Bouleversant, Ce Tour
It’s one thing for a major champion with an illustrious career to fall from his heights. The Jose Cansecos and Ben Johnsons of this world know that there is no sympathy for the wicked. We imagine them, bulky and pensive, sitting on their towers as the world spits bile on their names. But, it’s another thing for one of the little guys, an unknown, an extra, to be found guilty of doping and not put up a fight. Cristian Moreni, one of the Cofidis riders, was found to have abnormally high levels of testosterone in his urine sample from Stage 11 of this year’s Tour. He admitted use of the drug and was immediately taken away, while the rest of his team withdrew from the Tour de France.
While I had only shock at Vino’s drug use, shock and incredulity, the vilification of Moreni brings nothing but sadness. How pathetic can it be, for one of the riders at the bottom of the Tour, a real no name, to be caught for this? One can imagine the circumstance: a barely professional rider, who makes little money and has few prospects in the future, taking drugs just to stay in the Tour, to earn his bread and butter, before the desert years as an unemployed former-cyclist. It is an almost Dosteyoevskian context. That he came clean on his use so quickly, when he has everything to lose, is humbling. Morality aside, this is a sport which breaks grown men and women’s hearts.
(more…)July 28, 2006
Say it ain’t so Flo
Did he cheat? Could be. Could be not. Couldn’t say for sure. Bad hip, legendary ride, Mennonite parents, nice guy. Somehow it doesn’t seem to add up. But then, neither did Tyler Hamilton. Still though, he must have known he’d be caught, if he had done it. So the question is: either Floyd Landis is the dumbest cheater in the history of sports, or he’s telling the truth? People are innocent until proven guilty, regardless of what the media thinks. Please, say it ain’t so Flo.
July 24, 2006
Only 49 weeks left
“Only 49 weeks left to kill before the Tour de France.” -E. Lautreamont yesterday
July 22, 2006
Flying Floyd and the rest of the monkeys
Contrary to a former opinion, the Tour de France 2006 was not such a snore-fest after all. Granted the first two weeks were remarkably empty of drama, but the last week has more than made up for it. Seeing Floyd Landis first self-destruct, then rebirth himself the day after, was probably the most dramatic two days of the Tour I have ever witnessed. After all, it’s quite something to drop ten minutes one day, then take the Tour back after a 130km breakaway in the Alps. That’s a show of defiance and panache that surely makes him a worthy champion. Today was only his confirmation.
Other notes: Andreas Kloden’s remarkable time trial performance was probably part of the Pyrrhic victory for T-Mobile today. Despite Honchar’s stage win, the T-Mobile team continued to demonstrate throughout this Tour how poor tactical management can cost you a Tour. (more…)
July 20, 2006
What happened to Landis? — OMG! He turned into Superman!
I’m so sorry for having said all those wretched things about Floyd Landis. Yesterday, he certainly showed me some pain by faltering dramatically in the mountains. It was a terrible sight to see. Our little Mennonite churning the peddles slowly as all the other slaves chippered by, staring at the king in ruins. He had what the french cycling buddies call, a "fringale," a special kind of energy deficit you get if you don’t eat enough while riding. Horrible. I hate being hungry too. At least the "chicken," Michael Rasmussen, who owes that nickname more to appearance than to anything testicle-related, won the stage with great panache. Other winners of the Nardac Panache award are Carlos Sastre, for taking the initiative and exploding the peloton on the last climb, Axel Mercx, for sacrificing himself for his leader Landis throughout this most gruesome day, and finally Christophe Moreau, for also sacrificing himself for Cyril Dessel. Dessel looks prime to seize a spot in the top five, and perhaps the podium, if surprises are the name of this Tour.
Finally, my predictions for the Tour 2006: 1. Sastre 2. Pereiro 3. Kloden (revised after today’s stage to 1. Landis 2. Sastre 3. Pereiro).
Look for the time trials on Saturday to push Sastre over Pereiro, and the CSC to attempt something tricky on the HC climbs today. I think I’m in love with Bjarn Riis and his tricky domed head.
In other sports-related news, (more…)
July 18, 2006
Snore-Fest 2006
Imagine a television show like Lost. You have your favourite characters Kate, Sawyer, Jack and Locke. It’s still an ensemble cast but I think we can all agree that the show would be bereft without those four. Well, imagine that Jack gets off the island. Then, suddenly without warning, Sawyer and Locke are killed off the show. Then Kate falls over a can of peanut butter and goes into a coma. What are you going to do? Still keep watching a bunch of losers stuck on an island? That’s the Tour de France these days.
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