Spanish Biker Banned From Tour De France

[TexasStooge]

PARIS - Spanish cyclist Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano was banned from the Tour de France for failing a drug test, eliminating a top rival of four-time champion Lance Armstrong.

Gonzalez de Galdeano, who was fifth in last year's showcase event, was barred for six months from racing in France after a test during the 2002 Tour found excessive levels of the anti-asthma drug salbutamol in his urine, the Council for the Prevention and Fight Against Doping said.

The world cycling body, the International Cycling Union, which has different rules from the French agency, cleared Gonzalez de Galdeano's use of salbutamol last year because he had a prescription.

The urine test was done July 12 in the Normandy town of Alencon, the council said on its Web site Tuesday night. The council said the rider had not answered a summons to appear before the panel earlier this year.

Pablo Anton, manager for Gonzalez de Galdeano's ONCE team, told the Europa Press news agency that the French council undermined the work of the UCI and is "using the Igor case to settle old scores" with the cycling union. He did not elaborate.

Gonzalez de Galdeano can appeal to France's Council of State, but its proceedings are typically slow and there is little chance of a decision before the Tour, said Daniel Baal, director of cycling for Tour organizer Amaury Sports Organization.

Armstrong is aiming for a fifth straight title in the Tour, which will be held July 5-27. If he wins, he will tie the record of Spain's Miguel Indurain, who won from 1991-95.

[mf_dolphin]

Go Lance!

[Derek Ortt]

This decision is French garbage. He was cleared by the UCI, the governing body of cycling. What the UCI should do is not recognize the TDF now, since France thinks they know better than everyone else. But then again, why is this not surprising? They have a clown in charge who allied himself with Iraq. If the UCI would simply drop recognition of the TDF, cycling would go on and the seaosn would probably benefit as the top riders would race in both the Giro de Italia and the Vuelta a Espana (the other two grand tours of the year). Hey, we'd get to see Lance doing 2 3 week races instead of 1

[coriolis]

I'm waiting for repercussions against americans.

[Derek Ortt]

Well, if there are any reports of LA having traces of steriods found in his bloodstream, even if they are used from a prescription based creame for <b>SADDLE SORES</b> as occurred with him in 1999, look for him to be banned, regardless of what the UCI says. In a way, I kind of wish this would happen so France loses their one last thing great that they can claim as their own as no riders would race there then. The fiasco would be worse than the 1998 TDF where riders were being dragged to police stations at 1 a.m.

[M2]

Derek, I didn't know you were a cycling/TdeF fan...I'm impressed. First of all, the best (in my opinion) all-time racer to date - including personallity, friendliness, and sheer power and studliness was Miguel Indurain, mentioned in the article at the top. He had a resting heart rate of ~42 I believe. The guy was over 6 foot tall which is large for a racer since they must carry so much of their own body mass up hill, but he was dubbed 'The Alien' for that very reason - his O2 capacity was unbelievable. He rode for Banesto which dominated the early 90s and even his younger brother was on the team; they were from near the Pamplona district and would always miss the San Fermin holiday - Running of the Bulls - because they'd be in the middle of the Tour de France. The one year that the Tour actually went through his town so that he could show victory, was the year that he lost, the last year he raced - and it was a crushing blow. That was the last year I taped him racing and it was so very sad. That jerk Bjornie Riis did him in, then never raced again himself I recall. That guy treated Indurain like dirt.

Back to the legal aspects...after Indurain left, the whole tour went to hell in a handbasket. La Pirata, Marco Pantani from Italy was kicked out for blood doping (running blood out of the body though a super-oxgenator then back in), the Festina Team from FRANCE was all together expelled for having a whole car trunk-load of controlled, banned substances - drugs, and numerous other people have not returned either. It became a scandal and an embarrassment to the cycling world; France was a laughing stock. Knowning the racing community, alot of the guys took stuff and if they tested 100%, many whole teams would have been gone, gone, gone. The US Postal Team were tested fully and they all were clean, but as you say, they tried to pin steriods on Lance since he was the Tour Leader and a big red Target was on his back. Some of the most prominent names in cycling are gone: Richard Virenque, Mario Cippolini, Marco Pantani, etc. June/July just will never be the same again. I stopped taping and went out stormchasing the Monsoons instead...until it stopped raining. Now I need to find another mid-summer's activity 8)

[Derek Ortt]

Bjarne Riss should have won that Tour. After all, he only had Jan Ullrich dragging him up every mountain, and he still almost blew it to Ullrich on the final time trial, even though Ullrich had nothing left as he had to set the pace on the earliest of hills.

As for who was the best of all time, I wish Armstrong, Indurain, Hinault, Lemond, Anquetil, and Merckx would have all been racing now. Mercks used to crack in the mountains, so I doubt that he would be considered the best of all time if he had to go up against Indurain, Lemond, and Armstrong. Of the rest, though I never saw Lemond but have read reports of his days in the mountains, including the Alps in 1989 where he cracked on Le Alpe D'Huez and the next day where he couldnt respond to a Fingion breakaway. I have not seen Anquetil or Hinault either (though I do know Lemond gave him the 1985 Tour, with an assist to the team director), I would have to say that Armstrong would win that race, as Indurain never won a high mountain stage, while Armstrong dominates those stage (best climber of all time, prehaps, even better that doped Pantani).


As for the drugs, the best way to deter drug use, make the Tour much harder, so much harder that those who are doping would be placing thier lives in danger, like Tom Simpson did on Mt Ventoux where he died after taking drugs in 1967. Include 8 or more big climbs in a day, and have mountain top finished at the Pic Du Midi (after many other climbs, such as the 6 in this years stage 14, then the Aspin, then Midi and on Mt Blanc, after the Ramaz and Joux Plane). The dopeys will then be exposed big time as they will be carried off of the mountains

[coriolis]

Armstrong arguably could be the best of all time. I have not heard of him ever cracking on a mountain. I remember seeing him almost toying with some others in a climb in last year's TDF. Time will tell.
I saw Lemond and Hinault in person. Hinault seemed to be very cagey as well as fiercely tenacious. Hence the name "The Badger."

[JQ Public]

Wahooo! I hope Lance wins it! He is a true Role-model and his life struggles are very inspiring

[M2]

Derek Ortt quote:
Bjarne Riss should have won that Tour. After all, he only had Jan Ullrich dragging him up every mountain, and he still almost blew it to Ullrich on the final time trial, even though Ullrich had nothing left as he had to set the pace on the earliest of hills.

As for who was the best of all time, I wish Armstrong, Indurain, Hinault, Lemond, Anquetil, and Merckx would have all been racing now. Mercks used to crack in the mountains, so I doubt that he would be considered the best of all time if he had to go up against Indurain, Lemond, and Armstrong. Of the rest, though I never saw Lemond but have read reports of his days in the mountains, including the Alps in 1989 where he cracked on Le Alpe D'Huez and the next day where he couldnt respond to a Fingion breakaway. I have not seen Anquetil or Hinault either (though I do know Lemond gave him the 1985 Tour, with an assist to the team director), I would have to say that Armstrong would win that race, as Indurain never won a high mountain stage, while Armstrong dominates those stage (best climber of all time, prehaps, even better that doped Pantani).

As for the drugs, the best way to deter drug use, make the Tour much harder, so much harder that those who are doping would be placing thier lives in danger, like Tom Simpson did on Mt Ventoux where he died after taking drugs in 1967. Include 8 or more big climbs in a day, and have mountain top finished at the Pic Du Midi (after many other climbs, such as the 6 in this years stage 14, then the Aspin, then Midi and on Mt Blanc, after the Ramaz and Joux Plane). The dopeys will then be exposed big time as they will be carried off of the mountains

Coriolis quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Armstrong arguably could be the best of all time. I have not heard of him ever cracking on a mountain. I remember seeing him almost toying with some others in a climb in last year's TDF. Time will tell.
I saw Lemond and Hinault in person. Hinault seemed to be very cagey as well as fiercely tenacious. Hence the name "The Badger."

You guys are well versed in the cycling world. Salud! In no specific order:

Indurain did win a high mountain stage at Le Alpe D'Huez in his first win I believe, then he dominated from there forward. There has been no one close to his no-sweat style until Armstrong which - 2 years ago - he stood up on his pedals, looked back at Pantani and just pulled away UP so fast that there was a con trail! The crowd was aghast. It was one of the coolest racing moves I've ever seen. No one could do that besides Miguel.
Since Armstrong has been sick and lost the extra weight (not that he was an obese bulboulitic by any means), but he really trimmed down to pure muscle sinue and that seemed to give him an advantage too. Besides, he trains for ALL the stages in the Tour and rides each one multiple times througout the year. His trainer is also hot and knows what he's doing. Plus his team is picked to support him at their own expense - protect the Leader. He's raced here in AZ and there were not nice comments about him from the community, but as an overall world leader, he's good.

Simpson died on Mt Ventoux when his heart gave out. Up at altitude and pushing your heat/lungs/capacities to the ultimate limits will do that sometimes. It also happened previously in the olden Tour days. Just like you don't do steriods and try to play football or you get brain tumors...

Pantani was a great rider and I expected him to win the overall Tour that one year or the next - then came the scandals and it was all over. Too bad. He was a powerhouse for a little guy.

I met Lemond here in Phoenix. Great guy, great rider, great sportsman. Who do we have in the lineup this year in addition to Lance - both locally and from other teams?

[Derek Ortt]

Since Cancer, Armstrong has only cracked once in the high mountains, on the Joux Plane in 2000, when the problem was he forgot to eat at the feedzone.

The look LA gave was to Ullrich. I am very impressed with Ullrich afterwards in that he did not give up and he fought all the way to Luz Ardiden. MP was actually prohibited form racing that year in the TDF

As for the contenders this year, the usual suspects: LA, Botero, Heras (if he can learn how to time trial), Beloki, and possibly Ullrich if he ends the cracking that he usually does in the high mountains (Courchevel: 2000, Le Deux Alpes: 1998)

[coriolis]

That's it! I'm going to go out and do some hills tomorrow!

[rainstorm]

i think lance should refuse to go. maybe alot of american dollars wont go to france if he stays home. i am certain he wont win this year, the french will see to that.

[Derek Ortt]

Mixed feelings on whether he should go or not. The course is tailor made for him and he;d tie Indurains all time record of 5 consecutive TDF wins. However, if US Postal were not to go, that would affect the French economically big time as the best team in the sport would not be there, decreasing the prestege of the TDF; thus, decreasing the incomming revenue