TdF: Perspective on the Eve of the '06 Tour
Man! What a difference twenty-four hours can make. In that short period of time, one of the teams, Astana-Wurth, who were initially asked to stay away from the Tour because of it's role in Operacion Puerto, were allowed to participate, and then three of the top contenders (Ulrich, Basso, and Mancebo) were suspended by their teams because of possible involvement in the same drug scandal.
When I saw this on VeloNews today I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. "No way!" I cried.
I was really looking forward to this years Tour considering that Lance is retired, Ulrich is getting up in age (his last Tour win came in 1997), possibly making this his last opportunity, and Basso has looked amazing all spring, especially considering his domination in the the Giro d'Italia last month. In my opinion, this had all the makings of being one the best races in a longtime.
Fortunately, there are still some great riders left and with the recent suspensions it is going to make for a wide open race. At this point in time, anyone, and I do me anyone, can win this. The only problem that I see is that whoever the victor is, and if folks like Ulrich and Basso are found innocent of the allegations lodged against them, the victory may be viewed as less than that because the best cyclists were not allowed to compete.
But so roll the wheels of international cycling, where you're presumed guilty until you prove your innocence. Viva le Tour
Pre-scandal TDF Picks: (1) Basso, (2) Ulrich, (3) Landis
Post-scandal TDF Picks: (1) Hincapie, (2) Valverde, (3) Landis