Riders we can believe in?

[Markyboyzx6r]

Not recent... but Chris Boardman was clean.

 

[VeloCity]

Can you genuinely believe in anyone in pro cycling?? I'm sorry to say that too many honest people who love the sport will cling on to some shred of hope that there is one out there who plays fair. If recent events have taught us anything it's that there are only two kinds of pro cyclists - those that admit to cheating and those that don't.

I don't think that's true - I believe that there are a lot of clean riders, even to the point where we'd be surprised to learn that there really are that many. But it's impossible for us to "know" who's doping and who's not. And that goes for the Moncoutie's and Fedrigo's as much as it does the Gilbert's and Cancellara's.

 

[pmcg76]

Which means nothing. Verbruggen just named Armstrong as being clean.

Depends on the source, a former team-mate who admitted to doping and said that everyone else at the team was doped except Moncoutie is not the same as a man who has tried to deny the existence of doping at every turn and who has a vested interest in protecting the sport & Lance. You can say maybe Gaumont had a vested interest in protecting Moncoutie but I have yet to hear a single justification for this. If anyone has one, please present it somewhere in the forum.

That is like saying Tyler Hamilton saying he saw doping at Postal is no more credible than Ekimov saying there was no doping at Postal

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't think that's true - I believe that there are a lot of clean riders, even to the point where we'd be surprised to learn that there really are that many. But it's impossible for us to "know" who's doping and who's not. And that goes for the Moncoutie's and Fedrigo's as much as it does the Gilbert's and Cancellara's.

We don't "know". But we can make educated guesses, and we can believe. I believe in Moncoutié and Fedrigo, and I know that most fans do. I don't "know" that they're clean, but there is nothing about them as personalities, riders, results-getters that flags anything up.

The only thing is the team association thing, and we've been through that many a time. I've been shouted at for pointing out Cadel Evans' dodgy team history, but ultimately we make a judgement call based on rider character, rider results, rider behaviour and personal bias. Hence Cadel Evans rides on several dubious teams but is considered by many to be clean (splits audiences), while Ángel Vicioso rides on several dubious teams but is considered by most to be dirty. Our own biases and what we WANT to believe affects things. I want to believe Mikel Astarloza's protestations of innocence. Hell, I wanted to believe Valverde's but simply couldn't. There's always the argument that "He couldn't do it, he's one of the nice guys". Well, people on this forum have met and liked Tyler Hamilton. I've met and liked Patrik Sinkewitz. I wanted to believe Sinky was coming back clean because he had had such a difficult time of making a comeback and looked so happy to have got a ride back. But when he tested positive in February, it wasn't a big shock.

I want to believe in Moncoutié and Fedrigo, sure, but I don't have any reason to believe that my faith would be misplaced. If one of them tested positive, it really WOULD be a big shock. And there aren't many riders around today for whom I can say that.

 

[Mambo95]

I believe in all of them unless a reason not to presents itself.

Obviously, this means that I believe in a fair few dopers. But it also means I can watch and enjoy cycling for the racing and sport and not just to see who I'm going to the point the finger at before they've reach the podium.

 

[Magic Spanner]

Bahahaha.

Cav. Frodo has been to the orthodontist. HG usage messed his teeth up. Nice try.

.

I'm not saying he's clean. No way to prove that with any rider but is having dental work proof that he's not?

I find him exciting and like the way no other riders congratulate him afteR his victories but I do worry he has a bit of Lance in him in his relations with others. He also schmoozed up to Armstrong in a sickeningvway in the 2009 tour on the stage they split the peleton in the wind and LA took time from his team mate Bertie.

That's more like evidence that having your teeth done in my book.