another hero, fallen

Operation Puerto has claimed another victim: the already-embattled, vanishing-twin, american-as-apple pie tyler hamilton.

quoth velonews:

In Monday's edition of El País, the paper cited secret police and court documents alleging that Hamilton not only engaged in banned blood transfusion practices, but also used EPO, anabolic steroids, human growth hormones and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) during his collaboration with [spanish doctor Eufemiano] Fuentes. [full article]

in addition to connecting hamilton's name with fuentes' code "4142," invesigators confiscated #4142's racing schedule, medical log, and an invoice fuentes faxed to a girona hotel c/o "haven parchinski."

if you've ever read a tyler race report or update, you know about his dog named tugboat (RIP) and his wife, haven. it's an odd name that sticks with you. but "parchinski"?? happens to be her maiden name.

tyler's protesting his innocence, again, but those of us who held him up as the hero with the broken collarbone and huge heart in the Tour three years ago are pretty disappointed. while lance sits on an entirely different level, untouchable by mere mortals, tyler always seemed like the guy next door who worked hard and made good.

on the other hand, i've got new respect for some pro cyclists. that shit is expensive.