So what is the plan to save cycling?

[lightandlongshadows]

I view it like a house that's infested with termites, rot and mold, the roof leaks too, that's been patched, painted, tarped, and the walls are braced up. At what point does one start dismantling it to see the true extant of the damage? Anyone who's ever renovated a house before is familiar with the expression "I wish I never opened this can of worms". Of course you want to salvage as much as you can but what happens if you realize there's nothing but the lot and the foundation worth a damn? A simple metaphor I know.
Floyd just knocked the bracing off, threw gas on the fire, opened a can of worms (pick your metaphor) so something is going to happen. For all of you here that have invested a lot more time than I have (recently anyway) fanning the flames so to speak, how far do think this should go? What's the plan?

 

[scribe]

It has lost lots of steam this week in spite of lemond's additional thoughts. I am beginning to wonder when this all will take hold in earnest.

 

[MacRoadie]

It has lost lots of steam this week in spite of lemond's additional thoughts. I am beginning to wonder when this all will take hold in earnest.

Either that, or the people who investigate these things professionally don't tend to be so chatty or forthcoming...

 

[lightandlongshadows]

I'm not suggesting we discuss what we think is going to happen, I'm asking what people would like to see happen. This is a place to address problems with solutions, what's the plan that will save cycling?

 

[roadfreak44]

the plan

Put Lemond and Floyd in charge and reinstate the use of the gulliotine..

 

[scribe]

I'm not suggesting we discuss what we think is going to happen, I'm asking what people would like to see happen. This is a place to address problems with solutions, what's the plan that will save cycling?

Alpe had some pretty good reasoning regarding this. The only thing I can think of that is missing is how to handle the reality that the testing isn't ready with respect to the fans perception.

As far as "burn it down" goes, while that sounds good, what really needs to happen is that both Hein and Pat need to leave cycling, and all of sports. There then needs to be a complete outside audit of the UCI with a full report with full transparency.

Once Pat is gone, a completely new, no-nonsense Eliot Ness type person needs to become the new head of the UCI.

There also needs to be a near completely re-write of the UCI's anti-doping procedures. This new book needs to contain guidelines on working with whistleblowers, and providing amnesty to riders who dope, but help provide factual evidence that catches other cheats - especially suppliers, doctors and such.

The UCI also needs to work with scientists like Ashenden and others to implement CO tests to detect autologous blood doping, as well as working with manufacturers in order to in the future detect gene therapy drugs, such as Repoxygen and stem-cell gene doping.

 

[smittyjs]

Continuing with the house metaphor. More than one house needs renovation.

There are so many groups that first and foremost act in their own self interests. Add to that all of the individuals acting the same way.

Possibly one sanctioning body. One set of rules.

One testing facility with no ties. Completely independent.

Possibly this same testing facility supplying the people to take samples and submit them with professionalism. Testing done in an orderly manor, not taking months and months. A system to keep track that allows only the sanctioning body to identify who's test is who's. Making sure that some paparazzi can't "out" a rider before his B sample has also shown positive.

Penalty that are strong enough to deter teams, Doctors and individual riders from cheating. Maybe for people who provide banned substances a jail term, loss of their medical license.

Make the drug manufactures put a marker in EPO and HGH so it is easily detected. Each country would have to enact standards to do this but that way the marker could not be bypassed by some technique the user does, like micro dosing.

 

[Willy_Voet]

What's the plan?

Beer and pizza at my place tonight. If someone brings some burgers I'll start up the grill.

 

[scribe]

A marker is interesting idea. What are the obstacles for that now? Black marker(t)?

 

[scribe]

Beer and pizza at my place tonight. If someone brings some burgers I'll start up the grill.

your avatar has actually made me hongry for a burger

 

[riobonito92]

Testing needs to be cheaper so that it can be prevalent at the lower levels, esp juniors. I don't know enough about how testing works, but would it be possible to randomly select what is tested for, to make each test cheaper, but to have lots and lots of tests - so the junior rider would know he or she could be tested at any time but not what the test is for?

Also, how about a partial amnesty for older cyclists: if you retire and confess in detail you get to keep all your results and the confession is kept secret. If you don't confess but get somehow found out later on, you get public humiliation, lose all your results, get fined and possibly go to prison. That might be an interesting offer to make to Hincapie right now.

 

[karlboss]

Use the bio passport. One month 24 hour chaperoned during the off season and blood tests when ever deemed necessary. Should provide some decent baselines. If a rider says no, then no racing this year for you.

 

[scribe]

Testing needs to be cheaper so that it can be prevalent at the lower levels, esp juniors. I don't know enough about how testing works, but would it be possible to randomly select what is tested for, to make each test cheaper, but to have lots and lots of tests - so the junior rider would know he or she could be tested at any time but not what the test is for?

Also, how about a partial amnesty for older cyclists: if you retire and confess in detail you get to keep all your results and the confession is kept secret. If you don't confess but get somehow found out later on, you get public humiliation, lose all your results, get fined and possibly go to prison. That might be an interesting offer to make to Hincapie right now.

cycling could test itself into a $ abyss, and still not catch the top cheats. There is only so much that is practical.

 

[delbified]

believe it or not, tackling drugs this isn't unique to cycling or even sport. in other industries, employers have an active duty to manage drug taking by employees. this is what's missing from cycling - a proper onus on teams to prevent drug taking.

the fact that previously convicted dopers are managing pro teams today is just outrageous. teams should be accredited according to criteria such as how they're preventing doping from occurring and denied or lose their accreditation if they aren't doing that properly.

the current approach of chasing riders around with testing kits is the bare minimum and shows that the UCI isn't serious about stamping doping out.

 

[50eleven]

What about starting with race organisers. Making riders implicated in doping in any way shape or form not welcome. without getting into restriction of trade and the legal side of things just dont let dopers past or present or those potentially invovled in doping related investigations ride in your race.

imagine a race(GT or 1DC) saying to riders they are not welcome because of their reputation. Would it work? dont know. Is it legal? dont know

would people watch? I would

just an opinion from a cycling fan sick of f****n cheats.

 

[JuandeBapos]

I'm afraid there's no real solution to the 'medical problem' todays cycling is facing. The worst that could happen is that road cycling will get moved from the olympics alltogether because of continuous doping scandals, if things really got out of hand (more big name riders getting caught). For the moment this isn't likely to happen as Hein is in the IOC board. Even if it would, cycling would still attract media attention & sponsors because, in contrast to most other sport, the olympics isn't the biggest event in the sport.
Cheating has always been a part of cycling (guys hopping on trains in the first TdF's). Personally I enjoy watching today's racing and just hope the riders I'm cheering for are clean. I don't trust any of them though.

 

[stephens]

Cycling does not need to be "saved," and I'm pretty sure that the doping problem has very little impact on the viability or popularity or profitability of professional cycling as a sport.

But as it is the athletes who do all the work, I believe the sport and its rules and the testing and enforcement schemes should be designed by the athletes themselves. Not by the suits that just want to make money off the cyclists' efforts.

 

[brianf7]

When the FBI turn up some evidence and the crooks are behind bars we can get on with the sport.

They wont take the stuff if they risk going down for a long time.

Let the penalty fit the crime .

 

[smittyjs]

The obstacle to the marker is that the Pharma's might lose 20% of their sales.
It's been doable for years or so I've been told by several chemists. Remember it's not just cyclists using EPO and HGH but a lot of other endurance sports. One doc from Canada (in the news of late) has treated a slew of American pro athletes with HGH for speedy rehab.

Maybe the manufacture's can be limited to make ONLY the amount of drugs that prescriptions are actually written for?

 

[Benotti69]

time to re simplify it, cannot ride on anything, vitamins, paracetamol...niente, nada, zilch....

got a cold and taking medication, can't ride on the meds, can ride with a cold...

time to make public laws regarding cheating in sport....make it a crime, ie fraud..if it is not already, not too many gone to prison, ie valverde's going to be travelling around in his ferrari finding the news docs with the new juice...

5 years first ban, next ban, life time, and not allowed be involved with sport of all colours and creeds

also bring it back to man and bike....and no more aerodynamics tt crap either....its about who gets first over the line, forget the riders radio's for GT's and classics, smaller races with harldy and spectators, yep, but the major events no give the decision making back to the cyclists, make them think rather than be meat on a bike....made the giro interesting this year when radio contact went down on the stage to L'Aquila..

but hey hell is likely to freeze over first...

 

[burninglegs]

Set a time date for a General Amnesty. Riders who come forth and admit to drug use in the past are not penalized.
Part of the Amnesty would be a detailed explanation of how they drugged, where they got the drugs, and who advised them how to use the drugs.
Once the Amnesty Date has passed for the next two or three years, anyone caught doping gets a lifetime ban from cycling. (extenuating circumstances must be looked at)
During the two to three years after the Amnesty date, WADA comes up with a drug policy that is fair, tough, and applicable to all cycling unions.

 

[lightandlongshadows]

An interesting **** Pound article: http://velonews.competitor.com/

edit- lol! A persons' name gets scrubbed around here - hahaha, poor ****.

 

[Polish]

I would suggest a MANDATORY Retirement Age of 25 years old for Pro Tour riders.

Just look at PHENOMS such as Tony "Gallopin'" Gallopin or Taylor "I do NOT like Cheaters" Phinney or Peter "Billions & Billions of Wins" Sagan. And there are many more youngsters who have that same Work Ethic and Moral Compass required to SAVE CYCLING. Daniel Holloway.

Then look at the old school grizzled and dishonest dopers like Vino and Valverde and Floyd. Yuck.

Sure, the Grand Tours would have to be scaled back in difficulty to be ridden clean by the young turks. But that is a SMALL price to pay.

After retirement the riders could go back to college and get real jobs.
Sure, it would be ok to for them to race part time with all the doped masters lol.

 

[SpartacusRox]

1. Blacklist any sponsor who has had anything to do with cycling at any time pre April 1st 2010.
2. Disestablish all teams in the Protour at the end of the current season.
3. Ban all riders over the age of 20 from ever competing at the professional level.
4. Don't have winners of races as such, all prizes given out would be spot prizes based on number draws at the end of each stage. The main prize would be for 'most sporting'. Doing this would remove the incentive to dope.
5. Wipe the names of all previous winners from all races back to 1940 to ensure there is no emulation of these people by impressionable young riders.
6. Every rider would be blood tested at the start line and also while riding at each 50km point. This would be a 'stop and go' test.
7. Finally, anyone caught riding at an average speed of over 40km/hr in any race greater than 100km would automatically be deemed to have doped and given a lifetime suspension.

 

[eljimberino]

Close down the teams for a few years. Let riders ride and compete independently. Close down the major agencies that are apparently rotten.