The Day the Tour 'Died' ; Anger in France Over the Spate of Drug Scandals has Plunged the Future of the Famous Event Into Doubt

Summary

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THE crisis surrounding the Tour de France is so deep there were calls today in its homeland for the race to be scrapped until it is proved to be drug-free. One newspaper even printed a front-page obituary declaring: "The Tour has died today at the age 104 after a long illness." The condemnation follows the sacking of race leader Michael Rasmussen, the fourth rider to be booted off the Tour. Cycling's greatest event is now fighting to regain some form of credibility before it concludes in Paris on Sunday but many observers believe that is already an impossible task.

France's Soir newspaper ran the race obituary while Liberation urged that it be stopped.

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The Day the Tour 'Died' ; Anger in France Over the Spate of Drug Scandals has Plunged the Future of the Famous Event Into Doubt

"This procession of cyclists has been transformed into a caravan of ridicule," the newspaper said in an editorial. "If the organisers really want to save cycling, they should stop the competit...

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