Special Treatment? Alberto Contador's Drug Test Moved.

Life isn't fair. We all know that, but it sometimes gets really annoying when it surfaces and stares us right in the face. After a Tour de France during which he seemed human - mostly - Alberto Contador is still on the legal block about his last Tour de France victory. You see, the powers that be found traces of drugs in Contador's tests from the 2010 TDF win. So they raised a fuss and took action.

But - going back to my original point - he's glitterati, the chosen one post-Lance. So his positive test was under appeal even as Contador raced this July in the Tour de France 2011.

Would that have been afforded a regular rider? Not hardly. If a regular guy - one of the other 197 riders - would have had to sit out the two years and missed out on a chance to help his sponsors with exposure and possibly podium at other races along the way.

Now, the Contador situation has been pushed back again and we won't hear the verdict on Contador's appeal until the fall. They say November. It will happen after the 2012 Tour de France route is chosen and well after all the other races of the season take place.

Not fair. Not fair. Not fair.

What say you? And in your comments let me know if you like Contador or not.

Changing the design

Had to tweak the colors on the blog so it can be read more easily.

Hope you like it.

Tour 2011 - the Tour de France iPhone app

When I can, and this might sound pretentious, I like to follow the tour from the road beside each stage. This requires that I fly to France and spend three weeks galavanting around the countryside. I don't have a problem with that, but my wallet and my employers do. So most of my pursuit of the Tour is done electronically and online.

As many Tour fans know, Eurosport isn't available in this country as the satellite they use to beam the signal to Europe is situated in the wrong spot in the sky. Some folks in SOUTHERN FL can grab the signal, but for the rest of the United States, it's impossible.

The other option for following Tour coverage is the sometimes lame, sometimes great programming on Versus. They've done the Tour for years, but they are still relegated to the whims and programming/filming choices of the Eurosport staff. *This might change now that Versus has the power of NBC behind them. We'll see.

So, many folks either find themselves watching the Versus recaps at night and trolling the Internet for simulcast Ustream or Livestream feeds that Europeans are kind enough to share. I'll be doing some of that this year too.

But the best option I've found - and I did this last year too - was to load a few apps onto my iPhone and follow the tour that way. My favorite for this year (and it cost about $2) is the "Tour 2011" app. They have lots of news feeds, a stages overview section, rider features and facts, a live stream that has been pretty feature rich so far (only stage 1 mid-way right now), and a leaderboard.

This app is as well appointed as the dispatches you can get at Le Tour - the official TDF site - or elsewhere on the Web.

Other apps I've gotten to supplement my enjoyment are the team apps for Radio Shack and others. And I'm following a number of riders on Twitter.

Your mileage may vary, but I prefer to immerse myself in the race and this is a great way to do it.

Lance and Drugs and the Future

It's being covered nearly every day in the press. Mostly Bicycling Magazine's recap of court proceedings and purported discussions by George Hincapie and real comments by Tyler Hamilton. What seems to be happening is a consensus that Lance was certainly involved in a doping situation on the teams for which he raced. What is not clear - and it probably doesn't matter - is whether Lance doped or not.

Here's my stance...

I don't care. While I was a soapbox fiend when baseball players started getting caught for using drugs, I was at a different and more enlightened stage of my fandom when I learned what pro cycling was doing. You see, I never knew pro cycling to be any different.

From my first real experience with the Tour de France in 1998, I understood there was animosity between the UCI and the riders. And I understood that many - if not the majority - of the riders took drugs. So the playing field for me was always tainted.

This didn't make me, as a fan, any less involved or passionate about watching the sport or desiring to attend the races. It didn't move any of the riders down in my eyes, because it was all apples to apples at the top end.

So, if Lance did dope, does it matter now? And if they decide to sanction or remove his awards, does it matter now? Finally, to be fair, how could they (UCI and other governing bodies) be sure that riders #2, #3 #4 and beyond didn't also dope?

The powers that be would have to effectively remove all awards and trophies and records from the books and start anew. And that isn't going to happen.

I want to bury that part of cycling in the sand and go forward in the post-Lance era. I still yearn to attend the TDF every year (and I've already been a number of times). And I still am excited to put my life on hold for 20+ days in July every year while I blog, watch and eat, drink and breathe the event.

This hasn't changed my outlook, it's just given me one more topic to write about. Now go get clipped in and let the races continue!

TDF Doping Tests

Most nights I drift off to sleep after reading some AP updates on my iPhone in bed. This was the case the other day when I noticed that in the news were a lot of pieces on cycling.

Well, it's cold out right now and cycling news is out of place. So I took a look.

Seems as if the government is now focusing on the doping allegations of one Floyd Landis against many of his ex-teammates. This means that the circus of allegations and tests and rumors is back in full swing.

Happy Holidays cycling!

CONTADOR CHEATED!

So, what’s the big deal with doping and cycling? Hasn’t this been asked a million times before and hasn’t the issue been raised in concert with such names as Hamilton, Armstrong, Ulrich, Pantani and Landis.

Well now, according to a NY Times story, Alberto Contador has tested positive for a banned substance. And that might mean his title - and respect - and maybe his career - will all go away.

Is it such a big deal? Isn’t everyone doing it?

I don’t think so. I think the truly gifted are not cheating and have not cheated in their winning ways. I choose to believe that Lance Armstrong didn’t cheat during any of his Tour de France wins. I also choose to believe that Floyd Landis was clean for the bulk of his career as was Tyler Hamilton.

The difficulty comes with the pressure to perform and I don’t know anyone who isn’t in that position can relate. I’m a great empathizer, but even I don’t know what it’s like to feel the pressure of pro athletes breathing down my neck as I strive to complete a bike race, baseball or football game.

And the stakes are so high if you give it careful thought. So much money is on the line. So limited is the window of opportunity for a human athlete in regard to skill level. And there’s massive ego involved.

I don’t have the answers today and might never have them. But I wanted to get people thinking about this stuff. Especially as we look at Contador being accused of cheating and possibly losing his TDF title.

How do I feel about this? I am angry. If Contador played by the rules, maybe Lance would have his eighth title. Not saying Contador cheated in 2009, but if he cheated this year he could have cheated before.

What do you think?

Versus is the Commercial Machine

As fast as the riders go, they are no match for the speed with which VERSUS goes to commercial. I suggest poking around the Web to find other places to watch the Tour.

Crazy that the station with exclusive rights to the TDF is away so often.

I'm fuming.

2010 Tour de France - Overall Standings after Stage 3

They raced today and the standings are shaken up. The gap we all care about (between Lance and Contador) stands at about 50 seconds with Alberto in the lead.

Here's the top 100 in the 2010 Tour de France after Stage 3...

1.	CANCELLARA Fabian	13	TEAM SAXO BANK	14h 54' 00"
2.	THOMAS Geraint	39	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 54' 23"	+ 00' 23"
3.	EVANS Cadel	121	BMC RACING TEAM	14h 54' 39"	+ 00' 39"
4.	HESJEDAL Ryder	54	GARMIN - TRANSITIONS	14h 54' 46"	+ 00' 46"
5.	CHAVANEL Sylvain	131	QUICK STEP	14h 55' 01"	+ 01' 01"
6.	SCHLECK Andy	11	TEAM SAXO BANK	14h 55' 09"	+ 01' 09"
7.	HUSHOVD Thor	95	CERVELO TEST TEAM	14h 55' 19"	+ 01' 19"
8.	VINOKOUROV Alexandre	9	ASTANA	14h 55' 31"	+ 01' 31"
9.	CONTADOR Alberto	1	ASTANA	14h 55' 40"	+ 01' 40"
10.	VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen	101	OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO	14h 55' 42"	+ 01' 42"
11.	ROCHE Nicolas	81	AG2R LA MONDIALE	14h 55' 42"	+ 01' 42"
12.	VAN SUMMEREN Johan	58	GARMIN - TRANSITIONS	14h 55' 47"	+ 01' 47"
13.	MENCHOV Denis	191	RABOBANK	14h 55' 49"	+ 01' 49"
14.	WIGGINS Bradley	31	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 55' 49"	+ 01' 49"
15.	MILLAR David	57	GARMIN - TRANSITIONS	14h 56' 06"	+ 02' 06"
16.	KREUZIGER Roman	44	LIQUIGAS-DOIMO	14h 56' 24"	+ 02' 24"
17.	SANCHEZ Luis-Leon	161	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	14h 56' 25"	+ 02' 25"
18.	ARMSTRONG Lance	21	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 56' 30"	+ 02' 30"
19.	LÖVKVIST Thomas	37	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 56' 34"	+ 02' 34"
20.	ROJAS Jose Joaquin	169	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	14h 56' 35"	+ 02' 35"
21.	MARTIN Tony	115	TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA	14h 56' 35"	+ 02' 35"
22.	DURAN AROCA Arkaitz	214	FOOTON-SERVETTO	14h 56' 49"	+ 02' 49"
23.	MC EWEN Robbie	75	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 56' 52"	+ 02' 52"
24.	LEIPHEIMER Levi	25	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 56' 53"	+ 02' 53"
25.	MAASKANT Martijn	56	GARMIN - TRANSITIONS	14h 56' 57"	+ 02' 57"
26.	FUGLSANG Jakob	14	TEAM SAXO BANK	14h 56' 58"	+ 02' 58"
27.	BRAJKOVIC Janez	22	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 57' 00"	+ 03' 00"
28.	ROGERS Michael	118	TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA	14h 57' 00"	+ 03' 00"
29.	KLÖDEN Andréas	24	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 57' 01"	+ 03' 01"
30.	RIBLON Christophe	89	AG2R LA MONDIALE	14h 57' 02"	+ 03' 02"
31.	TANKINK Bram	198	RABOBANK	14h 57' 02"	+ 03' 02"
32.	SANCHEZ Samuel	181	EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI	14h 57' 04"	+ 03' 04"
33.	GRIVKO Andriy	3	ASTANA	14h 57' 05"	+ 03' 05"
34.	KARPETS Vladimir	71	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 57' 05"	+ 03' 05"
35.	MONFORT Maxime	116	TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA	14h 57' 06"	+ 03' 06"
36.	KOREN Kristjan	43	LIQUIGAS-DOIMO	14h 57' 07"	+ 03' 07"
37.	ROELANDTS Jürgen	108	OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO	14h 57' 10"	+ 03' 10"
38.	LE MEVEL Christophe	61	FDJ	14h 57' 12"	+ 03' 12"
39.	FARIA DA COSTA Rui Alberto	162	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	14h 57' 14"	+ 03' 14"
40.	LADAGNOUS Matthieu	65	FDJ	14h 57' 14"	+ 03' 14"
41.	CASAR Sandy	62	FDJ	14h 57' 14"	+ 03' 14"
42.	NIERMANN Grischa	197	RABOBANK	14h 57' 15"	+ 03' 15"
43.	GESINK Robert	195	RABOBANK	14h 57' 16"	+ 03' 16"
44.	HORNER Christopher	23	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 57' 17"	+ 03' 17"
45.	HONDO Danilo	205	LAMPRE - FARNESE	14h 57' 18"	+ 03' 18"
46.	KNEES Christian	145	TEAM MILRAM	14h 57' 18"	+ 03' 18"
47.	GARATE Juan Manuel	194	RABOBANK	14h 57' 18"	+ 03' 18"
48.	SASTRE Carlos	91	CERVELO TEST TEAM	14h 57' 19"	+ 03' 19"
49.	BASSO Ivan	41	LIQUIGAS-DOIMO	14h 57' 20"	+ 03' 20"
50.	KERN Christophe	175	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	14h 57' 21"	+ 03' 21"
51.	GUTIERREZ José Ivan	164	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	14h 57' 24"	+ 03' 24"
52.	MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel	107	OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO	14h 57' 25"	+ 03' 25"
53.	BALLAN Alessandro	122	BMC RACING TEAM	14h 57' 25"	+ 03' 25"
54.	POPOVYCH Yaroslav	28	TEAM RADIOSHACK	14h 57' 26"	+ 03' 26"
55.	ELMIGER Martin	84	AG2R LA MONDIALE	14h 57' 26"	+ 03' 26"
56.	PAURIOL Rémi	179	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	14h 57' 27"	+ 03' 27"
57.	FLECHA Juan Antonio	34	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 57' 29"	+ 03' 29"
58.	GADRET John	85	AG2R LA MONDIALE	14h 57' 30"	+ 03' 30"
59.	PAUWELS Serge	38	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 57' 32"	+ 03' 32"
60.	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	77	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 57' 33"	+ 03' 33"
61.	MINARD Sébastien	176	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	14h 57' 33"	+ 03' 33"
62.	NOVAL GONZALEZ Benjamin	7	ASTANA	14h 57' 33"	+ 03' 33"
63.	BARRY Michaël	32	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 57' 33"	+ 03' 33"
64.	GAUTIER Cyril	155	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	14h 57' 34"	+ 03' 34"
65.	KROON Karsten	127	BMC RACING TEAM	14h 57' 38"	+ 03' 38"
66.	DA DALTO Mauro	203	LAMPRE - FARNESE	14h 57' 41"	+ 03' 41"
67.	IGLINSKIY Maxim	5	ASTANA	14h 57' 41"	+ 03' 41"
68.	VALLS FERRI Rafael	219	FOOTON-SERVETTO	14h 57' 43"	+ 03' 43"
69.	CUMMINGS Stephen	33	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 57' 44"	+ 03' 44"
70.	ISASI Inaki	182	EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI	14h 57' 46"	+ 03' 46"
71.	MARTINEZ Egoi	183	EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI	14h 57' 46"	+ 03' 46"
72.	GUSTOV Volodymir	93	CERVELO TEST TEAM	14h 57' 46"	+ 03' 46"
73.	ARASHIRO Yukiya	152	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	14h 57' 47"	+ 03' 47"
74.	KOLOBNEV Alexandr	74	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 57' 48"	+ 03' 48"
75.	ROLLAND Pierre	156	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	14h 57' 53"	+ 03' 53"
76.	VORGANOV Eduard	79	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 57' 54"	+ 03' 54"
77.	VOECKLER Thomas	151	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	14h 57' 56"	+ 03' 56"
78.	BOASSON Edvald Hagen	36	SKY PRO CYCLING	14h 58' 30"	+ 04' 30"
79.	GERDEMANN Linus	141	TEAM MILRAM	14h 58' 33"	+ 04' 33"
80.	OSS Daniel	46	LIQUIGAS-DOIMO	14h 58' 41"	+ 04' 41"
81.	BARREDO Carlos	132	QUICK STEP	14h 58' 44"	+ 04' 44"
82.	MONIER Damien	178	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	14h 58' 45"	+ 04' 45"
83.	PINEAU Jérôme	135	QUICK STEP	14h 58' 47"	+ 04' 47"
84.	PLIUSCHIN Alexandr	76	KATUSHA TEAM	14h 58' 49"	+ 04' 49"
85.	ERVITI Imanol	163	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	14h 58' 53"	+ 04' 53"
86.	KUCHYNSKI Aleksandr	45	LIQUIGAS-DOIMO	14h 59' 02"	+ 05' 02"
87.	PLAZA MOLINA Ruben	168	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	15h 01' 04"	+ 07' 04"
88.	VANDENBERGH Styn	78	KATUSHA TEAM	15h 01' 07"	+ 07' 07"
89.	MOREAU Christophe	166	CAISSE D’EPARGNE	15h 01' 20"	+ 07' 20"
90.	GRABSCH Bert	113	TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA	15h 01' 24"	+ 07' 24"
91.	ROBERTS Luke	146	TEAM MILRAM	15h 01' 25"	+ 07' 25"
92.	EL FARES Julien	174	COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE	15h 01' 32"	+ 07' 32"
93.	FRÖHLINGER Johannes	143	TEAM MILRAM	15h 01' 32"	+ 07' 32"
94.	DE WEERT Kevin	133	QUICK STEP	15h 01' 33"	+ 07' 33"
95.	VOGONDY Nicolas	159	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	15h 01' 34"	+ 07' 34"
96.	SIVTSOV Kanstantsin	119	TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA	15h 01' 36"	+ 07' 36"
97.	ROHREGGER Thomas	147	TEAM MILRAM	15h 01' 37"	+ 07' 37"
98.	EIBEGGER Markus	215	FOOTON-SERVETTO	15h 01' 38"	+ 07' 38"
99.	FEDRIGO Pierrick	154	BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM	15h 01' 41"	+ 07' 41"
100.	DI GREGORIO Rémy	63	FDJ	15h 01' 47"	+ 07' 47"