robbieracer wrote: The seocnd think that fecks me off about the cheating ( apart from dragging the sport down) is the fodder it gives the tabloid press.

These hysterical small-minded publications should all be subject to farenheit 451

Come on. Le Tour was started by a newspaper to sell papers. Don't kid yourself about the relationship between the two

ah shit yeah.

What now DH?

His team doesn't want him any more!!

radical_edward wrote: mob: Do you trust the man with everything to lose, or the retired mountain biker with nothing to lose. And this story has been around for years,so it is not like it has only surfaced now.

And if you are training to win the tour de bloody france, and are the lead rider of a prominent team, how is it that you are not in daily contact with managers, doctors etc etc etc. You are the livelihood of all the other team members and support crew. You cannot just go missing without an act of willful avoidance. They likely book your travel, for a start.

The man has behaved in a suspicious manner. Regardless of the results of tests, the question mark will stand. Twice would be acceptable. Hell, 3 times could be a series of unfortunate events. 4 times is taking the piss.

I am happy to enjoy a well earned victory untill proven otherwise that he has cheated. Sure missing is a mistake on his behalf, but he will be tested, tested and tested again during this tour so if nothing is caught by drug controls will you continue to hang onto this?

Surely if contador is keeping up on the hills he must be cheating too?? same for evans.

And if it turns out over time he cheated then so be it, but i would prefer to look at life and this tour as the cup half full rather than half empty. Otherwise life has no joy as you look for the dark side in everything.

LOL i just caught the news flash on the chicken. such is life.

Contador deserves the victory, should be an interesting TT, will he hold out Evans?

Joel wrote:

radical_edward wrote: mob: Do you trust the man with everything to lose, or the retired mountain biker with nothing to lose. And this story has been around for years,so it is not like it has only surfaced now.

And if you are training to win the tour de bloody france, and are the lead rider of a prominent team, how is it that you are not in daily contact with managers, doctors etc etc etc. You are the livelihood of all the other team members and support crew. You cannot just go missing without an act of willful avoidance. They likely book your travel, for a start.

The man has behaved in a suspicious manner. Regardless of the results of tests, the question mark will stand. Twice would be acceptable. Hell, 3 times could be a series of unfortunate events. 4 times is taking the piss.

I am happy to enjoy a well earned victory untill proven otherwise that he has cheated. Sure missing is a mistake on his behalf, but he will be tested, tested and tested again during this tour so if nothing is caught by drug controls will you continue to hang onto this?

Surely if contador is keeping up on the hills he must be cheating too?? same for evans.

And if it turns out over time he cheated then so be it, but i would prefer to look at life and this tour as the cup half full rather than half empty. Otherwise life has no joy as you look for the dark side in everything.

Dumped by his own team... seemed to think he was in Mexico when in fact he was in Italy.

I won't be overly surprised if Contador is next. He was one of the original riders linked to Fuentes through Operation Puerto.

Hes out

http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/detail ... 944.0.html

This just in from Cycling news. Good job!

Cycling News Flash for July 26, 2007

Edited by Sue George, with additional reporting by Tim Malony, European Editor
Rasmussen pulled out of Tour

Yellow jersey Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) will not start Stage 17 of the Tour de France Thursday morning.

Team manager Theo DeRooy has withdrawn the maillot jaune from the Tour de France, allegedly because Rasmussen lied to the Rabobank team as to his true whereabouts when he missed his out of competition tests in June.

DeRooy will not withdraw the entire team, but will allow the riders to choose to start the stage tomorrow.

Rasmussen won Wednesday's Stage 16 finishing at Col d'Aubisque. He put 26 seconds 35 seconds respectively on Discovery Channel riders Levi Leipheimer Alberto Contador. Contador has been sitting in second place overall in the general classification and is also wearing the white jersey of the best young rider. With Rasmussen gone, the Contador would move into the leader's position.

Rasmussen's withdrawal comes only hours after Italian Cristian Moreni (Cofidis) was pulled from the Tour after he was confirmed as rider who tested positive for testosterone following stage 11 on July 19.

Just one day ago, Alexandre Vinoukourov tested positive for a blood transfusion. In response, his entire Astana team did not start stage 16 Wednesday.

Stay tuned to Cycling

Well there you go. I was bloody well right !!!!!!!!

Go Evans to win the tour !

schlek1 wrote: Well there you go. I was bloody well right !!!!!!!!

Go Evans to win the tour !

Whoever wins is just going to be the next guy to be hauled over the coals. Who cares anymore? Cycling is bullshit.

Go Julian Dean to get a stage win, and go the lovely scenery. Thats all the TdF has for me now.

Evans is a nice guy, I met him back when he was demolishing the field in the Australian "alps".

A shame he went over to the dark side..

Why the hell is this happening in mid/late July when they knew this before in June before the Tour? Is it cause he was wearing the yellow?

Fraser wrote: Why the hell is this happening in mid/late July when they knew this before in June before the Tour? Is it cause he was wearing the yellow?

Because only now did they work out he lied about where he was. He said Mexico, but he was seen in Italy. Hey, isn't Ferrari an Italian name ;-)

wait a sec, is he out of the whole tour or just stage 17.

Go Cadel!! You can tell he's not cheating because he looked utterly knackered !