We're less than a week out from the Vuelta a Espana and the teams have been named, the starlists have been released and we're all getting excited again. 

The Vuelta startlist has been given the fine tooth comb treatment at Cycling Fans Anonymous with the main contenders singled out both in the overall GC and Sprint categories. I thought the post included a very pertinent comment to take note of about the hypocritical nature of the Vuelta organisers to pull the Astana invitation only to insert suspect Spanish wildcards Karpin Galicia and Relax-Gam.

Further on the preponderence of tainted or suspect athletes in the Continental Tour teams, Cyclocosm has pointed out just where some questionable riders have disappeared to in his call to revise the UCI Pro Tour. He makes the very good point that it would be in cycling's best interest if these cheats were still under the spotlight of attention that comes with riding in the UCI Pro Tour.

Lots of good meaty reading at Racejunkie again this week and  I've got to agree wholeheartedly with the Levi Leipheimer for Slipstream thoughts. Levi's looking for a new team, Slipstream haven't yet secured a possible Grand Tour contender, surely the dots aren't that difficult to connect. While visiting with Racejunkie there is plenty of great reading as Bjarne Riis' memory and CONI's Petacchi hunt was commented on on Thursday; the Greg LeMond "tell it like I think it should be" blast / Iban Mayo watch / Robbie McEwen's dragging bottom lip on Friday.

The Floyd Landis (non-)ruling has been occupying the thoughts and blog over at Rant Your Head Off with the impatience palpable last Thursday as a decision is awaited. By Saturday that impatience was tempered in another Rant by the reasoning that it would be better to get a fair verdict rather than a fast one, as difficult as waiting for it might be. Hear, hear. I've got to say, though...and perhaps it's because I'm not American, but I can't say that I've given the whole Floyd Landis situation very much thought at all (unlike Oscar Pereiro, I'm sure). A spirited discussion just the same in both posts and well worth the reading.