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Tour de France Pile-Up
What is it with the Tour de France, the world's most prestigious cycling race and perhaps the most gruelling sporting event in the world? Each year, millions thrill to the sight of the colourful pelaton threading through France's glorious countryside and picturesque villages; however, each year, headlines of doping and racers failing drugs tests are never far away.
This race has been one of the worst for years (even though last year's was hardly distinguished, with eventual winner Floyd Landis currently appealling a failed drugs test which could strip him of the title). On Tuesday, pre-race favourite Alexander Vinokourov was found to have two different sets of red blood cells in his body, suggesting he may have had illegal blood transfusions. His team, Astana, left the race when he was disqualified.
Then yesterday it was announced that race leader Michael Rasmussen had been kicked out of the race by his team for violating rules related to out-of-competition doping tests. The famous Cofidis team also pulled out of the race yesterday after Italian Cristian Moreni (who was trailing in the following pack) tested positive for testosterone. Moreni's position at the rear of the race has prompted speculation that doping stretches across the entire perspective of performance in the TdF, with the leaders as well as also-rans doping. Certainly, Moreni's doping does not appear to have given him any advantage - he had been 54th overall.
Rasmussen is not accused of doping in this event. Indeed he has been tested 14 times so far with no trace of illegal substances in his system.
It was reported that Rasmussen had been warned by cycling's governing body twice for failing to account for his whereabouts properly when drugs tests were due. He was allegedly spotted in Italy when he had claimed to have been in Mexico; in an unrelated event, a fellow cyclist accused Rasmussen of trying to get him to smuggle doping agents on his behalf in 2002.
The Discovery Channel team's Alberto Contador now leads the race. However it is rumoured that several high profile sponsors, including Cofidis, are reconsidering their attachment to the Tour de France as yet another year's race ends in doping-related chaos.
