Tour de France Drug Abuse

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The question of drug use among athletes in what was previously considered by the unknowing public to be a rather pristine sport, cycling, is important in that it will affect all future Tours and will place them and the athletes under scrutiny. To begin with, in Europe until the 1998 scandal occurred, despite a few exceptions, cycling was considered a drug free sport. The 1998 drug scandal tarnished the Tour de France and the reputation and image of other sports. The media response to the scandal took differing positions on what should be done next to clean up cycling. The scandal also affected advertisements, sales, and without question the 1999 Tour and Lance Armstrong. Since even the most naïve fan no longer trusts the cyclists, drug-testing procedures have been instituted. Also, the question now arises regarding medications used by seriously ill cyclists.
Certainly, future Tours will be significantly affected. The Union Cycliste Internationale and other sports officials are left with several burning questions; do they seek a better testing system? Clearly, they must protect athletes and the image of sports even though it is costly. Do they perform uniform versus random drug tests? Both are necessary to keep athletes and trainers accountable. In fact, the 1999 Tour promoted both forms of testing (Fife 208). If they do random tests, how do they enforce them? On this point, committees and sports federations are still debating.

For years cycling, a grueling, yet glamorous sport in Europe, has been fighting drug use and abuse. Despite a few exceptions, cycling had the reputation, in Europe and in France, of being a clean, pure sport, compared to others, until the 1998 scandal occurred. The question of drug use among athletes in what was previously considered by the unknowing public to be a rather pristine sport, cycling, is important in that it will affect all future Tours and will place them and the athletes under scrutiny.
A Clean Reputation: The History of Drugs in the “Tour de France”
In 1967, Tommy Simpson, a British cyclist, died during the Tour de France because of the amphetamines that he took. Succeeding years brought embarrassments: In 1978, the Belgian Michel Pollentier was suspended while leading the Tour de France after he was caught concealing a clean urine sample to trick testers. Furthermore, in 1988, the Spaniard Pedro Delgado won the T...

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...cess Story: Tour de Lance; Armstrong’s miraculous comeback from cancer to a Tour victory is worthy of an exclamation point, not a question mark.” The Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif.; 26 Jul. 1999: 1.
Lemonick, Michael D. “Le Tour des drugs.” Time; New York; Aug 10, 1998: 76.
MacAuley, Domhnall. “Drugs in Sport.” BMJ: British Medical Journal, 313.7051, 7/27/96, 211. Online. EBSCOhost. 16 Nov. 1999. http://www.EBSCOhost.com.
Neff, Craig. “Drug sweep.” Sports Illustrated; New York, 9 Aug. 1999: 71
Pelkey, Charles ed. “Etxebarria takes Pau; Armstrong answers drug charge.” Velo-News, 21 July 1999.
Phillips, Ian. “Armstrong Extends Tour Lead U.S. Star Bristles at French Media’s Drug Innuendos.” Seattle Post- Intelligencer; Seattle, Wash.; 15 Jul. 1999: E2.
Velo-News. The sensational 1998 Tour de France: Conquests and Crisis. Boulder, Colorado: VeloPress, December, 1998.
“Virenque admits to seeking drugs.” Velo-News Interactive. Velo-News; 11 May 1999.
“Virenque released after admission.” Velo-News Interactive. Velo-News, 11 May 1999.
Wilson, Stephen. “Doping Incidents Shake Sports from Swimming to Track & Field.” Seattle Post- Intelligencer, Seattle, Wash.,.1 Aug. 1998: E6.

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