Here is a video recap of today's stage of the Tour de France, which was won by 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. The lithe Spaniard (he weighs only 140 pounds) averaged 31.13 miles per hour on the 25.1-mile course around Lake Annecy, beating Swiss time-trial extraordinaire Fabian Cancellara by three seconds. Only one thing can keep Contador from winning this year's Tour: drugs. Don't laugh. Contador has been linked to Operation Puerto. As the leader of the Tour, he will be vigorously and regularly tested. If something is amiss, he will be kicked out of the Tour, à la Michael Rasmussen. No, I'm not hoping that this happens. In fact, I hope it doesn't happen, because it will be a public-relations blow to the sport I love. Besides, Lance Armstrong can't win. He lies third on G.C., 5:25 behind Contador, but he's 1:14 behind Andy Schleck, who has shown that he can outclimb Armstrong. Nothing is going to change on either tomorrow's stage or Sunday's stage, and I doubt that Armstrong can take 1:14 out of Schleck on Mont Ventoux during Saturday's stage. At this point, Armstrong wants to retain a podium position. He and his teammates will cover moves by Bradley Wiggins and Frank Schleck, both of whom are within 34 seconds of him on G.C., but they will not attack. Here is tomorrow's stage.
Addendum: Greg LeMond thinks Contador is using drugs.
Addendum 2: Danilo Di Luca, who finished second to Denis Menchov in the recent Giro d'Italia, has tested positive for a banned substance. He will be removed from the official standings. This is not the first time this has happened; nor, I fear, will it be the last. If Contador should test positive and be disqualified, even after the Tour ends, the second-place finisher will inherit the title. This is what happened to Floyd Landis in 2006. Lance Armstrong knows this, obviously, so perhaps he will attack Andy Schleck on Mont Ventoux in the hope of claiming second place. I realize that it's possible that Armstrong, rather than Contador, will test positive; but I think it highly unlikely. Armstrong has too much to lose (mainly, his reputation) to cheat. Landis, by contrast, had little to lose and much to gain.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 
