Le scandal du sport
With everyone’s attention focused on Germany for the World Cup, it’s easy to forget that there’s another world-class sporting event about to take place just across the border. The world’s greatest cycling race, the Tour de France, begins this Sunday in Strasbourg. With seven-time champ Lance Armstrong retired, there’s been great excitement to see who ...
With everyone's attention focused on Germany for the World Cup, it's easy to forget that there's another world-class sporting event about to take place just across the border. The world's greatest cycling race, the Tour de France, begins this Sunday in Strasbourg. With seven-time champ Lance Armstrong retired, there's been great excitement to see who else can don the yellow jersey. Now, the field has opened even wider for someone truly unexpected to win. Just a few hours ago, two of the favorites were banned from racing. Germany's Jan Ullrich and Italy's Ivan Basso are embroiled in a doping scandal. In May, Spanish police carried out raids, seizing drugs and frozen blood that was thought to be used in doping. This week, various teams withdrew competitors whose names have surfaced. The plus side: someone truly unexpected will win this year's Tour. The down side: Is there no sport anywhere that's untainted by drugs? It's all so depressing, really.
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