First, it was mentioned back in I think September he was planning on trying to coach or help train others, so this isn't a huge bit of news.
I have to say as one who with a lot of experience in depression, I'd be surprised if he's fully recovered. It would be amazing if he went from being so far down and so despondent that he would ruin his marriage and career, and self-medicate, to nine months later being cured. He was diagnosed as far back as 2003, and was getting help all that time with both professional psychological help and prescription medication. So for the six years after that he slowly got worse, but in the last nine months he went from rock bottom, to healed? If that's so, either he wasn't suffering from depression and that was an excuse for the DHEA and other drugs, or he's probably not fully recovered.
I don't have as much an issue with the doping, as it has been endemic to the sport and he's in the 90% majority of participants, though would have to be considered a "heavy" doper I suppose. I do however have a big problem with his continuing to lie about it.
I will say I can see why he won't talk until 2012, as it's fairly likely riders he raced against when winning races were doped as well, and he knows it. But it doesn't excuse anything.
At the end of 2008 he hinted at some point coming clean and candidly speaking about the sport,saying there was a "mafia" control about it. Something that would be little surprise to many of us hardcore fans. Hopefully some day that will happen when he does talk about it, but until it does, and at least he admits what he did, I can't support the guy who was once my favorite cyclist. At the very least now that he's effectively banned for life he could give a vague Roberto Heras like comment and admit he made mistakes in his career and wants to move on. But nothing. But he doesn't even do that.
I mean, what's wrong with the truth? Why not tell the truth? Why be afraid of the truth?
I have to say as one who with a lot of experience in depression, I'd be surprised if he's fully recovered. It would be amazing if he went from being so far down and so despondent that he would ruin his marriage and career, and self-medicate, to nine months later being cured. He was diagnosed as far back as 2003, and was getting help all that time with both professional psychological help and prescription medication. So for the six years after that he slowly got worse, but in the last nine months he went from rock bottom, to healed? If that's so, either he wasn't suffering from depression and that was an excuse for the DHEA and other drugs, or he's probably not fully recovered.
I don't have as much an issue with the doping, as it has been endemic to the sport and he's in the 90% majority of participants, though would have to be considered a "heavy" doper I suppose. I do however have a big problem with his continuing to lie about it.
I fully agree the UCI is corrupt BroDeal, but the solution is not to continue to lie, but to take a stand. He should not only tell the truth, but tell the truth about the UCI and call them out, and help make people aware of how corrupt it is. By continuing to pretend he didn't dope, he's just facilitating matters to continue the way they are.BroDeal said:Why should anyone man up? The system is completely corrupt
I will say I can see why he won't talk until 2012, as it's fairly likely riders he raced against when winning races were doped as well, and he knows it. But it doesn't excuse anything.
At the end of 2008 he hinted at some point coming clean and candidly speaking about the sport,saying there was a "mafia" control about it. Something that would be little surprise to many of us hardcore fans. Hopefully some day that will happen when he does talk about it, but until it does, and at least he admits what he did, I can't support the guy who was once my favorite cyclist. At the very least now that he's effectively banned for life he could give a vague Roberto Heras like comment and admit he made mistakes in his career and wants to move on. But nothing. But he doesn't even do that.
I mean, what's wrong with the truth? Why not tell the truth? Why be afraid of the truth?
You said in another post people should study the sport. Well, I'm going to suggest you study Lemond, because your above quote shows how little you know about his fight against doping. It sounds like you've only been reading press fed information from Public Strategies.flicker said:Unlike LeMond I shall not focus on one cheater. I do not operate out of jelousy..