Internal Garmin Email from Prentice Steffen

[Martin318is]

Don't be so condescending.

If JV wants to come down in the cellar for a big-boy talk, then he should be prepared to get his nose a bit bloodied when he prances around the natural questions that follow.

The interpretation of the email and its pertinent points can and should be questioned. No one in this sport is above reproach. Not even Monsieur Ascot himself. Beg pardon but until he redresses what are fair and valid questions, he is avoiding the issue, despite sprinkling "transparency" potion on the leaked email.

Condescending?

Sorry, perhaps I should have made it clearer (since I am talking to big-boys apparently).

I directly and clearly responded to the argument that there is something worth looking at in "perception is reality" and you have turned that into my comments apparently being applied to the entire email. Nice one.

I at no time suggested that anyone in cycling should be blanket believed for what they say. What many in this thread have pointed out though is this very simple point:

Just because you don't trust someone, doesn't mean that everything they do actually IS machiavelian.

Anyone trying to make an issue out of "perception is reality" is explicitly attempting to ignore the blatant pieces in bold below that clearly explain it (and generally on the face of it reinforce Garmin's apparent attempts to ensure that the team is clean (after all - this was an INTERNAL email)

Second, please understand that this is about perception rather than
reality. Of course we all know the "perception is reality" thing, so
know too that while we trust everyone this issue is quite important.

The ACE data is not available to you directly because a major
criticism leveled against ACE is that it is a system put in place to
insure none of you test positive and is really a system that "aids
and abets" doping. ACE does sort of walk a fine line when you think
about it like that. If we gave you real time access to the data,
then it could of course actually be used in that manner which is
obviously not our desire or intent. So obviously much of this has to
do with perceptions outsiders may have.

 

[BotanyBay]

First, the people who have access to the data are ACE, JV, and all
members of the team's medical/science staff. As part of our
transparency policy, we have offered to make data available to
journalists upon formal request... a couple of you have already been
involved in that process. That is a very limited and controlled
process, so don't worry that journalist have free access to the
numbers.

Second, please understand that this is about perception rather than
reality.

See, he first told them that they don't need to worry, because the journalists won't get free access to the raw data. Then he immediately follows with how its about what the team wants them to believe.


Of course JV would come on here and tell us not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Someone yanked on the curtain! Damage control. And not the kind that's stated "Let me clear this up", but rather the "I COULD choose to remove this, but I'm so transparent, I won't". Dude, the cat was already out of the bag. The message is out in the open already.

First we've got a doc who can't recognize the name of a well-known doping doc who used to work with him on USPS, and now we've got that same doc who writes emails that very much imply that their internal doping program might be a sham... And what do you know, we've also seen recent evidence that ACE's testing program was indeed a sham.

You guys are so easily snowed by the prepared statement, yet you ridicule me (and others) for believing the ACTUAL evidence (verbatim). I don't think you guys are dumb. I think you're just blind and absolutely enamored by his visit. JV plays you like a fiddle. Because he knows he can.

 

[BotanyBay]

Hey JV,

Why not get Steffan to write his own retraction? The last time you smacked his a$$, he wrote a really good one:

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/oct05/steffenstatement

Prentice Steffen's retraction and apology
October 8, 2005

My name is Prentice Steffen. I have prepared this statement to apologize and clarify quotes made by me published in a recent edition of L'Equipe, and published elsewhere in other press outlets.

First, I would like to sincerely apologize for the statements that were recently attributed to me in L'Equipe. I am very sorry about personal comments I made about Lance Armstrong and other athletes. It was inappropriate for me to suggest that "the bad guys, like Armstrong, dope, and the good guys, like Hamilton, dope too." I do not know Lance Armstrong personally and have I never witnessed him taking banned substances. I based my assumptions about Mr. Armstrong on rumours I had heard, instead of on anything remotely factual and I want to issue this public retraction of comments.

Second, my intentions in participating in the L'Equipe interview were not to impugn anyone's character. I understood the purpose of the interview to be a discussion of the great strides being made by anti-doping agencies around the globe and the opportunity to improve testing for banned substances. As a Board Certified Emergency Room and Sports Medicine physician, I feel it is my duty to help USADA, WADA, and the UCI when I see a potential problem with testing protocols or methods. Unfortunately, the L'Equipe article overshadowed these issues and focused, instead, on my comments relating to specific athletes.

Third, it is true that some athletes in the professional peloton, accused of doping, have willingly confessed that it is prevalent in the professional cycling. Just as many athletes, however, have done exceedingly well in the sport and have never been implicated in any way. It is an unfair assertion that the only way to achieve success in cycling is through doping. Many other factors such as hard work, dedication, and natural ability play crucial roles in any athlete's success.

Fourth, I am extremely sorry for any negative impact my comments may have had on Team TIAA-CREF, its sponsors, or staff. My personal comments were not intended to reflect their views. My comments were not approved by Team TIAA-CREF, its sponsors, or staff. I am gravely sorry that Team TIAA-CREF was even mentioned in association with my personal comments.

Team TIAA-CREF was founded on the belief that cyclists can compete at the highest levels without resorting to doping. The team is strongly committed this mission. Every athlete, sponsor, and staff member of the team is completely committed to a fervent anti-doping policy. The team has a very strict zero-tolerance policy for any kind of illegal drug use, cheating, or unethical behaviour.

These are not just values that the director, Jonathan Vaughters, stresses to athletes who race for him. These are also values shared by the athletes Jonathan has selected for the team. Jonathan's goal is to teach these athletes alternatives to doping, and how to avoid feeling backed into a corner by statements, like those made by me, suggesting doping is the only way to succeed in cycling. I do not believe that to be true, and that is why I have been happy to be associated with a team that shares my desire to see the use of performance-enhancing drugs eliminated from cycling. Team TIAA-CREF has made a total commitment to producing athletes that will make everyone affiliated with them proud. The team utilizes every ethical and legal method possible to increase athletes' performance. The team seeks to determine athletes' strengths and weaknesses in order to make adjustments in everything from diet to lifestyle and address any weaknesses. It was extremely unfair of me to say that these athletes have accepted that they will have to dope someday. None of our athletes accept this and are committed to achieving their success through hard work, knowledge of their bodies, and dedication to the sport. I sincerely apologize for any misrepresentation of their attitudes. My assertions have damped their spirits, and I hope they can see beyond my impetuous and ignorant statements.

I had my own struggle with substance abuse in my youth, almost 20 years ago. I was able to successfully conquer these issues. This fueled my desire to see that others avoid the pitfall into which I fell.

Since that time, I have served as team doctor for several professional cycling teams. I cherish these opportunities to positively influence future generations of cyclist and to, in my own way, do what I can to eliminate the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs from the sport.

However, I also feel I should permanently remove myself from the role of team physician at Team TIAA-CREF, as my comments have damaged and dampened the spirits of these young athletes

Please accept my sincere apology,

Prentice Steffen

 

[Colm.Murphy]

Hey JV,

Why not get Steffan to write his own retraction? The last time you smacked his a$$, he wrote a really good one:

I think we've heard the last of JV for quite some time. The unanswered questions hanging about here are enough deterrent to keep him "focused on his work and team". We can only hope a savvy journo will take up the meager torch and press him adequately .

Funny to read that. That was back when Lance's legal muscle moved mountains, blocked book publication and bullied down anyone who dared sully his name.

 

[BotanyBay]

I think we've heard the last of JV for quite some time. The unanswered questions hanging about here are enough deterrent to keep him "focused on his work and team". We can only hope a savvy journo will take up the meager torch and press him adequately .

Funny to read that. That was back when Lance's legal muscle moved mountains, blocked book publication and bullied down anyone who dared sully his name.

Interesting how a doc who has "sullied the reputation" of so many innocent people is back supervising the medical program of JV's team. He did resign in shame, right?

Why would JV invite him back after this?