Great stage today; the leader, Michael Rasmussen, from Denmark, reacts
to several attacks from the Discovery Channel team, then takes off at
the last kilometer to beat the 4th place guy by 26 seconds, and the 2nd
place guy by 35 seconds (and everyone else by more). He ups his lead to
3:03 over second, 5:03 over third, and 5:59 over fourth.
Then, his team fires him and removes him from the Tour, saying he
violated an internal team rule (apparently, he lied about his
whereabouts in June, saying he was in Mexico - he has a Mexican wife -
when he was really in Italy, working with an unnamed doctor).
This follows closely the revelation that a T-Mobile rider, Patrik
Sinkewitz, tested positive for doping before the Tour, and still rode in
it until he crashed out. Plus the revelation yesterday that Alexander
Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping after winning two
stages, resulting in his expulsion, and that of his entire team, three
of whom were riding in the top ten. Plus the revelation today that
Cristian Moreni of the French team Cofidis tested positive, also for
blood doping, a few stages ago (Cofidis also withdrew its team today).
Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be anyone who is riding clean.
Of course, the lab that did some of the tests promptly leaked the
positive results to French sports newspaper L'Equipe, blatantly
violating the rights of the riders, before the required B test to
confirm the findings. This is the same lab that leaked Floyd Landis'
test results last year. Numerous irregularities in the testing were
pointed out in public hearings about Landis' case.
Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be a lab that one can have confidence in.
I think I'll go for a bike ride....