Ah, there’s nothing like pleasant irony to accompany a warm spring day, is there? Just think, if Tyler Hamilton had simply taken the hit on that whole blood doping thing, instead of going on about his vanishing twin, not only would he be hundreds of thousands of dollars richer, he’d also be racing this weekend. All he had to do was say “yes, I doped, and this is how” and he wouldn’t have to answer for those pesky Puerto documents, even after serving his two years. But instead…poor Tyler. Next time maybe he’ll remember that honesty is the best policy.
Of course, I still don’t much care for this business of preemptive suspension, though its moral, if not ethical, legs appear to be founded on much sturdier ground these days. Sure, I’m ok with a little probing, even across borders, so long as it’s carried out in accordance with the law. I’m not so OK with the apparent en masse bargaining of Spanish athletes involved in Operacion Puerto. This affair has been exposed and under examination for almost a year now – no brownie points should be awarded for confessing just because people are actually starting to get punished.
Anyway, as the seconds tick off toward the first Grand Tour of ’07, Giro previews continue to sprout up everywhere. For a glossy look at the GC favorites, try Pez, while over at the Cafe, there’s an examination of the often unusual Giro KOM battle, which might be more hotly contested this time around, as there’s no Intergiro competition for the rouleurs to fight for. And, for those of you who must have racing, T-Mobile Brit Mark Cavendish continued his ascendancy, beating out Gert “no slouch” Steegmans for the third stage at Dunkirk.
Great post – a wide-angle snapshot of cycling just hours before the first GT.
How do you plan to follow the Giro -cyclingnews, Versus (c.tv)?