Bruce, you say there are two separate problems with doping, team doping programs and individual rider doping. I agree, but these two problems are just the tip of the iceberg:

1. Undetectable drugs and practices: there are a number of drugs and doping practices (e.g. blood doping with your own blood) that are essentially undetectable. Riders today can use testosterone with little chance of it being detected as long as they keep below the 4:1 ratio. HGH is essentially undetectable. EPO is detectable only for a short period, while the positive effects last for weeks. Even if new tests are developed for these drugs and practices, it's likely that there will be new drugs and practices to replace them. A savvy athlete and coach who know these drugs and practices can implement them in such a way that the athlete will never test positive. For this reason alone, the idea that drug testing can assure a "clean" sport is a myth.

2. Unreliable drug tests: The EPO urine test has had serious challenges and has been overturned in several cases. The flow cytometry test used for homologus blood doping is purely qualitative and is vastly overpromoted by it's inventor (who was apparently present during some parts of Tyler Hamilton's tests), and has never been tested for false positives. Testosterone tests have been widely criticized before Floyd and the recent batch. In an attempt to stop doping, officials have bought into shoddy tests for the tougher substances to detect, and as a result, have vastly increased the probability of false positives. Given the witch hunt atmosphere that surrounds doping positives, even a positive "A" sample with one of these dubious tests followed by a negative "B" sample often ruins an athlete's career.

3. Unethical officals, organizations, and labs: The WADA charter is clear - the rights of the athlete to due process must be protected above all. Yet Dick Pound has made a career of commenting on and condemming athletes long before they full due process has taken place. Labs regularly leak confidential info to the press that cannot be refuted by the athlete. These practices have undermined the athletes rights and the fairness of the process and those responsible must be excised.

.... and there are many more factors. In short, drug testing will NEVER be able to assure a "clean" sport, and it is simply HUMAN NATURE that some fraction of people will cheat to attain glory and monetary reward. Even within the rules, people will do everything possible to stretch the interpretation to their advantage (i.e. just read Mark Donahue's book, "The Unfair Advantage"). Because of these factors, pro sports as we know it may be ultimately doomed to be either a farce, such as this year's TdF, or to become something closer to pro wrestling, where the whole show is choreographed and there are no holds barred.

Were we watching the same race? Sorry to disagree with your analysis, but I do. All three who podiumed deserved their place and in my opinion, the order was correct. Alberto consistently attacked in the mountains and to take nothing away from 2nd and 3rd placings,had Cadel or Levi done so, surely it would have been either who took the top spot, no?

But hey, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Another view at scoring performance, in general, and Contador, in particular:

http://www.livescience.com/health/070828_cyclist_ranking.html

http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=648