Posted on 07/24/2007 10:01:18 AM PDT by NittanyLion
What makes this situation particularly bad is that this kind of blood transfusion isn’t something that’s done on the spur of the moment, or while you’re hiding in a closet. It takes planning and cooperation, and it’s hard to believe team management was unaware of it. Maybe that’s why the whole team withdrew. Astana might go the way of Phonak, and I’m glad I’m not Johan Bruyneel trying to scare up new sponsorship for Discovery. “Scare” might be the operative word.
I had expressed exactly this suspicion just an hour before I learned the news. Its strange to me it’s not bigger on the internet. Drudge doesn’t have it, and even stranger, Google news doesn’t have it in their sports headlines, even if you click to get the expanded version. I thought Google tried to be “intercontinental”.
It’s a sad thing to me ... just when I was getting interested in the TV coverage, too! The extreme physiological stress of this kind of racing seems to create an irresistible motivation to gain the advantage that only doping can give, so I hardly know what could even be done about it that they aren’t doing already.
When I turned it on a few minutes ago they were running a crawl saying that this was prerecorded, and to get the latest on Vino and the Astana withdrawal you should visit their website or tune in tomorrow at 6:50 AM.
The interesting thing is that it really provides a strong disincentive for other sports to clean up performance enhancing drug use. After all, here’s cycling trying to do the right thing and just getting hammered for it. Had they opted for no testing at all there’s no doubt the sport would currently be in better shape.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve seen the crawl on Versus tonight as I watched the rest day replays plus have been doing some other reading. I do plan to watch and listen tomorrow morning and to go to Versus’ forum tonight.
Falcons owner Blank delivers stern message on Vick
A Somber Stern Surveys the Damage to the NBA
Maine Uses His Bat as Well as His Arm
DEI, Ginn operations to merge, form four-car team
Selig back on Bonds' trail
Red Sox 1, Indians 0
Fielder leads Brewers over Reds in Queen City
Notes: Colon placed on 15-day DL
Cabrera outpitches Kazmir as Orioles win
Lester has fun again: Completes quite a journey
Blue Jays silence Twins in Toronto
Biggio earns place among greats
Rheinecker Pitches Rangers Past Mariners
Brazil, United States win table tennis titles
Rowand carries Phillies past Nationals
Injured Beckham doubtful for Galaxy's SuperLiga opener
Konerko powers White Sox past Tigers
Numbers go low, such as a 62, at US Girls' Junior
Yankees-Royals Preview
... when a search on "Tour de France" yields
TEAM Astana have withdrawn from the Tour de France after Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion.
What the hey?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.