Tour de France | What a Mess!
The drama off the road is more intense than the drama on the road at the Tour de France. What the hell is going on? Is it the riders? Is it the UCI? WADA? Tour leader Michael Rassmusen was “sacked” by his team for lying about his whereabouts during last month, thus, missing unscheduled drug tests.
Eurosport.com is reporting that Ras was sent packing because “someone” says they saw the star cyclist training in Italy, and not Mexico, where he had registered w/ the UCI. If this is the reason he was sacked and forced to quit the Tour just days before he was about to win, then, the UCI is the problem! Like the case against Landis, there is no due process for the athlete when anyone can accuse you of wrong doing.
I think the bicycle manufactures should start their own cycling federation, and screw the UCI. These companies like Trek, Specialized, Felt etc all have skin in this game; they are the natural candidates to create either a riders union or a new federation.
Maybe to protect the Tours branding they should cancel next years race. Thoughts?
If Ras did lie then good riddance!
The french!!! Ok so they have the greast race on two weels but they couldn’t organize a party at the winery. Well maybe that’s the only thing they can figure out.
Formula One for example the Teams and Factories govern the organization through the governing body. In just about every sport the various particapents (sponsors, teams, and atheletes)
have a say in how the events are governed. Teams, manufactures, sponsors and riders need to come together to tell the tour how things will be handled and that riders need due process and checks and balances to protect them.
Right-O-Buck! Only problem is the French don’t want anyone telling them how to run their race.