All Top Stars Banned from Tour de France

[Kellanved]

An international doping scandal is threatening to turn this year's Tour de France into a complete farce. On Friday, team managers for the 21 teams approved to take part in the world's greatest cycling event announced after a joint meeting that none of the 58 cycling professionals named in a Spanish blood doping investigation would be allowed to start the race on Saturday. No replacement riders will be nominated.

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.
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http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,424437,00.html

A few decades too late: Cycling and doping are synonymous by now.

[Squatch]

1. Well, it looks as if this year's Tour is not going to be worth

watching. This is getting ridiculous.

[Squatch]

2. I take that back....this could make for a very interesting race.

However, this whole doping thing is just getting old. I think quite a few people will turn their backs to the Tour after this.

[atomic-fly]

3. pissed.

[Crazy Dave]

4. On the flip side

Maybe this will give some of the little guys, true amateur, hard working athletes a chance to make a name for themselves versus the incumbent, corporate robot, sponsor approved "Manchurian Candidate" type, athletes.

I'd like to see that myself.