I'm not sure why, but you heard it here first.

Just finished reading Racing Through the Dark, by David Millar, (the 2012 US version by Simon and Schuster.) I'll be writing a full review in the Oregon Distance Runner, but I just wanted to say that it's the best book I've read all year, and one of the best books on professional racing in any sport. Go out and buy David Millar's book right now, during the Tour de France, you'll be cheering for Team Garmin/Sharp/Barracuda/Slipstream and Team Sky, as they're apparently the only professional cycling teams that test their own riders and support athletes who race without injecting themselves with vitamins, drugs, or anything. 

It's especially timely now, since Lace Armstrong is fighting doping allegations dating back to his days on the US Postal Service and Discovery teams following his protege, Alberto Contador, who finally recently got busted for doping. (According to the BBC Sport link, cycling legend Eddy Merckx said the Alberto Contador doping investigation was "excessive"...but he also said Contador's explanation of eating tainted meat was "not credible." Merckx is basically saying that it surprised him it took the anti-doping agencies this long to follow through with a 2010 test, especially since he won the Tour in 2007 and 2009.)

Everyone blames the anti-doping agencies; these agencies obviously can't keep up with the cutting edge in biological science that's submerged in that gray area between finding the winning edge and cheating, so it's up to cycling teams and athletes to change the sport. 

David Millar, currently riding with Team Garmin in the Tour de France under the British flag, never accuses Lance or Alberto in his book, and really has nothing for respect for them both. But he did approach Lance, who used to ride with him on the Confidis team, and attempted to obtain his help in cleaning up the sport of professional cycling. He thought Lance could use his celebrity status to help move the sport forward. However, Lance (not unlike Floyd Landis) thought the sport could not be saved.