AS SMOKE CLEARS, DID DRUG DISPUTE KILL CYCLING SPONSORSHIPS?

          Two months after the Tour de France drug controversy,
     "few riders have been disciplined, almost no sponsors have
     rebeled at the notoriety and, at the highest level of the
     sport, little appears to have been accomplished outside a
     few conferences and study groups," according to Samuel Abt
     of the N.Y. TIMES.  Festina, whose Tour team was expelled
     from this year's race, has reported that the scandal had "a
     positive effect on sales of its watches" and that it will
     sponsor the team for $5M again next year.  The insurance
     company which sponsors the Dutch team TVM will also continue
     its sponsorship next year, although TVM's "directeur
     sportif" is still being held in France after the Tour
     controversy.  The French team Casino "appears" to be the
     only team that's lost its sponsor (N.Y. TIMES, 10/11).