None of you care about cycling. That's fine. But check out the latest news out of the Tour de France, which has yet to even begin: the biggest names are already tossed for the simple suspicion of using a banned substance.
Ivan Basso was second last year. Jan Ulrich has won once and placed 2nd five times to Lance (which creates the argument that he would be the greatest rider ever if Armstrong had cashed it in), Mancebo is a freaking beast and is only getting better. All were tossed, and Joceba Beloki, a very, very strong rider, has been named in the same investigation.
This is interesting to you guys when compared to baseball. Imagine if a few years ago Bonds and McGwire were banned in February - no asterisks next to 70+ numbers. No 70+ numbers at all. Imagine if Pujols, who has never been close to a legitimate investigation but people keep talking, was simply ejected because "we won't put up with this shit" was the rule. Jason Giambi, flipping burgers in the Bronx. These are the kind of cyclists were talking about, people whose names are going to be forever remembered in the sport. What I guess I'm getting at is, while I respect the UCI's desire to avoid any sort of cheating or even the implication of such, it seems, at this early stage, that zero-tolerance reactionary policies have just as bad an aftertaste as baseball's apparent "don't ask don't tell" system.
Posted by Chris at June 30, 2006 02:03 PMNever posted before, but after the NCAA tourney, the TDF is my favorite yearly event and feel I might have something to contribute, that being the most interesting aspect of this story, the people named in the probe who had already been suspended:
Roberto Heras (past Armstrong lieutenant and Tour of Spain winner), Angel Casero, Santiago Perez, Tyler Hamilton (past Armstrong lieutenant and stripped medal winner).
Also, the UCI forcing people out, does go along with France's guilty until proven innocent. It's interesting to note that nobody kicked out have said anything.
When Alexandre Vinokourov ( possibly the new odds on favorite with Floyd Landis and Alejandro Valverde) was told his team might not be able to race he fought and was reinstated, where are Basso and Ulrich at this time?
Damn, I just wrote a shitload on cycling, something I am sure to be lambasted on...
Love the site.
I was going to bring up Hamilton since he's probably the most dangerous American rider, but most everybody sees "cycling" and gets right to work on the scroll wheel so I let it go.
For what its worth to all you non-cycling-fan ladies and gents, Hamilton rode a Tour after breaking a collar bone on day one of about 29. And the only painkiller you're allowed? Over-the-counter Tylenol. Yeah, 5-6 hours a day and almost 3,000 miles leaning on handlebars with a new broken bone. In the 2002 Tour of Italy he broke a shoulder, and he literally needed 11 capped or new teeth afterwards from grinding them together to fight the pain. So take that, Turf Toe and sprained pinkies. These guys might run 5' 8" and a buck-fifty, but they're no fucking joke.
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Posted by: George at November 24, 2006 05:46 PM