Chaos in pro cycling: enough is enough!

TheDarkLord

Having an external doping control by itself may not be enough. The results should be handled by an agency that is competent to handle the issue without double standards. If there is a corrupt organization that is going to make the decisions after the results of the doping control are in, things are not going to change much.

cyclingheroes

This is where the change of culture comes in. To accomplish that you probebly need to remove some people at certain organisations.

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thunder

Heroes, what evidence do you see of the changing culture?

cyclingheroes

I see it in France, some riders from various countries. But I don't see any change at the main organisations (Federations), with the exception of France. I see some teams working hard on it, but some also doing only pr moves.

The change of culture at the UCI won't be possible as long as certain people are in power. The same thing for most national federations and teams. I see a growing will for a change by the riders. Its one of the reasons I am not willing to join the riders bashing. Bashing riders will help the people in power at the various organisations that are a much bigger problem then the ridershave ever been.

Even a guy like Bruyneel is not the problem, of course he isn't innocent and part of the problem but with a strong and fair governing body he (and many others from other teams!) wouldn't have had a chance to act like he did. By the way I never had a problem with Bruyneel signing Basso. Basso wasn't suspended at that time and had a right to start at races. I don't like pr campaigns by team associations and the UCI to go after riders who are investigated because I know a lot of these people are glad that they raided buildings in Spain and not in their own country. Fuentes wasn't the only one and some guys who demanded that Pro-Tour teams should not sign so-called Puerto riders continued their programm with other docotors.

Puerto showed that the currents sports disciplinary system can't handle scandals like Puerto. The peloton is international, the doping system as well. Fuentes had clients from various countries. The UCI & co should not try to create Banana republich pr moves like they did with Basso and Valverde. At the same time the UCI said: no Contador is not involved.

They should take their responsibillity and say, ok it can't be that some countries punish riders for a certain offense and others don't. We take our responsibility and create our own disciplinary commitee where pro riders will be sanctioned by the UCI, we are not going to wait and see if a national federation is willing to punishh a rider or not.

Before we get there some people will have to leave, they are not intrested in a transparent system. They want to give people the feeling that they did something and then go over to business as usual.

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thunder

you are right, I doubt that figures in the governing bodies do not know which doctor Contador is now seeing, who Boonen is seeing, and which doctor Evans and the Schlecks are seeing.

Crankyfeet

You can wait a year in here for posts of this much value. Thanks CH..........

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jhuskey

That reminds me, Jan is in SA riding. I guess he hasn't forgotten how. It's just like riding a bike or something.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

limerickman

A very good summary of the situation.
You have hit the nail on the head - only the change/removal of certain people at UCI/Federation level will ensure actual change.

That's why I am heartened when sponsors say that they will walk away from the sport - cut off the cash and you might start to see real change.
Unfortunately when the cash is cut off, riders/support staff lose jobs and that is bad.

But in terms of priorities, i would prefer to see some rider/staff lose their jobs, UCI members lose their jobs - IF this meant that the sport actually changed and if it meant that riders would stop playing russian roulette with their health (by doping).

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

cyclingheroes

I will do a foto shooting with Jan on April 4.

@Lim unfortunelly thats the way things are.

Edit: It should be.... unfortunately

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jhuskey

Cool, also his mother in law hit a tree X-country skiing and broke her shoulder.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

cyclingheroes

That sounds bad...

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jhuskey

Yes, not good for a old person. We don't heal that fast.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Flathead

I have been a lover of cycle racing for over fifty years.........I have little interest as to whether this team, rider takes, has taken banned substances for one basic reason. If you or I can purchase, consume such substances at will and basically this is accepted by the society in which we live then why cannot an athlete? Why must they appear to be whiter than white, why does society choose to punish them and not us if such substances are found to have been consumed? If punishment is considered due would it not make more sense to punish the producers, the doctors and the team managers first instead of the riders? And anyway are we not all as bad as each other?.................personally I refuse to accept this state of affairs: it is unreal.............And there again I continually read statements from people who seem totally convinced that virtually every rider is consuming one substance or another to enhance their performance but somehow their misdeeds are not detected. Everyone suspects each other, a rider only has to go up the road alone, or climb better that the next man and immediately suspicion is aroused.............it`s ridiculous. When I wait on one of the climbs for hours for the riders to appear I dont ask myself if they are on this or that.............what the hell............I just love to witness bike racing: I am in love with the whole circus.

I ask myself if members of the UCI ASO etc,. really are in love with the sport they supposedly support or is it just a power, control, money making machine for them.................and in reality they don`t give a flying fuck about the riders who it has to be said are their own worst enemies when it comes to looking after their own combined interests................Why oh why do they allow everyone and anyone to kick them around and then complain? It is they themselves that have the real power yet they continually refuse to make it their business to assert themselves....................They surely must face the fact that it isn`t enough just to ride the bike.

I apologise if part of this does not really belong to this thread.

thunder

doping is fine in a vacuum, where you will not influence jnrs, and female jnrs to dabble with blood vector drugs and blood thinners which can be perilous.

unfortunately, doping is not a closed system in cycling. They influence others who wish to hold their place in the peloton, and the red queen phenomenon is in effect.

I am a libertarian, so an idividual has a choice to dope or not, but I am against doping in organised competition because it places a burden on others, not the individual.