Olympics/doping/Britishness etc
I see where a lot of you are coming from. There is a lot of money supplied by National Lottery funding as well as external sponsors such as Sky etc, if this is spent on doping, it had better be pretty advanced because the country will go ape**** if it gets revealed somehow. I do see the point of the IOC/UCI ignoring certain riders (political reasons or whatever) but like it was earlier mentioned all track officials were internationally chosen as far as I am aware. (Those people in the garish shirts were 2012 officials, they really enjoyed their brief moments of power...
but had no idea about cycling practices for the most part) Pendleton wouldn't have received as rough a deal at the games if it was bent that way.
If they are doped then that is pretty disgusting, however in this forum, I do find it truly disenchanting that there isn't really a whiff of optimism about cleaning the sport up (or any sport for that matter!). I do understand it is a truly immense suffering and continued battery of body and mind, I really do, but surely there are some people out there who are genuinely dedicated to what they do. Who work as hard as you do in your career. Chris Hoy is a fantastic athlete who has been riding bikes his entire life. What is not to say he hasn't worked damn hard perfecting himself physically (NOT with drugs!) and psychologically with the efforts of a fantastically organised team. The bike thing, it's clutching at straws. You can have one. Email them and ask. But remember, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it...
I do believe the incremental things policy and the training they receive, their technique is fantastic, you really can't argue that. Apart from Hines start of course, he should have kept his mouth shut...! Incremental gains would make sense if you combine it with the best coaching/tutoring right through every possible element but I understand peoples view of 'why not add a dope program in there'. Logically, it's more produces better results for less money than all that hoo-haa.
I certainly am not sure the track program would be involved with this Sky Dr recently discussed, I see that as if anything, being more beneficial to a road team. On the road, I'm not sure. I don't think you could do that to yourself consistently over a repeated period without an aid but I've never pushed myself to the degree these guys can in that way. Maybe Team Sky are clean. There is certainly very little FACTUAL evidence to suggest otherwise but the whole story is playing out a little too well, especially the Tour just gone. Top 3 in GC at 2 Grand Tours? In a year? Hmmm. The upside is that it is doing wonders for people and given this country a boost it needed, it was getting desperate. People are riding bikes now. A LOT. It's given people a glimmer of hope and feeling the wind through your hair on a bike is the best, no matter what your age or health or doping standpoint. It's just fun for the common populous, I think us hardened cycling fans do forget that to some degree and get irritated that people are so ignorant to it. People want incredible physical heroes whilst some people watch other people in a house on TV for hours on end. THAT'S JUST WHAT OUR SOCIETY WAS BECOMING. Doping or not, if it saves idiots from consuming nonsense and exercising instead, good!
I honestly believe that momentum does have a lot to do with it. The first couple of golds really lit the blue touch paper before the stadium on Friday. I was fortunate to visit the road race and be on Box Hill, I have some great pics I should post up sometime. The atmosphere was odd but excited nonetheless. I was expecting more cycling die hards but a lot of families out for picnics, recent bandwagon jumpers (given Brads success) and kids running about. People who were there for the spectacle, not the sport. I wanted it to be mayhem. I wanted it to be like the Giro with Didi screaming in my ear and huge road graffiti but it was quintessential England, on a lovely summers day with the old bill guarding the course. The middle classes don't mess with the police don't you know... All was calm until the lead group arrived. I'd never heard anything like it. The crescendo of noise coming up that road was unbelievable, I promise you I can't do it justice. A nation suddenly aware that this was the Olympics, it was in London and you might not see it again, hence why families were out and stuff I suppose. Doped or not, everyone on that climb screamed and shouted at Brad, Chris, Cav, Millar and Stanners with so much pride and passion it was beautiful. The entire nation was fixed on our team, in GB colours and we wanted Mark to win, we wanted him to set it off and if it was a sprint in the Mall it was his. NO-ONE would have beaten him. No-one. It didn't happen that way but the love everyone had for Brad was great, it's a fantastic achievement winning a TdF and we like Cav, he's a little terrier.
Then Wiggo won. I knew he would for whatever reason but to cut a long story short it improved as the performances went on. The whole country suddenly gave a **** about sports 70% of Brit's had never heard of. White Van Man suddenly knows who Jessica Ennis is. My best mate, he's never played tennis as far as I know and he text me asking me for a game. Andy Murray wins the gold medal and boom, even he wants to pick a racket up and buy a bike! That first day she fed off the crowd BIG TIME. I don't care what you say, the crowd in that stadium truly grasped the enormity of having the Olympics on your doorstep. Great first day and second morning, assured to win on Saturday night. That 800m of hers, the crowd again ROARING her home, then Rutherford, then finally Farrah. As a Brit, you could feel the belief and confidence even through a TV. Steve Cram screaming in the commentary, it was just nice to feel like us Brits could do something well and we've surpassed my expectation by a long way. The UK was in a very negative place before the games started. A large portion of my age group expected failure on a grand scale in every event, logistically, all sorts. It just so happens the opposite occurred. If this was by fiddle then the powers that be should be ashamed but we all know life doesn't work like that for some people!
I don't know what point I'm trying to make. Maybe that pride, support and positivity really can help athletes transcend greater powers. Just maybe. It's 3:12am and I have work at 9 tomorrow but if anyone wants to ask me for my opinion on anything I've said above, previous posts or anything like that feel free. Apologies as this sounds like elongated, senseless drivel and for writing so much!