Does cycling change for better?

[airstream]

Does cycling change for better? I mean clean racing surely.

 

[happychappy]

No professional sport will change. 2013 is the same as 1913 and it'll be the same in 2113. That's just how the world works, business/politics/sport.

 

[airstream]

I voted 'NO'. Probably nothing changed at all without considering the fact that UCI say about a strict anti-doping course a bit more often.

 

[Eshnar]

no way this will ever change (for better) imho.

 

[Ferminal]

Yes but who knows if the 1% is enough for a clean rider to be successful.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Slightly better, but there are no clean winners of the big races at this point.

 

[hrotha]

It's in a crappy state, but if you take a step back and think what it was like in 2005, 1999, 1996 or 1994, it's a lot better now.

 

[ebandit]

doubt

Slightly better, but there are no clean winners of the big races at this point.

slightly better but there are PROBABLY no clean winners of the big races
at this point

but that's the issue....................as much as one can hope..........reality
can get in the way of the dream

so much is unknown............however we have 3 gt winners held up as being clean.......cadel ryder 'n brad............surely 1 was clean?

even if dirty deeds are still being done

 

[gjdavis60]

As long as the rules can be broken without quick and reliable detection, then the rules will be broken.

You can't tell riders they're not allowed to think about naked women while racing without being able to tell if they are, indeed, thinking about naked women. It certainly is not a sufficient deterrent for someone to testify that they heard someone tell someone else that they overheard a former rider say that they thought about naked women in a race 10 years ago.

Yes, pro cycling has a doping problem, but even worse it has a rules problem, an enforcement problem, and because of this a huge image problem.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

slightly better but there are PROBABLY no clean winners of the big races
at this point

but that's the issue....................as much as one can hope..........reality
can get in the way of the dream

so much is unknown............however we have 3 gt winners held up as being clean.......cadel ryder 'n brad............surely 1 was clean?

even if dirty deeds are still being done

Clean winners and father Christmas.

 

[ebandit]

secret

Clean winners and father Christmas.

but i received a new sky jersey............still wondering what the secret
pocket is for

 

[cineteq]

Does cycling change for better? I mean clean racing surely.

No more options? You had 10 possibilities to add on.

Yes, but it will be curbed, it will done thru marginal gains. Closer to a level playing field, which in the end is what we all want.

 

[veganrob]

It is slightly better but there is still a long way to go. I think most of the riders would like for it to be cleaner. I can't see how dopiing could be that fun. There are always going to be a few will go all in to win and then the arms war is on again.
One of the problems is the countries themselves. They seem to want to protect their individual athletes as we just saw with Frank and before with AC. National pride and all the BS. It may sound ridiculous but the riders themselves will have to be very instrumental in policing themselves for real change to occur.
Sadly I am not that confident.

 

[airstream]

It's in a crappy state, but if you take a step back and think what it was like in 2005, 1999, 1996 or 1994, it's a lot better now.

What changed compared to 2005?

 

[hrotha]

What changed compared to 2005?

Biological passport, cycling under much closer scrutiny, general awareness of W/kg figures, UCI under a lot of pressure, no Lance, no Bruyneel.

 

[airstream]

Biological passport, cycling under much closer scrutiny, general awareness of W/kg figures, UCI under a lot of pressure, no Lance, no Bruyneel.

Other people simply shared a GT pie instead of Bruyneel. Faces change, system works. In my view, the main problem is the best riders (30-40 best guys) and their directors are strongly for doping, because doping entails sense of one's superiority and no one can predict what relation of forces we could see in a completely clean peloton. Nowadays cycling superstars realize a better doping products is a significant part of their success. That's like a hierarchical pyramid. It is extremely tough to get on top being just a good rider just because one has worse PEDs in comparison to starry riders. Naturally, someone is doomed to break this wall and get on top, but this guy will always appreciate his advantages, including doping one. Frankly speaking, I rather feel omerta sodality united even more than it was 5-10 years ago. Yeah, oldies will confess, but our generation (Contador, Schleck, Gesink, Nibali...) will say 'thank god, we didn't race in tha era. We got lucky to be mediums of clean cycling' to the bitter end.

 

[ElChingon]

Poll closed already? Geeze that was a thorough poll, run by a political party most likely.

You never defined better, better for the fans and how, or better for the cyclist and how, or better for the cycling organization and how.

 

[hektoren]

Yes. Definitely.
I can only judge from what I know for a fact.
I've known EBH since he was 15, pulled out of the woodlands somewhat near Lillehammer, Norway. He was high on spruce-juice, but otherwise clean as a whistle. He has consistently delivered in accordance with well known results from tests of O2-uptake, Hct etc. from the get-go, and the fact that he's won stages in TdF tells me all I need to know. Cycling IS cleaner today. Cleaner, but not necessarily clean.
I've ridden along with Nordhaug in MTB races since way back when, and his progress is definitely not down to advanced pharmacology.

I won't paint an entirely rosy picture, though. I wouldn't trust a spaniard for a sec. Aldirto, Piti, Rodriguez or whomever. Or russian, or italian. They emanate from a culture of dope, mischievousness, behind-the-scene agreements and oh, so clever doctors having sold their soul to the devil.
I'll believe the TdF is clean the day that the yellow jersey goes to a guy from Iceland. Or Eritrea.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

worse than ever. No clean winners, but they are not clinic enough to be really crazy any more either... this state of affairs are so stupid and boring... BOOORRINNG!!!

 

[cineteq]

worse than ever. No clean winners, but they are not clinic enough to be really crazy any more either... this state of affairs are so stupid and boring... BOOORRINNG!!!

Entertainment at all costs is your motto.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Entertainment at all costs is your motto.

Nibali better deliver this giro, that *******!!

 

[horsinabout]

It's in a crappy state, but if you take a step back and think what it was like in 2005, 1999, 1996 or 1994, it's a lot better now.

Getting better now? The times are getting better on the track thats for sure.

Check out the ladies sprint 200m time 10.643, Miriam Welte· Germany, 22 June 2012. Most men would have trouble doing this time minus the PED's. Let alone a women. Even at altitude. This is a seriuosly scarey time...

It does make you Wonder if the bike technology might be a factor. No idea what?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_records_in_track_cycling

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Only if the UCI and the IOC are mandated to be removed from testing.

Only if test results go to WADA rather than natl federations.

Only two points, and that could do it...

 

[MarkvW]

It's in a crappy state, but if you take a step back and think what it was like in 2005, 1999, 1996 or 1994, it's a lot better now.

I think it's a lot better now only because we're in a window where dope testing technology has narrowed the gap a little, where EPO only enables "marginal gains," not utter dominance.

When the gene therapies really get going, I'll bet it gets real freaky again.

There hasn't been any change in peloton attitudes. I think those boys are still ready to dope themselves to death, given half a chance.

 

[guncha]

Nothing has changed and nothing will change. Just look at Sky in 2012 and you'll see there no difference between Sky and USPS.