The Tour de France Has Been Plagued by Doping Scandals for Decades

The world most prestigious cycling race has been repeatedly tarnished by doping scandals over several decades. Floyd Landis was stripped of his 2006 title after testing positive for testosterone. Lance Armstrong lost all seven of his titles after revelations of systematic doping. Danish rider Bjarne Riis admitted to using EPO to win the 1996 Tour. In 2007, several teams withdrew after riders failed drug tests. The scandals have led to increased testing and the biological passport system, but the Tour reputation has been permanently damaged. The race that was meant to showcase human endurance has instead become synonymous with pharmaceutical enhancement and deception.