Froome going for all 3 grand tour titles at the same time.
Only 2 blokes ever done that.
Froome going for all 3 grand tour titles at the same time.
Only 2 blokes ever done that.
Will he worm his way out of the drugs charges and still ride this tour?
Or
Will he be stripped of his previous tour wins and be on a 2 year ban?
Why does it take so long, when he is clearly guilty because other riders have been banned for having less in their system?
The only way I can see that he can avoid a ban and maintain credibility is if he is tested with the maximum dose of inhaled salbutamol and it is shown that his urinary concentration is higher than the set limit. But it will be impossible to replicate race conditions - knackered/dehydrated/inflamed lungs(possibly) - dehydration in particular would concentrate the urine and increase the measurement of any constituent including salbutamol, and inflamed lungs could increase their permeability thus increasing the absorption of salbutamol. We will see.
Drain the swamp
Shall we all pretend it's all fine and just enjoy the spectacle? Suspend disbelief for the good of the sport?
BTW: It's easy for me to be so cynical - I never used to follow the tour anyway. It must be harder for those who get enjoyment out of watching it and would like to think it's more than a circus.
No we shan't. I got all pessimistic after Festina, then again after Amstrong, not to mention all the major but not quite so major ethical disasters before during and after those. I retreated to just enjoying my own cycling, running, walking etc with mates and ignoring following the, ahem, professionals. I shall do so again, only this time I am older and perhaps more weary of all this than I was and I'm not convinved I will rally again to watch and follow it all
I'll definitely continue watching. The skulduggery has, and always will be, part of the long tours. For good or bad. The idea that it's ever been anything else than it is now, and was the decades previous, seems strange to me.
I M Povey New Marske Harriers
http://manwithoutashed.blogspot.com