Amidst the doping scandals, should we still even bother watching the tour? Honestly, I can’t help myself, and I will watch the tour. But, I feel like a bit of a rube doing so. Is this like 1999 when whomever wins will be both ridiculed as second-rate rider, or worse, a doper himself? Call me a troll if you’d like, but I am honestly interested in knowing what others who have followed the sport for longer than me think about the issue.
Well… i dunno between the world spelling bee championship… and the rock paper sissor championship… I’ll take the tour.
Grant
Maybe that’s my problem, I’ll watch iit all.
Hello Gator1736 and All,
I’m watching. Call me a rube. I have learned through years of watching movies, TV, and professional sports to temproarily suspend disbelief and enjoy the show.
The ball sports, professional wrestling, politics, boxing, … relax and enjoy the show. The world is not perfect, :), but it is interesting. IMHO …
Cheers,
Neal
I"ve been watching since the mid-1980s and will continue to watch. What sport is totally clean and pure (even triathlon…especially age group triathlon?) Having seen the Tour in person twice has made me even more interested and thrilled in watching it.
clm
Forget the tour, let’s talk about who is going to win the ** **Giro d’Italia Femminile (those doping scandals ruined it a bit for me, maybe women cycling is clean(er)).
I got rid of cable. I asked here what was best between dish and directv…someone suggested neither…get rid of tv…works fine.
You save $80 every month and have more time to train (or to read, spend time with friends, or even post on slowtwitch).
Just enjoy for what it is…hope it is not full of the cheats (bloody Landis!) and hope it is a close race with a shit load of drama!! That is what we all want!!
So, I’ll ask the question…is this year’s tour a joke?
yes, but so was every tour with nearly the whole peloton on boosted blood, EPO, and innumerable synthetic steroids, but we just didn’t know it.
but you aren’t a ‘rube’ for watching the tour. i just can’t watch it because it’s no longer exciting. ok, well, that not’s entirely true, it is about as exciting as rigged WWF wrestling …
I’m watching, first ride is off.
I got rid of cable. I asked here what was best between dish and directv…someone suggested neither…get rid of tv…works fine. You save $80 every month and have more time to train (or to read, spend time with friends, or even post on slowtwitch).
exactly, you save almost a grand a year, a few years pass, and you got yourself a new cervelo! you can even watch tv for free without commercials. a lot of the better series (like HBO’s, “the wire”) goes completely to dvd which you can get from the library for free or from netflix for very cheap.
“What sport is totally clean and pure…especially age group triathlon?”
clm
that’s your comparison? you’re joking, right?
i’ll watch because the podium chicks are hot.
YOu’re not missing much they have shown more commercials then riders in the first half hour.
Grant
That’s the bad thing about the Versus coverage (although I’m happy they show it, so I can’t complain too much). They seem to show the same commercials every day for three weeks - get used to them!
If I had OLN I would watch it for sure. I think it will be a fun year. With all the controversy, the cyclists are going to have to start getting more creative with their doping. Maybe it will even out the playing field.
Jodi
Welcome back Jodi! Smurfette is gone? 
Yeah, I’m not girly enough to pull it off
Jodi
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You’re right . . . it’s a complete fucking joke for the 190 riders who have spent the bulk of their adult life getting to le tour. In fact, it’s such a farce you could probably do it.