Samurai, thanks for digging that out, it makes me chuckle and a very surreal couple of hundred meters on the road.
What I object to about this whole affair is the duplicity – any other rider would be unceremoniously booted out.
The Spanish authorities and WADA dragged their heels, and now the UCI are in cahoots. It makes a mockery of the sport, though I can’t see how they’d have the nerve to strip him after the Tour. No one is suggesting it’s a clean sport – the point is to clean it up, regardless of how big a star the offender is , and do it consistently. That’s the only way to get the message across.
He may have aright to be there, but his presence isn’t good for the sport, or him IMO. At least with him being so far down on time already he’ll be attacking more this time (as per the Giro).