Tour de Farce

This sure is lancing the boil. There go any remaining US TV ratings.

When the 98th Tour de France kicks off on Saturday in Strasbourg, 58 of the world's best cyclists will be absent from their teams. Managers for 21 of the teams registered to take part in the French cycling event declared after a meeting that all of the riders named in a Spanish blood doping investigation would be suspended from their teams. The teams also said they would not appoint replacements, meaning the starting lineups for many would be anemic.

The disturbing waves of news began on Friday morning when Germany's T-Mobile team announced it had suspended Jan Ullrich from its Tour de France cycling team because of allegations and apparent evidence linking the champion cyclist to a blood doping scandal. Ullrich's teammate, Oscar Sevilla, and trainer Rudy Pevenage have also been suspended by T-Mobile.

The T-Mobile team members are among 56 cyclists who have been named in connection with a blood doping investigation by Spanish police that has already resulted in charges against a Spanish doctor. T-Mobile said it made the decision to drop the riders because of the latest developments...

Sure beats MLB (for the moment).

Update: Der Spiegel scooped: "The Tour de Farce".

Mark C.

Posted by markc at June 30, 2006 05:46 PM