I have to admit that I'm still in shock over the recent happenings in the Tour de France the past few days. I admit, I try to catch as much of the Tour as possible but sadly, Canadian coverage of the Tour is spotty at best. I guess this is the root of why I hold the Tour in such high regard when compared to other sports not embraced by the typical North American sports fan. Prolly also the reason I love WRC so much but try catching that on the tube in Canada without satellite, forget about it.
Back to the Tour, these racers punish themselves to the brink of mental and physical exhaustion not only on the stages but in building up to the Tour itself. You see them bite it on the cobblestones or fall over each other by the dozens when theres a crash in the Peloton and you start to see what I mean. These guys race well beyond the average persons pain threshold so it's really a shame when their disgraced as is the sport they train so hard for, by some cheating pinheads.
I can't imagine how bad some of these riders must be feeling with their front men either being pulled from the Tour or fired from the Team due to doping scandal. Sure a lot of this race is physical but there is also an equally strong mental component that drives each athlete to perform. Imagine how hard it must be to member on a team with one bad apple tainting not just the team but the entire tour. Un-frickin-real if you ask me, poor guys.
Team Rabobank has voluntarily pulled Michael Rasmussen from the Tour de France even though he's tested clean along all 17 stages. Regardless of his test results, his team felt his stories were spotty at best. Rasmussen's "stories" coupled with pre-race drug screening missed (dodged?), was enough reason to pull him from the Tour. While this may have been the best course of action I find it increasingly sad a rider is now guilty until proven innocent. Even though I'm sure it is necessary, imagine doing all this work and having your dreams shattered even though there is
NO PROOF you cheat but reasonable doubt remains.
Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion a few days ago which was enough of a shock. If Vinokourov's B sample fails he'll be facing a two-year ban on the Tour.
These are big names and it's really sad that they can cast such a huge shadow over the entire tour. What's even sadder is a stage without a Yellow Jersey on the road.
Most troubling for me as a remote fan of the tour though is every year, the tour seems to get a bit more chaotic and nonsensical. I've been watching in wide eyed disbelief a few stages where fans are getting within reach of the racers and in many cases, possibly impede the race course. Maybe I've been in a coma the past few years but I certainly don't remember fans ever being allowed this close to the racers, that's just plain stupid! I'm not sure if it shows disrespect for the riders/sport or just stupidity of the average fan, but whatever it is, show these guys the respect they deserve and get your @ss off the course numbnuts.
As much as I respect the tour, the heritage, all the work that goes into it and all the beautiful countryside we get to see, I'm starting to feel as if the tour itself is falling apart. I really hope this isn't the case and they use this recent doping scandal to clean up all aspects of the Tour de France.
CTV.ca | Tour de France reeling after days of controversy
BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Vinokourov fails Tour doping test
BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling
Anyone have any thoughts on this years tour or do you believe I'm talking out my rump?