Tour de France

[gdt]

Add Iban Mayo of Saunier Duval-Prodir, placed 16th. Doing EPO.

Werner Franke has reviewed the Operación Puerto documents and says of Contador on ZDF TV: "He took insulin, HMG-Lepori, a hormone to stimulate the secretion of testosterone and also a product for asthma called TGN. In brief, I have before my eyes a protocol for doping." Contador disagrees.

Dick Pound of WADA told the UK's Daily Mail that he wants to investigate further, as the Spanish inquiry did not investigate Contador any further once it found that Contador had done nothing criminal in Spain. WADA and Contador's old teammate Jörg Jaksche may do a deal to decrease Jaksche's ban from cycling in return for the identity of "AC" in the doping plans of Eufemiano Fuentes. The name "AC" in the file has "nothing" against it, but the initial's mere presence in the files shows a plan, even if the that month's doping was being halted before some event.

Fuentes' files also contain the names of soccer and tennis players, a scandal yet to fully develop.

Meanwhile, Vinokourov complains via his lawyers: "I have always raced clean. These test results simply make no sense." The B sample exists so that these complaints can be backed by fact -- Vinokourov can choose the lab and oversight the testing. But his B sample is positive too. Looks like we'll be seeing Landis's "unique physiology" claims next. I wonder how many cyclists can have a unique physiology?

UK prof Julian Savulescu argues it is time to regulate doping. He obviously missed the crowd booing Rasmussen when he received the yellow jersey. Anyway, doping is regulated now; what makes him think laxer regulations are going to be adhered to if breaking them still gives an advantage?

Before he retired, Ian Thorpe wanted a blood bank for athletes. This blood could be tested in the future and an clean athlete could have their record stand untainted by accusations of doping which were based only upon the athlete's extraordinary performance. It's time.