Lets be honest though, do we think other sports don't have the same issues? One thing you have to admit is that they take testing a lot more seriously than other sports, and that's why they catch a lot of dopers.

Are we seriously saying with all the money in sports like football and tennis that athletes aren't doing just the same things to try and get an edge? I'd be staggered.

I woud staggered too, but if you have been following sport a while, you will know that suggestions and proof of foul play in cycling is longstanding and well documented.

I'm not disputing that Just saying that I think cyclists are not more dishonest than other athletes, but cycling is considerably better at catching dopers than other sports.

I mean Joey Johns said he was taking stuff at the World Cup and even with Tallis ratting him to the authorities nothing was done.

A lot of sports are happy to play lip service to this and brush it under the carpet.

*shrug* maybe. Don't really want to detract from Wiggins though as he's a fantastic athlete doing a wonderful job out in France. Big stage for him today. If he does well today then it's hard to see him being beaten.

So you do it on how someone looks rather than their actual athletic abilities. Interesting approach.

There's never been a time when cycling was clean. Wiggins has his doubters now. He probably has a few more after the way he responded to indirect hints from a journalist the other day. When Sky started they were banging all kinds of drums about proving someone could win a tour clean. They don't bang that drum quite as hard as they used to and they have a tainted doctor on board now. Are they still a clean team? I think so. I think Wiggins probably is too given his own past outbursts against team mates and the teams he has since been on (Garmin were and still are fantically anti-drug too).

It's right to doubt though, and it's up to him to learn to deal with those doubts. As a student of the sport's history he knows as well as anyone just how many disappointments there have been. There are whole swathes of past winners no longer entitled to call themselves winners of the tour.

At least they don't rub cocaine into their eyeballs anymore. They just have their blood replaced twice a day now.

You can't argue with the interest this can generate. Look at how many on here are taking an interest just because they've seen this picture.
I don't remember many comments when he was fourth a few years ago or even when as a favourite he crashed out last year but show a wigan boot bag and bingo people are interested .
Now we need to capitalize on his popularity.
Get him to ride a lap of honour and deliver the match ball in the yellow jersey

After today's stage it's his to lose now.

pity the club hasn't got him a cherry and white shirt to wear on the podium before he pulls on the "maillot jaune" at the end of a stage

there's plenty of time to freight one over to him !!
wouldnt it be cool if he was wearing on the Champs Ellyses (sp?) IF he were to win

He will be sponsored to the eyeballs, and it would cost shed loads to get something on him, and those with something on him would not like something else there, but stranger things have happened.

you're right of course, but i wasnt thinking of the Club paying.
surely if wiggy happened by accident to have been sent a shirt by the Ckub, it would be up to him to decide if he wanted to wear it or not

lets face it - the Club ought to send him one anyway as a gesture of goodwill and good luck !!! (maybe give him his own squad number if he wins