Is the tour clean?

This was a question a non-cycling friend asked of me the other day. Of course not, I replied. Just because a few guys have admitted they were doping in the 90s and a few others have been caught here and there, plus the fact that one team finally has a sponsor lead clean-up (T-Mobile), it doesn’t change things overnight. And then there is the first positive test of the tour, Sinkewitz, ironically a T-Mobile rider, or perhaps not ironically, as they have really introduced strict tests on their riders. Cycling News actually described him as poor “Patrick Sinkewitz” as he had crashed into a dog one day and tested positive the next. What, do we feel sorry when riders get caught now? Well in a way, we should, it’s been endemic in the sport, I don’t believe the riders have had much choice over the years. Dope or find yourself another job.

As for this years’ supposed “clean tour”, well the old guard are right up there at the top, Rasmussen, Valverde, Klöden, Sastre, Evans, only Vinokourov has struggled, and that’s more to do with his earlier crash injuries. Do I think any of these riders are clean? Well honestly, I don’t. Valverde and Klöden, how do I put it, well rumours have flown on these two for a long time, and they were up there when the others we know were doping. Except, Mr.Armstrong, the guy who beat them all by a mile, when all around were doped up to their eyeballs. Unlikely.

It’s still fun to watch, and I am sure it is a “cleaner” tour, but it’s not a clean tour.

The Kitchen Scales

“Why are the kitchen scales on top of the radiator?” asks my wife.

“I was using them to weigh my 12-25 cassette.”

“Oh, really.” She looks either disinterested, disgusted or both.

“Yes, it weighs 212g, the 11-23 only weighs 182g.”

She has already left.