two down

So no Boonen and now no Valverde. Purely from a racing perspective, this year's Tour will be the poorer for their absence. I was looking forward to seeing if Valverde could translate the form he showed in winning the Dauphine into something more substantial – a sustained attack in the Tour de France that showed he could eliminate the really bad days that had always plagued his ability to see a three-week tour through to the end. As for Boonen, he would have provided Cavendish with a little more competition, which would have been fun to watch. For the sake of a clean sport, maybe this is what has to happen? Casualties along the way, riders who have made mistakes for sure but somehow leave you feeling like perhaps they still deserved a shot at the big one. Stupidity should never be rewarded and cycling doesn't need any more controversy but as a fan, and a sentimental one at that, it's a shame.