Le Tour de Farce

Great stage today; the leader, Michael Rasmussen, from Denmark, reacts
to several attacks from the Discovery Channel team, then takes off at
the last kilometer to beat the 4th place guy by 26 seconds, and the 2nd
place guy by 35 seconds (and everyone else by more). He ups his lead to
3:03 over second, 5:03 over third, and 5:59 over fourth.

Then, his team fires him and removes him from the Tour, saying he
violated an internal team rule (apparently, he lied about his
whereabouts in June, saying he was in Mexico - he has a Mexican wife -
when he was really in Italy, working with an unnamed doctor).

This follows closely the revelation that a T-Mobile rider, Patrik
Sinkewitz, tested positive for doping before the Tour, and still rode in
it until he crashed out. Plus the revelation yesterday that Alexander
Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping after winning two
stages, resulting in his expulsion, and that of his entire team, three
of whom were riding in the top ten. Plus the revelation today that
Cristian Moreni of the French team Cofidis tested positive, also for
blood doping, a few stages ago (Cofidis also withdrew its team today).

Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be anyone who is riding clean.

Of course, the lab that did some of the tests promptly leaked the
positive results to French sports newspaper L'Equipe, blatantly
violating the rights of the riders, before the required B test to
confirm the findings. This is the same lab that leaked Floyd Landis'
test results last year. Numerous irregularities in the testing were
pointed out in public hearings about Landis' case.

Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be a lab that one can have confidence in.

I think I'll go for a bike ride....

On Jul 25, 9:47 pm, Colin Campbell wrote:
Great stage today; the leader, Michael Rasmussen, from Denmark, reacts
to several attacks from the Discovery Channel team, then takes off at
the last kilometer to beat the 4th place guy by 26 seconds, and the 2nd
place guy by 35 seconds (and everyone else by more). He ups his lead to
3:03 over second, 5:03 over third, and 5:59 over fourth.

Then, his team fires him and removes him from the Tour, saying he
violated an internal team rule (apparently, he lied about his
whereabouts in June, saying he was in Mexico - he has a Mexican wife -
when he was really in Italy, working with an unnamed doctor).

This follows closely the revelation that a T-Mobile rider, Patrik
Sinkewitz, tested positive for doping before the Tour, and still rode in
it until he crashed out. Plus the revelation yesterday that Alexander
Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping after winning two
stages, resulting in his expulsion, and that of his entire team, three
of whom were riding in the top ten. Plus the revelation today that
Cristian Moreni of the French team Cofidis tested positive, also for
blood doping, a few stages ago (Cofidis also withdrew its team today).

Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be anyone who is riding clean.

Of course, the lab that did some of the tests promptly leaked the
positive results to French sports newspaper L'Equipe, blatantly
violating the rights of the riders, before the required B test to
confirm the findings. This is the same lab that leaked Floyd Landis'
test results last year. Numerous irregularities in the testing were
pointed out in public hearings about Landis' case.

Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be a lab that one can have confidence in.

I think I'll go for a bike ride....

They caught cheats. You can have great confidence in the lab

The irregularities do not alter the fact that the riders were doping

Stop kidding yourself.

Why wait until the Yellow Jersey is won by another cheat like last
year.

Don't forget your Testosterone patch if you are feeling a bit run down

wrote in message
ps.com...

You can have great confidence in the lab

Let's see - a lab composed of people that cannot follow the rules and who
break the regulations. Yeah, I have great confidence that they're actually
doing their jobs.

"Colin Campbell" wrote in message
...


http://homepage.mac.com/getosx/2007_tour_de_farce.jpg

Colin Campbell wrote:
Great stage today; the leader, Michael Rasmussen, from Denmark, reacts
to several attacks from the Discovery Channel team, then takes off at

Then, his team fires him and removes him from the Touroctor).

This follows closely the revelation that a T-Mobile rider, Patrik
Sinkewitz, tested positive for doping before the Tour, and still rode in
it until he crashed out. Plus the revelation yesterday that Alexander
Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping

Thanks for giving us all this news. We're always the last to hear about
these things.

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:55:02 -0700, wrote:


Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be a lab that one can have confidence in.

I think I'll go for a bike ride....

They caught cheats. You can have great confidence in the lab

The irregularities do not alter the fact that the riders were doping

So it's okay?

Where do you draw the line? When they start spiking the samples that they "know"
are dirty?

Anything goes as long as it's agreeable to your particular set of prejudices and
biases?

Do you not understand that just as Chicken's dishonesty about his whereabouts is
accepted as discrediting his doping status, violating procedure in the lab
discredits their results. It's a marker my friend. Why would they break one rule
but carefully follow another? We know from the FLandis case that LNDD is sloppy
and lazy and disorganized, now you accept that they are also a little dishonest,
but it's okay. **** that. I want labs held to as high a standard as a pro bike
racer. Really, that isn't asking much.

Ron