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You are clean. What SHOULD you say in interviews?

This question shouldn't be construed as a judgement on my part on Nibali's innocence or otherwise. However, in the Nibali thread, he has been lampooned for coming out with the same guff that Armstrong came out with....it would be stupid to dope, why would I dope? etc.

So, imagine you are a GT winning rider who is clean (a stretch for some of you, I know, but go with it).... what exactly should you say when two of your team mates have been popped for EPO use, steroid abuse or whatever? What could be said that wouldn't be lampooned in the clinic?
 
May 2, 2013
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"Some people dope. Not me, of course. I beat them all, since, err ummm, I'm a boss. Let me put it this way, it doesn't matter how much dope you take--if you're a sunfish, you'll still get beat by a shark, every time. Those 'mates of mine who got busted? Ya, why do you think the UCI knew were to look."
 
Oct 16, 2010
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"I used to gear up but I chose rehab and became clean. Now I want to help others do the same."

In all seriousness, you should not cease to complain about the lack of testing, the lack of funding for better testing, etc. After all, your existence depends on it.
What you should not say:
- praise the current testing
- praise how clean it is now and that it's now possible to win clean
- speak of a new generation/culture
Those are giveaways.
 
May 26, 2010
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If a rider is going to talk the clean talk well then they need to walk the clean walk. Release as much data, invite credible journalists to training camps and allow 24hour access, call for testing to be back dated for races, demand teams do internal testing and release the data, call for longer bans, call for life bans for team owners, doctors, DS, coaches, masseuses, call out guys like Riis, Vino and other unrepentant dopers, call out Merckx, Hinault, Indurain......
 
Benotti, good answer, though most of the "measures" you mention could be manipulated....ie, get a journo on board when you know you will be clean (ie. you have already done your stuff).... allow 24 hour access at a benign time etc etc.
All the stuff about calling for life bans on unrepentant dopers, DS etc etc I would gladly do if I was doping but thought that I wouldn't get caught.

Calling out the old timers....Indurain etc....fair enough but it would land you in court unless you could substantiate the claims. Yeah, we all know but that's not the same.
 
armchairclimber said:
This question shouldn't be construed as a judgement on my part on Nibali's innocence or otherwise. However, in the Nibali thread, he has been lampooned for coming out with the same guff that Armstrong came out with....it would be stupid to dope, why would I dope? etc.

So, imagine you are a GT winning rider who is clean (a stretch for some of you, I know, but go with it).... what exactly should you say when two of your team mates have been popped for EPO use, steroid abuse or whatever? What could be said that wouldn't be lampooned in the clinic?

An acknowledgment that doping is real and its possible to beat tests.

All the coaches/riders/hacks etc who get slammed for hypocrisy by the likes of me, all share the common theme in their comments of claiming doping is something that belonged in the past, and that the battle against doping has been won by the testers - and that doping has essentially been defeated for happily ever after. hooray.

All the riders who have acknowledged that the world of cycling isn't all sunshine and rainbows- that doping can happen and tests can be beaten have received almost unanimous praise on here.
 
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armchairclimber said:
This question shouldn't be construed as a judgement on my part on Nibali's innocence or otherwise. However, in the Nibali thread, he has been lampooned for coming out with the same guff that Armstrong came out with....it would be stupid to dope, why would I dope? etc.

So, imagine you are a GT winning rider who is clean (a stretch for some of you, I know, but go with it).... what exactly should you say when two of your team mates have been popped for EPO use, steroid abuse or whatever? What could be said that wouldn't be lampooned in the clinic?
If you are clean and your teammates are not - you benefited (or they are very useless teammates).
Say that. Give back the money. Move away from those teammates.

I see that in other team sports too where a particular person/position may not dope, but gets benefit from the teammates that do.
 
Netserk said:
Your honest opinion.

This.

Dave.

Add that:

If you have 'come clean', then don't hold back. Come clean.

I used to dope. I used thus and such, at these times, for the following races. I was not alone in doping*. have advised WADA/USADA/UCI of the chain of supply, influence and co-doping that I experienced.

If I have missed anything, I accept that I should be banned. I accept that my results for the aforementioned races may be struck and accept the decision of the individual race committees as may be the case.

*This is simply stating the obvious, but NOBODY does this.

Dave.
 
Jul 11, 2013
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Agree with Netserk...

Allthough I don't think it matters much what you say...

At least not in a postive way..

Due to history -Pro-Cycling is not in a position where any word spoken benefits the cyclists credibility...

Every word spoken from a well-performing rider can be interpreted as lies, holding back, hiding something etc...

A cynic could also ask, if clean cyclists get's that many interviews?
 
Mar 11, 2009
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You definitely should have an opinion when asked about this that or the other doping issue. Releasing data is good. It would be nice to work on a team that is not run by and/or employer former dopers and explaining why you won't work for XYZ. The problem with that is that the only team you might find that meets those criteria would be run your grandpa's bike shop. On the other hand you would think that if you were militantly anti-doping a guy like Vino would skeeve you out.
 
Jul 11, 2013
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There seems to be a mix of words and actions already here...

If the premise is both and not just words -a lot could be added...

edit: I mean how does the words compliment the actions and vice versa...
And what actions need to be taken before word has merit...
 
Say that you're the proof GT's can be won while clean

If dirty, say that you're the proof GT's can be won while clean



The truth is that every goddamn argument has been used by hardcore dopers over and over and over again. I might refuse to talk about it, cause they have to make up their mind for themselves. Contador, Wiggins, Armstrong, Froome, Nibali, Landis, they all came up with huge piles of bull**** everytime they get asked about it. What is there left to say for the clean guys?

Taking action is all you can do, show all your values, make a documentary where you're filmed 24/7, where your food, drinks and supplements get tested for drugs, etc.
 
Oct 16, 2010
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Nick C. said:
You definitely should have an opinion when asked about this that or the other doping issue. Releasing data is good. It would be nice to work on a team that is not run by and/or employer former dopers and explaining why you won't work for XYZ. The problem with that is that the only team you might find that meets those criteria would be run your grandpa's bike shop. On the other hand you would think that if you were militantly anti-doping a guy like Vino would skeeve you out.
yes, we know, vaughters needs a job too.
 
Red Rick said:
Say that you're the proof GT's can be won while clean

If dirty, say that you're the proof GT's can be won while clean



The truth is that every goddamn argument has been used by hardcore dopers over and over and over again. I might refuse to talk about it, cause they have to make up their mind for themselves. Contador, Wiggins, Armstrong, Froome, Nibali, Landis, they all came up with huge piles of bull**** everytime they get asked about it. What is there left to say for the clean guys?
.
Actually all those guys you mention all pretty much said exactly the same thing.

What is there left for the clean guys to say - everything apart from a very small handful of soundbites like - "I train x hours a day so I cant be doping", "tests catch dopers so I wouldn't dope", "i wouldnt dope cos my moms would cry if i did", "i would rather fail than dope".

They all used variations of those quotes. None of them has come with anything original.

So no, there is not nothing left for clean riders to say. Its absolutely not true that dopers have exhausted every argument. The opposite is true, no doper has thus far shown the balls to stray from a few fieldested soundbites that the gullible public have proven time and again they will swallow.
 
Aug 9, 2014
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Well, I was just hoping to hang on the back and make it to Paris. But then 60 guys in front of me got busted in a doping raid. 53 droped out the same day with "food posioning." Another two dozen crashed out on along the way. Oh, and don't forget that day half the pack lost time when a herd of cows crossed the course. Or those guys who got struck by lightning. Oh, and that lucky chap who ran off with a podium girl.

I wouldn't say I "won," so much as I didn't loose it.

But I am clean. Viva Le Tour!!
 
Mar 16, 2013
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Anything could be lampooned in the clinic, but I'd probably say...

"They are my teammates and as a friend of theirs I will support them. They are still young and succumbed to something that tempts many of us when we are in doubt of ourselves. I have thought about doping often. I love working out. I love racing. Imagine being able to take something that would allow me to do what I love more. Of course, the downside is that it would be stabbing others in the back in addition to the anxiety it would give me.

It is very clearly against the rules of our sport and because of that I don't want to cross the line and deal with the tidal wave of wrath that follows doping. But let me tell you this, when I'm done with my career I will dope. 100%. I want to know what it's like. You in the media talk about it endlessly as if it's a silver bullet, and maybe it is. I want to know for sure.

You wanted to know how I felt, well that is the truth. It's very intriguing to take a bite of that apple and it takes everything I have to not do it because I'm 99.9% confident I wouldn't be caught. Someday, though, I will and I'll let you guys know how it affects my power output, motivation, aggression, etc. Until that day comes I will stay on the right side of the line and be thankful I have the talent to ride my bike professionally.

One last thought, if any of you media folks are taking stimulants to write your stories late at night before deadlines, shame on you, hypocrites."
 
Dec 7, 2010
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jw1979 said:
Anything could be lampooned in the clinic, but I'd probably say...

I thought you were changing your screen name so as not to be confused with JV? And I couldn't help but notice that you removed your signature that clarified the fact that you are not JV.

Sorry for the off topic. It's not a personal attack, just an observation.
 

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