I was musing a bit about the pressure Tinkov is putting on Sagan right now with his comments about wanting to reduce Sagan's contract due to perceived lack of performance. While I don't really understand the mechanism under which something like this would be possible, clearly Tinkoff is putting public pressure on Sagan to perform better than he has.
I recall JV talking about how he was creating different expectations in his team with less pressure to dope.
Whether one thinks Sagan is already on the sauce, does this kind of public shaming not put pressure on all Saxo riders to dope? On all riders? Does this not extend a climate in cycling of expectation to dope? It's not like Sagan has been absent all spring, he's placed well and fallen off the pace in some long classics. Actually in some ways he looks and rides like a supremely talented rider who isn't doping, or at least he could be perceived that way based on his performance this spring.
I think Tinkoff not only wants results, he clearly demands them, and it seems clear from past comments that he expects riders to dope. What if anything should be done about this kind of thing?
I know it's laughable to expect the UCI to do anything, but wondering what people think about all this anyway.
I recall JV talking about how he was creating different expectations in his team with less pressure to dope.
Whether one thinks Sagan is already on the sauce, does this kind of public shaming not put pressure on all Saxo riders to dope? On all riders? Does this not extend a climate in cycling of expectation to dope? It's not like Sagan has been absent all spring, he's placed well and fallen off the pace in some long classics. Actually in some ways he looks and rides like a supremely talented rider who isn't doping, or at least he could be perceived that way based on his performance this spring.
I think Tinkoff not only wants results, he clearly demands them, and it seems clear from past comments that he expects riders to dope. What if anything should be done about this kind of thing?
I know it's laughable to expect the UCI to do anything, but wondering what people think about all this anyway.