• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, July 3, 2007

Is TV pro cycling no better than TV pro wrestling?

Riders may be juicing -- but we haven't seen any body slams with bikes or eye makeup under helmets.

 A few cycling journalists have said the state of professional road cycling is no better than those buff cartoon-like characters with scripted story lines offering up full nelsons and knuckle sandwiches.

All that makes for nice fun copy. But even that's a bit too much. While professional cycling has perhaps more doping problems than any sport in recent memory, we doubt the races have been fixed like a tag-team match.

Next month's Versus broadcast of the Tour de France will be eyed closely. But the problem isn't only doping right now -- it's a sledgehammer effect from the sports-controlling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, as well as the race organizers, who are tossing out the innocent riders with the druggy ones.

That's not fair -- unless you believe everyone is 100% guilty. 

If the sport has turned into pro wrestling, you wouldn't know it by some TV sponsors. Versus still has topflight marketers willing to buy TV commercials during the Tour. Some of the biggest include Anheuser-Busch, Saab, Bridgestone tires, and Hilton's Hampton Court brand.

That's not to say Versus hasn't had problems. Those ad rates seemingly have dropped for the event. Worldwide TV problems exist as well. Networks in Spain and Germany are severely cutting back their cycling coverage because of what they say is low viewership and low interest from sponsors.

Additionally, more than a few team sponsors are looking to end their cycling relationships -- among them, U.S. team Discovery Channel will stop after this season; French team Credit Agricole will end its team sponsorship next year.

But fixing races isn't the reason; more likely, it's riders with a fix.

 Road cyclists and wrestlers do have one thing in common -- tight black spandex. Their clothing is always revealing; but their sport can't always make the same claim.