Is Walsh on the Sky bandwagon?

[Digger]

And he still believe Froome had a cold and doesn't even raise the question it was for another reason...like he did with Lance in '99.

He was still suffering from a chest infection that had caused him to pull out of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic two days earlier. Froome is asthmatic and inflammation in his respiratory channel led to these prolonged bouts of coughing. After the intense effort of the prologue the coughing was worse than ever and, facing five days of racing, Froome spoke with Richard Usher, the Team Sky doctor.

The doctor felt something needed to be done. Froome recalled being put on a course of prednisone the previous year and that it had been effective. Prednisone is a glucocorticoid and used to treat asthma, inflammation and many other conditions.

He accepts froome had a cold, doesn't ask how this guy could be so good, whilst sick, and carries on from there.

The last paragraph is a small step for us, but for Walsh it must seem a big step in fairness.

The obvious questions here are why froome never told him about the asthma before now, what did walsh make of froome using the inhaler mid stage, why he seems to be putting all the blame on sky, as though froome had no say, why he still treats lance and froome to different standards and him not asking if sky have used this 'medication; with other riders...seen as froome himself said he used it before.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

And why Froome recalls what he was on last year, instead of the team doctor consulting team rider medical records to see what Froome was on the year before or something?

 

[blackcat]

Would be interesting (to me!) to do a lexical analysis of the various books he has written. Some of the passages that have been posted have the wrong feel to them in parts - not something Froome would say, IMO. A bit too literary and I wonder about the vernacular.


eg:

"It seemed a bit pointless to go on the offensive..."

If you're writing from the POV of someone in a race, the terminology is "go on the attack". On the offensive? Maybe if you studied letters at Cambridge. Grew up in the outback of South Africa taming lions and strangling pythons? Not so much.

craig hummer of kenyon college wrote George Hincapies bio tome.

George, who never got his GED.

 

[Journey Man]

Walsh/Froome; Liggett/Armstrong

The article in this morning's Sunday Times does finally ask a single question of Sky, but I strongly feel it falls short in terms of journalistic objectivity and strays into anecdotal evidence, such as the evidence presented for Leinders being reformed. This anecdotal story of him being the one to raise a question of ethics sits in stark contrast to the simple fact the doctor was involved in a previous doping program.

The article starts with storytelling prose and, in my view at least, that's appropriate as it never really reaches the level of a serious news article. It seems like Walsh is unable to shake the biographical writing style and fulfil the role of journalist.

I was surprised that Froome and Farrell both being unaware of the team's 'stance' on TUEs, whereas Peters offers the view that this is not a hard and fast ethical standard at Team Sky. Walsh's final paragraph is the only real question asked of the team, in a piece that tries very hard not to ask too many questions.

Walsh and Froome draw unflattering parallels to Liggett and Armstrong.

 

[Ferminal]

Surprised with all his knowledge that UK Cycling Expert hasn't worked out that Contador swaps bikes before MTFs regularly.

 

[elduggo]

Team Sky like to portray themselves as the most ethical team in the peloton. The evidence suggests otherwise.

Walsh wrote that. Are we starting to see him, finally, cop on? What are the chances that it will be him who eventually writes the article to expose Froome?

 

[Journey Man]

Here we go again?

Walsh wrote that. Are we starting to see him, finally, cop on? What are the chances that it will be him who eventually writes the article to expose Froome?

It's all a bit Sally Jenkins after Froome's book.

 

[sniper]

Walsh wrote that. Are we starting to see him, finally, cop on?

not really.
the way he uncritically reproduces sky's version of events imo is more evidence that walsh is on sky's payroll, with froome paying dividends.

What are the chances that it will be him who eventually writes the article to expose Froome?

the chances are slim.

 

[the sceptic]

Has anyone read his interview with St. Millar? It sounds hillarious but im not paying for that ****.

'Guys like Wiggins, Martin, Hesjedal and Froome. I trust them totally'
David Millar will ride off into the sunset after his final Tour de France, believing that the big races are now being won clean

HE COMES walking through Girona’s Placa de la Independencia, wearing a ridiculous white hat that somehow seems cool on his head. David Millar is now 37 but still a boy. Always a boy. Fourteen years have passed since we first met and since then a lot of water has passed under the bridge. And not all of it was pure.

That first meeting was at the Hotel Clarine in Limoges, central France, at the end of the seventh stage of the 2000 Tour de France. He was 23 then, clean as a whistle and very talented. It was his first Tour and it had begun with a time trial at Futuroscope that he won, with Lance Armstrong in second place.

 

[Digger]

After his experiences, his outspokenness on the doping question, people will wonder if he believes in today’s cyclists. “Totally, zero doubt.”

Why so sure? “Because clean guys are winning the biggest races. Guys like Chris Froome, Ryder Hesjedal, Bradley Wiggins have won grand tours clean, Dan Martin has won the best one-day Classic clean. In the past I’ve been naive, contradictory, but I trust these guys. Totally.”

Earlier on he admits he had to stop saying negative things about sky because It was damaging his sister...

Millar also said Contador was innocent.

 

[The Hitch]

Earlier on he admits he had to stop saying negative things about sky because It was damaging his sister...

Millar also said Contador was innocent.

If yoy still have Walsh's ear you should tweet him the 2011 comments by Millar where he says he knows contador is clean because it's impossible to dominate gts unless you are clean.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

One should hope so, since wasn't it digger who brought walsh to twitter..iirc..i could be very wrong though.


edit: that is digger still have walsh's ear.....come to think of it since Dig can be aggressive i hope he doesn't bite walsh ear's

 

[thehog]

The article in this morning's Sunday Times does finally ask a single question of Sky, but I strongly feel it falls short in terms of journalistic objectivity and strays into anecdotal evidence, such as the evidence presented for Leinders being reformed. This anecdotal story of him being the one to raise a question of ethics sits in stark contrast to the simple fact the doctor was involved in a previous doping program.

The article starts with storytelling prose and, in my view at least, that's appropriate as it never really reaches the level of a serious news article. It seems like Walsh is unable to shake the biographical writing style and fulfil the role of journalist.

I was surprised that Froome and Farrell both being unaware of the team's 'stance' on TUEs, whereas Peters offers the view that this is not a hard and fast ethical standard at Team Sky. Walsh's final paragraph is the only real question asked of the team, in a piece that tries very hard not to ask too many questions.

Walsh and Froome draw unflattering parallels to Liggett and Armstrong.

Yes. And it appears asthma has made its appearance but no mention if Walsh was aware of it or not?

David is still madly in love.

 

[He-manuelle Sella]

Yes. And it appears asthma has made its appearance but no mention if Walsh was aware of it or not?

David is still madly in love.

He did also say this (in bold below) though!

Elvisfonzarelli ‏@Lbs1978
@davidwalshst @crazeeguy David should any responsibility fall at the foot of the rider if they accept the t u e ?

‏@DavidWalshST
@Lbs1978 I would say if you are TdF champion and many of your rivals are on teams who do not allow TUEs in races, the answer is yes.

Cound the Hound is not going to be happy!

 

[sniper]

Yes. And it appears asthma has made its appearance but no mention if Walsh was aware of it or not?

David is still madly in love.

that Quigley guy is close to asking the right question.
If Froome was sick enough to get an exceptional TUE granted exceptionally quickly by an exceptional one-man panel, how the heck is he gonna win TdR?

 

[Digger]

No...Walsh and I haven't spoken since April 2013...we had a chat on the phone which went nowhere regarding Sky. Then the GIRO tweets happened, which were a homage to Wiggins, and I knew that was that. If I didn't say it as it was regarding Walsh, I was no better. Eventually be blocked me and referenced a tweet of mine in the Sky book. Which was fair enough I might add.
He honestly believes what he is saying...and his rationale is beyond belief, even in private....one example is that sky are clean because they are poor in the classics...USPostal anyone?

 

[thehog]

No...Walsh and I haven't spoken since April 2013...we had a chat on the phone which went nowhere regarding Sky. Then the GIRO tweets happened, which were a homage to Wiggins, and I knew that was that. If I didn't say it as it was regarding Walsh, I was no better. Eventually be blocked me and referenced a tweet of mine in the Sky book. Which was fair enough I might add.
He honestly believes what he is saying...and his rationale is beyond belief, even in private....one example is that sky are clean because they are poor in the classics...USPostal anyone?

Was the disagreement over whether Sky are doping or not or that he refused to entertain the possibility that they "might" be doping?

 

[Digger]

Was the disagreement over whether Sky are doping or not or that he refused to entertain the possibility that they "might" be doping?

The best way I can describe it is that he wouldn't even entertain it - there was always an excuse. Wiggins' values weren't a spike according to David. Froome's transformation: bilharzia...

And he reckoned it was logistically too difficult to dope in a GT...Was far easier to dope for a classic...he was called for dinner and it was better off for us as it was exasperating.

 

[the sceptic]

The best way I can describe it is that he wouldn't even entertain it - there was always an excuse. Wiggins' values weren't a spike according to David. Froome's transformation: bilharzia...

And he reckoned it was logistically too difficult to dope in a GT...Was far easier to dope for a classic...he was called for dinner and it was better off for us as it was exasperating.

I wonder how its possible to become that delusional so quickly.. Most bots can be excused because they dont know anything about pre 2012 cycling. But Walsh has been around long enough and should know better.

 

[thehog]

I wonder how its possible to become that delusional so quickly.. Most bots can be excused because they dont know anything about pre 2012 cycling. But Walsh has been around long enough and should know better.

He did skip the Tour for 9 years so effectively Walsh is a bot..

 

[thehog]

The best way I can describe it is that he wouldn't even entertain it - there was always an excuse. Wiggins' values weren't a spike according to David. Froome's transformation: bilharzia...

And he reckoned it was logistically too difficult to dope in a GT...Was far easier to dope for a classic...he was called for dinner and it was better off for us as it was exasperating.

Thanks Digger. Disappointing as I believe Walsh is better than this.

But I guess the following line says it all....

he was called for dinner

 

[sniper]

I wonder how its possible to become that delusional so quickly...

i think a couple of zeros on your bankaccount can have that affect on you.
my best guess is walsh is receiving healthy donations from team sky.
the alternative, that he's gone senile, sounds less likely to me.
otoh, we've all probably massively overrated the guy.
i like hog's true love scenario also, but still i think it's the money that's has him by the balls.

 

[the sceptic]

i think a couple of zeros on your bankaccount can have that affect on you.
my best guess is walsh is receiving healthy donations from team sky.
the alternative, that he's gone senile, sounds less likely to me.
otoh, we've all probably massively overrated the guy.
i like hog's true love scenario also, but still i think it's the money that's has him by the balls.

I also dont think he was ever anti-doping, more anti-Lance. But still.. The delusion is incredible.

 

[Benotti69]

I think Walsh was forced into a corner where he was told by his bosses, that TeamSky are cleans, until he can find otherwise and no the paper wont be sending to him to find any dirt, but TeamSky want you to go and spend time with them, enjoy and yes take any freebies you can get.............also Walsh is nearing retirement age. He saw the paper offload Kimmage and my guess is Walsh is hanging in there till he gets enough in his pension pot and then he will get out and become a ghost writer to the sports stars.

Nothing to back this opinion up except his unbelievable willful blindness to obvious logic. I dont think Walsh is stupid to think Sky are clean, but he is at a point in his career where he needs to see out a year or 2 at ST. He must be there nearly 20 years ( Walsh joined The Sunday Times in 1996 and i think he wants to work there till 2016 ).

I think the ST times will let Walsh write about Sky's doping when Sky no longer have a stake in the team, which is when after 2015?

 

[Digger]

Couple of other things - he said he would get an expert to examine Wiggins' values - evidently he didn't bother.

Also he said something along the lines that there was no guarantee that Garmin riders would have told Wiggins about Lance, when Wiggins was there.

In the same conversation he said Landis should have known about Lance's doping when he entered USPostal.

Again it was just exasperating.