Back Porch Cycling

Just like the words "live strong" and "Lance Armstrong" go together, drugs and cycling have become synonymous in recent years ... as they should -- a ton of competitive bikers are using and getting caught.

Not a lot, however, are failing drug tests for recreational drugs. That wasn't the case for Belgium cyclist Tom Boonen, who failed his third drug test in less than three years, leading to Boonen getting help for both his drug and alcohol addictions.

Boonen admits to enjoying the sauce, and his reasoning for failing the drug test was pretty honest (and anyone who has had one too many drinks in their life can relate).

BRIGNOLES, France (AP) -- Lance Armstrong just wanted to stay out of trouble on a scorching day one rider felt was better suited for baking bread.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, with Armstrong finishing safely in the pack and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland keeping the leader's yellow jersey. Cancellara captured the opening time trial a day earlier.

Russian cyclist Denis Menchov had a big lead Sunday as he approached the finish of the Giro d'Italia, but in the final half mile, he skidded out on the wet cobblestone, narrowly avoided getting hit by a passing motorcycle and slid on the ground for about 10 yards. That didn't stop him, though: He got up, discarded his damaged bike, hopped on a new bike given to him by a quick-thinking member of his team car, and won the race.

Like a car accident you can't look away from, a video of a black cat crossing the path in a Belgian bike race -- and getting run over by cyclist Ben Hermans -- has gone viral on YouTube. The video is below, but if you love cats, you probably don't want to watch.

In a video on his web site, Lance Armstrong says he thinks it's likely he'll be prevented from riding in this summer's Tour de France because of a dispute with French officials over drug-testing procedures. The video is below.

When you see Lance Armstrong saying on his twitter account that he's "Picking up my kids at school. First time I've driven a car since the spill. Scary," does that clear him?

Because that's what we're down to, PR. There is no other way to know for sure. The French authorities, once again, are accusing Armstrong, suggesting he's hiding steroid use or some other performance enhancing drug. This time, the accusation goes, when he was about to be tested, he slipped away for a 20-minute shower. He could be in real trouble for this, as he's supposed to stay in the tester's view. These athletes slip away, and who knows what they do to clean up.

If you thought the broken collarbone suffered by Lance Armstrong at the Tour de Castilla y Leon in Spain on Monday was going to keep him out of the 2009 Tour de France, you would apparently be incorrect.

The seven-time winner of the premier cycling event will compete in France and possibly in the Giro d'Italia, according to the Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel.

"I don't think this changes anything for the Tour de France," Bruyneel said Tuesday. "A broken collarbone in the month of March does not at all compromise the start of the Tour de France or your performance in the Tour de France."

Lance Armstrong returned to the cycling world yet again this year. The cycling legend intended to compete in the Tour de France and bring yet another title to America. However, his progress hit a major speed bump Monday when he broke his collarbone in a crash during the first stage of the Tour de Castilla y Leon in Spain. Video below (FYI: foreign announcers ahead.)



Via FanIQ

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Seven-time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong is getting back on a bike after taking three years off. In this exclusive FanHouse video we hear from Lance, his fans, and Lance's close friend, actor Ben Stiller, who says that going to lunch with the sports icon is not as cool as people might think. We also find out how those yellow wrist bands we are all so familiar with came into being, and what Armstrong really thought about them at first.

Check out the video after the jump.

Lance Armstrong may be racing in the Amgen Tour of California, but he kicked off his morning like many of us: drinking some coffee, checking some email and watching ESPN in the background. How do I know this? Because the guy's on Twitter and he told me so.

Unfortunately, the quiet calm of his Sunday morning was soon interrupted: "Whoa!! They just came to my room and said our truck was broken into and someone stole my time trial bike! Wtf?!? APB out to the twitterati."