Andynonomous said:
Although cycling does have a more rigorous process in place to catch dopers, you need the will to catch the cheats (no matter how popular the cheat is). The UCI has shown over and over that it does not have this will (ie. trying to hide Contador's positive).
In the end, if a sport has a high propensity for cheating (a highly physical sport that requires speed, and or strength, and or stamina), and there is no will to catch the cheats, the process is almost irrelevant. I suspect that cycling has about the same level of cheating as other "stamina" sports (triathlon, marathon, biathlon, cross country skiing,...).
The fact that the UCI, or certain persons within the UCI, are almost certainly part of the current FDA/DOJ/FBI/Gendarmes/Interpol investigation speaks strongly about whether or not the 'sport' itself ought to be placed on any sort of pedestal. Suggesting that cycling itself is doing more in the face of this investigation is a joke. If it is, then why are these guys investigating at all?
Yes, there are more FDA/DOJ/FBI cases right now in Baseball, but that sport's brass do not appear to be a core part of what has been going on.
Cycling has Contador's appeal hanging over its head.
Cycling has the Armstrong money laundering, drug trafficking FDA/DOJ/FBI/Interpol investigation hanging over its head.
Perhaps if we only had one of these two, then maybe someone could proclaim cycling cleaner than all the rest. (Edit to <insert sarcasm smilie here>)
Nothing like doing the full Ostrich.
And, no, speaking out about this does not make me non-patriotic, or non-loyal to Steve and/or his efforts and/or the future of Canadian or North American cycling.
Sorry, but there is a lot of dirt in the sport and I didn't put it there.
Dave.