The 2007 Tour De Doping Scandal: Overview

Last year's dethroned Tour De France winner, American Floyd Landis, is still struggling to clear his name and appeal his loss of the title. Previous years involved accusations against Lance Armstrong. Unlike Landis, Armstrong's B sample came back negative. Will this year bring still more egg on America's face in cycling?

The past few years have brought accusation and scandal after the fact. Last year brought racers banned prior to the event, including Ivan Basso who was cleared after the race. Ironic for him and the others since cleared that the winner was reportedly found with synthetic testosterone. Ironic indeed.

Landis was the first winner to be stripped of the championship title in Tour De France history.

As a further slight to Landis, he wasn't invited to the unveiling of the 2007 route, starting for the first time in Britain, near Trafalgar Square. Althought clip did show him on the winner's podium.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, certainly under the spotlight with the bad press that plagues the Tour, is getting ready to elect a new president for the new year. Nominated is French sports minister Jean-Francois Lamour. He holds a reputation of outspokenness. Should he succeed current President Dick Pound, Lamour will have his hands full. Some may argue that bad publicity is better than none, but all organizations and individuals, would probably disagree.

While professional sports teams and their athletes here in the US get criticized here in the press, it is professional cycling that falls under the international microscope.

In related news, Tyler Hamilton's 2 year ban for doping was lifted in September. It is reported that a Russian team may pick up the cyclist.

Basso hasn't chosen a team to ride for yet. One of the potentials is the Discovery Channel Team.

And don't overlook David Zabriskie, or George Hincapie. Both Americans have what it takes to potentially take the spotlight. Meanwhile Armstrong has gone pro-active against those that try to implicate him in any doping scandals.