Lol, that probably why they need so many in the race! There was a german rider, tested high levels of testosterone-entirely innocuous, im sure The germans stopped the broadcast of that days stage in disgust.......bit extreme i thought, there were other german riders who didnt test positive.
Yes, Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakstan from Team Astana blood doped and is now out of the tour. Borat would be upset! This means he injected someone elses blood into him to pump him up full of extra hemo before his time trial win. Rasmussen is from Denmark. Interestingly, mountain bikers are beginning to own the Tour now that Lance is gone. Rasmussen was busted for EPO in 2003 or 2004 on the World Cup MTB circuit. He switched to road because MTBers never forgive dope use. Cadel Evans of Australia, a former silver medallist in the MTB worlds, and also the junior road time trial champion a few years back is another successful roadie who was once a MTBer. Cadel is in the top 3 of the tour currently. Floyd Landis of the U.S also started out as a half decent MTBer in the Norba circuit, though he never dominated it nor did he do very well at the World Cup level. Apparently, Testosterone aside, he was a better road rider than an MTBer. I'm going for CSC in this tour and think Valverdes team can make up alot of time in the team time trial. We'll see what happens. Plus they use Cervelo's , aside from Colnago's there isnt a better road bike out there.
What about that Mexican kid on the Discovery Team? He's in secomd place right now - Costado? He had a better time trial than Rasmussen - by about 2 minutes I think, and follows Ras right now by 2:30 or so. Plus, he looked awesome in yesterday's climb - what acceleration !! Tomorrow's climb will decide I think. If Costado can gain on Ras, I think he'll get him in the next time trial...
Jeez, things happen quick, i didnt know about vinokourov, astana's out altogether? Come to think of it, why would the kazahk railway have a team anyway Thats too bad. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/6914301.stm
After tyesterday news, i am no longer sure about rasmussen.... perhaps he's going to win but who can tell if he's clean????? bad tour de france this year go contador go!
it's a another great Tour, amazing sites/sights of France via Outdoor Life Network lots of spills and recoveries, death-defying-downhills, great sprints, climbs I wouldn't want to walk up never mind bike up, the splits and breakaways, and dramas on dramas no other sporting event like it ! have to blame the 'East Germans' I think for doping, weren't they the 'first' to put their athletes on drug programs there's far more condemnation of drug use in the Tour than in baseball and football eliminating drug use won't change the Tour but will eliminate cheaters
No. That's more than a slight understatement. Bad Tour de France for the last 15-20 years, if not longer. Professional cycling is, and has been for at least a generation, right up there with pro bodybuilding: an entertaining spectacle of drug-fed, pharmaceutically engineered, genetic freaks. The ends justify the means, period. What else is new under the sun? Talent, skill, insanely hard work, total commitment and luck are still necessary, as always, but absolutely, laughably not sufficient to stay competitive at the top level of the sport, let alone have a shot at winning major races.
No it's perfectly understandable to throw tantrums. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if something like that happened to you..
I guess............but this dopeing stuff must be a bookmakers nightmare, Rasmussen kicked off the tour; http://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2007/0725/tourdefrance2.html One way to not get busted-dont take the tests! This really does put Evans in with a shot.
well you had to wonder the way he flew up the last click of the Col dâAubisque TdF should be testing these guys before the race begins and save themselves the repeating embarrassments so you think Evans is clean ?