Change We Can Believe In? Cycling and Doping in 2009

These are the times that try men’s souls, or at least the souls of professional cycling fans who follow the general classification riders.  The only things fans have less confidence in than Citigroup’s balance sheet is a sport, that over the past couple of years, has descended from the unprecedented glory of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, to a mess of doping positives, fallen heroes, and decreased sponsor support.

To recap: In  2006, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich were out of the Tour because of Operación Puerto. Floyd Landis wins his yellow jersey in circumstances that seemed too good to be true, and apparently, were (no hate mail; I’m not convinced, either).

In 2007, Alexandre Vinokourov, Michael Rasmussen (in the yellow jersey), and assorted bit players flunked out.  Alberto Contador shone, but not without lingering suspicions left over from Operación Puerto. 

Last year we finally had teams getting serious about internal doping controls.  We had Sella, Riccò, Kohl, Piepoli, Beltrán, and Schumacher “coming out of nowhere,” all led astray by assurances of “undetectable” MIRCERA EPO.   Contador, safely out of the Tour due to an excess of caution by the ASO, showed his chops by winning the Giro and the Vuelta in the first year of Astana’s anti-doping era. 

Which brings us to 2009.  Clearly, on form, Contador is the premier General Classification man in the peloton.  Lance has said so, his results last year say so, and with Astana’s new testing regime, those Operación Puerto uncertainties are most likely moot.

Among those returning to the peloton, Lance brings his undeniable star power back; you can say what you want about the man, but he will bring attention to the sport and his cancer charities, and fans will turn out; just ask the delighted sponsors of the Tour Down Under.  He still is incredibly respected in the peloton. 

My bet is that he’ll do his best to animate the Tour of California, the Giro d’Italia, and maybe surprise us in a classic or two; hard to say if he’ll be the man, or in support of Leipheimer or Contador in the grand Tours.  In any case, any team with Johan Bruyneel as DS and Lance, Levi, and Alberto is a team to be terrified of in any stage race. 

After pleading “intention to dope” Basso served his time in the penalty box.  Basso is back with Liquigas.  He’s still fairly young, and we’ll find out if his promise heading into the 2006 Tour will be fulfilled this year.  Many seem to think his role will be in support of the younger Kreuzinger and Nibali, but I wouldn’t count him out in stage races.  You don’t win a grand Tour aided or unaided without something special, and he definitely has something to prove.  

And, finally, after an incredible losing legal fight, Floyd did his time, got his leg fixed up, and will rejoin the peloton with the US Pro Continental OUCH/Maxxis team.  He returns with the financial support of his orthopedist, who wants to show that hip replacement is not an impediment to athletic performance.  Floyd won’t be racing in Europe at all, and his best bet to impress will be the Tour of California. 

In fact, this race will probably bring all three of these returning stars together, along with perennial contenders Leipheimer and Vandevelde,  With the extra stage, a higher intensity parcours, and daily coverage by Versus. this race shapes up to be the best Tour of California yet.

Whether the weather is perfect and sunny, or windy, rainy, and cold like it was during last year’s epic ride down the coast, this early season race will test the GC men and their teams.  And, with any amount of luck, it will be decided on the climb up Mt Palomar on the last stage, not at the time trial; perhaps a preview of the climax of this year’s Tour de France atop Mt Ventoux.  

With luck, the rest of this year will be a story of hope and virtue: the absence of a major rider involved in doping. 
(With apologies to Tom Paine.)