Tour de France doping scandals provide 'entertainment' for fans

Spoken like a true American (see Chris Horner's comments below), lol!

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Tour de France doping scandals provide 'entertainment' for fans

The Associated Press
Sunday, July 29, 2007

PARIS: All the doping drama at this year's Tour de France may have added to
the excitement.

Alexandre Vinokourov and Cristian Moreni both tested positive, Michael
Rasmussen was kicked out for allegedly lying about where he was when he
missed tests, and German rider Patrik Sinkewitz was caught out by a pre-Tour
test.

For 35-year-old American rider Chris Horner of the Predictor-Lotto team,
this Tour seemed like a Hollywood-style melodrama.

"It has been a crazy Tour de France, but it has been an exciting one, too,
for us as riders and I'm sure for the fans," Horner, who finished 15th, said
Sunday. "It's been exciting, the racing and, of course, the drama outside."

The Tour was certainly not short of talking points.

"Everybody's got something to talk about," Horner said. "It's not really
what you want to see but it's drama. There's no arguing that. Some of the
racing has been affected by the drama, with Vino (Vinokourov) of course
taking the time trial stage and the other road stage."

Horner says cycling observers will feel like they had a good deal this year.

"I think people got what they really wanted ... entertainment," Horner said.
"If you were really watching for entertainment, they certainly got that."

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SO MANY TESTS: Cadel Evans feels other sports have an easy time when it
comes to doping tests.

Evans finished second at this year's Tour, behind winner Alberto Contador of
Spain.

"We have so many tests and so many stringent tests," the Australian rider
said Sunday. "Any other high-paying sport in the world ... if they had the
tests we had, they wouldn't have any competitors left."

Hundreds of tests were conducted at this year's Tour.

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TIME TO SPEAK OUT: British rider Charles Wegelius thinks more riders should
speak out against doping.

"In the peloton, nobody talks about what's happening," Wegelius, who
finished 45th, said Saturday. "People just talk about cars and stuff.
Anything to avoid talking about it."

Wegelius wants cycling in a healthier state.

"I'm sick of it," Wegelius said, referring to the numerous doping scandals
that have rocked this year's race. "I wish we could just talk about cycling,
about sprint finishes and breakaways."

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RAISIN CLOSE TO RETURN: American rider Saul Raisin could resume competitive
cycling later this year.

Raisin, the Credit Agricole rider who fell into a coma 15 months ago after
crashing in a French stage race, has passed medical checks.

"He did the French medical checks," said Raisin's Credit Agricole sporting
director Roger Legeay. "I went to see the specialists in Bordeaux and they
gave the all clear."

The American rider has already competed in amateur races and now hopes to
take the next step.

"He is going to do the U.S. championships in the time trial," Legeay said.
"Then he will come back to France for the team photo and he should start
next season."