We’re into the first week of June and the clouds of war gather ever faster around the Tour De France. There’s three stories that you should read to understand where cycling is heading between now and July.
1. Bernard Kohl’s doping confession in L’Equipe and his claim “The first ten should have been positive”
via Cyclingfansanon’s twitter. While we’re on the subject: CFA, isn’t it hypocritical to refuse to write your blog until the UCI deliver something from the blood passport scheme while berating others for their complicity in the omerta? Making a sound case isn’t something you should rush into to please the gallery, just ask those who are familiar with miscarriages of justice.
Jonathan Vaughters counters Kohl on Cyclingnews
2. Antonio Colom positive for EPO being less than surprising to anyone.
Coupled with the dispute with some of their riders over what constitutes a fair and binding contract, it looks like there’s trouble ahead for the Russian Katusha team. Robbie McEwen has denied there’s a rift but it seems there is a sticking point. I’ve seen the suggestion that the management wants 5 years salary for “discrediting” the team, not necessarily testing positive. If that is the case then I fully understand where the riders are coming from.
3. Anne Gripper is alive and the blood passports are set to be tested. Conference today in Paris and the headline is “Riders face action over passport data – UCI”.
We’ll know names next week and then you can all start filling in your Panini sticker albums for July and marking which pages are going to have gaps in them. There are those who say it’s taken too long, I am not one of them. Good investigation takes time, ask any journalist of note. People like John Ware and Peter Taylor don’t come up with their work in a matter of months, it takes years of research, experience and blind alleys before they come to a conclusion.
