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Article: Drug talk clouds opening of Tour de France.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- June 29, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Philip Hersh
VENASQUE, France _ Seen from the square behind the 11th Century walls of this village, Mont Ventoux looms in a manner befitting its nickname, "the Giant of Provence."
The 6,000-foot mountain is one of the legendary climbs in cycling, especially when it is part of the Tour de France. Part of the legend owes to tragedy: a British rider, Tom Simpson, collapsed and died on the mountain in 1967.
The cause of his death looms over the race more than ever this year, even though the 2006 Tour de France will not include the ascent of Ventoux.
The day he died, Simpson had been using amphetamines. They were the doping agent ...