Say it aint so!

As I click on Velonews today, I am very disturbed to see Alberto Contador winning the stage at de Murcia. I am finding it hard to believe that the Spanish Cycling Federation would clear Contador of the doping charges. Actually, I am disgusted! I am wondering if they plotted to bring the beef in, knowing that they might get caught doping. The likely hood that it did happen from the meat seems so extreme. And what about the plastic traces? Did the Spanish federation, just forget about that? Anyway, after years of holding out with the belief that not all are using, I have finally come to the conclusion that all the top riders are using. I have read the complete Landis article. Do I complete trust Floyd, heck no! But I think there is truth behind some of the things he is saying.

So my question is - Is doping killing the sport? With all the athletes wanting to perform at a higher level, is it taking away from the sports fan base? For example, I feel Lance retired from professional cycling because of the ongoing investigation. The numbers for the Tour of California with Lance compared to without Lance are astounding. Does the normal fan even care that they are cheating? I don't think they care. I for one would like to see a clean sport. But with the drug companies one step ahead and the athletes willing to take the risk I don't know if they will completely get a handle on it. But it is still frustrating to see someone like Alberto ride off into the Spanish sunset with a get out of jail free pass.