Why on earth do today’s sports stars continue with dope taking ? I just don’t understand why, in an age of technological scientific wizardry when 99.9% of “alleged cheaters” will be caught if taking performance enhancing drugs, athletes of all descriptions chance their muscle bound arm by taking the drugs.

Take the new Tour de France winner, American Ffloyd Landis, he was tested positive for excess levels of testosterone after winning stage 17 of this year’s race. The 30 year old has denied the allegations stating he hopes to prove he has a high level of testosterone in his body naturally. However Landis is already talking like a defeatist

“I don’t know what the explanation for it is, whether it was a mistake or whether it’s an occurance from some other circumstances that go on in the race or something I did” he said.

If they are caught, and I’m not for one second saying Landis was cheating until proven, surely they know they will be ridiculed and ostracised by the public and sponsors – so nothing but negative notoriety is gained ? I just don’t understand it. I’m always looking for the positive in people and hope this is a blip but it’s not playing out like that at the moment. Landis has been suspended by his Phonak team.

“All I’m asking for is that I be given a chance to prove that I’m innocent. Cycling has a traditional way of trying people in the court of public opinion before they get a chance to do anything else. “I would like to be presumed innocent until proven guilty – since that’s the way we do things in America.”

Only time will tell but it’s not looking good for Landis and his career.