Delete the dope and what do you get..

…Tour de France 2006! 

Phil Ligget had an interesting comment on last night’s pre-race show.  He suggested that maybe the reason that the tour was so up in the air was that most of the strong riding dopers got bounced the night before the race.  What an intriguing thought.  Now I hardly believe that the entire peloton is clean.  But consider for a moment that there does not seem to be a clear “bad ass” after two weeks of riding.  Consider also how many riders and teams are getting uncharacteristically shelled on the climbs.  While there could be many other reasons that The Tour has unfolded as it has, Ligget’s comment is especially curious in that dude has been watching tours for 30 plus years.