woolybanana Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I dont know know what to think but if it is true, it is profoundly sad.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/sports/cycling/05cycling.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Sad indeed WB, however, how many major sports can you think of about which you'd say, "They're not at it" ?That's not an endorsement of their actions BTW, just an observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 But why do they think they can get away with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Because some medic in their team, being paid mega-money to seek out the best dope and dope-detection avoiding techniques, tells them that it'll be OK.But you knew the answer just as well as I did.The problem is that in professional cycling (& rowing + other endurance sports), there might sadly be another tragedy, as with Tommy Simpson 40+ yrs ago. Other sports, such as athletics (well ok, not distance running) can 'get away with it' in terms of immediate health issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Laurent Fignon said that he thought the drugs might have brought on his cancer. And there was a former Italian rider, I think, who died a little while ago, who had also drugged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekJ Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 This sorry saga is still dragging on. It looks like he has got a 1 year ban and will be stripped of last years TdeF win, which will go to Andy Schleck.http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/01/news/uci-clarifies-that-one-year-ban-for-contador-is-not-definitive_157307Contador is complaining and pleading his innocence. His new team manager, Bjarne Riis is backing him but that doesn't hold much credility as he was a proven doper.The UCI and the Spanish authorities are still messing around. The normal ban would be for 2 years. So why 1 year... A 1 year ban helps Contador as far as earning go. If it had had been 2 years the rules say he would have had to pay back around 70% of last years earnings... several million Euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I'm a big cycling fan and all this saddens me greatly. Unfortunately it's not just cycling; other sports, including football, have had issues at one time or another. I don't see how anyone can "get away with it" healthwise whatever the sport; the risks are there when you take any performance enhancer.The only way to fight this, in my opinion, is to rigorously enforce lifetime bans. The authorities/governing bodies must show that they are serious about stamping it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardener Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 It was aslo Contador who was unsporting when he took advantage of Andy Schleck's bike trouble. He may be stripped of the title, but he also robbed the righful winner of his big day. A lifetime ban should apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekJ Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Agreed... if the UCI and WADA want to really attack this problem then lifetime bans have to become the penalty. As to the TdeF Schleck chain off incident and Contador's reaction I'm still undecided on where I stand with this. I would have been more comfortable had Contador waited but I'm not sure it's quite as simple as that. The convention for this type of incident doesn't seem to be that straightforward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianagain Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 If Contador is stripped of his Tour de France title for 2010, as seems likely, I've no doubt that it will pale into insignificance if a certain other, more well known, winner finds himself in the same position. Personally I won't be sorry, but I'm sure that Tour de France will survive in spite of any bad publicity, and, as another poster says, it almost certainly goes on in many other sports but they chose to turn a blind eye.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htmBrian (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Zoff Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 LA is of course innocent until proven guilty.I wonder if we will ever reliably know the truth. It's a great story, particularly for the Press out to get him, but sad that it casts a shadow over a sport of truly heroic achievement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Had he been French, I wonder if there would have been such a hue and cry? Probably it would all have been forgiven and forgotten, under a deep deep carpet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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