I use to race, though not professionally, I only got as far as CAT3, while I am a fan of the TDF I don't watch it nor any other bike race on TV, in fact I don't like to watch sports period on TV! It's BOOOOORRRRRRING to watch sports on TV, plus you have to listen to sports announcers just go on and on and on talking without ceasing and all the while saying nothing, and all I want to do is yell at the TV to tell them to SHUT UP! so I don't bother to watch sports on TV.
I also don't follow sports much, all I want to know is who won, I may have a couple of favorite riders but after Lance got fired I figured what's the point? About 90% (some reports are as low as 65% but others believe it's higher) of the entire Peloton was doping but they went after Lance, why? Because the Europeans didn't want some dumb American and his dumb team to beat the pride and joy race of Europe and make European racers look bad. This would be similar if say Germany had a American style football or baseball or basketball team, and they came to the US every year only to beat our best whatever team 7 times in a row...I guarantee you that the referees would be doing everything they could think of to make them lose, and that's what the Europeans did with Lance. European race officials knew the majority of the peloton was doping, that wasn't the point, the point was some American was doping and winning. Eddy Merckx even admitted to doping, even failed tests 4 times just never failed at the TDF, why? it was random checking and somewhat easier to disguise back then, did they take away his titles? It is widely known within the professional ranks that doping has been going on for at least the last 60 years.
Interesting read from Merckx himself:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-doping-pays/
And I have to agree with what Merckx said above, you can't stop it so why bother? Let's look at it this way, if in the days when Lance won those 7 TDF's that no one doped on the peloton guess who would have won those 7 times? Lance! the result would not have changed, there would be just better times with the doping.
sorry I', ranting, next please.