paddy1 said:
Cycling media purports that it is insensitive to dig fingers into wounds... for reasons of pious respect... more likely it's bad for business.
Paddy, I think your comments show that regardless of what we say or do there will always be someone willing to shape it how they like for a desired outcome.
I speak - and it is me speaking, as a human, not in a journalistic capacity nor as a representative of Cyclingnews - as someone who has been touched by depression. I know exactly what Jobie's family and close friends are going through at the moment.
With this experience and the fact it's within 24 hours of his death, I would rather simply leave my thoughts with those close to Jobie as they come to terms with this tragic news. Despite the fact that I agree with much of what has been said by both you and Bikepure on the anti-doping front, I don’t agree that it’s the most topical point at this very moment in time.
The point you’ve made about the 14 year old kid is absolutely right, Riccardo Ricco is proof of this as someone who followed his idol’s footsteps.
There are certainly larger issues at play, only a fool would deny that, but they’re not going to be eradicated overnight. That can only happen through evolution and constant pressure on the sport by fans like you demanding change – which is a very positive thing. But I therefore think it’s acceptable to take a moment away from that to offer our thoughts to those within the cycling community that are impacted by this tragic event.
I don’t care if you agree with my stance, and you’re welcome to label my approach whatever you want because it’s simply not going to sway my personal thoughts an inch. I’ve seen the impact tragic events like this can have on those close to the person involved and while we certainly do need to examine these issues to protect the next generation of young athletes, I also don’t want to take a phone call telling me someone close to Jobie hasn’t been able to cope with the grief of the situation. It’s a call I’ve had to take once before and as a result I don’t believe taking a moment to focus on those whose immediate reality is impacted by this event is the crime it’s been made out to be.
Cheers
Greg Johnson