Matt Lloyd fired by OPL

[hrotha]

He might be depressed, but I doubt that's why he's being fired so it's kind of irrelevant here.

 

[ergmonkey]

He might be depressed, but I doubt that's why he's being fired so it's kind of irrelevant here.

In fairness, that might depend on how depressed he is/what his symptoms are. I remember anecdotes that, at the end of his career, Jose Maria Jimenez would train incredibly well for a week or so and then just stay in bed all day with the blinds drawn for a week because he had no motivation to do anything or see anyone. He simply didn't have the will to get up.

With anyone but an absolute star rider, I can see how that sort of erratic behavior could be too much for a pro team to tolerate.

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, can anyone confirm that depression is the issue here?

 

[ferryman]

He might be depressed, but I doubt that's why he's being fired so it's kind of irrelevant here.

Your doubt must be correct. I think everyone is getting before themselves with the mental illness take on this. He was employed, therefore he had certain protections in employment law, no different from you or I. Tis sad reading though that ramble on his site.

 

[euanli]

Things could get worse. He could hire Martin Hardie as his "advisor."

Well given the hints he has just given he has some knowledge of the situation.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, can anyone confirm that depression is the issue here?

All I can say is that a friend of mine had a serious breakdown a few years back and reading Lloyd's postings it struck me how reminiscent they were of his breakdown.

When it comes to health issues cycling is stuck in the stone age.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Most importantly, he needs an editor.

Many athletes/people don't have much going on in their head while attending to daily life. Matt does not appear to be one of those guys. That doesn't mean he's crazy, just has extra observations for just about everything.

I read a few of his postings and have been around a few legitimate crazies and a few addicts. If he was an addict the writing would be different. As it is his stuff is a long way away from a Charlie Sheen tragedy.

I read it as a guy with an active internal life under some stress about his next career move only he has lots of extra words/feelings that many don't. All of it needs to be edited. Hopefully that's about the extent of it.

If things aren't getting better, then this is an opportunity to see a clinical psychologist.

Best of luck to the guy.

 

[BroDeal]

So OPL has a zero tolerance policy against depression?

While he may be depressed, the statement about his firing implies that he has done something specific that is not related to PEDs. I do not think they would use a term like "zero tolerance" if Lloyd was having general problems that prevent him from training or finishing races. It also implies that it was something that would embarrass Lloyd.

 

[Dewulf]

Sprinkle in a few mentions of warlock, winning, and goddesses, and it looks really darned familiar.

The mention that it was behavior during early races made me flash back to Schleck & O'Grady at the Vuelta, but I'm not opening that can of worms again.

yeah the similarities are (almost) there aren't they, but whilst i kinda liked charlie (at least for his line in Ferris Bueller..."Drugs?"), I really really enjoyed watching mattie race or interview....

That sucks.
Was looking forward to him doing battle for the Giro mountain classification.
He has never come across as the rebellious type, but who knows?
I'm sure we will find out more in due course.

Hmm, yeah i think one of the reasons i came to like him was the way he spoke in interviews...never seemed to be phased by anything (opposite of cuddles for example), at the same time it seemed he had a wicked dry sense of humour, and was able to call a spade a spade (without getting emotional about it). If something was wrong for him, I can see him saying "f this, i don't need that bs in my life". So that could mean he was being direct with OPL.

Matt has depression. Let him be. He needs to find himself before riding again. He's being paid and supported.

+1 I think this is the best potential answer (given the limited amount we know). Injuries leading to him not being in form, leading to OPL not putting him in races in favour of domestiques they think can help get them a win, leading to Matt not ready for the Giro....that's a lot of stress for the guy, any guy.

I think his blog posts are his attempt at telling people this, but he's got a different way with words and probably isn't in the best place now - hence he's talking around it in this lengthy and cryptic fashion.

I do hope he's being paid, and that he gets whatever it is he needs - he's a great rider/dude, on and off the bike.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Does this make sense to anyone?

He's always been an erratic character and never seems to be quite 'with it'. I'll put it this way, he always seems to be on another planet!

I hope he's okay, but I also consider the Green Edge thing a possibility.

Given the pseudo-poetic ramblings with poor spelling and grammar, and the dark place imagery and so on, I note with some dismay that the team has been selective in their wording.

They specified that it was not to do with performance enhancing drugs.

And given that he's starting to sound like Jim Morrison or Jeff Hardy, that's a worry.

"The Omega Pharma-Lotto team has announced it has terminated the contract of Australian climber Matt Lloyd, citing behavioral reasons but specifying it is not because of problems with performance enhancing drugs"


I personally think it is something to do with recreational drugs. He has some very odd behavioural traits and like I asid above, he never seems to be quite with it. I think he has a drug porblem. His diary entry above is not overly surprising as Lloyd is a bit of an enigma. He has a strange character but is always the joker of the group.

http://player.sbs.com.au/cycling#/cycling_08/interviews/interviews/playlist/Matthew-Lloyd-Interview/

 

[Escarabajo]

lloyd's always been a bit of a deep thinker compared to most athletes. while this blog post is certainly more cryptic and rambling than what i've seen in the past he's not above writing pretty deep. i recall an article he had published in ride mag about 3 years ago that was a full page on the experience of being in an elevator.
at once saddened about this but also glad to see him out of opl.

If true, this can not be good.

He sounds more like the re-encarnation of Jim Morrison.

 

[Notso Swift]

Pure speculation, like everything else here, but I also think it is entirely possible that OPL told him he is either not doing the Giro or not going for the mountains and he told them to go fornicate themselves. Since he was building his whole year around it he would not have taken that well.

 

[Rip:30]

He's always been an erratic character and never seems to be quite 'with it'. I'll put it this way, he always seems to be on another planet!


"The Omega Pharma-Lotto team has announced it has terminated the contract of Australian climber Matt Lloyd, citing behavioral reasons but specifying it is not because of problems with performance enhancing drugs"


I personally think it is something to do with recreational drugs. He has some very odd behavioural traits and like I asid above, he never seems to be quite with it. I think he has a drug porblem. His diary entry above is not overly surprising as Lloyd is a bit of an enigma. He has a strange character but is always the joker of the group.

http://player.sbs.com.au/cycling#/cycling_08/interviews/interviews/playlist/Matthew-Lloyd-Interview/

Well he interviews a lot better than Mick Rodgers. That guy. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Tuarts]

Well it can't be because of GreenEdge, its months before they can start recruiting. What are the rules on other teams picking up unattached riders during the season?

My interpretation of the blog post is that he was unhappy with the team or people possibly but his coach/mentor has helped him make a decision forwards. What the decision was is another matter. Its also entirely likely he got sacked for the blog entry.

 

[Ferminal]

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/23686/Cycling-Australia-offer-Lloyd-support-

 

[Tuarts]

He may end up there, certainly now more than ever but the catalyst isn't because of GE.

 

[Digger]

He could just be an insufferable ******* that no one wanted to work with.

They kept Cadel there for long enough though.

 

[theyoungest]

All I can say is that a friend of mine had a serious breakdown a few years back and reading Lloyd's postings it struck me how reminiscent they were of his breakdown.

When it comes to health issues cycling is stuck in the stone age.

That's not entirely true, but Lotto is not one of the more forward thinking teams, so in this case you're probably right. There are some interesting stories from ex-Lotto riders about the goings-on in that team, in terms of personal contact I mean, and they ain't pretty.

 

[auscyclefan94]

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/23686/Cycling-Australia-offer-Lloyd-support-

They are just talking in riddles. This seems to be something quite serious.

 

[Captain Kirk]

They are just talking in riddles. This seems to be something quite serious.

Hate to use the phrase, but it is good to hear "they are reaching out" to him at his hour of need

On the down, i think reconfirms the prior postings concerning mental health etc.

following Australian cliché applies:
"digger down in the trenches, all mates lend a hand"

 

[Michielveedeebee]

reaction by Phille on Lloyd: http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/110415_gilbert_lloyd

He basically says it has something to do with problems in his personal life and that there's more than just cycling in one's life.

 

[Astana1]

Sounds like a troubled young man, probably a mental disorder which is an affliction that a large portion of society suffers from. Good luck to him.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

That's not entirely true, but Lotto is not one of the more forward thinking teams, so in this case you're probably right. There are some interesting stories from ex-Lotto riders about the goings-on in that team, in terms of personal contact I mean, and they ain't pretty.

I agree. I was also thinking about how when Boonen was having his rough patch a couple of years back the attitude of most people was 'put him back on his bike'.

Here's the thing - you wouldn't put a rider with a broken leg 'back on the bike' and tell him to ride it off, and yet the assumption seems to be that the cure-all for any rider with mental health problems is 'put them back on the bike'. It reflects a very backwards looking attitude towards mental health issues.

The list of cyclists who have had mental health issues is very long and there are some tragic cases where riders were badly advised/treated by their teams.

Something else that just strikes me - there are a lot of climbers who have had mental health difficulties. I wonder if some of it is also connected to weight, I know of one rider in the peloton who became anorexic, and again the response of the team was to not renew his contract that the end of the year.

Pressure to perform - causes riders to have issues - causes rider to not perform - causes more pressure - and so the circle spirals out of control.

 

[slartiblartfast]

From Cadel's biography written in 2009 by Rob Arnold

"Lloyd has a calming effect on people. His personality is complex and this conversation often obtuse but it's his whimsical indifference which helps mellow the mood. No one needs a sedative when they're trying to win the Tour de France but if anyone was able to help Cadel chill, it was Matt. 'Matt is like Valium', observed a mechanic from the Silence-Lotto team.'When he's around, it's diffecult to feel stressed'. Lloyd explains his own approach this way:

'There aren't a lot of things that upset me. I like to think that I'm fairly adaptable. Even when things get awkward because of a stressful situation, then I try to manage it.'"

Lloyd goes in the book to talk about his recovery from a nasty spinal injury earlier that year.

"If you can somehow find the motivation to really pick yourself up, I think making a comeback is almost made easier because you're not thinking about the actual work; you're just in a happy place. If you can move, be happy. If you can ride your bike, cherish it. If you can race the Tour de France, recognise how special that opportunity is. I'm blessed. And I want to remember that. I have found a happy place and it may not last forever, but the weeks in hospital gave me new spirit. To have just have the chance to get back on again - to ride my bike - that's the beautiful thing."

 

[veganrob]

I agree. I was also thinking about how when Boonen was having his rough patch a couple of years back the attitude of most people was 'put him back on his bike'.

Here's the thing - you wouldn't put a rider with a broken leg 'back on the bike' and tell him to ride it off, and yet the assumption seems to be that the cure-all for any rider with mental health problems is 'put them back on the bike'. It reflects a very backwards looking attitude towards mental health issues.

The list of cyclists who have had mental health issues is very long and there are some tragic cases where riders were badly advised/treated by their teams.

Something else that just strikes me - there are a lot of climbers who have had mental health difficulties. I wonder if some of it is also connected to weight, I know of one rider in the peloton who became anorexic, and again the response of the team was to not renew his contract that the end of the year.

Pressure to perform - causes riders to have issues - causes rider to not perform - causes more pressure - and so the circle spirals out of control.

Although we are all just speculating, I think that is very accurate, compassionate insight by you.

 

[Anonymous]

The list of cyclists who have had mental health issues is very long and there are some tragic cases where riders were badly advised/treated by their teams.

Its been discussed at length on here before, but I think that there are certain characteristics and personality traits with people suffering mild mental health issues, that may naturally and subcounsciously draw those people to cycling as a sport early in life.

So whereas it could be cycling is an aggrevator, I do often wonder if more people with underlying issues choose cycling as a sport without even realising it.