Beltran gets 2 years

Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that he could get a licence this year, Spanish rider Manuel Beltrán has been banned for two years from French competition and looks set to suffer the same punishment on the world stage.

Tricky indeed. I don't want to get judgemental, I just want to open things up for discussion. Sometimes we get so black-and-white about "passionate" beliefs that we can't see through the spin and look at the human being who may have been tempted, coerced, lured or tricked into doing something they otherwise wouldn't do. It's against the law to exceed the speed limit (and unless the road is empty and devoid of the unexpected it's a high-risk activity anyway) yet many of us choose to do it. Why? Is it as black and white as you think?

French confirm - and retest

French authorities have confirmed those other Tour de France results, and promised to retest a few samples that have remaining question marks: Bordry estimated that the additional testing would take no more than 10 or 15 days, which means results could be available as soon as before or during the World Championships in Italy. Several riders tested positive during the 2008 Tour de France including Riccardo Ricco (for EPO-CERA), Manuel Beltran (for EPO) and Dmitriy Fofonov (for the stimulant heptaminol). Ricco's teammate Leonardo Piepoli also confessed to his team manager to using the same banned substance as Ricco. Moises Dueñas Nevado secured his place on the doper's list Wednesday after his "B" sample came back positive for EPO, confirming "A" sample results. He had previously confessed to using the banned substance.

Don't you just love the suspense? And the timing!

3 down, 7 to go?

If there were 10 riders in Le Tour with 'abnormal values', do we have a case of 3 down, 7 to go?

French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Beltran was one of 10 riders found by the AFLD to have abnormal blood values in the days prior to the Tour. On July 3 and 4, the AFLD performed blood tests on riders "to allow for subsequent targeted doping tests during the Tour de France", the agency announced Friday.

Or have some of these riders already abandoned, for whatever reason?

Beltran exits stage left

One of Lance's faithful lieutenants has been caught out with EPO. Yes, it's been a while since Lance raced with the guy, and there's no evidence to suggest that Beltran used EPO before this year, but one's mind does wonder at why he should do so now. The obvious answer is to make it a bit easier in the twilight of his career. A career now effectively ended, I suspect.

Dane Bjarne Riis, head of Team CSC-Saxo Bank, looked at the positive side of Manuel Beltrán's "A" sample test result which resulted in the dismissal of the "scandalous" Spaniard from the Tour de France. He said the sport's anti-doping controls were working. "It is bad for cycling, without saying it is a 'scandal' – he is the 'scandal,'" said Riis to Cyclingnews the morning after Beltrán was asked to leave the Tour de France for his positive Erythropoietin (EPO) test. "The controls work. The system works. Those who don't understand, like him, have to leave." The classification rider of Team Liquigas was caught in a French anti-doping agency (AFLD) control following stage one that led to a positive EPO result. All the Tour de France controls are being carried out by the AFLD, which is different than in past years when handled by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

Of course Riis is right, and the kerfuffle has already died down. Let's hope that's it for Le Tour and Le Dope Scandal this year.