The Tour de France begins on Saturday, but as usual, the race will be run under a cloud of suspicion about who might be trying to gain an illegal edge.

In fact, the Tour has already had its first police raid, as officers seized the team bus for the Quick Step sponsored squad.

The "routine" control stop was mostly likely a sweep for banned substances or other signs of doping. And they won't be the only team to face such a search.

Meanwhile, Alberto Contador prepares to defend his title knowing that a hearing this August could strip him of his 2010 victory and any race he's won since then – including this one, should he pull it off a repeat. Contador failed a drug test taken during last year's Tour and faces a ban from the sport.

Finishing second to Contador could mean a championship later in the year.

Then there's always the specter of seven-time winner Lance Armstrong. A recent 60 Minutes piece featuring his former teammate Tyler Hamilton cast an uncomfortable light on the entire sport of cycling and its sordid history of performance enhancing drug use.

But if you can look past all that ... there's a darn good cycling race starting tomorrow. One guy is even trying to ride all 2,100 miles without eating meat. The Guardian has a terrific preview including detailed maps of the route.

Versus and NBC (on tape delay, of course) will be handling TV coverage in the U.S. and you can follow along online too. Drugs or no drugs, the games must go on.