Something ended a week ago?

A couple blinks and you missed it last weekend.

Lacking fanfare, the 2007 Tour de France came to a quiet end. Spaniard Alberto Contador, a rider for the American Discovery Team, won the race by the narrowest of margins 23 seconds becoming the youngest champion since 1997.

Contador would likely have not reached the top podium spot, but the demons of doping returned to cycling's premiere race during its second week.

First, Patrik Sinkewitz of Germany tested positive for testosterone in a sample taken while he was training. Then, during a 48-hour span, Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion and withdrew along with his entire Astana team. Cristian Moreni, an Italian rider, tested positive test for testosterone and then came the ousting of Tour leader Michael Rasmussen by his team.

With Rasmussen gone, the door was opened for Contador. However, the doping drama continues.

This past Wednesday, a report surfaced that German authorities have received documents from doping expert Werner Franke claiming this year's Tour winner, Contador, was involved in doping.

Also this past week, Spanish rider Iban Mayo, one of the sport’s mountain specialists, tested positive for the blood-boosting hormone erythropoietin (known as EPO). And the general director of Rabobank cycling team (Rasmussen's team), Theo de Rooij resigned Friday. De Rooij was the one who dismissed Rasmussen during the Tour for allegedly lying about his whereabouts to evade doping tests.

Don't forget about last year, when Floyd Landis the winner of the Tour was found days later to have failed a drug test near the end of the race. Landis continues to fight the charges.

So, what does all this mean?

Basically, cycling has self destructed.

By the look of it, things are probably going to get worse before they get better for the sport. Even the Tour director said the suspicion of doping hangs over all riders.

Fans are not going to remain loyal to a sport where cheating has skewed results for more than a decade. Cheaters are running rampant. As the Tour continued this year and the scandals started to emerge, several European media outlets dropped their coverage of the event.

Cycling is not bleeding, it's hemorrhaging. And if drastic steps are not taken soon, the Tour, if it exists will continue largely unnoticed.