Tales from the Tour

ByEurosport

Published 20/07/2006 at 14:29 GMT

Controversial physiotherapist Willy Voet suggests that he might make a shock return to the Tour in 2007... as driver for French newspaper Libération. Also today: Ellan McArthur makes a port of call on the Tour, Lance dances, Floyd craves a beer, and, of c

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

On the eve of the 1998 Tour, the lurid underbelly of the cycling world was uncovered when Festina soigneur Willy Voet was called over by Belgian customs with a car boot full of prescription drugs and narcotics, including growth hormones, amphetamines, erythropoietin (EPO) and testosterone.

What followed was the biggest drugs bust in the history of cycling and resulted in the suspension of the French team, night-time raids on a whole cluster of other riders, and a generally turbulent Tour for all parties involved.

Once Voet was released from prison he was ostracized by former colleagues and friends, which led the Frenchman writing his memoires "Breaking The Chain", in which he exposed the extensive and systematic doping practices of the cycling world.

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CYCLING 1998 Tour de France Willy Voet

Image credit: From Official Website

Years on, and Voet is back on the Tour... as a spectator at the start of Stage 16 in Bourg d'Oisans. The Frenchman, who hails from the nearby town of Veyne, told Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure that after 30 years of physiotherapy, he was now a coach driver.

"I do long distance routes like Gap to Marseille," said Voet, renowned for his penchant for 'pot belge', a fearful pick-me-up made from amphetamines, cocaine, heroine and caffeine. "I already had my license when I was soigneur on the Tour and I also acted as second driver for the (Festina) team bus."

Voet admitted that seeing the Tour on his doorstep brought back many happy memories, but stressed that he was content with his lot.

He said: "All that is far away now but I'm not complaining, I have a good job, my family is in good health and I'm happy.

"That said, I do miss the world of cycling. Certain people pretend not to see me, like Jean-Marie Leblanc, but I still have an official accreditation. Laurent Jalabert said hello, which I appreciated. (Crédit Agricole's) Patrice Halgand came off his bus to shake my hand."

Voet then dropped a bombshell for the Tour organisers, ASO: his desire to return to the Tour circuit:

CYCLING pot belge

Image credit: From Official Website

"I no longer know lots of people on the circuit, but next year, it's not impossible that I will do the whole Tour as a driver for the newspaper Libération. If that happens, I would be over the moon."

If Voet does get the gig, let's hope for the paper's sake that he does not get up to his old habits and neck a few doses of pot belge to keep him up driving (on and on and on and on...) all night.

Ahoy there, bicycled landlubbers

British solo yachtswoman Ellan McArthur hooked a starboard and made a port of call into the world of cycling on Wednesday when she followed the whole of Stage 16 in a car belonging to the ASO.

"It's the first time that I've been to the Tour," the woman of the waves said at Bourg d'Oisans. "I find the physical effort and tenacity that the riders need are comparable to the qualities necessary to navigate a boat all on your own," she said, forgetting that sailing across the Atlantic did not involve any hors catégorie climbs, or wheels, for that matter.

CYCLING 2006 Ellen McArthur

Image credit: Imago

"In training, I do a lot of cardio, I go mountain biking and last year, I even bought a racing bike, a Trek," McArthur added, before allegedly asking for a medal.

Floyd: Just give me a cold one

After bonking at altitude (far from the naughty pleasure of joining the mile-high club) on Wednesday, Phonak team leader Floyd Landis reluctantly faced the press with the a brave smile and the admission that "this is the last thing I want to be doing right now."

Asked, cheekily, what he would like to be doing in a perfect world, Landis replied: "I could really do with a beer or two right now..."

We know how he feels. Watching all those riders grapple up the mountain in 30°c temperatures was really thirsty viewing for us in the newsroom too.

Dance Armstrong

Rumour quickly spread on Wednesday that seven-time champ Lance Armstrong had been spotted boogying in a smoky Alpe d'Huez nightspot.

The American is said to have lasted the distance in the sweaty establishment before turning in for some much-needed rest after another eventful day in France.

During Stage 16 Armstrong followed the race from Johan Bruyneel's car where he saw the cataclysmic crack of Landis, the former team-mate who he had tipped to win the race just hours previously.

CYCLING 2006 Tour de France Lance Armstrong ESPY award show

Image credit: Reuters

The thought of the former Discovery lynchpin razzing it up in a club recalls the unfortunate social pastimes of suspended Jan Ullrich who, in 1999, was banned by his Telecom team for testing positive for... ecstasy. It emerged that, along with curried bratwurst, disco pills were one of the German's off-season luxuries.

To be Frank

Luxembourgeois gentleman Frank Schleck, winner of Stage 15 atop the mythical l'Alpe d'Huez, has raised a little talking point on the Tour surrounding the correct spelling of his name.

It seems that the CSC rider, unlike his national counterparts, writes his name with an umlaut above the 'a'. Arise, Sir Fränk.

Caption competition

We didn't receive as many entries as normal for yesterday's competition but the standard was definitely much higher, so well done. We were looking for suggestions for this picture of Robbie Hunter leading Floyd Landis up the Galibier, a couple of cols prior to the American's swashbuckling slump, in Stage 16, won by Rabobank's Michael Rasmussen.

CYCLING Tour de France 2006 La Troussuire Hunter Landis

Image credit: Reuters

Third place goes to Stephanie Nellor of Long Beach, California, who puts these works into Hunter's mouth: "Uh, Floyd, do you see what I see way over there, two mountains away? It's an orange and blue mountain goat, or, wait&hellipis that a Rabobank rider?" Did you see what Stephanie did there? Very good.

But not good enough for second place, which goes to Jeff Hebert of Schenectady, New York, with his cunning word play: "The Hunter and the hunted".

But there has to be a winner, and the UK's Nick Atkinson was just one step ahead of the rest with his succinct gem: "Phonakkered". Bravo, sir!

Without much ado, we move on to today's photo which shows the life-after-yellow Floyd Landis being comforted by former Discovery team-mate José Azevedo at the start of Stage 17 in St-Jean-de-Maurienne. Please send your captions to newsroom@eurosport.com for your chance to win much kudos amongst your work colleagues, friends and family. But remember - only one per person please!