gooner said:
Contador has thrown the clean card before lying out through his teeth with a big FU to the sport crossing the line that day in Madrid to win the Vuelta. You go on about "not liked being lied to" as a stick to beat Froome with and then have a support base for a guy who has done it numerous times before. According to the above, Brailsford's and Froome's biggest mistake is that they weren't more like Riis and Contador. They would get an easier time. Baffling stuff.
I don't think you're that confused, I think you just don't like it. I could be wrong. I've not said anything about Riis and I generally don't think nice things are said on this forum. So that's off-base.
I'm not saying Contador hasn't denied it, of course he has. However, I don't find Contador to be throwing it people's face at anywhere near the level that Sky/Froome do. I'd give it at least a 10-1 ratio. That's the source of 90% of the reaction to Sky/Froome, the assault on our collective intelligence.
Part of it may be language, I don't read as many Contador interviews. Part of it may be style. Contador comes from the era when everyone said "not doping" and everyone knew that was BS, but the person saying it knew that you knew what was up. Everyone understood and no one had to over sell it. So you don't feel
as lied to.
There is a new generation of fans, many of whom started watching the sport when Armstrong or Sky came to prominence, and I think they have a different view. I think they have a much more black and white view of the sport, and need to believe that it can be done clean.
People who've been watching the sport from my generation long ago accepted that to be a top rider you needed to dope, and since we loved the sport for so many reasons, we keep watching. We love the beauty of the countryside, the color of the peloton, the pain and suffering of the sport, the speed and the danger. We love the history, the culture and the flags on the roadside, and the passion of the fans. We haven't decided to watch or not based on whether a rider dopes. Many find it silly to see the denials and those who take them seriously.
The proclamations of Armstrong and later Froome to their english-speaking fan base are just something people in the US and Britain haven't heard before. These guys didn't say they weren't doping with a wink and a nod, they have vehemently and powerfully denied their doping despite dozens of verifiable lies and incidents which point directly to their doping. Part of it was because that's who they are, but let's be honest, part of it is because that's what the english-speaking media and fan base needed to hear. People newer to the sport need these guys to be clean. I don't. I'd rather they were, but they almost never are. You have to enjoy the sport for what it is and hope it gets better. But don't be silly when you see someone making a mockery of things.
For a fan who has seen it all before it seems silly to believe these proclamations of cleanliness have all that much relevance. At some point everyone will see Froome for what he is/was. The details will be interesting, and already are.
Why did everyone love Indurain? Because he was truly tranquillo. Decent guy who doped. No over-the-top denials, no attacking other riders, just did what he did. You can judge him however you like, no worries. Froome NEEDS you to believe him. Armstrong NEEDED you to believe him. Needy sucks. Tranquillo doesn't. If those are my choices, it's easy.