This year was a brilliant Tour de France. [Oh, Dave – stop being so silly and provocative – what about all the drugs in cycling?]. No – sorry – it was a fantastic race this year.
The London and Kent start to the Tour was different but very succesful.
The first week was action packed with a bitter battle for the stage finishes going on and no one team dominating the sprints. We had the usual brave men seeking out a win with infeasibly long breakaways, and some truly superb mountain stages. Add to that two edge-of-the-seat time trials and the closest finish since 1989.
The drugs? The scandals?
As a bonus we had two people caught doping who were booted out, and a habitual fibber kicked out when leading (how did his team let him in in the first place?!). This is all gereat proof that drug testing is working. Furthermore, the team organisations have also come round to stamping it out. Astana and Cofidis both withdrew from the race voluntarily after their rider had sinned.
At last the whole cycling infrastructure seems ready to reject doping. People will always try to cheat where there’s big money and glory involved. Just look at the drug taking in professional football – no-one dares to test for performance enhancing drugs there (for now). What’s important is that cycling’s infrastructure is ready to reject doping.