Cycling Australia vice-president steps down after admitting to doping

[sairyder]

Klaus Mueller would like ASC to investigate Cycling Australia

"The Cycling Australia president, Klaus Mueller, will urge his board to authorise an independent investigation of current staff in a bid to ensure the sport is beyond reproach."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling...ent-inquiry-20121019-27wgc.html#ixzz29jbRPb5y

 

[ToreBear]

So since it's only Australian Board members and Staff who are coming out... Mmmm...

Will we hear from their compatriots in the Italian, American, Russian, French, Spanish, New Zealand, English, Irish, Scottish, Swedish, Luxomberg, Norwegian, Columbian, Portuguese federations???? (I could go on!)

The optimist in me would like to believe that all of the above federations are squeaky clean, but the pessimist in me thinks that there are some rotten fruit amongst them? Should we expect Paolo Bettini to make a statement any time soon?

The head of sports in Norwegian cycling announced that he would not seek to continue his job after the season. The announcement came on june 7 2012.

Could be he had a feeling his US postal history would be a problem. Anyway he has yet to admit any doping. Only receiving injections without knowing what was in them by the team doctor.

Right now he is portraying himself as dumb and naive. So much so that one might wonder if just admitting to doping would be more sensible.

Anyway the guy taking over admits that in 1999 when asked if he had ever seen any doping, lied.

He said he saw someone doping on a belgium team he was a trainee with in 1997.

From his description it sounds like he was shocked. He seems to be one of those who said no, and dropped his dreams of succeding in cycling.

http://translate.google.com/transla...rt/sykkel/artikkel.php?artid=10047197&act=url

His career certainly seems to give that impression:
http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=12618


Back in 2010 there was a round of admitting doping etc:

http://translate.google.com/transla....no/sport/artikkel.php?artid=10041070&act=url

There weren't many admissions. But it might just be that they are telling the truth.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Klaus Mueller would like ASC to investigate Cycling Australia

"The Cycling Australia president, Klaus Mueller, will urge his board to authorise an independent investigation of current staff in a bid to ensure the sport is beyond reproach."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling...ent-inquiry-20121019-27wgc.html#ixzz29jbRPb5y

Klaus never rode a bike - nice and easy to demand the riders and admin staff that went on to become involved with CA get investigated. I am old and crusty and cynical but if anything this will solidify his power base, if that's what he was seeking.

This is not necessarily a good thing.

 

[AussieEdge]

Well I'd like to see it happen

 

[pmcg76]

Millar only confessed after he was caught. To my way of thinking, Hodges trumps Millar as Hodges has not yet been caught. In fact there's probably no evidence anywhere in the USADA files of him doping. Hodges asked forgiveness.

So a guy who rode the majority of his career in the 90s with ONCE and Festina admits to doping over 15 years after he has retired and that trumps a rider first denying then admitting to doping at the height of his career. The logic here is just totally warped

Didn't see Hodge admitting to anything after Festina went down in 98 or was that because it happened the season after he retired. To now see him held up as some modicum of integrity whilst hanging on the coat-tails of guys who are admitting right, left and centre is plain ridiculous.

What has Hodge really lost here?

 

[Not Riding Enough]

I’m pretty ambivalent about if his resignation should have been accepted.

I do think it was an ethical act not to judge Matt White and to admit and offer a resignation, especially as there is no evidence coming out at the moment that Hodge had taken drugs in the past.

As Michael Ashenden says (link to interview and discussion here http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=19048) people who have admitted what they did in the past and know why it was wrong still should have a place in the sport. It may well be they are in an even better position to try and prevent the same environment happening in the future.

On the other hand as it is really the governance of the sport that needs to change should not all governing bodies be perceived to be as clean as possible.

Stephen Hodge is certainly a very nice guy and has done heaps for cycling advocacy in a much broader context than just racing and perhaps cycling overall will be worse off with his resignation being accepted.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

So a guy who rode the majority of his career in the 90s with ONCE and Festina admits to doping over 15 years after he has retired and that trumps a rider first denying then admitting to doping at the height of his career. The logic here is just totally warped

Didn't see Hodge admitting to anything after Festina went down in 98 or was that because it happened the season after he retired. To now see him held up as some modicum of integrity whilst hanging on the coat-tails of guys who are admitting right, left and centre is plain ridiculous.

What has Hodge really lost here?

Gah.

What did he gain from being on the board of CA vs David "I own part of team Garmin, and train from my home in Girona or go back to my home in England and I'd like to be head of the UCI and oh yes Sky - who my sister works for - is pristine clean and totally dominating the professional peloton".

You didn't even know who Hodges was till he retired.

What did he lose? What did he have to lose?

 

[Not Riding Enough]

Vaughters: Cycling Australia should not have turned its back on Hodge, White

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vau...hould-not-have-turned-its-back-on-hodge-white

 

[pmcg76]

Gah.

What did he gain from being on the board of CA vs David "I own part of team Garmin, and train from my home in Girona or go back to my home in England and I'd like to be head of the UCI and oh yes Sky - who my sister works for - is pristine clean and totally dominating the professional peloton".

You didn't even know who Hodges was till he retired.

What did he lose? What did he have to lose?

What makes you think I don't know who Hodge is? Been following pro cycling for 25 years so that includes most of Hodge's career. Of course I knew who Hodge was!! English speaking riders were not a common commodity when I first followed pro cycling. Having spent most of his career at ONCE and then Festina it was hardly shocking news to hear he doped.