USADA Attacks
Steel WÜl Riders citing unfair practices
By staff writer: Jay Dicharry
Velo
news has learned of a developing event
on the west coast. In the Santa Cruz mountains lies a group of riders known
collectively as Steel Wul. These riders have denounced their former aims on
training, and deny any specific goals to achieve a place in history on the
podium. They have built their national reputation on banding together for the
“spirit of riding” and widely promote their “you-find-it” competitions and
group rides such as this weekend’s Cobble Classic as a way to experience
adventure among like minded folks who enjoy bicycles. They even run their
cobble classic to align with European events, featuring prizes for KOM, Sprint,
and DFL specialists within their ranks.
Evidence
suggests that this group, who “rides for the sake of riding their bicycle” and
is “all about the boogie” have actually been using performance enhancing
strategies such as training to ensure success.
USADA
chief Travis Tygart wrote in an early press release, for its summary of its
claims, called “A Reasoned Decision.” “The evidence of the Steel Wul-run cobble
classic scheme is overwhelming. The evidence shows beyond any doubt that these
black and baby blue clad riders ran the most sophisticated, professionalized
and successful training program that sport has ever seen.”
The
USADA statement continues: “just look at the field. They may say they are all
about a group ride in the mountains while enjoying great cheeses and meats, but
the field is stacked beyond a doubt. You’ve got current and former triatheltes,
industry insiders, and professional and national team riders – good ones too.
Some of them have even stood on the podium at the Tour of California, the
Firefighter Olympics, and the Davis Criterium. One of the participants George
Janour, keeps his body in such fine training shape, that he is frequently
mistaken for Val Kilmer. Dan OConner isn’t just a stunt double for Cancellera,
he has apparently raced as Cancellera in several stages over the past few
years.”
While
founder Jake Hess denies that Steel Wul riders are interested in competition, a
well placed spy this summer offered Jake a Dharma’s chocolate chip cookie one
evening. Jake ran off mumbling something about “a minute on the lips equals a
lifetime on the hips.” He was tracked later that evening, and was spotted riding
his rollers while writing some fluffy blog posting about recycling, hair
styles, and cycling trivia to appeal to his core audience.
USADA is
hell-bent on exposing Steel Wul’s purpose: to rip the legs off fellow riders at
any costs while feasting on artesian cheeses, meat, and breads. Some riders
have established fronts. When asked why he engages in training as an advantage
for group rides such as the Cobble Classic, Jeff Tragout became overly
defensive and stated “I just make guitars and beautiful music dude”.
Brent
Marks, whose training has been showing impressive form in the Saturday ride
lately, is also shrinking behind a front. He established the “I Believe
Foundation” and adamately denies any training in preparation for the Cobble
classic. He claims that the rider who looks like him is really his un-born twin
that died in the womb. Right.
Andrew
Carrol, flanked in the interview by his 2 mafia hit men Vincent and Anthony,
says he doesn’t train for cycling, and claims that “oh I haven’t ridden in
weeks.” While trying to confirm this, VeloNews identified true, Mr. Carrol has
not ridden in weeks. However, he earned a belt buckle at Leadville, ran a
marathon 5 times in the past 2 weeks, and now has his highest VO2 in history.
Mr. Carrol is a black eye on the spirit of noncompetitive group riders.
And
then there’s Reidstrong, who
still, shockingly, vehemently denies any wrongdoing. On Wednesday evening,
Reidstrong sent out a defiant message on Twitter: “What am I doing tonight?
Hanging with my wife and tending to my organically grown garden that has mulch
from certified redwoods and manure from organically fed cows that were fed a
diet of gluten-free grains that were processed in a mill using only local-solar
for power”.
This
timing of this tweet seemed rather odd. About 10 min before the tweet was
broadcast several Steel Wul participants who were uploading their own power
data from their “easy spins with friends”, saw that Reidstrong just broke
posted 29 new Strava record segments from his 165 mile ride earlier that day.
If
Reidstrong is defiant, perhaps it’s because he has no choice. As noted in an Outside
article last month,
Reidstrong risks jail, perjury charges and damages from past lawsuits should he
ever admit to training. I’m still just surviving on my base from college
swimming” he insists.
However,
some riders have begun to crack under pressure from USADA:
On
Friday, Self-sponsored Rapha athlete Gren-capie wrote the following: “Early in
my un-professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use
of performance enhancing training by cyclists, it was not possible to keep my
$285 Rapha shorts in the top 90% of touring cyclists without it.” He continues,
“I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates
and fans.”
In
his own statement, which appeared on WSJ.com, Doug E Fresh wrote, “Having made
sacrifices for my dream, several years after I realized I’d shift my attention
to noncompetitive group rides that give shellacked rocks for prizes, I came to
see Steel Wul for what it was: A sport where the athletes at the highest level
— perhaps without exception — trained. A sport where training was so accepted
that riders from different teams — who were competitors on the road —
coordinated their training to keep up with other riders doing the same thing.
Right or wrong, in my mind the choice was ‘do it or go home.’ For me that was
not a choice.” I want a cobble.
If
there is a common connection between the riders, it is the kingpin, Dr Bill Cao.
While masquerading as a family doc, VeloNews finds it interesting that the
training peaks logo is prominent on his prescription pad. In fact VeloNews sent
an undercover patient to see Dr Cao. On his patient intake form, we found the
usual - do you have a history of cardiac
disease? Do you smoke? And are your bowel movements regular. However, we also
found an additional section asking: how many minutes do you spend in zone
1,2,3,4a, 4b, 4c, and 5 per week? How much does your power-weight ratio drift
off course in the off season? How many weeks do you spend at altitude per year,
and how many nights do you use your altitude tent when at home? It appears that
Dr Cao is operating outside the limits of traditional medicine and trying to
promote training. USADA is looking into this, and is pending a case. Dr Cao was
not available for comment.
The
group is under scruitnany from USADA for sponsorship cover-up. Steel Wul has
made progress from pulling in funding from Caletti Cycles and Image Tribe. But
at what lengths have these allegiances failed to promote the spirit of Steel
Wul itself? VeloNews made many attempts
to contact Steel Wul rider Chris Appleton. All we could find is that he is
training in Baja for the next month. Apparently he was too shamed by his
power-to-weight ratio to show up @ Steel Wul.
Caletti
Cycles attempts to uphold its image of a company dedicated to the pure riding
experience, funding the mission of Steel Wul. Meanwhile, its right-hand woman,
Corey Caletti, is racing her way into shape with the Saturday morning ride, the
Saturday afternoon ride, the Sunday pre-breakfast interval session, the Sunday
brunch ride, and evening intervals in the pain cave. This type of aggressive
“training” flies in the face of the mission of Steel Wul – a ride amongst
friends. Apparently, Caletti has been paying other riders to deny they have seen
or heard of Corey’s training.
Despite
USADA’s findings there is hope amongst the ranks. Rider Kevin McGuillicudy is
showing up clean. “haven’t trained, or even ridden my bike since last year’s
Steel Wul” he says. “Well, OK did to go
for a beer run the other night. Do you know how many episodes of arrested
development I’ve watched on Netflix while sipping micro-brew while these fools
are “training”? They think they are out there riding amongst friends, but they
are living a lie. I’m their friend and they drop me every time the damn road
turns uphill. Training is unfair. I’m here to promote the message that its OK
to sag at the back of the Cobble Classic while looking quite dapper in spandex.
And that, my friends, is what this day is all about.
