New Delhi: It's one of the world's marquee sporting events. On Friday, the Tour de France gets underway but there will be no defending champion. Last year's winner Floyd Landis is still fighting doping allegations and the sport is looking to rid itself from a series of scandals.
He replaced seven-time champion Lance Armstrong on the winner's podium in Paris last year. But since then the smile has been wiped off Floyd Landis's face. He can't be back to defend his title this time around although he is doing all he can to defend his reputation.
"They would lose all credibility if they came out and accused me, put me through all that and then admitted it was a mistake. So then we ended up with forged documents and it was just a disaster of a case, but really I have no idea how they can convict me now. But we are waiting for the decision," Landis had said.
But Landis isn't the only cyclist under a cloud. Former champions have spoken over the last year of how doping is rampant in cycling.
"Well, I am admitting I have taken doping, I am taking EPO, so that was some of the things I talked about today," said Bjarne Riis as he came out with a revealing autobiography.
Alarmed by the growing trend, the authorities have gone on the offensive, and action as severe as police raids has been taken. The teams themselves are taking the lead.
"All I can do is be 100 per cent certain about what we do as a team and what we do as a team in the future and that is 100 per cent dope- free cycling and to do it as a sport," Roger Hammond says.
Clearly, the Tour de France this year will be followed by with a keen eye, for more reasons than one.
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