1. This is so funny, yet so true! Performance enhancing drugs should be welcomed with open arms. Athletes should have a choice to take them or not. Those that choose to rely on natural ability had better be darn good, otherwise, they will have to start looking for regular jobs like everyone else. If every athlete is taking something, the playing field is leveled, the events are more entertaining and the players would seem to be more deserving of their ridiculous salaries. It's the same inevitiablity issue that Americans love to ignore, just like legalizing marijuana and concelaed handgun laws.

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2. I suggest Mr. Stein put away his gossip plagued mind and become a reinvigorated student of the sport. His take on the Tour may be whimsical, but there is truth in every joke and he should pick up a National Enquirer if he needs a gossip fix. Support the rebuilding of the Tour de France. Dare I say we should actually support the French in this effort? Egad!

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3. I am finding this Tour de France more interesting than others due to the absence of the "elephant in the room" that is known as Lance. The teams are very close. There are several contenders for the GC, which is a refreshing change from the inevitable victory of the great Lance Armstrong. I understand Mr. Stein's tongue n cheek take on the tour, but in the end, the drug clean up is good. It brings the focus back to what those if us who love cycling enjoy most. The sheer human courage that the event inspires.

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4. While drafting a point-by-point refutation of the above, I decided on the quote that follows to stand as stark juxtaposition to your prattling verbosity. "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." Before you give up on your cycling reporting entirely, may I suggest a more appropriate venue for your style/substance: the E! channel or SpikeTV.

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5. Joel, you've really been hitting your stride this year. Funny witty column, keep 'em coming. Don't any of the other commenters here have a sense of humor? Sheesh......

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6. Stein needs to get off his a** and be forced to ride a mountain stage of the tour. I'll be on the side watching him cry...

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7. English is dead. Literature is dead. At least in Los Angeles. For all of you cretins trashing this writer, or otherwise taking him seriously, I recommend "A Modest Proposal," by Jonathan Swift. On second thought, don't read it. The only predictable outcome would be a slew of posts decrying the tragedy facing the Irish, so poor they have to eat their own children. Whenever I question whether I should have left Los Angeles 20 years ago, I just look at these message boards and pat myself on the back.

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8. you watch the tour de france because you admire and love the sports, not because americans are winning or not!! cycling became bigger in the us because of doped AMERICAN athletes, how ironic is that???

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9. Luckily, the European fans who are stacked multi-deep on the Tour route don't have the same gnats' attention span of our writer. The strategizing and maneuvering to get Sastre onto the podium was brilliant and riveting to watch - along with all the rest of the by-play. Cycling is a *team* sport: can't wait to see Riis vs Bruneel next year

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10. Another great article! I wonder if English is the primary language of many people hating this article (and the author). It seems that they don't understand satire. Are these the same readers who are offended by the New Yorker? Regarding doping: I'm for it! Baseball under Bonds, McGuire, and Sosa was so much more exciting than it is now...of course, that could be because I'm a forlorn Mariners fan....

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