Tour De drugs
The Tour De France, the biggest sporting event in the world after
the World Cup and the Olympics, comes to Ireland this weekend.
Admittedly I know shag all about the sport, bar Stephen Roche won
it some years ago, and find it as interesting as tennis - and
that's not very interesting. While accepting it was Stephen Roche
and Seán Kelly who originally pushed for the event, the role of
the 26-County government has been called into question by an
investigation by the Sunday Tribune. An intriguing article in the
paper shed some light on some facts surrounding the sport.
Firstly, a lot of people, particularly traders, feel the £8
million in public money being spent on the event will not reap
the dividends promised by the 26-County government.
The Tribune's Paul Howard tells us to ``not to believe the hype''
and points out some very interesting facts the polticians failed
to highlight when trying to get the Tour to Ireland. A small
number of people will make money out of the event and an even
smaller number of clientelest Leinster House politicians who have
been promoting the event will have the race passing through their
constituencies, therefore making political capital out of it.
Nothing new about Leinster House politicians pursuing a project
for their own political gain, but it is the other facts about the
Tour and the sport in general that are disturbing. Howard states
that an estimated 80% of the world's top cyclists are involved in
doping; drugs are almost certain to be smuggled into the country
for the event (two years ago some $4 million worth of the drug
erthropoietin was estimated to be brought into the Swiss town of
Lugano for the World championships). Will the Gardaí do anything
about it, or will they stand back, afraid to embarrass the
politicians basking in the glory of it all?
The government is obviously aiding and abetting this activity. Up
to £20 million in tourist revenue is the price the government has
accepted for putting forward the Tour as a clean and wholesome
sporting event.
``Drug-taking still pervades professional cycling like a cancer.
It is to our shame that we have made public money available to
promote it,'' states Howard. He concludes his article by saying:
``Real sports fans will draw the curtains when the peleton passes
by.''
Old Firm heads Liffeyside
Celtic, still managerless up to Wednesday, drew the League of
Ireland Champions St Pat's in the first Qualifying Round of the
Champions League. While a huge financial bonanza to the Dublin
club, with a team that will pack out any venue, wherever they may
decide to play the game. Lansdowne Road seems the likely venue,
as the game will attract huge interest. While Celtic obviously
will be more than at home in the capital, the same cannot be said
of their Glasgow neighbours, Rangers, who drew Shelbourne. We
will all be cheering on the Shels! The last time Rangers came to
Dublin to play Bohemians in the UEFA Cup the Northside suburbs
around Phibsboro turned into a battle ground as loyalists from
Glasgow and the Six Counties ran riot (Bohs won the first leg of
the tie 3-2, by the way). Irish League Cliftonville missed out on
a financial windfall on their European Champions League debut by
drawing Slovakians Kosice
Championship
All-Ireland champions Kerry made it through their first hurdle in
their attempt to regain the title. A three point win over arch
rivals Cork was the outcome of a match that showed Kerry's
forwards as the difference. The Kery lads outscored Cork by five
points to two in the closing stages of the game. Kerry should
have little difficulty in overcoming Tipperary in the Munster
Final.
Kilkenny are back in the all-Ireland hurling semi-finals. That
man DJ Carey sealed the game for Kilkenny, scoring two 20-metre
goals in the Offaly net in the space of eight minutes at Croke
Park last Sunday. Offaly, however, still go through to the
all-Ireland quarter-finals.
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY
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