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Basso, Ullrich kicked out of Tour de France
Associated Press via FoxSports ^ | 6/30/06 | AP Staff

Posted on 06/30/2006 9:40:10 AM PDT by Carling

STRASBOURG, France (AP) - A doping scandal knocked Tour de France favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso out of the race Friday and threw the world's most glamorous cycling event into chaos.

The decision to bar Ullrich, Basso and others implicated in a doping probe in Spain also sent a strong signal that cheating, or even suspicions of cheating, will not be tolerated.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: doping; eurotrash; searchtour; tourdefrance
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All the effort to get Armstrong backfired bigtime on the French. Now the Tour is in ruins.
1 posted on 06/30/2006 9:40:11 AM PDT by Carling
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To: Carling

Love it.


2 posted on 06/30/2006 9:41:55 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Carling

Sounds like they are banning them by "implication" only. It is up to the banned riders to "prove they are innocent". This is majorly screwed up.


3 posted on 06/30/2006 9:42:32 AM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum

I think the frogs are tired of foreigners winning their race.


4 posted on 06/30/2006 9:43:13 AM PDT by Philistone (Turning lead into gold...)
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To: Carling

What were those guys thinking??? That is just plain dumb considering the heat that Armstrong was getting recently.


5 posted on 06/30/2006 9:44:01 AM PDT by avacado
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To: Carling

I wouldn't necessarily say the Tour is in ruins. It will still be an exciting race.


6 posted on 06/30/2006 9:44:21 AM PDT by BaBaStooey (I heart Emma Caulfield.)
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To: Carling; visually_augmented

PING


7 posted on 06/30/2006 9:44:57 AM PDT by Calm_Cool_and_Elected (Coming soon: A great new tag line!)
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To: Carling

Basso and Ullrich out??!!! Wow. Backfired bigtime. What a shame. This Tour will certainly be notable - for all the wrong reasons.


8 posted on 06/30/2006 9:45:11 AM PDT by fortunecookie
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To: fortunecookie

George Hincapie will win.


9 posted on 06/30/2006 9:46:13 AM PDT by Neville72 (uist)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Italy cheaters in Soccer, Spain cheaters in the Tour de Frogland. You can't blame them, they live in a society where everything is OK if it makes you feel good. They just wanted to feel good about themselves. Next year everyone should get a yellow jersey. That way no one will feel bad because of all the nasty pressure to work hard to actually EARN something. That is just not fair. Not everyone has motivation and to punish those that don't is just mean.
10 posted on 06/30/2006 9:47:33 AM PDT by MPJackal ("If you are not with us, you are against us.")
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To: fortunecookie
A lot more than just them....

http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/news/articles/10176.0.html

11 posted on 06/30/2006 9:48:02 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: Neville72

Well, that would be a nice thing to see!


12 posted on 06/30/2006 9:49:42 AM PDT by trimom
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To: BaBaStooey
Oh no, it is RUINED.

No Ullrich vs. Basso?

Who wants to watch the sprinters, who do nothing until 2km left to go? There wont be any fast time trials, no real attacks in the mountains, nothing. BORING!
13 posted on 06/30/2006 9:50:14 AM PDT by Pukin Dog (Dont be a Conservopussy! Defend Ann Coulter, you weenies!)
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To: Carling

The only notable American rider caught up in it is Tyler Hamilton who is already on 2 years probation. This opens the door for George Hincapie, Floyd Landis & Levi Leipheimer, all Americans. It's notable that Discovery Team is NOT involved. It could be 1-2-3 USA finish.


14 posted on 06/30/2006 9:51:15 AM PDT by Edgar3 (Constitutional Republic, or die)
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To: Philistone

now that it's not the "Tour de Lance" ,they have a shot...


15 posted on 06/30/2006 9:52:07 AM PDT by Rakkasan1 ((Illegal immigrants are just undocumented friends you haven't met yet!))
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To: Neville72

I hope so, George is great. But with so many of his top competitors gone, it will be different.


16 posted on 06/30/2006 9:52:13 AM PDT by fortunecookie
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To: BaBaStooey

With Ulrich, Basso and Armstrong out it will be an exciting race? Maybe, but even the die-hard fans in the US just lost a mjor reason to watch. If an exciting race happens and nobody sees it, is it still an exciting race?


17 posted on 06/30/2006 9:52:51 AM PDT by VaFederalist
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To: MPJackal
You can't blame them, they live in a society where everything is OK if it makes you feel good.

Your analogy fails once you consider steroids and MLB.

18 posted on 06/30/2006 9:53:31 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Puppage

Thanks for the link. OMG, it's like a Who's Who of cycling, and all of them out. The race will surely be different this year.


19 posted on 06/30/2006 9:53:32 AM PDT by fortunecookie
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To: Pukin Dog

Dude! George Hincapie won the TOUGHEST mountain stage of last years tour. He's a hell of a climber and sprinter. Floyd Landis already won the Tour of California and Paris - Nice this year. There will be plenty of action


20 posted on 06/30/2006 9:54:00 AM PDT by Edgar3 (Constitutional Republic, or die)
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