Chaos in Cycle Land

The last few weeks have been crazy for the world of pro cycling. First, Ivan Basso stunned everyone with his strength in Italy. I thought he would win, but WOW! He has a very legitimate shot for the double with form like that.

Then the Spanish doping scandal broke. It bears some strong similarities to events in my newest novel, The Tour. Unlike most other recent drug accusations, the evidence here is indisputable. I'm happy to see that some of the facilitators have been nabbed this time around. It's discouraging how often only the athletes have to pay.

Finally, the Lance Armstrong acquittal was much more than just that. It was a scathing indictment of several organizations involved in the fiasco, especially the World Anti-Doping Association. I've long believed that the WADA was out of control under the direction of Dick Pound, and man did this report ever prove it. It appears that Pound felt certain that Armstrong was a drug cheat and believed that the end justified the means to "catch" him. Not only did WADA trample on its own rule book in pursuit of Armstrong, they broke international law. As I said in and interview on CNN International World Sport when the story broke, WADA's stated goal is to eliminate a form of cheating in sport. No way can they justify cheating in order to reach that end. Dick Pound must go!