Once More With Feeling

Vino Tests Positive. Antana Quits Tour

Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) has tested positive for homologous blood doping after his Stage 13 crushing victory over all comers last Saturday in the individual time trial. Astana has pulled out of the Tour. All this prior to the results of Vinokourov's B samples or before the results of his testing on yesterday's Stage 15 victory. Goodbye Vino.

Yellow Jersey holder Michael Rasmussen is all alone even on the rest day. His team is half-hearted. His national-cycling association has abandoned him. The UCI thinks he's cheating. Even his team bus was searched yesterday.

T-Mobile will decide by Sunday if T-Mobile will continue a TDF sponsorship. The cellular phone company has a contract through 2010 however because of doping they may break their contract now. Interest in the Tour in Germany is down to 15%, well below the 63% when Jan Ulrich rode for T-Mobile. Jan of course was fired from the team for... doping.

GNB Sports promised an article today on doping. This is not the article we intended. That article -- Should You Lie? About Trust -- is written and in final edit. It will be not be out today because today isn't the right time. This is today's doping story. Talk among yourselves. We'll be back tomorrow for Stage 16. If anyone is still left to ride.

GNB Sports. Good afternoon.

Updates (2:35 pm PT):

Police search Astana

What the hell is blood doping?

Pettacchi cleared of doping at the Giro

Rabobank supports Rasmussen

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