Basso, Ulrich, and more more suspended...

[Throopenator]

What is going on here? I woke up this morning to read that Ulrich and Basso as well as some 30 other riders were suspended from their teams and will not start the Tour. I don't even know what to say really. I'm a little surprised and those two names and I can't believe they pulled them out the day before it starts. I'd like to hear what anybody out there thinks about this, the two big names involved, and where pro cycling goes from here.

[the Superstar]

This is tragic for our sport and it just confirms that it is the hardest sport there is. You just cannot expect these guys to do a modern TdeF at those speeds without help. The bigger the Tour gets, the more it will happen - you take your chances. I for one have no problem believing, as I always have, that the majority of these guys are doped, including Lance. The old timers like Derek Liersche were right - 15 years ago we were talking about doping in cycling and I was naive and he just laughed and said "what do you think, they race on orange juice?"

I can't believe Basso is out! Holy crap. This is bad.

On the other hand, I am now 30 spots closer to landing a starting spot at the Giro.

[SIBO]

Yes it is a sad day. Unfortunatly it is in every top level sport one way or another. Bodybuilding back in the day split into Clean and Dirty. It was excepted. Race Across America changed this year and split into Sleep and no Sleep. You have a choice and take yor chances. Let the riders dope, under control, if not the race will fade with lack of excitement and riders not being able to the grind of the pace of the Tour.

[Graydon]

On the upside of all of this, things are looking a little better for the North American boys to do very well...

I agree, this is BAD news for the sport at the professional level. Can't say I didn't see it coming. Will be interesting to see how this all unfolds for everyone involved.

[the Superstar]

The only reason the north american boys are still in there is because they have north american doctors instead of spanish ones. they haven't been scooped up in a big dragnet - yet.

[2nd2fignon]

Until someone sends WADA/USADA a sample of what they are doping with, they'll never get caught. Re-visit the BALCO/THG operation. There are 500 pharma/biotechs in the San Diego area capable of bubbling hydrogen gas through testosterone to make THG. Once they had the sample at UCLA it only took them half an hour to synthesize it themselves.

I'm very sorry for everyone who follows racing, the reality is even ulgier than most people could imagine.