On Danish television they did a half-hour interview with Bjarne Riis in connection with his book coming out.
Scribbled a few notes to pass on. Please note these are not meant as full and accurate transcript, but none of the meaning should have suffered in the least. Also please forgive me if there are a few grammatical errors here and there - it's rather a long post and I had to get on to other stuff...
The first ten minutes or so is about his childhood and relation to his mom and dad. Basically he didn't know his mother that well, which he wishes was different. His relationship with his dad was much closer, although he says the father was never good on all the touchy-feely stuff and that it seems his current have been able to build that kind of close relationship, which he's both happy about but also a little jealous of.
He also touches on how he got deep into cycling, mainly because that was the one thing he and his father could really, really share and how madly he trained.
He loved the winning and he loved the pain of the training: "When I was about 10 or 12 years old I would take a 30km ride after school before getting something to eat and then run 4km to my gymnastics training, but arrive in so good time that I could do 1.5 hours soccer before training... and then run the 4km back home afterwards. Totally ludicrous!"
Then the last 20 minutes is mainly about his doping, doping now and then and why he won't mention other people's involvement in his own doping.
Interviewer: Why did you start doping?
Bjarne Riis: I've asked myself that many times since. I think with the development at the time, the environment I was in at the time, I sensed it was what you had to do to be where I wanted to be - it was something I had to do to reach my goals.
I: Do you remember the first time you doped?
BR: I actually don't - I remember the feeling that I had. It was difficult, somewhere, subconsciously I knew it was wrong, but it was part of the game. But to be honest it was less dramatic than taking the first vitamin injection (he laughs a bit at the paradox). I know, that was just plain vitamin B injections and such, but that was more dramatic than the dope.
(I think this shows really well what many have said that it's a sliding scale - the first injection, no matter what is in it, is the real barrier. From then on it's all just a question of what's in the syringe).
BR: At that time you felt it was a common (shared) thing, an understanding, so it was quite easy to convince yourself it was ok - luckily it's not so today.
The interviewer then goes on to ask why he doesn't mention any names of other riders or of people who assisted him on the basis that it is in fact protecting criminals. In that discussion BR makes the following points:
BR: What you need to understand is, that we didn't feel it was criminal, yes we understood it was wrong and not allowed, but not criminal. The Tour in 98 changed all of that of course - also as France had just before that criminalised it.
I am taking full responsibility for my own actions, my own choices. I don't think it's fair to drag anybody else into it - it was my choice all the way, it's not like anybody ever held my hands behind my back and forced it on me
(in 2007 when he admitted his doping he took issue with what Jeff D'Hondt wrote in his book and Riis said the first time D'Hondt tried to trick him to taking something he took the syringe and emptied into the wash bassin, much to the anger of D'Hondt!). Whatever I had other people do for me is my responsibility and I don't think it's fair to hold them responsible for my actions.
I: But you made a fortune in part from doing something that's wasn't legal and other people presumably also made a lot of money from it (selling the drugs and so on), aren't you then protecting criminals?
BR: Clearly I have had thoughts about that many times since, but back then we didn't feel we were doing something criminal, we just did what we felt we had to do. You can compare to tax evasion - if it's easy to cheat the system some people will try to do it and so we did. Luckily it's much more difficult now and so there are only a few people cheating.
I: But I cant help thinking that you are refusing to mention names, people who might still be in cycling.
BR: Yes, including myself! And a good thing that, because that means I can be a part of making things better. Don't forget that I was one fo the people pioneering the first real anti doping testing systems, and I'm proud of that.
I: You were once, by either a soigneur or a teammate
(I think it was Jeff D'Hondt), described as a walking pharmacy. And it's been described how you guys would also from time to time be on anti depressants. Now although I can completely understand how enduring cold, rainy races day in and day out can make you depressed, but didn't you ever feel it was completely out of control?
BR: I was very meticulous about what went into my body, it was very important for me to be careful and a lot of effort went into that. I always felt in complete control about it.
I: But taking EPO, growth hormones, cortisone and anti-depressant isn't exactly normal, is it?
BR: (laughing slightly) No, you're absolutely right. But it was like that back then and I'm not trying to run away from it.
I: If you had the choice today, and before you say "No" please think about the fact it would most likely not wining the tour, would you do it again?
BR: I do believe that if we, which we can't, were to go back I would not have made the same choices again.
I: That would also mean you would not have been the same top rider and have won the tour...
BR: No, but that would probably not have killed me either...
There were some other good points I didn't get down this time, but I might watch it again. Here's a link for the interview in case you want to watch to get a sense of his attitude
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Baggrund/2010/11/07162217.htm. To me he seemed very relaxed, open and honest. There wasn't any publicity parade or anything like that about it - as I saw it.
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