Rasmussen Pulled From Tour; Vinokourov Tests Positive for Doping; Astana Withdraws From Tour

When it comes to broken promises and failed attempts at coming clean, Lindsay Lohan has nothing on professional cycling.

This was to be the "new" Tour de France, the clean Tour, where fans, sponsors and yes, even the cyclists themselves could be convinced that all of the riders were clean and that everyone was competing an a level playing field, with no one benefitting from an unfair chemical advantage. There was to be more stringent testing, closer monitoring, with riders signing pledges that they were clean. It seemed as if pro cycling had finally turned the corner on its problems with blood doping and performance enhancing drugs.

But here comes the stunning news that current leader Michael Rasmussen has been booted from the Tour by his own team, Rabobank. Rasmussen had missed several scheduled blood tests prior to the Tour and had been dishonest with team management about his whereabouts for a period in June immediately prior to the Tour. On top of that, Tuesday we learned that pre-Tour favorite, Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana, has tested positive for blood doping, giving indications in a July 21 sample taken immediately after his Stage 13 time trial win that his blood contained additional oxygen-carrying red cells injected from another person.

Now Rasmussen is gone, Vinokourov is tainted and the entire Astana team has withdrawn from the Tour. The team's decision also knocks Astana teammates Andreas Kloden and Andrey Kashechkin -- respectively in fifth and eighth place in the overall standings -- out of the race as well. Boo hoo. The real tragedy is that this hope of professional cycling ever finally freeing itself from its dance of death with blood doping and steriods now seems about as credible as Lindsay Lohan's claims of being clean. What a farce.

Team Astana issued the following statement:

"The anti-doping control on Alexandre Vinokourov, which was carried out on July 21 after the time trial in Albi, has tested positive. According to the ethical code of the Astana Cycling Team Alexandre Vinokourov has been suspended from the team with immediate effect. The rider has asked nevertheless for a B sample analysis. Informed by the Astana management, the organisers of the Tour de France invited the team to withdraw, which was immediately accepted."

Bah.

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Photo credit: Michael Rasmussen (l) and Alexandre Vinokourov (r) both Bryn Lennon/Getty Images