Thursday, July 26, 2007

Witch-hunt at the Tour de France

For those people who need some background, the Tour de France is the most famous cycling race in the world. Now cycling has been under a huge cloud as doping scandal after doping scandal has hit the sport.

That however cannot match the sheer stupid actions of the race officals. Current leader of the Tour Michael Rasmussen was sensationally kicked out by his own Rabobank team. The reason; because the 33-year-old Danish climbing specialist missed four random doping controls over the past 18 months and told his team that he was in Mexico when he was in Italy.

Now I am not a cycling fan, but even I know that to be convicted of a doping offence, the cyclist need to test positive for a banned substance. The cyclist will give 2 samples, and only after both samples have tested positive, then is he convicted. Rasmussen has not tested positive for any banned substance in any test on any samples! Yes he gave incomplete and confusing explanations as to why he had failed to inform the authorities of his whereabout; Since when is that all that's needed to throw someone out of a race?

Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme has been very critical over Rasmussen's missed tests, well he better get his lawyers ready because Rasmussen is going to take the Tour to the cleaners! If Rasmussen sued, he will win. The man has not tested positive for ANYTHING! How the hell does the Tour expect their case to stand up in court? They don't even has one sample of banned substances, much less two!

The race strict ethical policy has truly went overboard here. You cannot say people are doping when you don't even has a single sample of proof! Prudhomme said that he do not want the Tour to be dishonoured and mocked. Dude, you are doing more damage to the Tour de France than anyone. When Rasmussen sued and win (let's admit it, can you see how he can lose?), I cannot even begin to guess the damage it will do to the anti-doping efforts in sports.

Michael Rasmussen has not tested positive for any banned substances. He was kicked out because he was just suspected of doping. If that is all that's needed then all Muslims in America are terrorists and every product out of China is sub-standard. Afterall, that's what every suspect right?

Rasmussen 's lawyers are going to have a field day with the Tour. Stupid!

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