The Disastrous Tour

The greatest and hardest sporting event of all, the Tour de France, has been knocked cold by the ouster of the race leader, Michael Rasmussen, by his team Rabobank, for lying to them about his whereabouts last month while training. He missed three mandatory out-of-race drug tests and told his team that he was in Mexico when, in fact, he was training in Italy. (Ironically, he has passed 17 drug tests during the Tour itself).

This on the heals of the ouster of two other riders, including the pre-race favorite (and winner of two stages).

This is an unmitigated disaster, coming, as it does, a year after Floyd Landis was stripped of his title for testing positive for Testosterone in last year's Tour.

I don't know what to make of this. On the road itself, this year's race has been nothing short of amazing. Rasmussen himself was heroic, fighting off rellentless attacks by Alberto Contador and Team Discovery. The other prominent rider who was expelled, Vinokourov, was also heroic, winning two stages after falling in an earlier stage and and receiving 45 stitches to his knees. And the emergence of an astonishing young rider, the aforementioned Contador (who is now the race leader) has been exciting and refreshing. Finally, the brilliant (albeit unsuccessful) strategy of Team Discovery has been compelling.

I am saddened that the reputation of this great event has been so damaged. As a rider, I continue to be in awe of the phenomenal ability and strength of these riders who cover massive amounts of the most difficult terrain for three weeks straight. I am at a loss.