In case you have missed this year's Tour De France, here is a little update for you;
- On July 20th it was revealed that German rider Patrik Sinkewitz tested positive for elevated testosterone levels before the tour.
- Yesterday Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a illegal blood transfusion. Vinokourov and his entire team (including the 5th and 8th place riders) pulled out of the tour.
- Italian rider Cristian Moreni and his entire Cofidis team withdrew from the tour today after Moreni's positive test for testosterone was revealed.
- Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was removed from the race today after his team cited violations of team rules. Rasmussen had been under suspicion ever since it was revealed that he had skipped two doping tests leading up to the tour and had been kicked off of the Danish national team.
Suffice it to say, the Tour De France is in a bit of a shambles right now. Now that the dust has settled (maybe) as far as expulsions, the new tour leader is Spaniard Alberto Contador. Contador holds a 1:53 lead with four stages remaining, but in third place lurks a rider that could continue an eight year run at the tour.
American Levi Leipheimer.
Leipheimer stands 2:49 behind Contador, his teammate on the Discovery team. If Leipheimer is able to make up the time between himself and Contador he would join Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis as the ninth straight American winner of the Tour De France. Could it happen? Maybe. Leipheimer would likely have to make up a huge amount of ground in the time trial in stage 19, which is not out of the realm of reason.
Who knows, if a few more tests go the wrong way Leipheimer might end up winning by default.
