For the past two weeks, I've had big plans of writing a Tour de France post explaining how much fun it is to watch (no, really). The riders are amazing athletes, the strategy of the race is fascinating, and the announcers are some of the best in any sport. Unfortunately, last night I saw this story on yet another doping scandal in cycling. This time it involved one of my favorite riders, Alexander Vinokourov, and allegations of illegal blood transfusions.
I realize most people don't care about the Tour now that Lance Armstrong retired, if they even cared before that. But it is one of my favorite random sporting events each year. It comes at the slowest point in the sports calendar, when basketball is over, baseball is in its most boring stretch, and football hasn't started yet. Wimbledon and the British Open occupy a few days here and there, but the Tour de France gives me great sports to watch for three straight weeks.
The only problem is that I have to avoid thinking about the fact that most of the riders are probably cheating. Normally, I don't have much of a problem doing this. I watched Floyd Landis last year without even thinking of what drugs he might be taking. When the positive test came out after the Tour, I didn't want to believe it.
This year, I had managed to ignore doping yet again. I watched the first few weeks just enjoying the racing. Now, I'm not sure I can ever do that again. I was really looking forward to tonight's final mountain stage. I was ready to write about how exciting it is to watch world class athletes hit the wall and drop back from the pack. Now I have to wonder if those stragglers are the only ones playing by the rules.
July 25, 2007
Another Ruined Tour de France
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Based on what I read in ESPN: The Magazine, I have little doubt that all racers do some form of blood-thickening doping, whether it's EPO or backed red blood cells. I'm not usually one to support the "legalize it if you can't control it" argument for drugs or steroids or anything else, but that might be the only thing that could save the Tour de France. At this point, the winner is the fastest racer who can duck the testing process. That doesn't seem like much of a competition.
Yeah, the testing system is so ineffective, I don't see any alternative to legalizing at least some of it (transfusions? EPO?). It's really a shame because the Tour is so much fun to watch. It would be nice if it wasn't tainted by doping every year.
Another racer was led away from the team today after a positive test for synthetic testosterone.
And now the leader, Rasmussen, is out as well. In terms of damage to a sport, the combination of not having a competitive American and the near-daily doping stories have done more damage to cycling than Donaghy, Vick and Bonds could ever hope to do to their respective sports.
Story here
At least Donaghy, Vick and Bonds have sports that people give a shit about (in the US at least). The Tour has been struggling desperately for viewers since Lance began his run, and I can't imagine the ratings have been good this year, even before all of the brouhaha.
The ratings are fairly steady. It's also not like anyone is expecting cycling to become a major sport.
And there is an American in contention. Levi Leipheimer is in 3rd place, 2:39 back.
What a mess. I thought things were bad yesterday, but Rassmussen was going to win the Tour and now he's kicked out.
Now I know why my three-day, 175 mile ride down the C&O; Canal was so painful. Silly me, I didn't do any blood doping! God, I'm such an idiot.
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