Doping questions overshadow a great day's racing at the Tour de France (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Doping questions overshadow a great day's racing at the Tour de France

9:24pm Sunday 8th July 2012 in Bob Hart's cycling blog By Bob Hart, Web editor

AFTER another compelling Tour de France stage today, race leader Bradley Wiggins launched into an expletive-filled tirade at journalists when asked about the issue of doping.

Cycling's reputation is so tarnished that many believe that to win the Tour, a rider MUST have doped.

It's easy to understand Wiggins' frustration at cyclists constantly having their integrity questioned.

True, cycling has been through some dark periods, particularly in recent years.

But Wiggins' Team Sky is one of several teams that have made a stand on the importance of clean racing.

That includes a policy of not signing riders who have been caught cheating - even if, like David Millar, they have been able to restore their reputations.

The closing kilometres of today's stage were an intriguing battle between Wiggins and his main rivals, Cadel Evans and Vincenzo Nibali.

It's turning into a fascinating Tour, with plenty of excitement yet to come.

It would be nice to enjoy it without the riders being grilled about doping at the end of every stage.

• Tomorrow's stage of the Tour promises to be one of the most exciting of them all - a long individual time trial that will be crucial to the eventual winner.

It's a big opportunity for Lancashire's Wiggins to put some time into his rivals and take a real grip of this Tour.

Whatever the outcome, it's going to be exciting!

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