EARLY RACING FOR LANCE HURTS EVERYONE.

Recently, the UCI(International Cycling Union), confirmed that Lance would be able to ride in Australia's Tour Down Under from January 20-25. The problem is though, he technically is not allowed to start racing at all until February 1. The reason is that when a cyclist decides to return to the sport, he must now subject himself to a new system of drug testing. This new system, implemented by the UCI, states that a rider must belong to the new testing system 6 months prior to the first day of his/her racing. Lance officially joined this drug testing program on August 1. Officially, then, he should not be allowed to ride in a sanctioned race until February 1. His confirmation by the UCI of his participation in a race a week prior supercedes this rule, making Lance an "exception" to the new testing system. Although I am happpy to see Lance race again, letting him race a week early is a huge mistake. The UCI understands that Lance would like preparation for the Tour in July, so they are allowing him to make the most of his training. But making an exception to the program--a program that everyone else must follow--is the wrong decision. There are plenty of media, riders, and critics who already distrust Lance and don't believe he is clean and also don't believe he will be clean this time around either. Allowing him to illegally race is showing the rest of the world he is treated independently of all the other riders. Does this mean then that if Lance provides a positive drug test that they will look the other way and hide the results?? I obviously do not believe he would ever test positive, but haters of Lance think otherwise. This early racing by Lance only fuels the fire of suspicion in the cycling community for those who do not like or trust Lance, including fellow American and 3 time Tour winner Greg Lemond, and former WADA(World Anti Doping Agency) chairman Dick Pound. Lance is already going to have a struggle integrating himself back into the peloton, so why make it any more difficult for him? Treating him like he is above everyone else is not the right move, and will only complicate matters as we approach the Tour De France in July. Does either the UCI or Lance or Johan Bruyneel or anyone on Astana realize these implications? I'm sure they have, but don't believe they will have an effect. I hope they are right, but judging from the early opinions of this move, I feel, unfortunately, they are in for a long battle ahead of them. A word to the wise: Lance is clearly not the same as all the other riders in the peloton, physically or mentally, but treat him like he is. That way, there is less suspicion of him and the UCI, and whether they are in it together.