Sunshine and Light

Disillusionment

I first started watching cycling during the winter between 1998 and 1999. A friend of mine had gotten the 1998 Tour de France on DVD, and I ended up watching it. And getting hooked right around the time the leader of the race, Jan Ullrich, facing horrible rainy conditions on a huge climb, cracked completely. And off went little Marco Pantani to blow everyone away, and ultimately win the race. The following year was the Tour de Lance, and I became a huge fan of Tyler Hamilton and of Frankie Andreu. C'mon, even if I couldn't admire what they had accomplished - a lot - they were at least really freakin' easy to watch. But other than good looks, Frankie had a sense of humor, and Tyler had Tugboat, a low key personality, and an awesome wife.

Given 1998 was the year of the Festina Affair, I'm not 100% sure why doping in cycling was never really on my radar screen. Oh sure, Lance was accused a few times, but convicted? Never convicted. So the last two years have suuuuucked. Two years ago Tyler was suspended for blood doping. This year Floyd Landis wins the TdF under charges of steroid usage. And now Frankie has admitted to EPO. I try not to get too cynical about things like this, but well, I've had it. Football is blood doping central, but turning a blind eye in case they find something. Baseball's biggest stars count by pawing the ground. And cycling is just a disaster.

Anybody know anything about Chess?

posted by MyHusbandRules @ 10:45 AM