Couldn't bring myself to buy the latest issue of Cycle Sport...

[Zweistein]

understand your conundrum. But as you say it IS a beautiful sport... and therefore is something worth fighting for.

Cycling just SEEMS so bad from a doping standpoint because cycling is trying to do more than other sport (e.g. soccer) at trying to arrest the problem.

Cycling is trying to do more than other sports? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Here is what you meant to say:

Cycling tries to portray itself as trying harder than other sports and nothing more.

 

[liftman]

Sadly, all too true. The old cycling magazines had detailed reports on the races and great photos. The current publications are anaemic in comparison. It's all preview, review blah blah...........tell us what happened in the race !

I think we will see less of recent race news in magazines because the internet has changed how news is disseminated. Magazine issues are too slow to keep up with current news and what we consider current keeps contracting. You don't want to pick up a magazine today to read about last months race. We want to read about today's news.

 

[Franklin]

Sadly i think there's a "New" type of fan who support certain riders and dont care if thier "Heros" dope 'cause "They all do it".

Well, unless you just started watching I'm curious why you would say that's a "new" phenomenon. It has been that way in most sports and most countries... and it still is that way. The press might be rather dramatic about it all, but fans usually don't care.

The sport itself is still beutiful, just going through a dark period. The sport will only see the light when the UCI really do somthing radical like life bans for these "Heros", so tainted riders cant comr back and make a mockery of the sport.

Oh nonsense... it's not darker than in the Riis years. Everyone is just being Emo.

Sure, they are still on the juice, sure, Lance is a scumbag, but the sport strangely enough seems to do fine even though we here in the clinic are being sad panda's.

 

[Irish2009]

Franklin, by "new" i ment in the last 15years (Fanboys) people who cant seem to understand that if everyone is cheating it dont make it right.

The last 15 to 20 years would also be the "dark times" i'm refering to.

I and cycling are around a lot longer than that, and i hope for a little while longer.

 

[ManInFull]

You don't care so much that you want to let everybody know about it.

Right. Anyway, it was a spectacular Giro. Thanks for not using up bandwidth.

Excellent response!

 

[sashimono]

Cyclists are pretty entertaining for drug takers. They are more fun to watch than than addicts sleeping on sidewalks.

 

[Franklin]

Franklin, by "new" i ment in the last 15years (Fanboys) people who cant seem to understand that if everyone is cheating it dont make it right.

Once again, nonsense. Doping in cycling isn't just the last 20 years. It was there before and fans new it. Same with American Football (no doping controls at all?)

The darkest secret which nobody here even dares to mention as it is unclear how it will affect the last "clean" batch... is something which is very much in vogue right now: namely blood-doping.

We know it was used in Langlaufing end 70ies, it's also used by the american olympic cyclists. I certainly don't dare to say it wasn't used by a Roche or a Delgado (considering their medical staff). It wasn't even doping until 1986...

Cycling was shocked by ridiculous doping stories in the 70-ies (Pollentier), by fullscale omerta doping cases (Zoetemelk who supposedly openly destroyed the letter with the indictment saying that the case did not exist). We have the rumors about Hinault and steroids. The magical twins Rooks and Theunisse. The masking agent of Delgado, etc. etc. etc.

Fans knew... and never cared. And that's just cycling. Other sports (athletics) also had their share of troubles before the 90-ies... and fans did not care back then.

 

[Anti-doping]

Too many questions about too many riders.

And a crack pot cover -

Is this the death of the sport?

Too many questions and not enough basis to believe in any of the participants.

Are they just a bunch of losers after a buck?

What a conundrum.

Such a beautiful sport wasted on ego, self interest and arrogance.

I've spent 30 years + as a participant and a fan, but couldn't watch more than a trifle of the Giro...

What a shame after last year's brilliant edition.

I guess the question is:

Is there anything left to believe in?

What's the difference between now and before? The only difference seems to be that no one cared before.

The peloton has been doping since the 1930's (and probably before that).

I do not know your age, but really, Contador is not worse then Merckx, Anquetil, Indurain, Hinault or Armstrong.
So if you don't like watching doped cyclists..cycling should never been your sport from the beginning..at least not as a fan of procycling. Sorry, but that's the truth.

The only way to enjoy procycling is the shizo way ;o)
Don't think of doping when you follow a race, think very much of anti-doping before and after..

 

[movingtarget]

I think we will see less of recent race news in magazines because the internet has changed how news is disseminated. Magazine issues are too slow to keep up with current news and what we consider current keeps contracting. You don't want to pick up a magazine today to read about last months race. We want to read about today's news.

Yes up to a point. But there are still some good sports magazines that people don't mind buying after the event. The quality of the articles is just not there anymore. The same thing is happening in newspapers. The quality in depth reporting does not seem to matter to many people anymore. Less content, easier reading. The internet may have the most timely reporting but the quality of the writing is mostly mediocre. You read it for the results only. As for TV reporting..........don't get me started !

 

[B_Ugli]

What's the difference between now and before? The only difference seems to be that no one cared before.

The peloton has been doping since the 1930's (and probably before that).

I do not know your age, but really, Contador is not worse then Merckx, Anquetil, Indurain, Hinault or Armstrong.
So if you don't like watching doped cyclists..cycling should never been your sport from the beginning..at least not as a fan of procycling. Sorry, but that's the truth.

The only way to enjoy procycling is the shizo way ;o)
Don't think of doping when you follow a race, think very much of anti-doping before and after..

+1

I think the difference now is that guys doing unbelievable rides are more often than not shown up to be doping during their careers. This is why its difficult for anyone to have faith in race winning performances. If you look at a lot of the guys listed above they have done unbelievable rides and since retired having never failed a test. With the exception of one LA that is who we all know is on thin ice at the moment.

More worrying for the sport is the fact that Grand Tour winners (and their teams) are afforded a degree of protection from the powers that be. You cant get away from the fact that all of Armstongs team mates have tested positive having left the tutorship of Bruyneel - including Alberto Contador.

 

[rickshaw]

What is there left to believe in...?

Maybe needing to "believe in something" is the problem. I have been trying to see what there is "to ENJOY".

An arrogant little worm like Ricco almost killing himself with a dose of stale blood form the fridge.... that is funny!

Remember Rumsas's wife getting busted with a carload of dope? Her is jail, hubby safe back in Lithuania? That's a Funny image.

Or the whole TMobile team on a field trip to Frieberg University to get thie blood topped off. Kind of a Keystone Cops scenario.

Or Rasmussen! Pretending to be in Mexico, only to be spotted by a journo in Italy... his team says they didn't know where he was, he swears he told the team etc etc, looses to tour, gets fired... you can't make this stuff up.

What I don't enjoy is the moral bancruptcy of Cycling (or any) institutions, UCI, National federations etc. unless they get caught like Heinie and Paddy M taking the do re mi from LA, then it gets fun again...

bottom line is the less I pay attention to "pro" cycling, the more time I can spend on my own bike, and as Martha says, "That's a good thing."

going out to turn a pedal in anger (I love those guys, so goofy, so easy to make fun of..)

 

[Deagol]

You don't care so much that you want to let everybody know about it.

Right. Anyway, it was a spectacular Giro. Thanks for not using up bandwidth.

Umm, to answer the above question: yeah, I was answering the question asked in the first post of the thread.

I would refer to MRs. John Murphy’s post regarding Voice and Exit.

And to add to that: the Giro has been my favorite race and I think it is important to note that the un-ending BS in pro cycling is turning off some of the fans. I know I’m not the only one. I think that is important for the people behind the sport to know, assuming any of them read this.



Here is my main beef with the UCI: instead of choosing a “star” who you believe will bring in $$ to the sport and offering said star preferential treatment regarding testing for PEDs or whatever, let that star face the same music that other non-stars have had to face and then maybe THAT will make the racing more exciting and bring more $$ into the sport. The star has been LA in the past and now seems to be AC. Don’t make me start quoting Pat McQuaid here to underline that point-


And yes, you can use my share of bandwith next time..

 

[henryg]

Here is hoping Novitzky's investigation with the cooperation of several European countries police will bring down the corrupt UCI and set the stage for a much cleaner sport. The French have done it and haven't had a Frenchman on the podium since they got serious about doping. So if the Lance thing blows up bigger then Festina, Puerto and the rest, hopefully other authorities will get serious as well.

I'd love to see a general amnesty for the cyclists provided they turn in the doctors, regulators and managers who have enabled and made doping the price of entry to the sport.

Until then I'll enjoy the sport as is. Contador and the rest are amazing even under the current corrupted conditions.

 

[tockit]

Too many questions about too many riders.

And a crack pot cover -

Is this the death of the sport?

Too many questions and not enough basis to believe in any of the participants.

Are they just a bunch of losers after a buck?

What a conundrum.

Such a beautiful sport wasted on ego, self interest and arrogance.

I've spent 30 years + as a participant and a fan, but couldn't watch more than a trifle of the Giro...

What a shame after last year's brilliant edition.

I guess the question is:

Is there anything left to believe in?

Yeah, I basically feel the same way!

It's a beautiful, exciting sport that I love, but it's been ruined by scandal.....

I don't know what the answer is ?????

I'll probably always question a rider's clean-ness when they win an event from now on......

I mean, with the cat and mouse doping game, seems like the riders can easily stay one step ahead of the controls if they're clever .........

Just sucks!

 

[powerste]

Comic Relief

you can't make this stuff up.

And TBH, that is a big part of the appeal to me these days...in addition to the racing, sometimes I feel like I'm also following a comic opera. Me and my warped sense of humor actually enjoy watching a bunch of people who take themselves way too seriously say and do things that are completely farcical with no idea how idiotic they are. Think HV swearing "never, never, never" as if he's quoting Genesis (which he probably thinks he is BTW). Damn right, you can't make this stuff up! Bugs Bunny was 100% right: "What a maroon!" indeed.

 

[Anti-doping]

Yeah, I basically feel the same way!

It's a beautiful, exciting sport that I love, but it's been ruined by scandal.....

I don't know what the answer is ?????

I'll probably always question a rider's clean-ness when they win an event from now on......

I mean, with the cat and mouse doping game, seems like the riders can easily stay one step ahead of the controls if they're clever .........

Just sucks!

Again..what's the difference between now and before? It seems like some fans still believe that doping started with the Festina affair..

 

[BYOP88]

Yeah Cycle sport has gone downhill big time. The Tour de France issue is funny they're all bigging up A.Schleck saying he's been beaten before by bad evil dopers(Contador, Di Luca) but this year he'll win at last but of course totally overlooking Schleck's doping.

 

[tockit]

Again..what's the difference between now and before? It seems like some fans still believe that doping started with the Festina affair..

No difference.

I still love the sport, the breakaways, the mountain top finishes, sprint finishes, etc, etc, but knowing that there are always gonna be cheats makes me less interested in the winners because there's always gonna be questions.

Bummer.....