At this rate, we'll likely hear Phil say on Sunday:

"The last remaining competitor to not test positive in the Tour has been handed the yellow jersey, although his finishing time places him somewhere around 180th place. This is no shock as it's where one could expect to place when surrounded by a gang of cowardly walking pharmacies. Here he comes, solo into Paris, dancing on the pedals in a most immodest fashion!"

Hahahaha Rasmussen is out too...

Phil's word for the day:

DOPE.

we were talking about Vino, doping and such at work this morning and i said that i bet Rasmussen gets tossed before sunday.

maybe i sould pick some lottery numbers tonight ! or, was making the rasmussen call just too easy ?

I just read on one of the cycling websites that there is talk of many of the teams not showing up tomorrow. These are the people that want to ruin...um excuse me........run BMX? Great.

Honest to god!!! WTH? I hope it was all worth it. This is the last year I waste my July evenings catching up on this F'n shiot.... If I was Contrador, I wouldn't even want that yellow jersey.....and if he's dope'n too, I bet he feels as low as you can get....

Regardless of who is or who is not doping, the tour is the hardest race in the world and if you finish it, I believe it to be quite an accomplishment. I will continue to watch it year in and year out, but I can not say I am happy with the doping. But at least some are being caught. just think of the guys who are not doping and how well they do.

However, does anyone find it strange that Rasmussen was thrown out for lying, not doping. I am sure that doping will come out of it, but has he tested positive, don't the winners and leaders get tested everyday?

He lied about where he was out of competition training instead of in Mexico like he said, and he just now gets outed, while leading the tour de france and living his dream. Just strange timing. Why would he lie about extra training? It is all just too strange. I think Cadel has the best shot at the overall now, but I will be pulling for Levi.

If the powers that be in the tour think this is a good PR move to keep publicizing all of the doping they are sadly mistaken. Do like they do in the NHL and lie about where the injury is, for example Vino got staff and had to drop out, Rasmussen was so exhausted from the amazing ride he put in today, and it was amazing dope or not, he was too exhausted to continue. Stuff like that.

Good point. If he was asked to leave for lie'n, that doesn't justify that call in my eyes....

I bet his team was informed that pulling him would be in their best interest. Why I don't know but if he was in Italy they knew it.

I LOVE cycling and I love watching racing regardless of whether it's a pro event or a local crit. I also love just riding my bike and looking at the scenery that passes slowly by.

However, I HATE the fact that these people are ruining something so grand. I find that I am constantly having to explain to others what's happening and how the sport is not as crooked as it appears from 30 second clips they find on TV. I try to explain the history (as best I know it), the domestic race scene and teams like Slipstream, and the gentlemanly qualities of self sacrifice for a team leader, etc. Then I have to debate how the NFL, NBA, of MLB don't let this type of thing happen on such a large scale.

I'm sick of the BS we, as fans, are being subjected to.

How am I supposed to explain to my son, who thankfully is only 3-years-old right now and doesn't understand, why I like watching the Tour and riding my bike so much? It's a shame I have to sanitize what should be so basic- very strong men riding 3,000 miles in 3 weeks to see who beats back the attacks, weather and their own weaknesses.

I'm ranting a bit but I'm frustrated by all this. It was easy to dismiss the insinuations during the Lance era as a witch hunt, but now? I'm not saying Lance, or Landis for that matter, is guilty of using performance enhancing drugs I'm just saying if a guy like Vino can fall what's next?

I hope the sport can dig itself out of this hole, come to some sort of consensus on testing protocols and decide which governing body controls the whole damn thing. Its a farce to believe things will change with so many fingers in the pie.

My guess on Rasmussen getting the boot for lying would have to be something like this... WADA or ASO probably have some sort of evidence against him, rather than publicize another positive Yellow Jersey, put pressure on Rabobank to giv him the boot. Back to back tour winners testing positive would be a huge PR disaster for ASO.

Personally, I think that Rabobank picked a strange time to fire him, the speculation of his prevous whereabouts have been circulating since before the tour. I can't wait to hear a Rasmussen's side of this. Who knows, if he has something to hide, he may not even issue a statement.

Sad...very sad.

I'd give it a 99% chance that Rasmussen was guilty..

Big stain on cycling.

I can't believe these guys are willing to go through with transfusions. The risk of disease alone...

Maybe they'll all claim to be Chimera's like Tyler, Ha. The hole in the chimera story is someone ELSE's hematocrit will filter out after about four months. They could keep testing Vino (or Tyler) and the foreign blood counts will reduce and reduce...further confirming they cheat.

How does it work anyway? Do they dope up some guy w/ the same blood type and withdraw it when needed? Is that why they aren't finding it in their vehicles? The sauced up blood is inside another human?! Kinda makes it the perfect hiding and storage facility...Not only do they need to test the CYCLISTS, they need to test all the freakin' people in the cyclists' organization too?

I love watching the Tour. Lance made me a fan. But the last couple days have been sickening with the doping stuff going on. I hope Levi can win it... and I hope he's not doping for goodness sakes.

Rasmussen wasn't kicked out of the Tour by the Tour. he was fired by Rabobank because of the bad PR and suspicion he was causing the corporation/team.

if the $h!+ is going to hit the fan either way regarding him, it looks better for Rabobank that they pull him out and sacrifice their chance at victory rather than he wins and gets busted after the fact.

If he is guilty, Robobank has always known he is. So the question, why now??? because he's winning by 3 minutes? If he was mid-field would this even be coming out? It certainly wouldn't be in the news.. I'll have to see what Bobkie and the gang say this Morning.

If I remember, wasn't Lance tested daily during the tour?? He said he was tested alot and he always feared that someone would tamper with his blood, which from what I hear could easily be done. There are alot of maybe scenerios here and something smells like fish.

Robobank does not want to be associated with doping. They are afterall a corporation. Ras missed 4 pre race doping controls. 2 agencies and 2 missed controls each. What are you hiding to miss these controls? If Ras was in Mexico and not Italy wouldn't he be parading his passport around? It all stinks.

Now the question, lie with whoever wins, say it is Levi and now for the 9th year in a row an American wins, lance was always worried about his blood being tampered with and I do not know about Landis, because of how hard was fighting the tests, I would like to think it was a conspiracy, but who knows. But his result that day was amazing and could have been false. What are the chances that because Levi wins (in this scenario) something happens with his tests from say, yesterdays race where he got second, or after the time trial where he will have to make up the gap. Could there be some hatred from the french or whoever does the testing that another American has won there beloved race?

Just a what if scenario, I know it is improbable that Levi would win, but I would like to see it.

I really believe the whole thing is corrupt from top to bottom. I do not think the French have it out for American riders. Why would the French risk damaging the Tour beyond repair only to disgrace an American rider? The amount of money gernerated by this race for France is not chump change. I have seen some of the most beautiful landscape watching the Tour. I want to go.

I would just say the French are bitter of the American success, I don't think they wanna bomb the Discovery team or anything like that. LOL!!!

I just think that the bottom line issue is, WHY OH WHY, did Rasi even start this event with missing those pre-tests? This shouldn't have ever got this far. So like I said before, if Rasi wasn't leading, would this have ever come up???

I was just watching the OLN guys and they said it was Robobanks decision and he hasn't been caught doing anything at this point..

Landscape: yes, I wanna move there... LOL!!! Sothern France, Monaco would be $well...

RASMUSSEN OUT!!!!!!!!

OMFG!!!!

The 17th stage of the 2007 Tour de France is due to begin at 12.45pm. Due to exceptional circumstances relating to Michael Rasmussen (RAB), the winner of two stages this year and the leader of the general classification after 16 stages, there will be no yellow jersey in the race today. The Danish rider has been asked by his Rabobank team to withdraw from the Tour de France. (A release relating to this matter will be posted soon.)

This is getting good (or not good)

what the hell

If he was content enough with just KOM, maybe things would be different. The Velo news story about Ras allegedly setting up another mountain biker to be an unknowing mule for his(Ras) Biopure really got legs. Lump the missed tests in March 2006 and June 28 this year for the UCI and Danish controls and we potentially have another Landis affair. Bad enough there is no winner last year but to have that all play out again this year? Which could still happen given how demanding the Tour is on the body.

edit* Hemopure not Biopure. I can't keep all this crap straight.

http://www.ibelieveRasmussen.com/

http://www.ibelieveVino.com/

Hahahahaha! Drunk Cyclist distills it proper yet again!

I just turned off TV, it isn't much fun watching the loosers win.

Agree. I'm "turned" off this year. I mean, we don't even really have an official winner from last year do we??

Predictions: 1) Contrador -barely
2) Cadel
3) Levi

I think AC will be riding a good TT even though its not a super huge strength.

Wow! Soler goes down.

Soler is apparantly a rumour spread by the Danish newspapers. Maybe they're sour about Rasmusen. Possibly they can't believe that he came out of nowhere to take the KOM jersey, who knows.

I'm surprised there isn't alot more noise about Contador since he was implicated in operation Puerto, and was only removed from the list in exchange for information.

Maybe they should just start two sanctions, one for dopers and one for natural riders, like they do in bodybuilding. It might be fun watching these freaks legaly max out their bodies before they collapse of heart failure.

Looks like I predicted right,... which never happens unless I'm bet'n on Lance. LOL!
Levi kills the TT and the rookie takes the yellow jersey.. Unreal!!!! I'm glad I watched that.

Levi said he won't attack Cadel for the 8 seconds that separate them. Levi said "he wouldn't pull a Vino" on Evans...LOL!!!! I thought that was well said.

Another July gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ July 28, 2007, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Brad Apold ]

I saw that interview and thought the same thing about Levi- funny and classy at the same time.

I understand that technically they could attack for the win on the final day but I was always under the impression it was more of a "victory parade" into Paris with the winner determined the day before in the TT.

Same as BITD when LeMond beat Fignon by 8 seconds on the final TT.

I think its "Tour Curtious" for the last Saturday to be the deciding factor. Having Levi say that to Cadel, it would be crazy if Cadel attacked anyway... if that happened, there would be a peleton attack I think. I wonder if AC is happy about winning the tour with the way things turned out. I'd have mixed feelings I think...

Why are the news making such a big deal out of drugs in the tour and yet nothing about the Baseball/football players that are 'roided up? Seems like someone at the UCI would rather have bad news about cycling than nothing about cycling in the news.

Thats just it..only a few care really about the Tour..not like Baseball / Football. I care, you care and lots of bike racers care. But it's not 'news' here. Now if Lance got busted..that would be big news (at least in the USA)

Cycling needs star power...

Maybe the next star will be a BMXer????

Regardless of the dopers, Levi rode like a demon yesterday, just a pity he couldn't catch Contador.

Levi did pull through, but to win he needed to react quicker in the Mtn stages and not follow. His strategy of killing in the TT didn't work, but he was SUPER close. Levi impressed me allot. Contrador though, man this guys got a future. He should spend time doing TT's and he's got the Tour in the bag again.. The guys that are clean, I give an extra "hats off"..


Maybe the UCI should have tour for doper's and non-dopers, like a race within a race. How many would register as dope's? exactly!, knowone whats to be called a drug user. They can do something about this drug issue...I hope they do.

I was just at the USAcycling.org site and noticed one of the sponsors is DOW. Are the cycling sanctions really out to end doping with pharmicutical companies being sponsors? I can see their ads now; "We don't make the rider, we make them better."

Not just DOW. Another company called AMGEN was one of the sponsors of the Tour of California. They were one of the first producers of EPO, although it was originally meant for cancer patients.

They claimed that they were rasing awareness of the actuall benefits of EPO for real sick people, not just athletes.

***???

Mayo goes down for EPO

That's why I was always chearing for coolwhip.

This Tour was like watching the WWF