The Countertop Chronicles

A few weeks ago, I wrote the following

Since we were just talking about Barry Bonds (may he drop dead), it seems appropriate that I also mention whats occurring in another fascinating past time of mine, cycling.

While much of bicycling remains shrowded in controversy and disgrace, at least the sport is trying to do something to clean up its act (and I have no doubt that after all the appeals are done, Floyd Landis won’will neither be riding anymore nor carry the title of Tour de France Champ) which is far more than Bud Selig has done so far. And while cycling has yet to really shine the spotlight on Lance Armstrong (come on now folks, look at all the crap every other rider has gotten caught up in - and the problems all of Lance’s closest trainers are facing - and you can’t tell me with a straight face that Lance is nearly as clean as he wants us to believe) Barry Bonds is hardly the biggest star or fan favorite in baseball.

Well, it turns out that Alexandre Vinokourov - one of the Tour’s stars and winner of a tremendous stage victory yesterday - just got busted for blood doping.

he French sports daily L’Equipe, which first reported the positive test on its Web site Tuesday, said the analysis was conducted by the Chatenay-Malabry lab on the outskirts of Paris. It said two distinctive types of red blood cells were found in the A sample and showed that Vinokourov received a blood transfusion from a compatible donor shortly before the time trial.

A senior French anti-doping official confirmed to The Associated Press that there was a positive test for a blood transfusion taken from a rider at the Tour on Saturday. He said the test found two different types of blood, one from the rider, one from a donor.

And, while much of the attention will again shine on the persistent problems of steroids in cycling perhaps we ought to give the sport a show of support. For at the end of the day, they are rooting the cheaters out and their teams are taking the high road.

“Vino has tested positive having to do with a blood transfusion and the team is leaving the Tour,” team spokeswoman Corinne Druey said, using the rider’s nickname.

Yeah, I can accept that.

Short of Bud Selig doing the right thing (or Barry Bonds dropping dead), perhaps the Giants can just forfeit the rest of their games.

Works for me.

UPDATE

BVBigBro over at the Dummocrats has a modest proposal which is even better (and could also apply to the Barry Bonds situation)

The important thing now is for the Tour to establish an appropriate punishment. Namely all of Astana’s riders need to be banned from the Tour for life. Astana’s doctors need to be banned from the Tour for life. Astana’s management needs to be banned from the Tour for life. Anyone who has contact with “doctor” Ferrari needs to be banned from the Tour for life. The UCI needs to be told that they are no longer relevant for establishing standards of sporting conduct for the Tour de France

Oh, and that Doctor Ferrari he mentions . . . .

The Italian physician has been under investigation since 1998 on suspicion that he has relied on performance-enhancing drugs to help his most promising riders, including former world hour record holder Tony Rominger, Italy’s Mario Cipollini, Spaniard Abraham Olano and Armstrong’s former teammate Kevin Livingston.

He was one of Lance Armstrong’s “trainers” though Mr. Livestrong (and the Postal Service) have always denied anything fishy went on..

However Armstrong’s links with Ferrari - a former protégé and later competitor of disgraced Italian doping pioneer Professor Francesco Conconi - were played down by team director, Mark Gorski.

“From my perspective he (Ferrari) has done nothing wrong,” Gorski told reporters here.

“He worked with Lance in altitude training and I don’t see any problem with that. There’s always speculation about a lot of people, but here I don’t really think there’s any reason to be concerned.”

Yeah right. Ban Armstrong. Ban Bonds.