Times Change: Cycling Insanity Remain

Alberto Contador wins the Vuelta a Murcia after the unexpected gift exoneration by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC). Imagine anyone in cycling making money after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug during a Grand Tour! Jan Ullrich who was linked to Operation Puerto was chauffeured back to the hotel from the 2006 Tour de France depart over simple allegations of a connection with Operation Puerto, villianized in the press, declared public enemy number one, suspended, and forced to retire! Phew! What rubbish! The sanctimonious born again sainted Ivan Basso, was given a escort from the premises in the same caravan of shame! Why? Suspected links to Operation Puerto! Ivan Basso suspended for two years by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI)! Yes, there was an iron determination across the world in the days of yore to eliminate the use and abuse of performance enhancing substances by the UCI and WADA.

Except in a single case: Alberto Contador.

Poor Floyd Landis, miracle worker on the bike, dropping the peloton like a hot potato on tough mountain stage 17, 2006 Tour de France, oh my, such things are impossible, no matter how many water bottles you drink and pour over your head, especially if you bonk the day before. Or so goes the consensus of opinion. Failure on the bicycle during the Tour de France, from that point, all goes down hill with little prospect of recovery, without some kind of concoction, say elixir of newt, brewed by the witches of Macbeth. The UCI dost not like performance enhancing substances whence spells cast upon, or boiling cauldrons, where wayward sisters danced singing incantations. Nope. Wayward witches are very innovative with their recipes, however, so innovative, that WADA must expend extravagant amounts of money to develop tests to detect their potions. Hist! Time to get out yonder rack and force a confession whence after a protracted legal battle and certain financial ruin for the athlete, confession dost fail to be expressed voluntarily. Toil, toil, time and trouble. Have good legal representation because you are going to need it, not to mention two lost years from your life. Then a extended suspension and certain lifetime banishment from cycling forever! Yes the UCI and WADA enforce the law with an iron fist, no excuses and no exceptions!

Poor Floyd Landis: the amount of testosterone detected in his system was deemed not of sufficient quantity to enhance performance; but he was suspended anyway. The only case where the amount of a prohibited substance detected was deemed insufficient to enhance performance and allowed without sanction? Alberto Contador.

Where are the days of Dick Pound, inflexible, determined man of action, an advocate of comfortable satisfaction, strict liability, and punishment? In the new days we have Pat McQuaid, weak, indecisive, a man who proclaims the philosophy of exclusive exceptionalism. Pat McQuaid declaims from the loftiest tower that those who test positive for clenbuterol must be given a free pass; and Pat McQuaid applauds those who proclaim intentions to fight appeals of Spanish Cycling Federation madness; by the UCI or WADA; "to the utmost of mine physical and mental state" as laudable. Of course, there is nothing better when physical and mental attributes fail than to retain highly experienced legal counsel, which may be needed after all, if and when the hypocritical powers awaken to action. Alberto Contador retain your lawyers, you may need them yet, if the corrupt system is to remain in tact. And then your exclusive exceptionalism may not survive; in spite of your egotistical assertions to the contrary.

Beware the ides of March!