Oddities
Normally I don't post about races. Normally, I just post about rides and gear... mostly gear.
This year's Tour hasn't been normal.
I've always been a fan of Alexander Vinoukourov (Vino), and felt he got the shaft last year. This year, he crashes early on, messing up both knees. Does he quit? No way, he soldiers on winning* two stages in the process.
Now, it turns out, he didn't. Sort of. Legally, any way. So, he's out for homologous blood doping. And his team with him.
Next up, Cristien Moreni gets popped for doping -- he used testosterone -- so he gets the boot. And his team with him.
Now, it turns out that Michael Rasmussen -- you know, the guy in yellow for the last week or so -- gets fired from his team and is kicked out of the Tour de France. Why? He lied about his whereabouts earlier in the year. You see, they -- Pro cyclists -- have to inform the governing bodies of their location at all times. Filed ahead of time. So that they can be found for out of competition drug testing. Rasmussen said he was in Mexico -- where he resides -- when, in fact, it seems he was in Italy. Oops.
I'll not level any accusations about other riders and I will continue to watch the Tour, but man, this sure does make one bitter.
2 comments:
How could a guy with a nickname like "Chicken" turn out bad? Huh? Well, at least he's been clean during the tour. It's safe to say he's been tested more than anyone else this tour, and all tests (as of the time of posting this comment) have come back negative.
In past years, I haven't gotten as attached to the Tour as I have this year. Perhaps it is because I haven't had time to ride myself, so this is what has been keeping me going.
Yeah, I'll still follow the Tour--this year and beyond--but I'd rather focus on the heat of the races than the heat of the scandals.
This exemplifies why most American sports aren't taking drug testing seriously. It really boils down to money, and nothing makes advertisers shy away from sponsorships then the risk of having their names associated with wrong-doing.
Team support was already jeopordized by last year's scandals. This is going to question the viability of high-profile (and expensive) race events such as the Tour de France.
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