Incredibly sad - i think any hope that this is a cleaner tour is completely washed away.

Hate to say it, but when i watched yesterday's stage last night, my immediate thought wasn't "what a ride", instead it was "wow - it's just like Landis last year, wonder what he's taking"

Yes I'm afraid to say I thought the same. Any incredible performance will now and in the future always be tarnished by thoughts of 'I wonder what they've taken'.

Vino you are a stupid berk!

I did not think that - I was inspired by his courage and the guts of his ride - I was disappointed in Contador not attacking Rasmussen earlier in the stage - but most of all I was really inspired by Vino...

I remember thinking the same thing about Pantani and Ulrich - I feel really deflated by this news, but maybe I am not so dissapointed in Contador anymore - maybe he was tired and had no power to attack - maybe this is a sign that things are loking better for the future.

It's just crazy!

I know it's too early to start speculating on the in's-and-outs of his positive test, but there is one thing that is really annoying me... The rest of Astana are surely in on this! Carrying blood around isn't just a simple matter of keeping it in your luggage where nobody will find it, blood must be kept under the correct conditions at all times. Who's going to be managing that whilst he's cycling??

Very very sad, but chins up, he got busted!

JamesParker.................spot on, and surely why the entire team has been "asked to leave". You just simply cannt perform a homologous blood transfusion on your own. I ranted about Astana being welcomed with open arms on the old Procycling forum (also made the magazine). This could be one body blow too many for the sport, but quite frankly the UCI and ASO only have themselves to blame

I said in a previous post that a rider must be considered innocent until proven guilty, appears there is proof this time! How did they expect to get away with it?

I agree with the last post and feel this could be a death blow for teams trying to find sponsors

To pose a question, what will happen if Mondays sample is clear?????

To the gentleman posing the question, "What is the B sample is negative?" There is a possibility it may be negative but there is a greater possibility it will be. This sport could fade away if the riders don't wake up. The sanctioning organizations have to make an attempt to clean up the sport even if that attempt appears to be somewhat feeble. My hat goes off to any individual that manages to earn a living in this sport because no doubt it takes physical conditioning beyond "belief". More and more the fans and enthusiasts of this sport will have difficulty "believing" pro cyclists do it fare and square. The WINE MAN GOETH, right into obscurity. I still love this sport!

This latest revelation sends shockwaves through the sport like the Los Angeles Landers quake of 1993 did. It's sad that the actions of a few can affect so many. I was reading a story leading up to the tour when T-Mobile was in London to prepare for the start. One rider said people looked at them like "GANGSTERS". At this point what do all 189 starters think the public perception is? I ask myself, "Is it worth that much to these individuals to go to such great lengths JUST TO WIN?" Alexsandr didn't even have a chance to win it outright but was that fleeting moment of glory that important? To him I guess it was by attempting such risky measures. I will watch for the headline that states, "ALEXSANDR VINOKOUROV GIVES ONE YEARS SALARY BACK"! I'm taking bets it won't happen.

Thinking about this overnight really makes me question the deeper politics behind the situation, as this was obviously a planned contingency to salvage something from the tour if it all went wrong for the overall.

I cannot believe it was a simple question of national pride; far better to ‘go down in flames’ than have the entire nation branded as cheats so it must be something else. Is the current structure of professional cycling so expensive as to force teams to risk everything to keep a sponsor?

The comparison with Landis is very apt. How we are expected to believe that a rider can ride like an angel in a long and difficult time trial, ride like a dog in the mountains the next day then re-emerge like a butterfly the next and shred the field in another mountain stage is pushing the boundaries of logic.

I have little confidence or faith left in either the UCI or the pro teams to show the collective will to erradicate doping. Let's not kid ourselves, doping has always been a part of professional sport and cycling in particular and this latest round of hand wringing and wailing is just part of the continuum.

This tour has given us spectacular entertainment - Rasmussen and Contador in particular - but is it honest, clean or legal? I have to say I sincerely doubt it.