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Spanish “black list” turns gloom to doom at Tour

But Saturday’s prologue may bring back sense of normalcy

Published: Jun. 30, 2006

On Thursday, before the Spanish authorities sent the black list of riders from Operación Puerto to the Tour de France organizers and the UCI, I started this column with the words, “Let the racing begin! Please.” Now that four top riders who appeared on that list — Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, Francisco Mancebo and Oscar Sevilla — have been suspended by their teams and will not start the Tour, those words have taken on even more significance for everyone who loves cycling, and the Tour de France in particular.

When La Grand Boucle’s 93rd edition finally gets under way Saturday, it will be with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, the riders listed have not been found guilty of breaking the UCI ProTour’s ethical code; there only suspicions. And on the other, their clean reputations have been brought into disrepute in the biggest media circus of the year.

As Basso’s team manager Bjarne Riis told the press Friday afternoon, “We need proof. We have to be careful saying things that are not 100-percent sure. The investigation is going on, but how can I say he’s lied to me when I cannot prove it. It’s pretty normal that I have to support my riders.”

Even before the ghastly tentacles of Operación Puerto reached out from Madrid to create this doping frenzy in Strasbourg, the Tour’s usual composure was already compromised. Basso and Ullrich were given the biggest cheers at the glitzy presentation of the 21 teams on Thursday night, but now they won’t compete — while the next most popular racer, Alexander Vinokourov, may not reach the start line because five of his eight teammates are on the list.

The team presentation, which usually takes place Friday night, was moved forward to avoid a television clash with Friday’s first two quarterfinals of soccer’s World Cup in nearby Germany. And the prologue itself, normally a spectacular opening to the Tour at prime time on Saturday night, will take place mid-afternoon to allow the European fans to watch the World Cup’s second two quarter-finals — including what promises to be an explosive match between France and Brazil.

In the meantime, the feeling of impending doom has been realized. The exclusion of star riders has brought shame to a Tour that promised to be the most exciting in a decade. And only when the race leaves the Strasbourg area on Monday will the gloom begin to lift, and only then will the media’s attention start to turn toward what will now be an even more wide-open race.

Take the Strasbourg prologue. A couple of weeks ago, this 7.1km time trial was expected to be a duel between the previous two Tour prologue winners Brad McGee (Paris, 2003) and Fabian Cancellara (Liège, 2004). But a herniated disc stopped McGee racing at the Tour of Switzerland and he had to pull out of the Tour; and then Cancellara wasn’t selected for his CSC team.

Ironically, Cancellara’s American teammate Dave Zabriskie — who won last year’s stage 1 time trial (it was too long to be called a prologue) — is now the favorite for the Strasbourg opener. Indeed, the lanky rider from Salt Lake City is well suited to the dead flat, panhandle-shaped prologue course.

It starts in the Place de Bordeaux, a public square where a food market is held every Tuesday morning, a kilometer from the ancient heart of the city. After a short section of divided highway, the course turns left and follows a clockwise 5km loop on tree-lined streets that pass old city ramparts and modern buildings of the European Parliament. It then continues back on the divided highway, past the start point, to finish in front of the race headquarters, the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès.

Besides Zabriskie — who won a similar prologue at the Dauphiné Libéré earlier this month — the other top favorite is comeback man David Millar (Saunier Duval), who is riding his first competitive race in more than two years following a suspension for EPO use (see “Millar time?”). In his previous career, Millar won two Tour time trials, including the 2000 Tour opener in Futuroscope; and three years ago a derailed chain cost him the prologue victory over McGee in Paris (he finished second).

One rider who might cause a surprise on Saturday is Millar’s fellow Brit, Bradley Wiggins of Cofidis, who defeated McGee to win the Olympic 4km pursuit gold medal at Athens in 2004. Wiggins, 26, who is making his Tour debut, has yet to show the power and form on the road that he has displayed on the track. However, he did win a 16km time trial last year at the Circuit de Lorraine — beating by 16 seconds Agritubel’s Alberto Martínez, who is another time trialist who might do well on Saturday.

Other specialists who have shown good recent form include Caisse d’Épargne’s Russian Vladimir Karpets, who was second to Cancellara at last month’s Tour of Catalonia opener; T-Mobile’s Luxembourg champion Kim Kirchen, who won the prologue at the recent Tour of Luxembourg; and Euskaltel-Euskadi’s Basque rider Haimar Zubeldia, who is returning to the form that saw him take third place in the 2003 Paris prologue.

Besides the specialists, all the main Tour contenders for the yellow and green jerseys will be seeking a top placing. Of the sprinters, Crédit Agricole’s defending points champion Thor Hushovd and world road champion Tom Boonen of Quick Step-Innergetic are the best time trialists, and a high placing will give them the chance of taking over the yellow jersey with time bonuses on the early road stages.

With top pre-race favorites Ullrich and Basso not starting and a cloud still hanging over the Astaná-Würth team of Vinokourov, look to the other team leaders to emerge. Discovery Channel’s Paolo Savoldelli and George Hincapie are both candidates for the prologue podium. Savoldelli won the more difficult TT opener at the Giro d’Italia in May, while Hincapie was second to Zabriskie in the recent Dauphiné prologue, conceding two seconds in 4.1km. But that was Hincapie’s first race in two months following his rehab from a separated shoulder.

Also expect inspired rides from Hincapie’s former teammates Floyd Landis (Phonak-iShares) and Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), although the prologue’s 7.1km distance is somewhat on the short side for these two. Landis might not be able to make full use of his high-hands aero’ position on a course that has nine right-angle turns and just as many curving bends. As for Leipheimer, he showed his resolve by rolling into Strasbourg on Wednesday half a day ahead of his teammates so he could go training on his TT bike for two hours.

That’s the sort of focus and dedication needed to remain undistracted by the Operación Puerto doping frenzy — a frenzy that has put into question the validity of our beautiful sport just as the start of the Festina Affair did before the Tour’s Dublin prologue eight years ago.

At least, we don’t have to wait much before the racing begins.