WSJ - Anti-Doping Officials Step Up Cycling Oversight

[Barrus]

You are right, but from what I learned from the past and also some (German) media, that they often make ("unwanted") mistakes and they sometimes just screw things up. You can really trust me in that an my experiences.
For example, just quick from remembering:
20 positive samples were declared/made to 20 positive riders, and other confusing things were written in this style.
Many things like that. Thats why I am so cautious with media.
Of course I am cautious with McQuaid, too. No discussion.
I learned not to believe everthing that comes out of the media. Their motivation can be different. But one motivation is to sell newspapers and let it look spectacular.

If they lied or brought some false information, they don´t really care later, you know.
I am sorry, but these are all experiences I made.

I can understand your experiences, but the WSJ has a reputation as a very reliable newspaper and try to ensure that they do not print lies or false information, as the segment of the market which they target do care about it and thus the WSJ. In most cases, if it is possible they will double check their data, which in this case consisted of Patty and an anonymous source

 

[Cobblestoned]

Thanks for posting the UCI rebuttal link. All media should be viewed critically, especially when a sensational story is involved. WSJ is no different in that respect.

unattached to this UCI story:

At the first view: they don´t really care about cycling as a sport.
I can´t even see a tab/rubric for cycling or results.
Thats an experience I have made in german press, too.
This sport is to great for only wringing the big bad dopingstorys out of it.
It´s a common practise, and I mentioned earlier in another thread:
ANti/Doping sells and is a big story today, and even better and more profitable with the big names.
Cycling is just the scapegoat of worldwide massmedia (even then, when there are serious dopingcontrols, passport, whereabouts and this sport is really fighting doping) and some of them would rather cut their fingers off, instead of writing about THE sport.

Another point little bit offtopic, and hard to explain for me in English:
Of course it is a concerning trend that the last 2 Tours de France were completely "clean". There are many reasons for that, but I think the main reason is this scapegoat-theory and the media.
No one of us really believes that the last 2 TdFs or even Flandres, Roubaix, Giro...etc were clean. But I think ASO/UCI and others don´t have a choice. There is no other sports that takes down its reputation and athletes like it is/was practiced in cycling very hardcore for some time.
They (and of course the "caught dopers") nearly killed their own sport/company/name by beeing correct and offensive. You will never see that at FIFA, Olympics or whatever.
The soccerplayers, Blatter and other sports just laugh about whereabouts and serious dopingtests

ASO and others were honest and consequent in 2007/2008, but this just didn´t sell out, too.
They had no choice and now the tour is clean again.

Good example were the german TV stations ARD/ZDF (public law, but commercial anyway):
They just stopped covering the TdF completely, because there had been "too many dopingcases". What a double moral. I think they only missed Zabel, Ullrich etc.....and cycling wasn´t any more profitable for them, because only the hardcore cyclingfans then still followed cycling.
TdF got too expensive for them. No Ullrich, Zabel or other draghorses - no more good cash from advertising.
Since last year they covered it again (only last1h, really carefully), because the other cashcow was riding again and the tour is clean again (this year they covered, as if there never happened anything). ASO also had to remind them, that they have a contract.
But you didn´t hear that from me.

Anyway, I watched on Eurosport because it is sickening to watch it there on ARD/ZDF. They were just talking about doping for 4 years now and are not able to find a balance or make a cut.
But they love horsesports (really ugly and many doped and wasted horses, but ARD/ZDF don´t care because Germany is winning often), olympics and soccer.

Another strange fact:
Before the FIFA worldcup AND Olympics in Peking they produced some short (anti)doping-educationstorys of these sports, and broadcasted them near midnight when 95% of Germany is sleeping and they broadcasted it only once.
( yes, really )
When you watch the TdF there, it´s dopingbroadcast with some cyclingbreaks. You can trust me.

This world is full of doublemoral.