Finnish the tour or pull the plug?

What do you think?

Edit: Dont award the jerseys could also be 'dont award the jellow jersey"

 

Apple pie.

 

Just dont let Greg Lemond near it.

 

I would like to see it finish as I put a wager on Evans to win before it started - selfish, I know.

I think the French Govt. will be thinking about suspending it - it relfects badly on the country and the race has become the laughing stock of the sporting media world. There is nothing that can happen in the next few days that can save this debacle.

 

I am in dubio myself. It depends a bit on how many teams step out tonight i suppose. On the one hand the race for the yellow jersey seems spoiled and the possible victor will never be acknowledged for what he is. On the other hand I feel sorry for Soler..

 

Are we talking about letting the tour come to completion or a rider from Finland named 'tour'.

 

If sixty riders turn up tomorrow, I will be surprised.

The Pharmstrong Cancer Sales theme doper mask is gone forever!

LIVE WRONG! Indeed.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/51324

 

We cant all be native speakers in English. Apart from a few minor mistakes here and there (or maybe more than a few.. I guess I dont notice all of my mistakes) I Think I stand my ground..

 

It's a joke (and a bad one at that).. Don't take it too seriously

 

I wont, and thanks. By the way its nice to see how the poll started with a lot of votings for the "pull the plug" and how the other options seem to catch up now that the rush of the moment seems to be over and people get a chance to calm down a bit.

That being said I had actually expected the strawberry pie to win by a landslide.. Guess you're all about cheesecake on the other side of the pond

 

Until today, this was the best tour I've seen in 10+ years. I just went into it thinking they all dope, sat back and enjoyed the show. Sort of like watching NFL football every Sunday. Think of all the great things from this tour:

Mcewen's sprint after crashing to win out of nowhere
Steegmans beating his team Captain, Boonen, just by having a smoking leadout
Ras and Contador going toe to toe (incredible stuff!)
Evans cracking
Vino fighting back to win the TT
Vino getting the solo win with a septic knee full of sutures
The advent of Soler and his fearlessness of riding with the big boys
Soler offering Ras his water...classic

The list goes on. Really, this was the best tour in 10+ years and now it's over. They took out the yellow jersey, and to be honest, he's not doing anything different then the other contenders. Do you think Contador's clean? How about Evans? Leipheimer? Come on. Reality check here!

 

Nah.. I think they all dope. In fact Jans Koerts (pro 1992-2005) was on the evening debate of the NOS and admtted to doping his complete pro career stating that 'there comes a time as a rider that you are forced to choose. Either you accept that your career is over or you join, I chose to join".

I also found this a great tour, and I was actually rooting for the chicken ever since the start (I'm a Rabo fan and I have never liked Menchov). It was an amazing tour where it seemed for a long time like everyone could win and there have been some great battles.

Then again I dont think they had much choice but to pull him out now. I felt the chicken had danced the cord but done so niceley, stayed within the save margins with his 2 UCI warnings where the shit hits the fan at 3. But when it became known he has also made up the whole "being in mexico story". What was Rabo to do? They had no choice..

Anyway the tour is wrecked for all I care. The GC was determined by how things unfolded in the mountains and all the previous fights now mean nothing. The GC means nothing.

 

Couldn't agree more that the tour is over. You can't take away the yellow jersey and hand it to a guy who hasn't earned it.

I didn't have a favorite rider going into this tour, but my favorite rider by far is Soler. That guy is awesome. In the breakaway today, attacking the favorites, fearless. He had me when he offered Ras his water.

 

I think that a dog should be awarded the 2007 yellow jeresy.

Birillo?
Or that dog that took out the T-Mobile rider.

K-9 Champion

 

Um, the riders who got caught cheating are the ones who haven't earned it. It was someone else's jersey all along.

As for Contador, he hasn't been caught doing anything wrong yet (please don't bring up OP again - that's been debated ad nauseum in other threads. He was cleared - right or wrong). So he has earned it so far. And he wasn't trailing way behind Ras - he's been fighting him all along. If Contador rode for any team other than Disco, people wouldn't be choking on it right now. He could be gone next - who knows? But it isn't fair to the other riders to say their Tour doesn't count because a bunch of other teams are in shambles. Shouldn't Soler enjoy his polka dot jersey from 2007 regardless of Vino and Moreni and Ras?

 

I think Soler should have polka, Ras Yellow, Vino should still be around along with Sinkewitz, Moreni and the rest.

Do you honestly think Contador can hang with a known climber (Ras) that is also doping? Get real. Sorry but you have to bring up OP as well.

Face it, testing is worthless and there is no way to know with absolute certainty who is clean. Let them ride and enjoy the show. I've given up as far as caring about doping. It's a complete joke on the protour. Like I stated earlier, does anyone care if NFL players dope? of course not. We just want to see some hard hitting action.

 

That is funny

 

Fair enough. And I've always said I think they all dope. But for now, the rules are the rules. You get caught under the system and you're done, and they know that! We're all pissed that they get away with doping, and pissed that they are dumping people for doping. Like great big 2 year olds. I still think it's unfair to say the Tour doesn't count for the ones who are left. It's still an achievement just to finish the damn thing. Could anyone reading this do it, doping or not?

 

That's part of what I'm saying. Even though they are doped, these guys put in incredible efforts and it's still enjoyable to watch. I think Vino's rides in this tour are legendary, doped or not.

There is also something to say for knowing the rules and suffering the consequences if you're caught. I understand your point and also agree. The problem is the enforcement system is so pathetic that it's an arbitrary system.

 

Its all pointless. Within the next few years, if not already, there will be HGH made from your own stem cells and DNA, totally undetectable. Then what?

You may be right. Create some rules, follow the rules, sanction the violators when you get lucky and catch someone and enjoy the show.

I agree that this has totally destroyed an otherwise fantastic Tour. And for what? What has the man done so offensive to warrant this outcome? Only the FRENCH could screw this up so badly.