What the ?????

[SadieKate]

http://www.cyclingpost.com/tour/article_005202.shtml
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/ticker/hub/cycling/index.html?item=1259979

[Tri Girl]

Another one? I so wish news like that was surprising... sadly it's not.

As much as the doping drives me insane (and yes, to drink)- I just can't turn away from the Tour.

I'm really, really hoping beyond all hope that all of this will demoralize the sport to the point that it HAS to become clean. Then maybe other sports will follow (ahem... baseball, football- you know who you are).

[SadieKate]

There's really something to be said for amateur sports.

UCDavis recently changed to Div 1 which means they can now provide scholarships to athletes. It makes me sad. I liked going to a school that did very well in sports but the athletes had to get into the school and stay in based on their academic merit.

[salsabike]

Ugh. Who would believe it? The Tour de Drugs.

[Tri Girl]

There's really something to be said for amateur sports.

UCDavis recently changed to Div 1 which means they can now provide scholarships to athletes. It makes me sad. I liked going to a school that did very well in sports but the athletes had to get into the school and stay in based on their academic merit.

That is sad. Good and bad I suppose... when money and sponsorship is on the line- everything changes. Not that amateurs don't do bad things- but when nothing's hanging over your head as a carrot- you tend to do it for the right reasons.

[Trekhawk]

Bl**dy Hell!!!! The list of bad boys just keeps growing.:eek:

[yellow]

Sooooo much drama. I checked out a while ago. I may get slammed for this, but it's not life or death and no one is dying...it's only cycling. I love cycling, and understand the desire to maintain the "integrity" of the sport...but the drama is really not worth my energy. I'll let others maintain anxiety about it all. :p

[Eden]

the sheer numbers seem almost impossible in themselves..... what has changed so drastically since last year that they are catching so many more.... different tests? more doping? (I find this to be unlikely..), more testing (but its mostly the top riders who are always tested being booted anyway....), more sensitive tests? more false positives/shoddy testing? what gives?

[SadieKate]

I was so enjoying watching Soler in the mountains. He brought a youthful exuberance and naivete that was fresh and fun to watch. He's the same age as Contador but they seem world's apart in demeanor. Not that Contador doesn't pull some less than veteran-moves, but he seems to be all business all the time while Soler was having the time of his life. None of that has anything to do with doping.

[maillotpois]

Yeah, I saw that this afternoon. What-ever.

Frankly, Soler bugs me. He somehow reminds me of the alien in Alien:

http://www.d-sh.org/bas/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/wp-alien-1-l.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tour07/tour079/LCTM-TDF07S9-009.jpg

[Pedal Wench]

Yeah, I saw that this afternoon. What-ever.

Frankly, Soler bugs me. He somehow reminds me of the alien in Alien

Oh my -- I thought so too!!!! Too funny!

[Zen]

It doesn't say positive for what.

I find it hard to believe why anyone would be doping at this stage in the race especially given what's already gone down.
Makes me doubt the lab work a bit.

The similarity of those photos is remarkable :eek:

[PinkBike]

i agree with eden, what's changed in the testing processes? how do we find out?

it's sad but now you gotta wonder about everybody who has a good day.

[pll]

This morning one of the source cited above reported that the Tour organizers stated that Soler did not test positive after stage 14:

http://www.cyclingpost.com/tour/article_005202.shtml

At this stage, had this been true, I would have been angry. The tour is already too close to a bad soap opera...

[Aggie_Ama]

Did everyone hear the day Phil said "This man can not look good riding a bike.":eek: Or something of that nature. I almost spit my drink all over the living room!!

[Fredwina]

I think it shows that you publish just about anything on the 'Net. I noticed that Velo News didn't pick it up and CyclingNews.com only had it as a "unconfirmed rumor".
I believe that they are doing the testing differently this year. I read on another board that the usually ran the inexpensive test first and then broke out the pricey ones if they found something fishy. Plus, there is a power Struggle between the ASO and the UCI.

[Duck on Wheels]

That is sad. Good and bad I suppose... when money and sponsorship is on the line- everything changes. Not that amateurs don't do bad things- but when nothing's hanging over your head as a carrot- you tend to do it for the right reasons.

Well, on the other hand ... The "gurus" who make sponsorship arrangements here were on the news the past couple of days explaining why all the sponsor rats are fleeing the sinking pro cycling ship: Sponsors spend hundreds of millions fielding a team for the Tour de ... The point for the sponsors is to have their company name associated with a winner. So, who's gonna shell out hundreds of millions to have their company name associated with cheats and dopeheads? Which is why sponsors are now shifting their money elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in other news, anonymous surveys claim to have found that thousands of Norwegian teens are taking steroids to be faster, stronger, buffer. So we can't turn to amateurs to save sports either. Maybe we really should follow one Norwegian comedian's advice: Get your kids into drinking before they get hooked on sports!

[Thorn]

Get your kids into drinking before they get hooked on sports!

Sad, but funny.

Here's some food for thought...while I tend to look for conspiracies (bad habit, I know), Kloden is saying what I've been thinking...

Kloden: "I know it sounds fanciful. In cycling the UCI and ASO are fighting for the Tour. People are plotting things, everyone is wishing the worst for everyone else. A lot of money is at stake. What if some people are manipulating things, ruining things, in order to take control of what's left?"

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/28072007/58/tour-de-france-kloeden-contemplating-retirement.html

[DrBee]

Thorn - That would be awful and pretty shameless if it were true. Let's hope not. I'm forever a sceptic (is that spelled wrong?), but I surely hope they wouldn't stoop that low.

MP - I knew there was something familiarly creepy looking about Soler - you hit it right on the mark!

[Starfish]

MP, that pic was hilarious! And, I would just like to state for the record, that when/if I actually finish my Shasta Summit Century next week...well...(with two hands raised in the "V" sign)...I - AM - NOT - A - DOPER! :p :D :p

[maillotpois]

when/if I actually finish my Shasta Summit Century next week

That'd be WHEN.

[RoadRaven]

His management confirmed it was a rumour before stage 19


He does look fugly on a bike... but what a thrill for him to be riding (have ridden now its all over) in such company and in such a prestigious race!

I am so pleased it was just a stupid rumour and unsubstantiated!

Like Fredwina... I went straight to CyclingNews to see what they had to say, and there was nothing there for quite some time, and then (I think it was CyclingNews) there was mention of it enough to say that his management would be doing a press release at 11am.