Ever since 1903, the people of Europe have lined the streets all across France to watch one of the world's most instantly recognizable spectacles, the Tour de France. Now in its 97th running, the crowds are bigger than ever, with thronged masses in Rotterdam braving the drizzling rain to watch their heroes on the opening days Prologue. The crowds have stayed substantial through Holland, Belgium and into France for one of the most exciting first weeks the tour has seen in a long time.

It's a testament to the fans of the sport that they still turn out in their numbers. The list of riders over the years banned for drug usage reads like a who's who of professional cycling, and further accusations this year from the 2006 disqualified winner, Floyd Landis, have done little to ease the mind that this sport isn't one in trouble.

It was in May of this year, during the Tour of California, that Landis spoke out about the behind the scenes goings on at the U.S. Postal Team. Landis claimed that members of the team, including seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, were using EPO and blood transfusions to improve performance. Armstrong was quick to counter these as false, telling the press the reason that Landis had made the accusations was due to Landis not getting a contract at Armstrong's Radio Shack team for the 2010 season.

The sport has for many years been tainted, with allegations of drug use going back as far as the infamous Choppy Warburton, who was banned from the sport in 1896 after drugging riders in his care during that years Bordeaux-Paris race. Since then cycling has often been viewed as a sepia toned, murky underworld that has seen riders of the quality of Eddy Merckx, Sean Kelly, Bjarne Riis and Marco Pantani found guilty of failed drugs tests. It cost the first three named a loss of respect and reputation, but it cost the last his life, being found dead from a cocaine overdose in February 2004 at the age of 34.

If continued drug abuse despite more rigorous testing wasn't sour enough for the UCI to swallow, the sport has been rocked again this year by allegations of mechanized bikes. Fabian Cancellara, the winner on the famous cobblestones of the Paris-Roubaix has been accused of having a motor that helped his decisive winning move in the race. The UCI has been forced to respond by scanning random bikes before and after stages of this year's Tour de France, but as yet no-one has been found guilty.

Despite all its problems, the Tour de France is still an event that holds a trance like grip over viewers, especially when the race moves through the Alps and Pyrenees when we marvel at the tenacity and sheer exhaustion these riders go through to climb mountain roads most wouldn't want to drive up. It's exactly why fans watch cycling. It's certainly not perfect, and while there are many causes for concern that need to be ironed out, when it comes down to guts and determination, we wouldn't swap watching it for the world.