Tour de France, is my heart ready to be broken again?

The Tour de France is nearly upon us again and I am being bitten by cycling fever. Le Tour is a truly seductive event, it takes in some of the finest scenery in the world and the sheer brutality of the event is compelling and as a soap opera it is unbeatable. I want to believe in the Tour de France, I love the event, I remember watching LeMond beat Fignon by 8 seconds in a time trial around Paris. Then the drugs came and they have not gone away. Pantani, Delgado, Ulrich, Mayo and Vino great names in the Tour all drug cheats. Every year we have a new winner an every year since the Festina affair in 98' has become a drug cheat issue. Even the years of Armstrong are clouded by drugs and claims of endemic EPO abuse led by Armstrong himself.

So we come to the Tour de France 2011 before even one peddle has been turned in anger we are in a drugs controversy, the current champion Contador is claiming a false drug test caused by clenbuterol in tainted meat.. Yet I am feeling hope, the reason is the potential shown by Bradley Wiggins, an Olympian and champion cyclist he could win and he brings none of the baggage associated with previous yellow jersey wearers. I hope he wins and restore my faith, in reality he will fail and be beaten by a cyclist with a questionable association with drugs.

Sepp Blatter: the man who holds back progress.

What a state world football finds itself in. Football is the only truly global game, a game that is simple to play and requires minimal equipment and is easy to understand is being destroyed by the man at the top of it. The world cups of 2018 and 2022 were decided by a small group of men. Some of which were brought by cash bribes, it is now obvious that whatever the sense of a proposition. The way to win a world cup bid was by cash. The proposition of a world cup in Russia is understandable, it is a powerful country with a footballing history. Qatar is a different proposition, no love for football or stadium.A world cup played in 55 degree heat does not make sense, it is now obvious that this world cup was purchased, with no thought to anything other than money.

Sepp Blatter was the man who took the world cup to Africa, a great achievement for the continent. Considering South Africa had held the rugby world cup and the cricket world cup it was inevitable Sepp Blatter has made enough errors in this job, no technology, bribed officials and a lack of sense and compassion for the game make him a target for the chop. He has been for another four years so let the madness continue.

The Henson Problem

Gavin Henson made a return to the Welsh team yesterday. Gavin Henson is a tempting proposition for the Welsh coaching team. He tackles hard, kicks like a mule and has the potential to split a midfield with a pass. The problem is that his professionalism has been questioned all the way through his career. Should he go to the world cup? I think his lack of professionalism and dalliance with retirement and celebrity is symptomatic of  a rugby player who has fallen out of love with the game and cannot think of anything better to do. More than any other sport rugby requires love for the game. The reason is because rugby is such a physically demanding game. The ability to take knocks and get up week in and week out requires not only physical strength but also mental endurance. Without a love of the game mental endurance is not likely to be in abundance. Added to this mixture  the obvious resentment of some of his teammates it adds to the impression that Henson is back only to further his brand and celebrity.

The End of the Season Part One

The rugby season has finally ended, what a season it was. I will start with the European cup, this as usual delivered a great tournament. In the sixteen years of the tournament it has rarely delivered a bad tournament year. This year Leinster delivered a second european cup. They were without doubt ideal winners for the tournament. They played with great style and the final was an outstanding game. Talking of the final it was absolutely outstanding to be there the atmosphere was brilliant and demonstrated the true essence of rugby as corny as that might sound.

In England the premiership was won by Saracens, they beat Leicester, It was not the most exciting of finals but it that was to be expected.Saracens won the final in a backs to the wall display. The real star of th final was young Owen Farrell a nineteen year old lad from a rugby league dynasty that could potentially be the next England number 10.

In Ireland the European Champions were beaten by the country cousins of Munster. The champions of the Celtic nations were Irish as well as the champions of Europe. This tells us two things, Irish rugby is not dead yet, the great generation of grand slam winners is being replaced. It also tells us that Wales and Scotland have a long way to go to be contenders.