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Why I'll Never Cheer for a British Team

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May 21, 2010
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wow selective modding or what Susan,how is what he said not political yet the response is?
Shameful, same as in tdf race threads because the clinic clique have plenty of posts they can pretty much say,can pretty much do what they want,those who respond get modded or banned.
Am done here is no discussion to be had not sensible anyway.
 
BroDeal said:
The time when Brits could sort their own problems is long gone. These days they need to bring along their American friends, and that usually does not work out too well either. If you Aussies have a bit of endurance, you won't have much of a problem winning out in the end.

I always thought that knee jerk nationalist Americans with no sense of humor were funny, but daaaamn if the English are not even funnier. This thread is a hilarious example of hyper sensitive jingoism. I guess the British really do do comedy better than everyone..

iuh-54901659793.jpeg

I'm not an Aussie but the rest I agree with;)
 
An introduction

Seems as though there are people who know each others traits and stuff on here personally so I thought I'd input my two cents.

As you can see, this is my first post. I visit cycling news a lot for the general news and tech and ride myself. I don't think I personally know anyone on here apart from Susan, purely because of live commentary. We don't hang out although I think she'd be lovely of course! ;) To be honest I hadn't noticed that there were forums here until I stumbled across comprehensive arguments for and against various dopers in previous years etc (Festina, Lance, Landis, Dr Ferrari, Puerto, BALCO etc) because I'm a bit morbid like that. I'm curious as to how athletes (not being one but jealous/envious of that career) could do what they apparently do to win/succeed. Only now have I subscribed to input my POV on Sky/GB/Contador/Ricco etc, I'd love to hear formulated opinions and arguments. I don't ride competitively just for fun and I don't think I'd be able to do a gran fondo with Ricco, Chiapucchi or Roche purely because I'm quite unfit having smoked whilst admiring these feats of amazing proportions sat firmly on my ****!

I'm 31, English and think I have a sense of humour :eek: I'm not competitive by nature but I appreciate sport and always have done being quite sporting in my younger days. I support my team and pay attention to the rest. I like to think I'm fairly impartial and can see various points of view but don't we all. Pro cycling is probably my favourite sport if I had to chose one, the romance/history/vibrancy/cheating/conspiracy theories are all contributing factors. I'm not sure how I feel about the doping, I don't like it morally/ethically but I also see that they don't have much choice but whistle blowing essentially means you've wasted your life. It's a shame.

I was one of the people who believed Lance for quite a while, until about #4/5 when suspicions were more aroused when I became better read on cycling folklore and researched the history of cycling pretty thoroughly etc. It was a truly romantic story that had me suckered and amazed. I felt truly betrayed. I admire the grit of those guys, it's a trait I know I'll never possess to be able to go that deep. I'm 31, have recently giving up smoking and live not too far from London. I ride my mountain bike to get around and bunny hop a curb when I'm feeling a bit frisky. I want a nice road bike with Di2, a power meter and to be able to manage 400w for 20 mins but I'm lazy and broke. I do love the tech, always have. When the games were announced I wasn't too keen on the idea, thought we'd make a hash of it, win a bronze in Equestrian, bodge the opening and closing ceremonies by having rioting children take over the Olympic stadium and stealing the athletes trainers.

OK, not that bad but I certainly didn't think it would go as well as it has, in many ways. The advertising thing appalled me but they've been quite lenient, street artists/graffiti artists have had a lot of problems but generally, acceptable and nowhere near the draconian nature I thought it would. Transport is running like a dream with a few delays but given the numbers, we've coped well for a little island. Ticketing was and still is a big issue but we're not China, we can't call on thousands to fill the seats. Well, we could but this is England, that's far too charitable. You can't build and fulfil a legacy if you don't give everyone a fair chance to see it where possible is my aspect but who knows. But in general, the gold haul has been nothing short of sensational. Beijing I thought was pretty spectacular given my previously mentioned reading and realisation that a lot of sports had the potential to be doped but for the effect on the British conscience, wow, the attitude has improved so much.
 
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... :mad: 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... :p 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!
 
Oct 30, 2010
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Benotti69 said:
Missed the point entirely yet again.

If I go into a city centre pub in Sheriff St, the tenters, Lord Edward st, Parnell St, Bolton St, Dolphins Barn(Dublin FYI)etc and ask the patrons what kind of folk play rugby in Ireland and they'll tell me amongst the many Bradley Wiggins tone of answer, West Brits.

But if I go into Donnybrook, Foxrock, DunLaoghaire or Killiney(Dublin FYI) i willl be told the opposite, Irishmen.

Depends where one asks.;)

I missed this first time round.

Benotti, I can't help it, I find myself warming to you. You have a very dry sense of humour and that post is a thing of beauty. It's completey off-topic but genuinely funny.
 

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