Sad show for the Tour's innocent

And, no, it wasn't just because all sorts of goodies had been flung in their direction as the publicity 'caravane' passed by. Here were impressionable, fresh minds being inspired by the Tour de France.

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If only their wonderful naivete could be shared by all. Sadly, we know too much and have been disappointed too many times by an event which has promised to cleanse itself for yesterday's new beginning to feel any different to every other.

With one exception. The extraordinary decision of the Rabobank team to sack Michael Rasmussen meant that a race which is built around the leader's yellow jersey was without one on the 117-mile jaunt from Pau.

It was the perfect opportunity for everyone connected with the Tour — from organisers to team managers to riders — to draw a line in the sand, a refreshing alternative to the usual practice of sticking their heads in it.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme led off, promising that the event would apply stricter entry controls from next year, so that anyone in Rasmussen's position of not declaring his training whereabouts will not be welcome at the start line.

Medical records will be scrutinised more closely, doping tests will increase in number and frequency and the good guys will win.

Trust us, was Prudhomme's message. He said: "Rasmussen going is the best news the Tour has received in the past week. Today's leaderboard is more valid than yesterday's."

Prudhomme added that there was no reason to doubt the cleanness of new race leader Alberto Contador.

Shame, then, that there are plenty of whispers around the Tour about the 24-year-old Spaniard, even if he has been present for and passed every doping control in and out of competition demanded of him.

But then the finger of suspicion — make that the sponsored giant green foam finger of suspicion — is pointing at every member of the peloton and there is nothing they can do about it.

Protest their innocence? Well, everyone does that, whether they are clean or doped up to the eyeballs.

What about yesterday's Stage 17 winner Daniele Bennati, you may wonder, for his ability to ride clear of seven other members of a breakaway group that included Britain's David Millar?

Trouble is, every remarkable performance for several Tours to come will be viewed with a knowing nod.

It is why French newspaper Liberation yesterday withdrew its coverage and journalists from the event, declaring that the Tour was dead and that the paper would no longer even carry results from it. France Soir went a step further and published a front-page obituary on France's cycle race.

Millar, who served a two-year suspension after admitting using EPO, insists that openness is the only solution.

He said: "You'd like to say that riders are learning but many of them don't ever learn. The most positive thing is that the system that controls riders is starting to work better. Before, it didn't work at all. Back in my day we didn't even get out-of-competition controls."

While some expressed anger towards the cheats, Rasmussen's Rabobank team-mate Denis Menchov simply climbed off his bike as a gesture of disgust at the futility of the work he did in driving the peloton in the mountains on the Dane's behalf.

Naturally, given the no-apology policy of win-at-all-costs sport, Rasmussen maintained his innocence, while Contador expressed no guilt at assuming the yellow jersey by default.

"When there's a crash and someone falls, you can get the yellow jersey that way. Things like this can happen," said the Spaniard.

Not according to Rasmussen, they can't.

Ushered away from his team hotel late on Wednesday night, he insisted he had been wronged. "I am done. I am in tears. This is too crazy. I do not get it. It is totally cuckoo," he said.

Unfortunately for Rasmussen and the event he and so many others continue to sully, only the innocent children of Castelsarrasin believe him.

RESULTS & STANDINGS

STAGE 17 (Pau to Castelsarrasin, 188.5km): 1 D Bennati (It) Lampre 4hr 14min 04sec, 2 M Fothen (G) Gerolsteiner same time, 3 M Elmiger (Swi) AG2r, 4 J Voigt (G) Team CSC both same time, 5 D Millar (GB) Saunier Duval +2min 41sec, 6 M Tosatto (It) Quickstep +2:43, 7 M Quinziato (It) Liquigas +3:20, 8 D Righi (It) Lampre same time, 9 T Boonen (Bel) Quickstep +9:37, 10 S Chavanel (F) Francaise des Jeux same time. Others: 40 G Thomas (GB) Barloworld +9:39, 110 C Wegelius (GB) Liquigas same time.

OVERALL: 1 A Contador (Sp) Discovery Channel 76hr 18min 25sec, 2 C Evans (A) Predictor +1:53, 3 L Leipheimer (US) Discovery Channel +2:49, 4 C S Candil (Sp) Team CSC +6:02, 5 H Z Agirre (Sp) Euskaltel +6:29, 6 A V Belmonte (Sp) Caisse d'Epargne +10:18, 7 K Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile +11:36, 8 Y Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel +12:50, 9 M Soler (Col) Barloworld +13:31, 10 M A Chaurreau (Sp) Euskaltel +13:42. Others: 45 Wegelius +1hr 41min 05sec, 72 Millar +2:31:14.

TODAY — STAGE 18 CAHORS to ANGOULEME 211km (131.9 miles)

HOW DOPE SCANDALS DRAGGED THIS TOUR INTO THE GUTTER ...

JULY 18 — PATRIK SINKEWITZ

Germany's climbing specialist is taken off the Tour entrants' list after a positive dope test. German television responds by scrapping coverage of the tainted event and Sinkewitz is suspended by team T-Mobile.

JULY 24 — ALEXANDRE VINOKOUROV

The pre-race favourite is chucked off the Tour after tests show he has two distinctive types of red blood cells, indicating an illegal transfusion before his stage win on Monday. The Kazakh's Astana team immediately withdraw, on the advice of Tour chiefs.

JULY 25 – CRISTIAN MORENI

Elevated testosterone levels see the Italian disqualified. Moreni's Cofidis team — including Britain's Bradley Wiggins — quit the race.

THE LAST RITES

The series of scandals proves too much for one French newspaper, which announces the 'death' of the 104-year-old Tour at Orthez 'after a long illness'. And this is before the removal of race leader Michael Rasmussen on Wednesday night after his dismissal by the Rabobank team.

... AND THE SHAMEFUL HISTORY THAT GIVES THE RACE A BAD NAME

1967 — TOMMY SIMPSON

Attempts to save the English rider fail after he suffers a heart attack on the Mont Ventoux climb. When amphetamines are detected in his blood and pills found in his shirt, the Tour starts drug testing.

1996 — BJARNE RIIS

The Dane's victory was scratched from Tour records this year after he admitted using EPO to boost his endurance. The banned hormone raises a rider's red blood cell count, improving energy levels.

1998 – RICHARD VIRENQUE

France's best prospect is thrown out — along with the rest of his Festina team — after their health assistant Willy Voet is caught with a huge stash of drugs. Virenque only admits to doping two years later.

2005 – LANCE ARMSTRONG

The American seven-time Tour winner is accused in the French press of testing positive for EPO in 1999. Armstrong denies the claim.

2006 — FLOYD LANDIS

Last year's Tour winner loses the title after a positive test for testosterone. The American continues to fight to clear his name.