Bradley Wiggins Guardian Blog

[Mambo95]

Bradley has some extremely hypcritical views on people who dope. He has villifed Landis, yet continues to rest at the altar of certain others. This is cowardice.

Oy maybe we should all just pretend that Simpson didn't dope with copious amounts, and rewrite history.

Or maybe we should acknowledge that events almost 40 years apart aren't particularly equivalent as times change.

 

[Caruut]

Bradley has some extremely hypcritical views on people who dope. He has villifed Landis, yet continues to rest at the altar of certain others. This is cowardice.

Oy maybe we should all just pretend that Simpson didn't dope with copious amounts, and rewrite history.

Almost every successful cyclist in the history of professional cycling has doped. Don't pretend Simpson was "cheating" his competitors out of wins - they were all on the stuff too. To attack him in such a way is, to me, to claim that he was the only one. If a Belgian cyclist idolised Merckx, would you have a problem with that? If an Italian idolised Coppi, Bartali or Pantani, a Spaniard wanted to follow in the footsteps of Bahamontes or a Luxembourgian looked up to Gaul?

 

[Digger]

Almost every successful cyclist in the history of professional cycling has doped. Don't pretend Simpson was "cheating" his competitors out of wins - they were all on the stuff too. To attack him in such a way is, to me, to claim that he was the only one. If a Belgian cyclist idolised Merckx, would you have a problem with that? If an Italian idolised Coppi, Bartali or Pantani, a Spaniard wanted to follow in the footsteps of Bahamontes or a Luxembourgian looked up to Gaul?

My issue with Wiggins centres around his hypocritical stance on anti doping. He seems to pick and choose who to criticise, for the same thing. That's not right. Either say nothing. Or go all out. As it stands, there is a cowardice to his words which is sickening.

 

[Caruut]

My issue with Wiggins centres around his hypocritical stance on anti doping. He seems to pick and choose who to criticise, for the same thing. That's not right. Either say nothing. Or go all out. As it stands, there is a cowardice to his words which is sickening.

One can wish people didn't dope, but still idolise a doper. What is so "cowardly" about what Wiggins is saying? I don't like him that much, but I feel like you're finding reasons to hate him, here.

 

[Digger]

One can wish people didn't dope, but still idolise a doper. What is so "cowardly" about what Wiggins is saying? I don't like him that much, but I feel like you're finding reasons to hate him, here.

Idolisation of Lance. No courage to call out AC, Piti, Basso etc etc. Yet crucifies Ricco and Landis. Why the double standards?

 

[Caruut]

Idolisation of Lance. No courage to call out AC, Piti, Basso etc etc. Yet crucifies Ricco and Landis. Why the double standards?

I suppose it's a bit cowardly, but he's hardly the only one.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Idolisation of Lance. No courage to call out AC, Piti, Basso etc etc. Yet crucifies Ricco and Landis. Why the double standards?

But he has to deal with some of these people daily (since they were doing his work to safeguard his win for him yesterday, his critical treatment of Movistar was a bit ridiculous since he didn't exactly try to stop them until the deed had been done). Maybe he has to bite his tongue for the sake of getting along, maybe he's a careerist opportunist, so will happily vilify those who are on the outside but continue to praise and idolise Lance nevertheless. Wiggins was much more no-nonsense before he was a genuine contender, for whatever reason - possibly only that he now has to mix with that crowd so he doesn't exactly want to be making enemies.

Leave it to his wife to give the no-holds-barred scoop. I might not agree with everything she says, but she's a lot more interesting and direct.

 

[Digger]

I suppose it's a bit cowardly, but he's hardly the only one.

Well him and Millar were the two to launch into Landis. And not just launch into him about the doping. They went the whole hog, mentioning his marriage and other issues not relevant to his cycling career. There's alot of cowardice in cycling, yes, but those two went way below the belt.

 

[Caruut]

Well him and Millar were the two to launch into Landis. And not just launch into him about the doping. They went the whole hog, mentioning his marriage and other issues not relevant to his cycling career. There's alot of cowardice in cycling, yes, but those two went way below the belt.

Well, I cannot defend that. I would only say that it is expected by the public that cyclists denounce dopers, and that both legally and professionally, it would be extremely problematic to attack riders who hadn't actually tested positive.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I liked what Wiggo said in that article. On Contador... the whole thing is unfortunate, but on we go.

On being fitter, outstanding. I really hope this year at the Tour he's in the mix by the end. His confidence seems really high. That will be a factor.

 

[ultimobici]

Wiggins says he's happy to be up there with Tom Simpson. Why does he want to be 'up there' with such a doper? What did Simpson do that was so heroic? Two issues here. i am sick to death of Simpson being eulogised as this kind of legendary figure. He doped himself to be gills and died. It's sad but not heroic. Secondly, why does Wiggins seem to admire dopers so much?

Simpson's death was the catalyst for change but to compare him to a rider that flouts the rules is unfair. He was not outside the rules during most of his career.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doping_cases_in_cycling#1965

Performance-enhancing drugs became illegal on 1 June 1965. The first riders to be caught were three amateurs, two Spanish (Luis Santamarina) and one British, who were thrown out of the Milk Race when they tested positive for amphetamines after Professor Arnold Beckett first applied sensitive gas chromatographic techniques to monitor drug abuse.

Simpson was an enormously talented rider whose achievments unfortunately will be overshadowed for all time by the circumstances of his death.

 

[BigBoat]

Almost every successful cyclist in the history of professional cycling has doped. Don't pretend Simpson was "cheating" his competitors out of wins - they were all on the stuff too. To attack him in such a way is, to me, to claim that he was the only one. If a Belgian cyclist idolised Merckx, would you have a problem with that? If an Italian idolised Coppi, Bartali or Pantani, a Spaniard wanted to follow in the footsteps of Bahamontes or a Luxembourgian looked up to Gaul?

Yeah you have a good point. I agree with this although.....

Well him and Millar were the two to launch into Landis. And not just launch into him about the doping. They went the whole hog, mentioning his marriage and other issues not relevant to his cycling career. There's alot of cowardice in cycling, yes, but those two went way below the belt.

This is also a good point. The UCI hates Landis, Tyler & company.... Wiggins and Millar operate their careers under the UCI, they have to appease the governing body if they want a shot at having successful careers.

It is like it was when Lance told Floyd to appologize to Hein Verbruggen because they needed the UCI's support for the future. If you are not in good standing with the officials your career is finished.

 

[Digger]

Well, I cannot defend that. I would only say that it is expected by the public that cyclists denounce dopers, and that both legally and professionally, it would be extremely problematic to attack riders who hadn't actually tested positive.

Valv, Basso, AC?

 

[Caruut]

Valv, Basso, AC?

Calling AC and Valverde "dignified" is a little odd, I'll give you that.

 

[Benotti69]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blo...dley-wiggins?commentpage=last#end-of-comments

'If I can win Paris-Nice, I can win the Tour de France'

Maybe Wiggins' should have a word with Sean Kelly, but then again Kelly did not have a 'blue train' in front of him.

 

[Red Rick]

I'd rather see Evans winning the Tour for the second time, and i can tell you, i'm a huge Evans hater. I hate the idea of Wiggins in yellow in paris. He's not the rider i want to see winning the Tour. Winning stuff like Dauphine or PN are okay for me (exept when beating a Dutchie for first)

 

[ultimobici]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blo...dley-wiggins?commentpage=last#end-of-comments

'If I can win Paris-Nice, I can win the Tour de France'

Maybe Wiggins' should have a word with Sean Kelly, but then again Kelly did not have a 'blue train' in front of him.

Kelly came close in 83, 84 & 85 so it is not such a dumb idea. We shall see, eh?

 

[Benotti69]

Kelly came close in 83, 84 & 85 so it is not such a dumb idea. We shall see, eh?

Not close, he was up there, but not close. No podium, and the closest was 6'26" behind Hinault, Lemond and Roche. He was hardly gonna beat any of them the year he finished 4th. Kelly rode good strong consistent TdFs but I never felt he was gonna win any of them. The TdFs he rode tended to have 5 mountain stages in them and that was always to much of an ask of Kelly.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I'd rather see Evans winning the Tour for the second time, and i can tell you, i'm a huge Evans hater. I hate the idea of Wiggins in yellow in paris. He's not the rider i want to see winning the Tour. Winning stuff like Dauphine or PN are okay for me (exept when beating a Dutchie for first)

I'm starting to really like you.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Peaking for PN & Tdf - rare!

Is it worth pointing out that to win both the Paris-Nice and the TdF in the same year is a feat that only Contador (2007) has done in the last few decades?

Merckx did it in 1971

I hope Brad is up to that challenge!

 

[Cycle Chic]

Wiggins and the USA

I'd rather see Evans winning the Tour for the second time, and i can tell you, i'm a huge Evans hater. I hate the idea of Wiggins in yellow in paris. He's not the rider i want to see winning the Tour. Winning stuff like Dauphine or PN are okay for me (exept when beating a Dutchie for first)

Must also admit i really went off Wiggins when he mentioned Armstrong on the podium. Talk about slimey. So he has greased up to Leipheimer and now Armstrong ! which really must have peed off the french...i can see this years TDF being a bit unpleasant.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Is it worth pointing out that to win both the Paris-Nice and the TdF in the same year is a feat that only Contador (2007) has done in the last few decades?

Merckx did it in 1971

I hope Brad is up to that challenge!

*ahem* 2010...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

*ahem* 2010...

Sorry Flo - I'm just going by what en.wikipedia.org says - AC won it for me too, in 2010.

 

[Lanark]

Sorry Flo - I'm just going by what en.wikipedia.org says - AC won it for me too, in 2010.

In that case Landis did it in 2006 as well.

 

[Richeypen]

Is it worth pointing out that to win both the Paris-Nice and the TdF in the same year is a feat that only Contador (2007) has done in the last few decades?

Merckx did it in 1971

I hope Brad is up to that challenge!

Also a bit unfair when you consider how July centric Armstrong's seasons were.