Rose Cantine

Wim Vansevenant (Predictor-Lotto), lanterne rouge of the Tour de France  2007 and 2006, did very well in the Antwerp criterium. He was in first place in the first stage, 14th in the second stage and 8th in the third stage. He finished 6th overall, with Gert Steegmans (Quick.Step) finishing first. 

Those of you who have followed the Tour de France 2007 know that Alexander Vinokourov got thrown out of the Tour for blood doping (i.e. a post-stage test showed that he had someone else’s blood coursing in his veins). Astana pulled out from the Tour even though there was no evidence (at that time) that the other riders were doing anything so obviously prohibited.

Now it appears that another Astana rider, Andrey Kashechkin, has someone else’s blood in his veins, too. Astana suspended Kashechkin after he tested positive in a blood doping test.

Vinokourov says that there’s no way he got a blood transfusion from someone else during the Tour. He hinted that it must have something to do with his terrible fall (where he was cut badly) during one of the early stages. I wonder what Kashechkin’s excuse will be, or Astana’s for that matter.

Since the excuses are getting more preposterous every time someone gets busted, perhaps they should simply admit that they are vampires who, through some miraculous potion, can tolerate sunlight.

Not a day goes by that there isn’t an article about the doping rumors surrounding Tour de France 2007 winner Alberto Contador. He has been named as one of the clients of doping doctor Fuentes in the Puerto affair (see German doctor says Contador biggest fraud of all time) and he has always denied it.  Everyone, including Contador, is entitled to a presumption of innocence but in the field of cycling, unfortunately, people are considered guilty until proven innocent. The organizers of the Vattenfall Classics in Hamburg told Contador that he was not welcome to start on August 19. They do not want any cyclists who were named in the Puerto affair.

Contador will be appearing on Friday (August 10) before the Spanish sports federation to give a statement.

There are still too many questions surrounding Contador and even more on the rumored cover-up by the Spanish authorities. Unless there is full openness concerning the Puerto affair, Contador will remain under suspicion and that would be a shame if he is really innocent. Simply stating that he is innocent is not going to help because at this point, most people think he’s been doping.