What Happened?

Doping, Doping, and Doping...
You hear the word so often these days that...

...its almost become synonymous with "cycling" (what's next, looking up the word cycling in Webster's and finding a reference to performance enhancing drug(s)?).

...you have to begin to wonder whether "doping" somehow refers to you being a dope for even liking (let alone loving) the sport.

...you have to question whether the sport has ever been without performance enhancing drugs?

Regardless on what side of the fence you fall (and there seems to be a very distinct line between the athletes and the anti-doping agencies these days), both sides seem to be pulling the sport of cycling into the same arena, oblivion.

For a sport that is considered (in America) fringe at best, its fanbase is being drowned by the constant barrage of waves of deceit, McCarthyistic tactics, and yellow journalism. In its current state, the only names we'll soon remember are those of the legendary heroes whose bravado was tied to a sense of competition and some higher glory; for love of the sport, and not monetary compensation.

At some point this year, the professional cycling ranks may resemble those of the highest amateur ranks in another fringe sport, Track & Field. Athletes will train, lose, win, and possibly set or challenge records, but there won't be anyone to care.