dismay

I was never a fan of Lance Armstrong.  As much as I wanted to believe in him, I always doubted the validity of his achievements.  I wasn’t in any way satisfied when my doubts were finally proven.  I was genuinely heartbroken that the sport I loved had taken yet another kick to its already dying corpse.

But then we were promised a new dawn.  Biological passports, openness the like we’d never seen before regarding riders’ physiology.

And then there was the Sky Professional Cycling Team.  One with a no nonsense approach to doping – absolute zero tolerance.  And I believed in them.  Completely.

But now the world’s greatest cyclist, Chris Froome, has had an “adverse” drug test result.  He had twice the permitted concentration of asthma drug Salbutamol in his system during this year’s Tour of Spain.  The nature of the result doesn’t mean that he has necessarily committed a doping offence.  He will have a chance to prove his innocence in laboratory tests which will try to recreate the adverse reading.

I don’t care.

The Sky team was already embroiled in a doping investigation surrounding Bradley Wiggins and an unknown package delivered to him during a race a few seasons ago.  It was, therefore, right under the spotlight, with its practices being closely examined and criticised.  Froome says that on the team doctor’s advice he took an increased dose of Salbutamol as his asthma was worse than normal.  He is allowed to take the drug within certain, strict. guidelines

I don’t care.

Given the circumstances, the team could, no should, have taken the hugely momentous decision to retire him from the race.  That they didn’t is for me unforgivable.  To risk what has now happened will only serve to increase the suspicion Sky are already under, and deliver yet another body blow to cycling.

To be honest though, and even if he can prove his innocence, I really don’t care any more.

I don't care Chris