Pro Cycling Is History
One of the fun things about having a blog is you can type headlines like that.
Unfortunately, in this case, it's true. Pro cycling is toast. Its credibility, already hanging by a precarious thread, today splintered into a vast abyss of nothingness.
Following a high-profile admission of blood doping by former champ Bjarne Riis to rampant speculation and accusation that others (including former Tour De France champions Jan Ulrich, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis) all cheated, the sport began this year's Tour De France with high hopes. All entrants, in a spectacular attempt to win back skeptical fans, went so far as to sign gentlemen's agreements stating they were competing clean (without illegal substances, blood infusions or use of other banned chemical trickery).
Too bad it didn't work.
Today it was announced the 13th stage time trial and 15th stage winner Alexandre Vinkourov tested positive for a prohibited blood transfusion. The discovery prompted another hotel police raid for which the Tour's become so famous.
To make matters worse, current Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked off his Danish national team for failing to meet drug testing requirements. He repeatedly ignored warnings, including those given to him on May 8th, June 28th and June 29th. That's prompted the head of the UCI (the organization that supposedly governs pro cyclists), Pat McQuaid, to say "it would be better if somebody else were to win. The last thing this sport needs is more speculation about doping."
Unfortunately, with Vino's positive doping test, the sport got worse than that; silver arrows to the heart are hard to overcome, even for a blood-lusting werewolf.
Update 7-25-2007: Tour De France leader Michael Rasmussen has been kicked out of the tour for violating team rules, notably missing numerous drug tests. That's unfortunate. This year marked an opportunity for pro cycling to prove itself. Instead, the sport's only sunken further into the hole its stars have dug for it.
Unfortunately, in this case, it's true. Pro cycling is toast. Its credibility, already hanging by a precarious thread, today splintered into a vast abyss of nothingness.
Following a high-profile admission of blood doping by former champ Bjarne Riis to rampant speculation and accusation that others (including former Tour De France champions Jan Ulrich, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis) all cheated, the sport began this year's Tour De France with high hopes. All entrants, in a spectacular attempt to win back skeptical fans, went so far as to sign gentlemen's agreements stating they were competing clean (without illegal substances, blood infusions or use of other banned chemical trickery).
Too bad it didn't work.
Today it was announced the 13th stage time trial and 15th stage winner Alexandre Vinkourov tested positive for a prohibited blood transfusion. The discovery prompted another hotel police raid for which the Tour's become so famous.
To make matters worse, current Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked off his Danish national team for failing to meet drug testing requirements. He repeatedly ignored warnings, including those given to him on May 8th, June 28th and June 29th. That's prompted the head of the UCI (the organization that supposedly governs pro cyclists), Pat McQuaid, to say "it would be better if somebody else were to win. The last thing this sport needs is more speculation about doping."
Unfortunately, with Vino's positive doping test, the sport got worse than that; silver arrows to the heart are hard to overcome, even for a blood-lusting werewolf.
Update 7-25-2007: Tour De France leader Michael Rasmussen has been kicked out of the tour for violating team rules, notably missing numerous drug tests. That's unfortunate. This year marked an opportunity for pro cycling to prove itself. Instead, the sport's only sunken further into the hole its stars have dug for it.
Labels: pro cylcling is dead vino vinkourov armstrong uci rasmussen
posted by Erik Eckel at 8:44 PM
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