgium, whose young sensation Tom Boonen...