NAME your sport and the drugs issue has almost certainly tainted it in recent years.

Regular readers of the Echo will know I'm a staunch supporter of the Tour de France.

I love it, along with an estimated 1.8 million people who lined the 218.5 kilometres route of the final mountain stage from Orthez Gourette to Col d'Aubisque three days ago and millions more watching on television.

However, even I find it hard to defend professional cycling during probably the worst week in the sport's history, as will many of those supporters watching the race live in France.

Just to refresh your memory, yellow jersey wearer Michael Rasmussen was thrown out of the race by his team Rabobank on Thursday for allegedly giving false information on his whereabouts after missing four out-of-competition drugs tests.

A clear leader, it was almost certain Rasmussen, who denies the claims, would have completed victory in Paris tomorrow.

Twenty-four hours earlier pre-Tour favourite Alexandre Vinokourov and his Astana team were chucked out of the race for an alleged doping violation.

Vinokourov, who won two stages in three days, also denies the claims.

But before you get on your high horse and write off cycling as a sport full of dopers, think about this.

American football, baseball, tennis, athletics, weightlifting and skiing are just a few other major sports that have regularly become embroiled in drugs scandals.

Heaven forbid, even golf - that most sanctimonious of sports - has a drugs problem according to Hall of Famer Gary Player, who has been lamenting the use of steroids on the links.

So I'd prefer to look at cycling's problem in a different way.

In fact, I believe cycling is leading the fight against doping in sport. And leading it very well.

In carrying out a vast amount of drugs tests, both in and out of competition, cycling is doing it's utmost to cleanse the sport, wipe out the misdemeanours of more than 100 years of tradition.

Younger generations of pro cyclists are not attempting to hide behind drugs use any more, they are riding clean, doing their utmost to help erase the sport of cheaters.

Eventually cycling will be successful, although it is difficult to put a time scale on it. But it will.

They won't wipe out all the cheats because in any walk of life a minority of people will always cheat. It's sad, but unfortunately, it's also human nature.

But cycling is doing it's best to come clean against a backdrop of sensational headlines and sound bites that, seemingly, do their utmost to ruin that good work.

And you can't say that about many other sports.

Take soccer for instance. How many drugs tests are carried out on top players? That's right, you don't know.

Why? Because soccer gives the impression it doesn't really think it has a problem.

If it hasn't, fair enough. But as the world's biggest sport, it should be leading the fight, and publicly informing the world what it is doing to combat any drugs use that may infect the sport.

Maybe soccer should take a leaf out of speedway's book.

Viewed as a minority sport by many, but in fact a very healthy one in Europe (and particularly in this part of Dorset), speedway has always fought hard against drugs.

Indeed, so overshadowed by events in the Tour that you probably missed it, British speedway's authorities this week banned Reading rider Danny Bird for two years for drugs use and fined him £1,150 costs.

The Speedway Control Bureau Anti-Doping Tribunal was told benzoylecgonine, the major metabolite of cocaine, was present in his body at Smallmead on April 20.

Bird, who did not attend the tribunal, denied any drugs use, but offered no explanation.

The tribunal ruled him to be in contravention of the anti-doping rules of the SCB.

In a further statement, they added: "The SCB will continue to order doping control tests and all riders must be aware of their responsibilities in this matter in order to maintain fairness and the safety of themselves and others."

So you see. Cycling isn't the only sport with a drugs problem. And it isn't the only one fighting it.