“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an Annus Horribilis.”
– Queen Elizabeth II, November 24, 1992
Question: What do you get when you take the 1998 Festina scandal and mix it with suspicions surrounding the likes of Marco Pantani, then mix in rampant accusations and allegations such as those tossed onto Lance Armstrong and add in a dash of the Floyd Landis scandal?
You get the 2007 edition of the Tour de France. Today, mercifully, added no new scandals to an already scandal-ridden event. There was a race. No new positive drug tests reported. No riders arrested at the end of the stage. Nothing scandalous, at least as far as I’ve heard. That’s fortunate, as it gives us all a chance to catch our collective breath while the debate over the already too many scandals of 2007’s Tour rages on.
[And as an aside, props to all who’ve posted their comments over the last few days. It’s made for a lively, engaging discussion that has been quite civil. Exactly what I’d envisioned for this site way back when I started it almost a year ago. Even if we don’t always agree on everything, I hope everyone who’s been participating will keep coming back. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to read each and every comment, or to respond to as many as I would have liked. When the day job slows down, I’ll at least try to catch up on everyone’s contributions.]
Meanwhile …
Michael Rasmussen spoke about his departure from the Tour, as the Guardian notes:
Rabobank claimed that Rasmussen told them he was training in Mexico in June while he was actually in Italy, and therefore decided to axe him.
Rasmussen missed random drug tests on May 8 and June 28, saying he was in Mexico. But a former rider, Davide Cassani, told Denmark’s Danmarks Radio on Wednesday that he had seen Rasmussen in Italy in mid-June.
“I’m shattered. I’m on the verge of tears,” said Rasmussen today, before reiterating that he was in Mexico in June when Cassani claims to have met him. “I wasn’t in Italy. Not at all. This is the story about a man, who thinks that he recognised me. There is not a hint of evidence,” he said.
“My career is ruined,” he added. “I have no idea what I should do or where I will go. This is an enormous blow for me, and also for all the guys from the Rabo team. They’re devastated.”
The saddest part of the story is that we may never really know what the truth is. It’s one person’s word against another’s. Somewhere, I thought I read an article that said Cassani’s original story published about Rasmussen in Italy was positive, citing as an example of Rasmussen’s dedication a couple of days in June when Cassani spotted the Dane training in driving rain in the Dolomites.
Cassani didn’t set out to do a hatchet job on the Rasman, but an observant journalist checking another story noticed that Cassani’s story didn’t match up with Rasmussen’s account of where he was training in June. This, apparently, set into motion the events that led to Rasmussen being kicked out of the Tour and dismissed from Rabobank. Or perhaps just gave Rabobank a convenient excuse to push Rasmussen out the door.
Rasmussen spoke to the Danish newspaper Politiken, and in an article with the headline (translated) that says Michael Rasmussen: I’ll Be Back:
»Det er ikke 24 timer siden, jeg blev smidt ud af Tour de France, så jeg er langt, langt nede. Og jeg kan stadig ikke forstå det, der skete. Men nu har jeg haft tid til at sunde mig lidt, og jeg kan garantere, at jeg ikke er færdig som cykelrytter.«
Translated:
It’s less that 24 hours since I was thrown out of the Tour de France, so I’m feeling very down. And I still can’t understand what happened. But now I’ve had a little time to collect myself, and I can guarantee that I am not finished as a cyclist.
Rasmussen sounds determined to come back. The situation he finds himself in is going to be a challenge, however. To find his way back into the pro peloton, he’s going to have to regain the confidence of those who would employ him.
The reporter who interviewed Rasmussen for Politiken asked whether his passport had stamps in it that could verify whether he was in Mexico during June. Rasmussen demurred, saying that he could not answer the question, as he’s hired an attorney to deal with the matter. Not exactly a confidence-inspiring answer.
But if Rasmussen eventually does produce a passport with stamps confirming his account, will anyone apologize for what he’s been put through? And if it eventually comes out that Cassani’s story is correct, will Rasmussen stand up and tell his fans what he was thinking by not being honest with his team or with the UCI or the Danish Cycling Union about his whereabouts?
Will he be able to resurrect his career? That depends, in large part, on whether he can show that his account of where he was training before the Tour is true. Cassani’s story, given how it came about, seems pretty believable. But how many times have any of us seen someone who looked familiar only to find out that it wasn’t who we thought it was?
Rasmussen’s story is far from finished, but it cast a huge pall on the Tour as it blew up yesterday. And the other scandals have certainly added to the hue and cry about how bad the doping situation is in cycling. The noise level seems to be increasing, almost like a symphony building to its finale.
A part of me wonders: Will the cymbal crash at the end be the announcement of the Landis decision? And if so, what effect will it have on cycling, the anti-doping agencies, and the world of sports in general?
My guess is that a unanimous decision in Landis’ favor could cause major upheaval, while a unanimous decision against him could set back the struggle to reform the system and make it more even handed. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.
To wrap things up tonight: Let’s hope that no more scandals plague this year’s Tour. But even if there are no more, to paraphrase the Queen, the 2007 Tour de France will not be an event that I will look back on with undiluted pleasure. For me (and many — if not most — fans) it has been a Tourus Horribilis.
Hey Rant — Thank you for this platform you built. You were missed yesterday. Your point of view is always appreciated. I will have to dig out my old Latin, it seems. You state today:
“¦”My guess is that a unanimous decision in Landis’ favor could cause major upheaval, while a unanimous decision against him could set back the struggle to reform the system and make it more even handed. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.””¦
Sadly, yes we are forced to play the “timing” game going on. This platform of yours give people like me and hopefully many others with their own unique perspectives to add to the mixture.
We are in a battle for justice and fair play. Our problems today are dirty and they all bring anger and frustration to the people who are involved and those of us who are only on the sidelines but feel connected. We must not lose heart. We must always remember that Floyd’s troubles are a result of the mess that is cycling today. My most earnest hope is that Floyd receives a unanimous decision in his favor, no matter that this causes a major upheaval in the system or not.
My stance on Floyd is that I believe he did not dope. Can I back this up with proof, personally no, I can’t. And that is the whole point in a nutshell. Floyd cannot and must not “merely accept” the results of his “test” — he can not accept it because as we have come to learn through the whole process of his trial — there are very large questions to be answered. The test’s veracity itself has been questioned. For me the question of the test being reliable or not is the very problem itself in cycling.
In a game with rules — the checks and balances must be unquestionably accepted and respected as “fair” by all sides. Floyd’s trail has brought to light this central problem. The only “fair” decision that the arbiters can reach is that he is not guilty of doping. Any other decision would be tainted by partisanship and or biases that must be instantly responded to.
We must not allow ourselves to be emotionally triggered to take a partisan stance. When we are so triggered, we also lose our hold on the whole picture. That being that “our beloved cycling” has an existent problem — the rules by which we choose to play, have been discovered to be biased and partisan and worst of all, are open to manipulation to unfair and unjust results.
I for one cannot come to another conclusion other then to get a break, hope that the arbiters will be fair and find in Floyd Landis’ favor. Then we are going to have to write rules that are clear, concise and fair to all parties, otherwise pro cycling can disappear, like a fetid stench that eventually goes away.
Hi Rant,
Thanks again for giving us a balanced assessment of the events and an equally balanced moderation of the comments. With all the scandals in this years touris horribilis one can forget that your initial purpose was to provide a forum to dispense info on Floyd Landis. Do you think that the delay in a decision from the arbiters is due to some machinations by the Tour or WADA or anyone else? Do you think that the delay may actually indicate a negative outcome with regard to FL? By the way it’s been one hell of a tour and i’m still going to keep watching.
Morgan,
Thanks. Good points, all. And keep those comments coming.
Luc,
I’m not sure we can draw any conclusions from how long it’s taking. Perhaps the arbitrators are all on holiday, perhaps they’re going through all of the evidence and transcripts with a fine-toothed comb. I hope it’s the latter, and that at the end of their deliberations the right decision will be made. Could there be some machinations by WADA or USADA or the UCI? Maybe, it’s always possible. I don’t think the Tour organization would be in on any of that, they don’t really have standing before the arbitration panel, from what I gather.
The next few days will be interesting. For those that remain in contention, it’s going to be a tense time. Can Contador hold onto yellow? Or will he struggle in the time trial? How about Evans and Leipheimer. If it’s really close at the end of Saturday’s stage, perhaps Sunday’s racing will not be the mere formality of some years gone by, but will be a hard-fought battle. I’ll be watching.
– Rant
This from something over at cyclingnews.com. Quotes are LeMond’s. I’m typing === as paragraph markers:
===
LeMond’s point of view is that if Rasmussen got kicked out, others should have been excluded, too. “There are others where there is even more proof [of doping]. If I think about Floyd Landis, who defended himself by saying that the samples were manipulated, that the French were against him and that there is no culture of doping in cycling… Maybe he is just naive, or maybe he is malicious.”
===
LeMond insisted that the riders know very well who dopes and who doesn’t, suggesting that “it’s obvious there are still dopers in the peloton.” He explained that Contador weighs the same as Rasmussen, and both climbed at the same speed as Pantani. “That’s sufficient for the red flag to come up.” He also reminded us that Contador’s name came up in connection with Operación Puerto, but was cleared after the 2006 Tour. “I am not pointing the finger at him [Contador]. I am simply saying if Rasmussen got caught then we also need to have a very close look at his competitors.”
===
I believe Lemond’s comments about Floyd’s official defense are incorrect or at least misleading. He also considers Contador guilty even though there are differences other than weight (such as age) between the two riders.
Will,
Good idea for the paragraph markers, this version of WordPress is a bit finicky with how comments get displayed. I’m going to borrow that one from you.
===
It sounds to me like LeMond is a bit confused as to why Rasmussen was kicked out, among other things. Just because Contador and Rasmussen are about the same weight, and they were climbing like Pantani doesn’t prove anything other than they’ve about the same weight and climbing like Pantani. There’s no automatic red flag on that one. Good climbers are going to be lighter weight. Less weight = less effort to drag your behind up the hill. Pretty simple. Less effort = able to climb faster. Rasmussen got caught (maybe) for lying about his whereabouts, not for doping. LeMond is making a big leap in his comments.
===
And he’s completely mischaracterizing Landis’ defense. Landis has never made a blanket statement like that the French are against him (quite the opposite, actually, he says he has no problems with the French people). As for the comments about no culture of doping, Landis has said it’s not as obvious as LeMond and the media would have us believe. And to that last point, about manipulating the samples, that’s not what his defense is at all. It’s that the tests were poorly done and the data doesn’t support the lab’s conclusion. That’s not manipulating the samples, that’s an argument over competence.
– Rant
I understand Vino is now represented by Floyd’s legal team.
.
See: id=2951288&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
==
Also, see the article here. [Added by Rant]
LeMond – the man is pathetic. I used to watch him riding over here in Europe, I was still back home. He was doing what I had only dreamed of. A real idol to look up to. I’d be doing the second lap on the Simi Valley training ride and LeMond was one of the images that would get me through my ride.
===
Let’s see how he likes inference and innuendo – My question is: Could Mr LeMond finally answer the question of how his brother in law happened to shoot him in the back with a shot gun? Could he clear that up please…and as to the reason for LeMond stopping racing – no, not the one about having only one lung, and with two lungs he had one of the biggest “oxygen uptake capability” of any rider in the world…
===
It’s real easy to imply, people. Its much harder to be honest and fair.
I knew a LeMond interview was coming… and we all knew he’d comment on FL. No surprise there. However, some part of me was surprised he’d comment on Contador, as well. Is GL employed by UCI, WADA, ASO, anybody? Why is he getting press? I’m guessing, with a little help from a GL statement or two, Contador will be “busted” after the TT.
Hey Rant — I’ve got something to throw out there. I find it very interesting that the media, and even us, get so hooked in discussing the latest shocking “bust” that we seem to have forgotten that the “doping” issue is not only about the riders. Within the last four days we had one sensational bust after another. In the mean time — there seems to have occurred a complete secession of any questions about the people behind the riders.
===
I for one do not believe that the extent of doping purported to be going on, could have happened without involvement of the teams themselves. I can easily believe that ALL these spectacular “busts” may just be occurring because as we have heard, only two teams management have signed the so called “Contract” that says they are free of dope, and if busted, will pay one years salary”¦Why is this?
===
Whenever management is interviewed — there is a very definite “aiming” at the riders as being “black sheep” and acting on their own, and just how the management feels “betrayed”, “heart sick”, “gut punched”, all very dramatic, all very sensational, and so incendiary that we are stuck looking at all these terrible “black sheep” — disappointing to the paternal managements and the idolizing viewers. Huge fireballs, with gigantic clouds of smoke, so much smoke that we see hardly a thing. We are all to busy “ogling the fire” Just an observation — something to consider — spin is not obvious — it’s like magic. Look at what I have in my right hand, as I do the trick with the other.
===
Dick Pound is calling for a summit — isn’t that precious. Pound the hound wants “everybody”, meaning management and tour organizers to get together and form a new WADA, that is government controlled and has legal capacity to punish. I’m reminded of the old saw –“Don’t let the fox, count your chickens” — everybody, raise your hands, who think they feel good about Mr Pound being the honorable “watchdog”. The faster we can get rid of the bum the better!
See for yourself:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jul07/jul27news2
===
The other “scary thingie” — the IOC may be considering banning cycling from the Olympics. I find I am just shuddering with horror at the mere thought of this. But a lot of people are. Never realizing that like pro racing the Olympics is a business and it’s all about the money! It’s the only organized “sport event” that manages to get the athletes to participate and pays them with a bit of anodized metal But this one will scare a lot of people.
see for your self:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jul07/jul27news3
===
And while we are on the subject of honor, fairplay; did you guys read the Rasman’s interview where he talks about his “relationship” with his management? http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/27072007/58/tour-de-france-rasmussen-stole-tour.html check it out. It may just give you a different perspective as to all the fuss going on with Rasmussen and Rabobank and how it is presented to the general public. I think the Rasman was dumped exactly at the point where it was obvious he was taking the yellow home — no matter what is thrown at him on the bike. I think that Theo De Rooy — was apoplectic when Rasmussen told him he wasn’t going to be pimping for Menchov and that he was going to win the Tour — I think that Rooy thought he was giving the Rasman enough rope to hang himself — and when he saw that it wasn’t going to happen — Rooy got “religion” and did what he could do — Beat Michael by yanking him from the tour, so he could “win”. Simple. So yeah — I think Rasmussen was robbed.
Rant-
I thought Rasmussen admitted to his team he was in Italy. Was this just reporting of hearsay? Or is he talking the I was never in Italy stance… I thought I saw Lance once here in Missouri but then I caught the guy on a climb, admired his Madone and Disco kit and dropped him wearing a Fat Tire jersey. So, maybe it was Lance, but probably not.
I’d like to see the passport as well. I want someone to be able to say “DUDE’s that wasn’t me…I was in Mexico, I didn’t dope…” or something. I want some sort of proof from someone.
I have a feeling that with all of the recent crap floating around the arbiters are just going to throw their hands in the air and say Floyd doped, everyone dopes…This sucks.
The photo of on TBV http://trustbut.blogspot.com/2007/07/friday-early-roundup.html says it all…
Please forgive my mistake – I had said that Rasmussen had admitted to being in Italy. I was in error. I had said this on a previous blog. It was something I heard off a German broadcast and jumped to the conclusion that it was true.
===
As far as I know – Rasmussen never said this – so the report was hearsay. I apologize to you and to the Rasman. I made the mistake of not double checking the report.
Looks like Contador will be pulled from the tour and have his name forever tarnished. At the arbitration trial.. the slam dunk prosecution? Greg Lemond’s gut feeling.
//
Cadel will fail as well, as he once raced mountain bikes, which associates him with known cheater Floyd Landis. Lemond will reveal at his trial that he was once a woman, and that Cadel must hide the EPO inside his huge eyebrows.
//
Leipheimer is American. And all American cyclists dope, so no sample or reason will be needed. Lemond will reveal here that he’s the lovechild of L. Ron Hubbard and actually an Alien.
//
Sastre wins the tour!