Does this look familiar?

[gree0232]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lequipe-raises-new-doubts-over-contador

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/sep/10/tourdefrance.cycling1

The first is the story, leaked by L'Equipe, of an as yet unproven test that shows hints of plastic in Contador's blood that indicates he had a blood transfusion.

The second, and for anyone with even a slight memory, is a stroy containing Lance Armstrongs leaked cortisone controversy from 1999 .... also leaked by L'Equipe.

Is this supposed to be anti-doping?

I applaud the various agencies for taking this action public, but I am decidedly disgusted by watching the same self destructive pattern of leaks, innuendo, speculation, and politics rip apart the sport and its greatest stars.

When will science and the need to come up with conclusive evidence rather than leaking press and sepculation be the standard upon which a rider is found guilty or innocent? That standard seems to work well in every other legal system that is functional.

I suppose hard reliable science and objective judgement don't sell as many papers, but it would be nice to see the papers sell something off the backs of a different sport.

A sport that eats its champions is not a sport with much a future.

 

[Ferminal]

And a sport which protects dopers is nothing more than a corrupt business...

The simple solution is for people to stop cheating - there's no such thing as innocent until proven guilty because we know they all cheat, so why does it matter if a story comes out which calls someone a cheat without citing a positive A and B.

The sooner people stop believing in UCI PR speak and realise the depths of the troubles (with regards to cheating) in the sport, the sooner we can start anew.

Alternatively we could maintain the status quo, which I believe is what you are suggesting.

The UCI attempted to cover the Contador positive up, yet they are fine, it's all those evil people writing newspapers where the problem lies in the sport?

 

[ultimobici]

I can almost agree with you on the current situation as the test has yet to be ratified. On the 1999 cortisone scandal, I can't. L'Equipe's story uncovered the beginnings of the corruption that exists to this day at the UCI. Unfortunately, the same attitude you display allowed it to continue.

If they're dumb enough to think they're smart enough to outwit a lab over and over then perhaps we need a fallow period in cycling to clean house.

Cycling will survive. It may all but go away in countries where it is a minor sport, but in France, Italy, Belgium & Holland it will not. If it dies in the US, blame LA, TH, FL et al. In the UK, DM, the idiot at Endura are to blame. Germany - Schumacher.

This sport does not eat its champions without those champions putting themselves on the plate!

 

[gree0232]

I can almost agree with you on the current situation as the test has yet to be ratified. On the 1999 cortisone scandal, I can't. L'Equipe's story uncovered the beginnings of the corruption that exists to this day at the UCI. Unfortunately, the same attitude you display allowed it to continue.

If they're dumb enough to think they're smart enough to outwit a lab over and over then perhaps we need a fallow period in cycling to clean house.

Cycling will survive. It may all but go away in countries where it is a minor sport, but in France, Italy, Belgium & Holland it will not. If it dies in the US, blame LA, TH, FL et al. In the UK, DM, the idiot at Endura are to blame. Germany - Schumacher.

This sport does not eat its champions without those champions putting themselves on the plate!

If there are good procedures in place, cycling will survive.

If L'Equipe is the source of anti-doping, and it gets to leak the insider 'information' and effectivley make accussations against any rider who wins somwthing in such a sensational manner .... cycling will not survive.

If you have seen European bureaucratic politics, then it is all over the inside world of cycling. These news leaks have turned cycling into a game closer to Washington politics than science based anti-doping.

This isn't about Armstrong or Contador, it is about allowing science and a adjudicative process to determine guilt or innocence as opposed to tabloid style leaks.

No one seems to have a problem with the process that allows bioogical passport results to be released ONLY when the experts conclude that there is an anti-doping case. Imagine what would happen is every suspicious result on a bio-passport were immediately dumped into L'Equipe?

There is clearly the possibility of just that happening.

This doesn't happen in ANY other sport (even those with massive dope problems), and I for one do not think our sport needs tabloid drama to make bike racing interesting or the greatest sport in the world.