American cyclist Tyler Hamilton retired from the sport today after testing positive for banned substances... again. Hamilton says he took steroids to alleviate his symptoms of clinical depression. I remember when Hamilton got busted the first time for blood doping--essentially transfusing someone else's blood to boost his red blood cells, and thus, his oxygen carrying ability. We had a poster of Hamilton up in our garage, crossing the finish line alone, beat to hell, but victorious, I think from the Giro or a day race, like Dauphine or Liege-Bastogne-Liege... I'm not sure. Anyway, hearts broken, we took the poster down.

Since then, I haven't followed professional cycling. After Armstrong left the tour, I lost interest. After scandals upon scandals, and doping allegations against Hamilton and Landis, I quit. For me, however, cycling is on a rebound. I'm happy that Hamilton left--I think illegal substance use should be a lifetime ban on the first offense. Hamilton was a tough rider, but after getting caught, who knows whether his awe-inspiring performance was natural? I can't stand to see these tarnished riders share the road with those who earn their victory. Likewise, Lance Armstrong is restoring my faith in this sport... in contrast to the selfish drug use of his colleagues, Armstrong demonstrates that cycling is really about teamwork.

Without his team, Armstrong would've won precisely ZERO Tours. A doped up Hamilton, without a good team, actually won ZERO tours. Armstrong is back to repay his team, and that's what its all about. I can't wait for July.