David Millar goes after the UCI

[AcademyCC]

Miller's recent performance with the BBC and on twitter strikes me as someone who is just starting to think about what to do after cycling and gone 'i know! i want to be a journalist, how will i get maximum exposure?' It appears to be quite self serving.

Of course you could say Hein's presser was the straw that broke the camels back and he has decided to take a stand, I doubt it.

It is great he has finally decided to come out from under his rock and ask questions but where have you been up til now David? Its a convenient time to be having this epiphany.

If he's serious he has a lot of ground to make up. He needs to go for the throat now - use his connections and influence to really go after the UCI.

The standard bearer is Paul Kimmage. If I was Millar I'd go have a long chat about what needs to be done.

 

[RichWalk]

Miller's recent performance with the BBC and on twitter strikes me as someone who is just starting to think about what to do after cycling and gone 'i know! i want to be a journalist, how will i get maximum exposure?' It appears to be quite self serving.

Of course you could say Hein's presser was the straw that broke the camels back and he has decided to take a stand, I doubt it.

It is great he has finally decided to come out from under his rock and ask questions but where have you been up til now David? Its a convenient time to be having this epiphany.

If he's serious he has a lot of ground to make up. He needs to go for the throat now - use his connections and influence to really go after the UCI.

The standard bearer is Paul Kimmage. If I was Millar I'd go have a long chat about what needs to be done.

Nicely put, I doubt Millar will be the only one to look at whats happening and try and stay ahead of the game, there's also a chance a new structure for pro cycling could arise from the ashes of the USADA debarcle, I suspect a few will be putting there heads over the parapet in the hope they are part of it.

 

[pmcg76]

Miller's recent performance with the BBC and on twitter strikes me as someone who is just starting to think about what to do after cycling and gone 'i know! i want to be a journalist, how will i get maximum exposure?' It appears to be quite self serving.

Of course you could say Hein's presser was the straw that broke the camels back and he has decided to take a stand, I doubt it.

It is great he has finally decided to come out from under his rock and ask questions but where have you been up til now David? Its a convenient time to be having this epiphany.

If he's serious he has a lot of ground to make up. He needs to go for the throat now - use his connections and influence to really go after the UCI.

The standard bearer is Paul Kimmage. If I was Millar I'd go have a long chat about what needs to be done.

Using your statement that Kimmage is the standard bearer, Kimmage never penned jack about doping before he retired. It was only after Rough Ride that Kimmage became outspoken on the subject and even then never explicitly, did Kimmage ever out anybody significant? Kimmage first started writing newspaper articles in 88 and when Delgado was pinged in 88, rather than write about what was really going on, his column was just dropped with his consensus.

Granted the subject of doping is far more in the open now but at lets reserve judgement on Millar re Kimmage's stance which was no better at the same stage in his career.

 

[the big ring]

Using your statement that Kimmage is the standard bearer, Kimmage never penned jack about doping before he retired. It was only after Rough Ride that Kimmage became outspoken on the subject and even then never explicitly, did Kimmage ever out anybody significant? Kimmage first started writing newspaper articles in 88 and when Delgado was pinged in 88, rather than write about what was really going on, his column was just dropped with his consensus.

Granted the subject of doping is far more in the open now but at lets reserve judgement on Millar re Kimmage's stance which was no better at the same stage in his career.

Thanks for the reality check. Probably wise to keep some salt grains handy for a few more years yet, regardless of who is doing the "right thing" at the time.

 

[AcademyCC]

Using your statement that Kimmage is the standard bearer, Kimmage never penned jack about doping before he retired. It was only after Rough Ride that Kimmage became outspoken on the subject and even then never explicitly, did Kimmage ever out anybody significant? Kimmage first started writing newspaper articles in 88 and when Delgado was pinged in 88, rather than write about what was really going on, his column was just dropped with his consensus.

Granted the subject of doping is far more in the open now but at lets reserve judgement on Millar re Kimmage's stance which was no better at the same stage in his career.

Kimmage and Millers situations are like night and day. Kimmage starting writing articles on the tour whilst still riding then had enough and went balls deep anti doping for the next 20 years.(Bar David Walsh he was pretty much on his own!) Never changing his stance and certainly never complimenting the likes of Armstrong or having a dig at someone else (Floyd) who decided to speak out.

Miller wrote us a lovely little half admission, half sob story in Racing through the Dark then climbed back into his bunker. The sport welcomed him back cause he did what was needed without creating a firestorm.

Think of the crap Kimmage has taken since writing Rough Ride. You ask who did Kimmage ever really out? I'd say hes had a pretty good go at nearly all the biggest dopers from the last 2 decades! But sure he's just a nut job no one should listen to him.

Im saying it's easy for Millar to come out and ask these questions now when the ship is sinking. It certainly was not for Kimmage when the ship was going full steam ahead.

I really hope David does press on from here and is serious about change. I'll need to see more than a couple of questions at a press conference and a few tweets to be convinced.

 

[Benotti69]

Using your statement that Kimmage is the standard bearer, Kimmage never penned jack about doping before he retired. It was only after Rough Ride that Kimmage became outspoken on the subject and even then never explicitly, did Kimmage ever out anybody significant? Kimmage first started writing newspaper articles in 88 and when Delgado was pinged in 88, rather than write about what was really going on, his column was just dropped with his consensus.

Granted the subject of doping is far more in the open now but at lets reserve judgement on Millar re Kimmage's stance which was no better at the same stage in his career.

I disagree.

When Kimmage was writing his diaries it came about through David Walsh asking a domestique to write about life on the tour. The doping was still well under the carpet. Journalists were compliant and everything was a wink and a nod.

Since Rough Ride we have had Festina, with Bassons talking about dopng, Voets book detailing doping, Manzano detailing the doping, Op Fuentes, books by Waslsh, Ballestre, Whittle, Landis affair etc and not too mention Millars own doping.

There is also so many avenues open for communication nowadays compared to when Kimmage started his path to Journalism. Kimmage was a pariah for doing what he did.

Millar is not, yet, but the winds appear to be changing. Millar's book did not prevent him from continuing in the peloton. Kimmage was blacklisted. Stephen Roche came out and lambasted Kimmage. Verbruggen lambasted Kimmage

Also Kimmage was then writing about his personal experience and team and what he saw.

The current climate is very different. Millar appears to ridng a wind of change.

Kimmage had to turn into a headwind blowing against his actions.

Edit AcademyCC got his reply in before mine and I pretty much agree with his post

 

[Don Quixote]

"How do you and the UCI see your role changing given your abject failure to regulate the sport for the last 25 years?"

"Isn't it abundantly clear that the sport can't regulate itself?"

"To where do you intend to shift the responsibility of testing and sanctioning?"

Don't fanny about Dave.

 

[pmcg76]

Kimmage and Millers situations are like night and day. Kimmage starting writing articles on the tour whilst still riding then had enough and went balls deep anti doping for the next 20 years.(Bar David Walsh he was pretty much on his own!) Never changing his stance and certainly never complimenting the likes of Armstrong or having a dig at someone else (Floyd) who decided to speak out.

Miller wrote us a lovely little half admission, half sob story in Racing through the Dark then climbed back into his bunker. The sport welcomed him back cause he did what was needed without creating a firestorm.

Think of the crap Kimmage has taken since writing Rough Ride. You ask who did Kimmage ever really out? I'd say hes had a pretty good go at nearly all the biggest dopers from the last 2 decades! But sure he's just a nut job no one should listen to him.

Im saying it's easy for Millar to come out and ask these questions now when the ship is sinking. It certainly was not for Kimmage when the ship was going full steam ahead.

I really hope David does press on from here and is serious about change. I'll need to see more than a couple of questions at a press conference and a few tweets to be convinced.

Some right BS there, why is it that Millar's tale is only half-true but Kimmage told the full truth? How can anyone know the full truth other the two men themselves. Is it posters who decide what is real or not? Dumb double standards.

After he retired Kimmage rarely commented on cycling actually and he never called out anyone from his own era and particularly not Roche and Kelly when they were dragged into doping scandals. Was Kimmage hounding Kelly when the PDM intralipid affair happened or when Roche was linked to doping at Carrera?

Both Kimmage and Walsh only really got on doping in cycling post Festina. Both were known as more general widely respected sports writers prior to that.

I actually really respect and admire Kimmage and what he does and I am pretty meh on Millar but the way people apply double standards because they hate Millar and love Kimmage is just pathetic.

 

[AcademyCC]

"How do you and the UCI see your role changing given your abject failure to regulate the sport for the last 25 years?"

"Isn't it abundantly clear that the sport can't regulate itself?"

"To where do you intend to shift the responsibility of testing and sanctioning?"

Don't fanny about Dave.

Bravo Dave Given the fact he's supposed to be a poster boy for clean cycling why wasn't he asking these questions even 5/6 years ago when it wasn't seen as cool?

 

[Don Quixote]

Bravo Dave Given the fact he's supposed to be a poster boy for clean cycling why wasn't he asking these questions even 5/6 years ago when it wasn't seen as cool?

Oops need to clarifythat those are questions that I think need asking not which have Millar has asked - sorry!

 

[AcademyCC]

Some right BS there, why is it that Millar's tale is only half-true but Kimmage told the full truth? How can anyone know the full truth other the two men themselves. Is it posters who decide what is real or not? Dumb double standards.

After he retired Kimmage rarely commented on cycling actually and he never called out anyone from his own era and particularly not Roche and Kelly when they were dragged into doping scandals. Was Kimmage hounding Kelly when the PDM intralipid affair happened or when Roche was linked to doping at Carrera?

Both Kimmage and Walsh only really got on doping in cycling post Festina. Both were known as more general widely respected sports writers prior to that.

I actually really respect and admire Kimmage and what he does and I am pretty meh on Millar but the way people apply double standards because they hate Millar and love Kimmage is just pathetic.

It's certainly not posters who decide the truth. All opinions hence your have a different one.

Are you really saying Millar didn't know more than what he wrote? He played it reasonably safe.

I don't have one ounce of hatred for David Millar. I am delighted he has decided to have a go. The double standards here are people saying Millar is a legend cause he's just started fighting.

 

[Benotti69]

Some right BS there, why is it that Millar's tale is only half-true but Kimmage told the full truth? How can anyone know the full truth other the two men themselves. Is it posters who decide what is real or not? Dumb double standards.

After he retired Kimmage rarely commented on cycling actually and he never called out anyone from his own era and particularly not Roche and Kelly when they were dragged into doping scandals. Was Kimmage hounding Kelly when the PDM intralipid affair happened or when Roche was linked to doping at Carrera?

Both Kimmage and Walsh only really got on doping in cycling post Festina. Both were known as more general widely respected sports writers prior to that.

I actually really respect and admire Kimmage and what he does and I am pretty meh on Millar but the way people apply double standards because they hate Millar and love Kimmage is just pathetic.

Kimmage wrote a book. Got a job as a sports journalist in a Sunday newspaper in Dublin and then went about learning his trade. He covered a myriad of stuff and not just sports.

So to pay his bills he was doing what his sports editor told him. Their was no queue of doping stories lined up waiting for Kimmage. Remember doping stories back then were broken from the inside. kimmage stepped outside. He also pretty much left cycling behind in his life. When he turned up for the start of the TdF in Dublin very few wanted to talk to him.