Must Reads: AEG sued over Jacko shows, Irish team lines up for RAAM and Mt. Washington cleans up record book
AEG sued over Jacko shows, Irish team lines up for RAAM and Mt. Washington cleans up record book
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Rollingstone.com: Insurer sues AEG over Michael Jackson shows
Amgen Tour of California owner AEG is being sued by Lloyd’s of London over Michael Jackson’s planned comeback concerts in London. The insurer is claiming that AEG did not provide it with necessary information about the singer’s medical condition. Jackson’s estate also is suing AEG.
Irishemigrant.com: Irish team to race RAAM
Team Youghal, from Youghal County, Cork, Ireland, will be the first ever Irish team to participate in the Race Across America, which starts June 18 in Oceanside, California. The eight-man relay team consists of riders ranging from 37 to 60 years old. The ride is in memory of a young woman who died of cancer in the town.
AP: Mount Washington Hillclimb negates dopers’ records
Organizers of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Hillclimb have negated the course records held by Tyler Hamilton and Genevieve Jeanson, who have each admitted doping during their careers. The non-sanctioned event does not run anti-doping controls, but since both athletes have made televised confessions, organizers had received questions about their records. Hamilton won the race four times and set new overall men’s records in 1997 and 1999. Tom Danielson later broke Hamilton’s overall record but Hamilton still had the record for men age 35 to 39. With that record now negated, Mike Engleman has the record for that age group. Jeanson had set an overall women’s record in 2002 that was later bested by Jeannie Longo. However, Jeanson’s records for 19 and under women and 20-34 women have now been negated. The 19 and under record now belongs to Anneke Reed; the 20-34 record now belongs to Kimberly Bruckner. The race is run up an 8-mile partially dirt climb with an average 12 percent grade.
NPR: Doubts rise about virus theory for Chronic Fatigue
Public radio reports on a study finding that a virus thought to be causing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome — which many top cyclists have suffered from — was actually just a lab contaminent. “The new studies “essentially close the door on (the virus) as a cause of human disease,” says John Coffin of Tufts University, an expert on retroviruses and coauthor of one of the new papers,” NPR reports.