Leave Lance alone

I was dismayed to read last week that some of the top competitors in the Tour de France were booted out for doping. I was looking forward to watching Ian Ullrich and Ivan Basso battle it out in the race. After all, without Lance Armstrong, this race was up for grabs.

The race is still a free-for-all but I have to learn some new names.

I was bothered by the doping charges because I had hoped that the drug problem was behind cycling. That was naive, I know, because of what the sport demands. I can't think of any other sport that takes so much out of a person. Just look at the riders at the start of the race, then look at them at the end.

I like what one racer said. Cyclists aren't unionized so authorities can raid them whenever and wherever they want. Can you imagine if the police periodically raided the locker room of the New York Yankees? Or searched the hotel room of Payton Manning when he was on vacation in the off-season? This is what happens to cyclists all the time.

That doesn't make taking performance enhancing drugs right. It just makes cycling an easy target when baseball, basketball and football have protections. With so much at stake -- money, pride and more money -- people will do anything to be No. 1.

The 800-pound gorilla on a Trek

That said, what about Lance Armstrong? Did he take illegal drugs to win the Tour de France?

I'm still naive and have a small spot in my charcoal-black heart for heroes. I think that the most-tested athlete in the world was clean of illegal drugs when he won the races. I just think he's determined and an outstanding athlete. He also used some non-super human strategies as well -- scientifically crafted material, chess-master-like tactics and he surrounded himself with outstanding riders whose sum was greater than their individual roles.

And all the accusations?

I think Lance Armstrong is not necessarily a nice person, or, at least, he's so focused he could easily offend anyone near him. You don't get to be No.1 without stepping on toes. So, I'm saying that some former teammates who aren't as great as Lance Armstrong, and some past Tour winners who have had their accomplishments eclipsed (sorry, Mr. Lemond) and all of France (jealous their race was stolen by an American), are bitter and will join the feeding frenzy of suspicion.

Thought: If John Lennon could, he'd add Lance Armstrong to his list of people not to believe in. But just believe in me. ...