Don’t know about my fellow race fans, but my excitement level for the Tour de France, and racing in general, is not what it has been in the past.
Last year was an opportunity to make a serious effort to cleanup the sport of professional cycling, but instead things are pretty much the way they have been in the past. It amazes me that every time there is a doping scandal and subsequent cleanup, we are all supposed to believe, and many do, that the sport is now largely free of doping.
As the tests improve the drugs improve and until we take the watchdog function away from the UCI there will not be much impetus to get serious about anti-doping efforts.
But, the Tour is the Tour. Doping or not it is the most thrilling and spectacular sporting event there is. So like you possibly, I will be there watching and cheering the riders most apt to be clean: Garmin-Sharp’s Tejay Van Garderen and ?
I will not be cheering for Chris Froome and Sky, the latest version of the dominant Postal team of the 1990’s.
It probably goes without saying I will be cheering for Thomas Voeckler and hoping he lights up the race like he has in the past.
Enough of what I think, here is a preview of the 2013 Tour de France -Vive le Tour!