Normally the world's news media would jump on a British success such as Chris Froome's win on the Mont Ventoux, but no, to a man (lead by the French press who don't have a domestic Tour winner in the wings) they are bombarding Froome and the Sky team with doping questions.
OK, I accept that the revelations from the weekend of athletics doping is playing a part in this, but why are we not seeing a proactive WADA intervention taking up the offer made by Sky to make all training data available to the WADA for analysis? If the WADA systems are robust enough then there should be no problem with producing a ruling based on the Sky data. If they don't act doesn't that call into question whether the WADA systems are robust enough and therefore call into question the rulings they have made on the athletes that they have so far identified as 'doping cheats'.
What we have no unfolding before us is the real legacy of the 'Lance Armstrong years'. But cycling has been under so much tighter scrutiny since Armstrong was relieved of his titles. The penalties for the use of chemicals to enhance performance have become so much more fearful and effective.
So I hope that the press/world's media will dump doping into a dead-end siding for now and let us all enjoy the spectacle that is le Tour de France, enhanced as it is with the prospect of a British winner, even though that in itself is not a given seeing as how we have the double ascent of Alpe-d'Huez coming up on Friday. Never done before it will seriously test everyone and the domestics have failed Chris Froome before and if that is repeated then he could be in trouble. Whatever, that day's riding and the result will be a sensation! Miss it if you dare.
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