They call it the sport of truth and the cycling federation is all out to cleanse the sport of cycling from all the filth that it has come to gather over the past few years. The Tour de France is the most widely recognized and most popular cycling event in the world and the sport’s authorities have decided to revamp next year’s race.
The renovation of the Tour comes as a calculated measure to dig the sport of cycling out of the deep pit that it has pushed into by doping and cheating. No doubt then that one new element noticed in the new format would be the compulsory participation of the cyclists in a series of tests that would enable the building of a blood profile for each participants. The race organizers believe that this step would enhance the blood-testing procedure.
The most outstanding change to the actual race format is the introduction of the ruthless and demanding climb up L’Alpe d’Huez just ahead of the final showdown in Paris. This would not only multiply the intricacy of the Tour de France but would also refurbish romanticism and thrall in the race.
The start to the race has also been hit with a change. The last time that the Tour de France race did not start with solo time trial was way back in 1966 and the Tour organizers are eager to revive the good old days of the 1960s. In 2008, the start to the race will be a challenging 195 km stage. This is a positive move since the stage would motivate more riders to go for the yellow jersey. Otherwise those who specialize in time-trials would have gone one step ahead unnecessarily.
Tour de France still remains one of the most romantic cycling event in the world in spite of the doping scandals that have decimated the sport’s credentials in the past few years. The Tour organizers are eager to make amends and with the 2008 race undergoing some good changes, maybe the spot of cycling will be able to purify itself after all.
Image Source: Road Cycling
Source: BBC
