What are the riders saying to the journalists re Armstrong?

[benlondon]

I think it's fair to say that broadly, and quite rightly, journalists have welcomed the Armstrong announcement and believe it is generally good for cyling.
But as many people have mentioned there has been a deafening silence from the riders (leaving aside the moronic BBC piece by Geraint Thomas yesterday) and from most of the team managers.
So what reactions are the journalists who regularly speak to the Sky Team getting from the likes of Wiggins, Cavendish, Boasson Hagen and David Brailsford or are they just respecting the Omerta and refusing to comment?

 

[Viking]

Oh, there's the omerta all right.

Plus, you have guys who rode with/against Armstrong being interviewed. They probably doped, too. They're not ready to admit to it and they don't want to look like hypocrites when their pasts come out. You've also got some younger guys who idolize(d) Armstrong. It's never easy to admit a hero or former hero is unworthy of admiration.

Then you have team orders, worries about sponsors, and worries about a rider's future since most (maybe all) of the current team managers were dopers themselves and/or ran programs on their teams (and I'm sure some still do). That, of course, feeds into the omerta - saying the wrong thing can get a guy blacklisted.

And I think this anonymous comment says volumes:
“Should I tell you what I really think or what I can officially say?”

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

There are many pro cyclists today who would have been teenage amateurs dreaming of going pro when Lance was dominating the sport.

I assume there are plenty whom idolize him. I still see yellow wristbands in the elite amateur scene here in NL.

 

[luckyboy]

There's a few threads about rider response.
Cavendish was asked whether he had any thoughts at Post Danmark Rundt and just said "no".

I asked Daniel Benson (managing editor here at cyclingnews.com) why journalists weren't asking the peloton why nobody was condemning Lance and he said "in a word 'sponsors'".

 

[B_Ugli]

Probably because most of the teams have made donations to the Verbruggen McQuaid Pension Fund.

After 20 years of this I have become so cynical now I call it "cash for negatives".

In fact I wonder why I even follow cycling at this moment in time.

 

[oldcrank]

Is J-Rod respecting the omerta? Or has he had something to say?

 

[Le breton]

I think it's fair to say that broadly, and quite rightly, journalists have welcomed the Armstrong announcement and believe it is generally good for cyling.
But as many people have mentioned there has been a deafening silence from the riders (leaving aside the moronic BBC piece by Geraint Thomas yesterday) and from most of the team managers.
So what reactions are the journalists who regularly speak to the Sky Team getting from the likes of Wiggins, Cavendish, Boasson Hagen and David Brailsford or are they just respecting the Omerta and refusing to comment?

Read this

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=18326

 

[Darryl Webster]

Most so called journalists , especially the cycling ones, knew years ago re Armstrong ( and many others )and are as guilty as the peloton in keeping the omarta and spinning the myth.
I've had more than one chat , of the record ,confirming that.
Most are simply advertorial yarn tellers with ****** all concern with the injustice,s and there job is less about telling truth than it is about making there magazine/ paper a place for advertisers.

 

[sittingbison]

Most so called journalists , especially the cycling ones, knew years ago re Armstrong...

Darryl, Anthony Tan and Mike Tomolaris on SBS here in Australia (which is the cycling TV channel) just could not bring themselves to say "Armstrong is found guilty", it was all prevarication and misdirection. Weasel Words.

I haven't checked (will try to do so today), but I suspect Rupert Guinness the main cycling journo has not come forth either. Although he did tweet he was blacklisted by lance 2002-2004, and did not turn his back on journo mates like David Walsh.

It depresses me that mainstream journos cannot even now get their facts straight, reporting such drivel as "never tested positive" or "USADA has no authority". Good grief.

EDIT: Rupert Guinness just tweeted he apologises for not commenting yet, was on private time with his family, and would comment fully on his return
I have always found him forthright and credible, looking forward to his opinion

 

[blackcat]

Darryl, Anthony Tan and Mike Tomolaris on SBS here in Australia (which is the cycling TV channel) just could not bring themselves to say "Armstrong is found guilty", it was all prevarication and misdirection. Weasel Words.

I haven't checked (will try to do so today), but I suspect Rupert Guinness the main cycling journo has not come forth either. Although he did tweet he was blacklisted by lance 2002-2004, and did not turn his back on journo mates like David Walsh.

It depresses me that mainstream journos cannot even now get their facts straight, reporting such drivel as "never tested positive" or "USADA has no authority". Good grief.

EDIT: Rupert Guinness just tweeted he apologises for not commenting yet, was on private time with his family, and would comment fully on his return
I have always found him forthright and credible, looking forward to his opinion

Phil Anderson has defended Armstrong.

Tomalaris uses figleaf "alleged".

 

[sittingbison]

Phil Anderson has defended Armstrong.

Tomalaris uses figleaf "alleged".

yup, it was really funny saying he "allegedly" doped AFTER being found guilty by USADA and sanctioned

I thought Phil should have kept his trap shut. Pat Jonker looked VERY incomfortable and quite subdued and depressed, but I thought gave an honest open opinion.

I'm living for the day when a pro cyclist will say "I am happy the authorities are finding and convicting doper cheats, it will help clean up our sport and give honest competitors a chance"

 

[Cavalier]

I haven't checked (will try to do so today), but I suspect Rupert Guinness the main cycling journo has not come forth either. Although he did tweet he was blacklisted by lance 2002-2004, and did not turn his back on journo mates like David Walsh.

EDIT: Rupert Guinness just tweeted he apologises for not commenting yet, was on private time with his family, and would comment fully on his return
I have always found him forthright and credible, looking forward to his opinion

Funny you mention this. I'll expand more upon that later. I'm intending to catch up with him once he's back from his trip.

 

[hiero2]

I think we already have a thread that is covering this. Might try there.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17476