- Oct 21, 2012
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How do i start?
Background - honestly cycling isn't my 1st sport by a long shot however i have maintained an interest in it over the years and watched various stages of the tdf I think i 1st started watching when Indurain was prevalent saw some of the Armstrong era and some of the Contador successes but once he was pronounced guilty in 2010 stopped watching it. The Tour is one of THE PREMIER events in sport and that will never change.
This whole Lance Armstrong thing has blown everything out of the water though, I've read nearly the whole USADA report (the part that is available online) and most of its sources. If you've read it despite the fact that LA has not responded it makes for undeniable reading.
Obviously having read this is not quite the case because LA lawyers were seeking to gain access to witness statements which if they'd been allowed they would have destroyed one by one (which i guess is why USADA never gave them the info ) However the cumulative case is surely undisputable ( some of these eye witness accounts had already been discredited) - It is easier to shoot down one by one than a whole entourage of evidence/abuse however you want to interpret it.
ANyway What is the UCi going to do tomorrow? They are heavily implicated - 2 of their top executives Pat & Hein are implicated - They have to accept the USADA report But will they? Previous evidence suggests not - but this actually could kill them! I think this time they might have to listen and media sources in the UK suggest they will (even UCi pronouncements since verdict suggest they will) However explaining it is going to be a hard sell... If it creates the memorandium in the sport that it deserves at this stage then so be it. I personally can't think of a IF so disagreeing with an NOD as much as UCI has with USADA on such an occasion they should be agreeing about finding cheats whether past or present but so be it. Everyone in cycling even passive observers like me want to know when we watch the TDF or other cycling event that hopefully we are watching a fair race and the young lads involved aren't being pressurised by team staff to do stuff that they don't want to do! EVERYONE HAS THAT RIGHT.
Well Done to USADA for uncovering this because having looked at the paperwork i can't see how this would have ever been uncovered properly.
Personally i have no big beef with LA winning the 7 TDF's in a row, and i don't personally believe that anyone else deserves to claim them. It is obvious that the majority of the peleton indulged in the same behaviour. Personally when i read Hincappies confession i was convinced - No-one felt that they had a chance unless they joined in (The validity of this is based on rider testimony - not personal experience).
Where does this leave me? Don't know! I think the fact that some of the teams are trying to be so transparent (Sky & Garmin) probably others i'm no expert helpsbut this is surely the way forward - kick the bad managers and doctors out of teams - makes it difficult for the riders to even be given the choice..
Anyway signing off for now - will be amazed if anyone reads this in full!!
Background - honestly cycling isn't my 1st sport by a long shot however i have maintained an interest in it over the years and watched various stages of the tdf I think i 1st started watching when Indurain was prevalent saw some of the Armstrong era and some of the Contador successes but once he was pronounced guilty in 2010 stopped watching it. The Tour is one of THE PREMIER events in sport and that will never change.
This whole Lance Armstrong thing has blown everything out of the water though, I've read nearly the whole USADA report (the part that is available online) and most of its sources. If you've read it despite the fact that LA has not responded it makes for undeniable reading.
Obviously having read this is not quite the case because LA lawyers were seeking to gain access to witness statements which if they'd been allowed they would have destroyed one by one (which i guess is why USADA never gave them the info ) However the cumulative case is surely undisputable ( some of these eye witness accounts had already been discredited) - It is easier to shoot down one by one than a whole entourage of evidence/abuse however you want to interpret it.
ANyway What is the UCi going to do tomorrow? They are heavily implicated - 2 of their top executives Pat & Hein are implicated - They have to accept the USADA report But will they? Previous evidence suggests not - but this actually could kill them! I think this time they might have to listen and media sources in the UK suggest they will (even UCi pronouncements since verdict suggest they will) However explaining it is going to be a hard sell... If it creates the memorandium in the sport that it deserves at this stage then so be it. I personally can't think of a IF so disagreeing with an NOD as much as UCI has with USADA on such an occasion they should be agreeing about finding cheats whether past or present but so be it. Everyone in cycling even passive observers like me want to know when we watch the TDF or other cycling event that hopefully we are watching a fair race and the young lads involved aren't being pressurised by team staff to do stuff that they don't want to do! EVERYONE HAS THAT RIGHT.
Well Done to USADA for uncovering this because having looked at the paperwork i can't see how this would have ever been uncovered properly.
Personally i have no big beef with LA winning the 7 TDF's in a row, and i don't personally believe that anyone else deserves to claim them. It is obvious that the majority of the peleton indulged in the same behaviour. Personally when i read Hincappies confession i was convinced - No-one felt that they had a chance unless they joined in (The validity of this is based on rider testimony - not personal experience).
Where does this leave me? Don't know! I think the fact that some of the teams are trying to be so transparent (Sky & Garmin) probably others i'm no expert helpsbut this is surely the way forward - kick the bad managers and doctors out of teams - makes it difficult for the riders to even be given the choice..
Anyway signing off for now - will be amazed if anyone reads this in full!!
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