THE TOUR DE DRUGS

It's tour time and I'm watching the greatest bike race again, like I have done every year for over 30 years. And most fans will agree to pretend that this years winner is clean. But I just can't put a sock in it so I keep saying they never really are, that is just not how cycling works.

20 years ago I wrote a newspaper article called "Tour de Drugs"

http://www.frot.co.nz/cs/newsletters/98august.htm#tour

Back in 98 everyone was fully aware that pro cyclists were all on the juice. But the shit hit the fan when a bunch of riders were caught out for cheating. I was saying back then that the tour would be back to normal (fully drugged) within a few years, although even I didn't expect drug use to become more blatant the very next year.

The article is still on line here: http://www.frot.co.nz/cs/newsletters/98august.htm#tour

http://www.frot.co.nz/cs/cycle_services.htm

The very next year in 99 the media started pretending that Lance Armstrong was changing things by riding clean. At least Americans seemed to believe that, everyone else knew he was the dirtiest winner of all time.

As an amateur cyclist myself who owned a bike shop and met quite a few riders, I was all too up with the play as far as the advantages to be gained with some good drugs (both performance and recreational...) And yes, local amateur riders in NZ were using whatever shit they could get hold of - let alone pros in the Tour de France!

http://www.frot.co.nz/cs/newsletters/98august.htm#tour

In 97 most pro cyclists used to show a bit of humility and discretion, before that prick Lance Armstrong started winning every year without fail because he had the best drugs.

Thankfully the Armstrong era is over, Americans in the tour now are getting spanked like they really deserve to be, and the current champion Chris Froome is humble and respectful. Yes he will certainly be on drugs, but unlike Armstrong he comes across as a nice guy.

So even without a blockchain I can still blow my own trumpet and say "hey look, I was right 20 years ago". And I love doing that :)

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(Just in case there are any bike geeks on Steemit, this is a photo of my 1998 road bike - a Bianchi with Campagnolo components)

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WWW.SIFT.CO.NZ

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