Who will win the Tour de France 2009?

Who Owns the Tour de France?

An interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on the ownership of the Tour de France and cycling’s power brokers.

Armstrong vs. LeMond

Last week the Wall Street Journal published an article about the ongoing feud between Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong. Armstrong responded, but was unhappy with the way the WSJ edited the article (from Twitter: “they butchered it and removed the pertinent and topical parts”). Here is Lance’s full response. In my opinion, it’s bad news for the sport of cycling when two former Tour de France champions are making headlines because of issues like this. However, I do appreciate the effort that Lance is putting in to encourage everyone to move past this.

Doping and Dr. Ferrari

Anyone interested in learning more about doping in professional cycling should read about the work of Dr. Michele Ferrari.

Francesco Moser broke the hour record of Eddy Merckx partially due to the use of blood doping. In preparing for his hour record attempt, Francesco Moser was coached by Francesco Conconi and Dr. Ferrari.

It is also interesting to read the testimony of Filippo Simeoni who testified that Dr. Ferrari prescribed blood doping products (EPO and HGH) in the 1990s.

Today, Dr. Ferrari provides training through a website called 53×12.com. What was Dr. Ferrari’s role in doping in professional cycling? Read the materials and you decide.

I’ll end this post (and hopefully end this topic for a while) with a link to list of doping cases in cycling. Now, I’ll try to get off of this topic and on to more optimistic posts…

More on Doping from Greg LeMond

With a special focus today on doping, I thought I would include this 50 minute speech from Greg LeMond. Certainly not the best speaker (now where was I…), but the content of his message is important, occasionally controversial, and quite depressing as it relates to the current state of professional cycling — and he ends the video with a real zinger aimed at Lance. Read more about drug use in pro cycling in Paul Kimmage’s book Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel With a Pro Cyclist.

Lance, Greg LeMond, and Floyd on Doping

Giro d’Italia 1974 – Jose Manuel Fuente

Impressive climbing by Jose Manuel Fuente in the 1974 Giro. We don’t see breakaways like this anymore.