Two days ago a man who was counted out won an individual time trial in the Tour de France. And yesterday he won one of the hardest mountains stages of this year's tour. Two stage wins in three days. Just to give you an idea of how difficult it is to win a stage. There are over 170 riders in one race. If you win one stage of the Tour de Fance in your whole career, you will go down in history as a great cyclist. This riders name is Alexander Vinokourov. He was considered one of the top five contenders to win this year. For those of you that don't know, the race is three weeks long. One "race" everyday for all three weeks, minus two rest days. The winner is whoever has the best time out of all the "races". He is reffered to as Vino. His team, Astana, is gunning for number one in the team rankings too. Astana has two other riders who are contenders.
The first week of the race Vino crashed so bad he had stiches in his knees, elbows, and fingers. Everyone counted him out. The day after he looked like a man beaten. Swolen so bad that he could barely walk. Everyone wondered how he could even ride a bike. His team raced for him, the crowds cheered him on, and we all believed that there was something magical in him. He pushed through the pain and the doubters. He fell almost 8 minutes behind the leader in the Alps. In the Tour, that is alot of time to make up. Then after the Alps on the first flat stage, Vino, lead his team on the attack. Dropping some of the top contenders to battle a large gap all while pushing through a "nasty little head wind" as Phil Liggett would say. With a kilometer left Vino attacked all alone. He was caught by the sprinters, and did not win the stage but it showed everyone, I'm back, I'm here, Bring it.
A day later came the individual time trails. If Vino was to have a go at the yellow, he would have to gain major time on the leaders, still being almost 8 minutes behind the yellow jersey. Well, he did just that. Beat the yellow by almost 4 minutes and the second place that day was a whole 2 minutes behind Vino. He was back in it. I was extatic, just ask Nici I told her all about it for over half an hour that day. I was one of the believers, I wanted him to prove everyone wrong and come from behind and take it in the last few days of the tour. Vino was the man and everyone had his name on their lips that day.
Now, just three days after that amazing ride, he may never race again. Not because he crashed again so bad he cannot walk. Not because he decided to retire on a high note. Not because he had a life altering event. No he cheated. He doped as is the term in Pro cycling. His A sample tested positive for a blood transfusion after he won that individual time trial. It is an incredable feeling when a new found hero of yours is found cheating on a scale like this. I know no one is perfect. But I am speechless and almost cried when I read on Bicycling.com the latest dopping scandal. I am one who has fallen in love with the tour this year. I watch every stage start to finish, know all the big names, and love a sport that is so demanding on its participants. Cycling is a sport that takes athletes and makes them super-human. I am left watching everyday how do they do that? It is a sport where an average person can get out and do what the pros are actually doing. What I mean is go out, find a hill, and try to go up it as fast as you can on a bike. Then sit down, watch a stage with a cat 1 climb, and you will know what I mean. You will automatically know how insanly awesome these guys are and will be left wondering how on earth do they do it. Even if some dope, not all do, and it leaves me spellbound everyday.
On a more positive note, we have to wait for Vinos B sample test until we can be for sure. But if he is anything like Landis, who still hasn't been proven guilty from last year, Vino did something amazingly wrong and did hiself, his team, every other rider in the ProCircut, and any Tour fan a huge disservice. Now we all have to stick up for a sport so tainted by dopping, that it is loosing its crediblity as a serious, worldwide sport. (Just a note, his whole team of 9 riders pulled out of the tour. His sponsers left. Two of his team members were in the top ten contenders to win. Andreas Kloden is in fifth only four minutes from the leader and had a serious shot to win.) My greatest hope is he is not found guilty but that won't happen. I hope he can save face somehow someday, but at this point that may not happen either.
I will continue to love the Tour this July and every July to come. I know the sport can over come these scandals, and the new generation of riders will come through for all of us. The rest of the tour I am behind Discovery all the way. GO Levi and GO Contador!!!!
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