Sounds of Silence

by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 7, 2006 2:25 AM EDT in News

It's been almost exactly a week since the most dramatic off-bike story in recent memory broke, and threatened to shatter the first Tour de France of the post-Lance era. Suddenly the Tour which we'd been waiting for, where competition would flourish with the Boss out of the picture, was deprived of last year's numbers two, three, four and five. Suddenly drugs, or at least suspicion of drugs, had decapitated the peloton. It seemed like the Tour was going to become a sideshow to the drug squad action.

But a week later, things seem pretty different. Sure, it's hard not to forget the drug story, and details keep trickling out here and there. But the vast majority of the conversation is on the race, and in some profound way the drugs story has slipped into the background. Every day stages are contested by the McEwens, Boonens, etc., stars whose images are untainted by drugs. Next up the ITT will feature the GC guys, the remaining ones, none of whom is caught up in any real suspicion, let alone evidence of doping. Is it naive to think the scourge has been eradicated? Sure, but however much may be hanging over the sport in general, nothing seems to be hanging over the Tour itself.

The Tour is bigger than the drugs story, simple as that. Cut out the top five riders, and you still have a beautiful race. Not only is the race carrying on, it's as wide-open and competitive as ever.

[That's the good news; the Vuelta, meanwhile, is in deep trouble.]

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I'm still pretty shaken up by the

whole Operacion Puerto thing. I keep thinking about Basso winning the Giro, and Simoni's comments about his "extraterrestrial" abilities.

I miss Ullrich and Basso in this race, who have become two of my favorite cyclists during the past five years. It's hard for me to forget that they were dismissed by their own teams, and are not taking part.

I've read that the Giro standings are not in jeopardy, and I cognitively understand that no one has been convicted of anything yet. And surely I do not have all of the facts that the legal authorities, the UCI, or even the Team Managers have.

But when I read that there might be a paper trail, something factual and not hearsay or conjecture or circumstantial... well, that bothers me. As Deep Troat said to Bob Woodward, "Follow the money." Surely that is how they'll be able to prove things happened, other than the physical evidence (drugs, medical paraphanalia, blood, and money) that they've confiscated so far.

If Basso and Buffalo Guttierez are found to be "patients" of this doctor, then Simoni is the virtual winner of the Giro. That is depressing, too.

by Ruthann on Jul 7, 2006 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

No doubt

But then, doesn't that vindicate the UCI? Doesn't it mean that we're lucky to be watching a clean Tour?

by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 7, 2006 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, perhaps you are

right. I need to change my point of view on this, for sure. But I feel like I've lost a couple of heroes, here. Maybe I need time to mourn.

by Ruthann on Jul 7, 2006 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

cussed out

loud today as I opened the local paper to see the sports coverage of the day....An editorial cartoon with the Tour De France logo changed so that the T in the logo is a syringe!!! This from a peice of fish rag that will not even mention bike racing even if it is a large Tour. No coverage of the Giro and maybe a once or twice a week small blurb on how the americans are doing in the Tour. Yet they can take one thing and make the unknowing public think that is the larger image of pro cycling.

by Clydesdale on Jul 7, 2006 1:58 PM EDT reply actions

Consider the source

Editorialists who are clearly not bothering to watch the race are the ones lampooning the sport on the drug issue. The Cycling/euro sports media are following the drugs, but it's a small sidebar to the race itself right now... and just wait til we hit the big stages.

by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 7, 2006 2:38 PM EDT reply actions