I forgot about Nibali he was superb last year. I remember thinking that I thought he could have left Basso a few times but reigned in to help his team captain and main GC rider.

Agree about Gilbert and the TDF. I don't think he's known for his big hill climbing is he?

How thick are the Schleck brothers? I know Luxembourg has a small gene pool but come on....

Did they honestly think the way to beat Gilbert was to carry him all the way to the finish?

Anyway - onto the Giro now. I see Contador has decided to do the Giro - Why?

I think he knows that WADA are going to insist on a ban so he's doing it purely to prove he can win a GT clean - this will in some way help him prove that when he was blood doping during last years Tdf (or eating contaminated beef which had received a blood transfusion shortly before being slaughtered) but didn't make any difference to the result.

Excuse me a moment while I get really chuffing angry. I hate doping on any level but appreciate that for a long time it was deeply ingrained into the sport.

I appreciate there are several reformed dopers back in the peloton, or as DS's in the cars or team managers. I appreciate that there are those reformed dopers we love (usually the ones who have since come out and said what they did was wrong) and those we hate (usually the ones who feel as though there was some serious injustice because in their eyes they were doing what was necessary to compete).

But if we're ever to clean up this sport we need people like Contador to serve their time, own up to what they did and move on. We need a whole new clean set of DS's and Team Managers. We need a zero tolerence approach to doping - one strike and you're out - forever.

It's simple he's doing the Giro as he knows he probably won't be doing the TDF so see's this as his chance to win a grand tour. Most of the big names are aiming for TDF glory leaving a few second strings and the spanish dude who's name I've forgot that left cervelo. Castre thats who I'm thinking of.

But all that's going to happen is instead of bring stripped of the 2010 Tdf and 2011 Tour of Catalunya he will now also be stripped of the 2011 Giro as well surely?

He'd be sitting on his booty at home now if it wasn't for the spineless Spanish federation choosing to wipe out his 1 year ban.

The whole thing makes me incredibly angry with cycling. It also makes cycling continue to look as though it's riddled with doping to the outside world.

He won't be in my fantasy team anyway!!

Carlos Sastre? Spanish TDF winner from 2008 after his attack on Alpe d'Huez?

Yes - Carlos Sastre. The winner who made Lance Armstrong come out of retirement!

LOL yeah Sastre. Not Castre! DOH! I had a brain fart moment.

I like Sastre if you watch any of the bartape vids Cervelo have on their website he comes across as a great guy who loves his cycling.

As for AC I understand your frustration. It's the size of the concentration of clenbuterol that confuses me. It was so small normal testing wouldn't have picked it up. And no other tests previous showed any other useage.

There's always been whispers around Contador though havent there? Maybe its just because he's so successful and has more focus on him.

He's been in the headlights ever since Operación Puerto a few years back. Something he's never shook off.

He's a silly lad if he thinks that someone with his palameres wouldn't be looked at closely especially the way he dances up some of those peaks.

There's a great scientific piece which looks at wattage output and compares Alberto and a few others with what a doped rider can put out. It's an interesting read and really puts you to thinking how their data could be from anyone other than a doped rider.

I'll see if I can find it if your interested.

I'm reading the history of the Tdf at the moment and it's clear that doping has mostly been an acceptable way for the riders to cope with the strain of being a professional cyclist.

In the 1960's if you were caught doping in the Tdf you got a time penalty - and now it can potentially cost you your career (depending upon who you are). However, I don't think the penalties are handed out fairly at all.

The only way I think we can deal with the issue is if it cost everyone their career. One strike and you're out. No redemption for some and expulsion for others. Looking at the likes of Landis (ok the guy is an idiot) there is no reason why he should have been treated any differently to Contador, Miller etc.

Listen to any podcast about cycling (Real Peleton, Flammecast (slowly becoming my fave), Velo Club Don Logan, Spokesmen) and invariably we all start talking about doping - I just wish we could eradicate it from our sport.

Having said that......I think cycling is light years ahead of more popular sports when it comes to catching the cheats.