Originally Posted by Eldrack .
Trying to find the top clean rider in 1999 is like trying to play pin the tail on the donkey when the donkey is a real donkey and you've had a bottle of whisky.
Rank Name Team Time Doping? 1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 91h 32' 16" Doper - various 2012 2 Alex Zülle (SUI) Banesto +7' 37" Doper - EPO 1998 3 Fernando EscartÃn (ESP) Kelme +10' 26" Systematic doping at Kelme but never convicted 4 Laurent Dufaux (SUI) Saeco +14' 43" Doping - EPO 1998 5 Ãngel Casero (ESP) Vitalicio Seguros +15' 11" Operation Puerto link but never convicted 6 Abraham Olano (ESP) ONCE +16' 47" Postive for EPO in retroactive test 7 Daniele Nardello (ITA) Mapei +17' 02" CLEAN!??? Mapei was suspect though 8 Richard Virenque (FRA) Polti +17' 28" Doper - Festina affair. EPO and much, much more 9 Wladimir Belli (ITA) Festina +17' 37" Can't find anything substantial on this guy. Festina might have even cleaned up their act after 98 10 Andrea Peron (ITA) ONCE +23' 10" Investigated 2001 for doping
So yeah... who do you give it to? Plenty of other lists on the internet for more recent versions of Le Tour and it's a similar story. Riddle with drug users.
Maybe we should just do what other sports do, don't test as vigorously and go with the ignorance is bliss approach....