OK it's taken me months to get around to writing this, I would like to say I have numerous good excuses but, aside from actually getting out on my bike and riding a bit, there's is only one excuse.
Demotivation.
And why demotivation?
The numerous headlines and scandals that seem to erupt around cycling every few months make it hard to enjoy writing about. When it's the Tour winner even more so.
Contador is no stranger to drugs controversy having been implicated, and subsequently cleared, in the Operation Puerto investigation.
The drug in question is called Clenbuterol, and anabolic steroid used to build muscle.
Contador claims it to have come from contaminated beef, brought in Spain by a friend.
The trace amount was indeed very minuscule, however it was present on one day and not the previous or next.
The suspicion is that Contador had a blood transfusion to get some fresh red blood cells into his body and recover quicker. The Clenbuterol would have been taken whenever the original sample was taken.
Either way, however it came to be there, it's another slap to the face of professional cycling, along with the ever snowballing Lance Armstrong investigation, and paints the sport in a bad light once again.
It remains to be seen what will occur from these investigations, will Contador be stripped of his Tour win? Will Armstrong be stripped of his?
The clouds on the horizon look very, very dark indeed. Lets hope there is some light to dissipate them.
Demotivation.
And why demotivation?
The numerous headlines and scandals that seem to erupt around cycling every few months make it hard to enjoy writing about. When it's the Tour winner even more so.
Contador is no stranger to drugs controversy having been implicated, and subsequently cleared, in the Operation Puerto investigation.
The drug in question is called Clenbuterol, and anabolic steroid used to build muscle.
Contador claims it to have come from contaminated beef, brought in Spain by a friend.
The trace amount was indeed very minuscule, however it was present on one day and not the previous or next.
The suspicion is that Contador had a blood transfusion to get some fresh red blood cells into his body and recover quicker. The Clenbuterol would have been taken whenever the original sample was taken.
Either way, however it came to be there, it's another slap to the face of professional cycling, along with the ever snowballing Lance Armstrong investigation, and paints the sport in a bad light once again.
It remains to be seen what will occur from these investigations, will Contador be stripped of his Tour win? Will Armstrong be stripped of his?
The clouds on the horizon look very, very dark indeed. Lets hope there is some light to dissipate them.
Enough of the darkness lets return to happier times. 2009 Tour De France to be precise.
Having had a taste of the Tour on British soil a window of opportunity opened to go over and watch the Tour with my Brother in 2009. We had only a few days (due to his holiday allowance) and this would be our last clear opportunity for a few years (due to his impending engagement and subsequent wedding).
So with some meticulous planning by myself a plan was hatched to try to get as many stages in as possible.
We left England late on Wednesday 15th July, and caught the Eurostar to Calais.
From there we hammered our way down to Paris to stay with a friend over night.
Reaching Paris just gone midnight and driving down a still busy Champs Elysees was an interesting experience!
Having enjoyed a comfy bed and lay in, then a quick sight seeing walk, we departed Paris (I wussed out and went under the L'Arc De Triumph) and start our trek across to the Vosges Mountains, near the German border.
Having had a taste of the Tour on British soil a window of opportunity opened to go over and watch the Tour with my Brother in 2009. We had only a few days (due to his holiday allowance) and this would be our last clear opportunity for a few years (due to his impending engagement and subsequent wedding).
So with some meticulous planning by myself a plan was hatched to try to get as many stages in as possible.
We left England late on Wednesday 15th July, and caught the Eurostar to Calais.
From there we hammered our way down to Paris to stay with a friend over night.
Reaching Paris just gone midnight and driving down a still busy Champs Elysees was an interesting experience!
Having enjoyed a comfy bed and lay in, then a quick sight seeing walk, we departed Paris (I wussed out and went under the L'Arc De Triumph) and start our trek across to the Vosges Mountains, near the German border.
Bug Graveyard on the front of the Toledo. The faithful intercontinental express, hurled us across rural France at high speed, and even flicked its way through the narrow lanes with poise and precision.
Sole shot of Paris, busy and Touristy, not my favourite combination!
Eventually we got across to the place we were aiming for, Stage 12 Tonnerre > Vittel, Sprint point at a place called Saint-Thiebauld. Upon approaching the area we could see the helicopters running parallel to use so we hurtled through the lanes to get to the village.
Alas when we got there we were greeted by the sight of the final Team Cars going through and the Gendarmes re opening the road :(
D'oh!! Having missed our first stage, we sauntered across the rest of the 100 miles through rural eastern France to our campsite in a town called Bussang. Scenery had started to change as well, we were well and truly in the Vosges mountains :)
The town of Bussang was a very odd little place, with a main road running through it, there were two focal points, a Hospital and a Casino! Oddly enough it also appeared to be a graveyard for buses, irony is not lost on the French clearly! we lost count at about 30!
After booking into the campsite http://domaine-de-champe.fr/ with a lovely stream flowing through it, we had a quick ride out and then settled for the night, knowing we had a big day ahead of us...........and that's where I'll pick up next time!
The town of Bussang was a very odd little place, with a main road running through it, there were two focal points, a Hospital and a Casino! Oddly enough it also appeared to be a graveyard for buses, irony is not lost on the French clearly! we lost count at about 30!After booking into the campsite http://domaine-de-champe.fr/ with a lovely stream flowing through it, we had a quick ride out and then settled for the night, knowing we had a big day ahead of us...........and that's where I'll pick up next time!