Now that the first week of the 2006 Tour de France is behind us, I'm curious about your level of interest compared to last year. The blog poll is posted at right; feel free to explain your answers below this article in a comment if you wish.
This is certainly a Tour in turmoil.
The vacuum left by Lance Armstrong's retirement has sucked away a lot of US fans. OLN reports the viewership of its first four live Tour reports is down nearly 50%.
The Americans anointed to take up the mantle appear, with the notable exception of Floyd Landis, beaten down. Pre-race talk of an All-American podium seems almost laughable now.
The Spanish drug probe implicated Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich, two of the favorites scripted to battle mano-a-mano for the title. Their connection to the investigation prohibited them, and 7 other cyclists, from competing in the Tour. For many fans, the allegations of performance-enhancing drugs and blood-doping in the peloton has made every cyclist a suspect (see “Tour cyclists wear down fan's faith,” Merc.).
For others, the absence of Armstrong has spiced up the Tour. There used to be one favorite, now there are many. The absence of Basso and Ullrich has compounded that feeling. This thing is wide open.
True, not all the US riders are performing to expectations this year. Let's see how they deal with that; can they recover?
For me, I'd say my interest level is slightly higher this year. The past 10 days have shown there's no script this year, and that makes it all the more intriguing. How about you?
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