18 The Times Monday July 21 | 20 14 S P O RT Epic f lick with dopey subtext

THE surviving riders enjoy their bans for doping respectively, other second rest day of the Tour de former riders, like Bjarne Riis and France today, followed by a final Alexandre Vinokourov, who were week that culminates in the just as guilty of doping, are traditional finish on the Champs- currently managing the best teams Élysées next Sunday. in the pro-peloton. The 2014 Tour has reminded us Some dopers have been that thinking too far ahead is unrepentant and welcomed back, perilous, and so victory for while others have confessed and of Italy is anything then been ostracised. but guaranteed — despite his Doctors and trainers implicated commanding lead. by dozens of testimonies as However, the Italian has been managing doping programmes imperious, barely seeming to It ’s the same cast continue to work with the best breathe as he has dominated every riders. single rider once the road has in the same roles. Banned drugs are prescribed and climbed heavenwa r d s . It ’s time for a allowed for medical reasons, despite The race was expected to be a being borderline unethical, duel between defending champion new movie suggesting that all teams play the and Alberto ‘ same game, pushing the limits of Contador, with Nibali many l e g a l i ty . p e op l e ’s third favourite after a also points to selective amnesia, Even the management of doping relatively disappointing given that it was only a decade by the sport’s governing body sows performance in the biggest lead-up earlier that the identical playbook doubt — some riders have all their event, the Dauphiné Libéré. was used by Lance Armstrong and results stripped after doping, others By day five, Froome was gone, a the US-based media to deflect only selected results. broken wrist and hand ending his criticism of his US Postal team and Amid allegations that riders like campaign. By day 10 , Contador had his own performances. Armstrong received preferential joined him, courtesy of a high-speed Hindsight, it seems, is 20:20 only treatment (to the point of tip-offs crash and a broken tibia. when patriotic blindfolds are not and cover-ups), the sport simply That left Nibali, who showed wo r n . cannot afford to blunder through enormous improvements since the Even David Walsh, the British another opaque, murky era of Dauphine, to assume a dominance journalist who had so determinedly doping management. of the Tour not seen in recent years. and justifiably pursued A r m st r o n g , Yet it does so, but still asks for And, in cycling, dominance is changed his approach. confidence. equated with doping, such is the Having previously argued that This is the reason, aside from the history of the sport. the speeds with which the dopers performances and the dominance of The race leader’s yellow jersey is rode up steep mountain climbs were selected riders, that people remain a spotlight for doping questions, suspicious (Armstrong, Contador sceptical, even cynical. and in 2012 and 2013 that spotlight and ’s Michael Rasmussen None of this is to say that the belonged to riders from Britain’s were particular targets), he now presence of former dopers in the Sky team. dismisses the idea that you can sport automatically guarantees that It revealed tremendous animosity suspect riders of doping because of doping persists — people can (and and hostility towards doping “unrealistic performances”. do) repent and change. sceptics. This is but one of many examples However, as much as we want to , the 2012 of how a standard that was applied believe in the riders and the sport, champion, publicly called those to one group or person has not been there is an uncomfortable feeling questioning his performance “bone applied consistently to others, and that we’re just watching another idle wa#@ers”, while in 2013 Sky it is this hypocrisy that undermines episode of the same series. director Sir David Brailsford the promises of change made by the After all, it’s the same cast in the labelled the sceptics sp o r t . same influential roles. “p s e u d o s c i e n t i st s ”. For example, while A r m st r o n g Why should this episode end Such defensiveness, while and his former manager Johan d i f f e r e n t ly ? understandable if riders are clean, Bruyneel serve life and 1 0 - ye a r It’s time for a new movie.

Ajax v Ajax over Domingo

MARK GLEESON

AJAX Cape Town’s relationship with their mother club in the Netherlands has deteriorated after an impasse over the future of one of their junior players. Midfielder Haashim Domingo, who is already in dispute with the Cape Town club, is wanted by Ajax Amsterdam after a successful trial in Holland recently. Domingo, a member of the Ajax under-19 squad, received ACCUSED: Teko Modise, right, is one of four Bafana players charged by Safa for not a monthly stipend of R1 500. reporting for national duty in May Picture: GALLO IMAGES But Ajax Cape Town want more than R10-million for the player — a situation Ajax Safa takes aim at ‘b u n ke r s ’ Amsterdam say is ridiculous, according to officials who wish to remain anonymous. MARK GLEESON The committee will be chaired by Domingo has declared a former local cricket boss Norman dispute with Ajax Cape Town THE case against four players Arendse. over his registration and wants accused of shirking national team Modise, Oupa Manyisa, Thabo the South African Football duty — including former Bafana Matlaba and Sthembiso Ngcobo were Association to intervene. Ajax captain Teko Modise — is still to be informed by letter they would be Amsterdam are keen to offer set down as the wheels of justice at charged after declaring themselves him a contract, but Cape Town Safa look to be l o c ke d . unavailable for matches in Sydney want a hefty fee, which Safa said a meeting of its legal and Auckland. threatens to scupper the deal. committee, set down for Thursday, is “Even if a player is injured the Amsterdam have a 50% share supposed to decide on a date for the correct protocol is that after being in the Premier Soccer League prosecution of the quartet — more called up he must present himself for outfit but the terms of their than six weeks after it was first an examination by the team doctor. agreement do not allow them announced that they would be forced None of the players showed up,” Safa to take players from SA for to answer charges of “bunking” the spokesman Dominic Chimhavi said. free. They paid R20-million for recent Bafana tour of Australia and Manyisa and Matlaba are thought Thulani Serero in 2011. New Zealand. to have pulled out to go on holiday.