Quoted message said:The ASO has become quite wealthy as an organization from
dopers riding in the Tour.
I still can't buy that logic. The TdF, or any other major sporting event for
that matter, thrives not because athletes are stronger than before (faster,
bigger, whatever) but because there's drama involved. Spectacle. Blood and
Circuses. I'm not convinced that doping, or a lack of it, makes much
difference that way (since doping products are available to anyone).
With or without doping, racing (and other sporting endeavors ) are going to
(usually) be won by someone who has something else going for him or her
beyond just the doping. That's not to say that those not doping aren't at a
disadvantage, but unless you believe that doping is only relevant to a very
small number of people, it's not likely to be the only factor that
determines the outcome (because many of the losers will have doped as well).
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
"Bob Schwartz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:The ASO has to much to lose in letting a bunch of dopers ride in
the TDF.
Here in the US, the main reason baseball was so slow in
bringing the hammer down on steroid use was... the owners
were making too much money on the guys that were juiced.
In the Olympics, the reason dope testing was established
as a separate agency was because the national federations
consistently refused to act counter to their financial
interests in enforcing doping regulations.
The ASO has become quite wealthy as an organization from
dopers riding in the Tour.
You're not really thinking this through, are you?
Bob Schwartz
PS And just how do you know that sponsorship is dropping,
in aggregate?