another nail in the coffin

[al-fresco]

I was a season ticket holder at my local Ice Hockey team, then one night they blatantly threw a game, turned out that they would rather win in the lower division than lose in the higher... I never went to another game.

I don't bother with the TdF (or the Olympics) it seems (to me) that PEDs are endemic in both. They've had their chances to clean up their act but there's no will to do it. Therefore they are entirely meaningless as sporting spectacles.

Once the magic is gone, it's gone for good.

 

[Smokin Joe]

If he drugged up so much, then why did none of the hundreds of drug tests come back positive?

They did.

Retrospective tests on his samples from the '99 Tour showed traces of EPO. They were invalid because by then the B samples had been destroyed.

 

[515mm]

I wish we could draw a line in the sand and say

"We don't care what happened pre-2011, anyone caught doping from 01/01/2011, life ban, no excuses. Forget the past and move on. To bring LA down, (however justified, a cheat is a cheat, I understand that) is a mistake. It would stick in the throat, but to save our sport we must be pragmatic."

But I don't think that will happen. I don't want to believe it, but I fear LA is dirty. Can you imagine the fallout if Armstrong is busted for drugs cheating? All the sponsorship money would disappear overnight 'cos Lance would say.......

"Everyone at the top was on EPO, I just levelled the playing field"

and he'd bring everyone down with him. Everyone. End of professional cycling because no-one would be willing to sponsor drug abusers and the clean ones can't prove their innocence to the outside world. You can't prove a negative. 'They' all THINK we're cheats right now, they'd KNOW it when/if LA falls.

This is horrible and I can't see any outcome that won't be excruciating for all concerned. I think we may see the end of professional cycling. Very soon.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I wish we could draw a line in the sand and say

"We don't care what happened pre-2011, anyone caught doping from 01/01/2011, life ban, no excuses. Forget the past and move on. To bring LA down, (however justified, a cheat is a cheat, I understand that) is a mistake. It would stick in the throat, but to save our sport we must be pragmatic."

But I don't think that will happen. I don't want to believe it, but I fear LA is dirty. Can you imagine the fallout if Armstrong is busted for drugs cheating? All the sponsorship money would disappear overnight 'cos Lance would say.......

"Everyone at the top was on EPO, I just levelled the playing field"

and he'd bring everyone down with him. Everyone. End of professional cycling because no-one would be willing to sponsor drug abusers and the clean ones can't prove their innocence to the outside world. You can't prove a negative. 'They' all THINK we're cheats right now, they'd KNOW it when/if LA falls.

This is horrible and I can't see any outcome that won't be excruciating for all concerned. I think we may see the end of professional cycling. Very soon.

Pro cycling will carry on as normal whatever the outcome with LA. It will carry on for the same reason it did after Festina, we'll be told the cancer has now been eradicated and the next Tour will be drug free because the testing is better.

And we'll believe it.

Till the next time anyway.

 

[BJH]

Just read the Birnie article, it's very good.

I think he also convinces me, as someone who has said on here don't allow convicted cheats to manage teams, that I was wrong.

His point about allowing people back who genuinely, own up and take responsibility, is a fair one. But if this happens, this must only be allowed with full "confession" including names, dates etc.

The recent case in which a rider was allowed back, only to them brag about how he hadn't spat in the soup, stinks.

 

[johnr]

With the Giro d'Italia and the Tour of California both providing stage victors with UK connections, my paper's cycling reporting has been death and drugs: that's why we need Armstrong's head on a pole. Until the cheats are brought low, no one with any sense will take the sport we love seriously.

 

[515mm]

And we'll believe it.

Till the next time anyway.

You think the sponsors will think their target market will swallow it? I remain hopeful, but unconvinced. Time will tell.......

 

[Smokin Joe]

You think the sponsors will think their target market will swallow it? I remain hopeful, but unconvinced. Time will tell.......

Sponsors will put money into cycling as long as there is sufficient public interest to make it worthwhile.

 

[lukesdad]

Money has always killed sport cycling is no different its the money thats the 3 headed monster.

 

[rich p]

Tyler or his chimera have spoken then...

...http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hamilton-alleges-armstrong-epo-positive-cover-up-on-60-minutes

Most of us who have read the evidence over the years are hardly surprised by this but the incendiary stuff is the allegation that the UCI were complicit in covering up the positive from the Tour de Suisse in 2001. Lance then donating a wodge of wonga to the UCI. McQuaid will have some wriggling to do unless he can pin it on Verbruggen.

 

[John the Monkey]

The recent case in which a rider was allowed back, only to them brag about how he hadn't spat in the soup, stinks.

Di Luca, iirc. Never liked the bloke, personally.

 

[dellzeqq]

Pro cycling will carry on as normal whatever the outcome with LA. It will carry on for the same reason it did after Festina, we'll be told the cancer has now been eradicated and the next Tour will be drug free because the testing is better.

And we'll believe it.

Till the next time anyway.

stop trying to cheer us all up........

This is a great piece by Lionel Birnie which echoes my own feeling on Armstrong -

http://www.cyclespor...endgame-begins/

me too. I really want to believe....

 

[John the Monkey]

McQuaid will have some wriggling to do unless he can pin it on Verbruggen.

A PR genius like McQuaid will easily escape this.

Oh, hang on...

 

[Crackle]

The Swiss test may be crucial in the investigation, as proving a bribe to foriegn officials, which is illegal in US law, would also convict Armstrong. It'll be interesting to see what Federal prosecutors finally indict him on, what evidence they've actually found which will stick. As someone who was initially doubtful a Federal investigation would actually get anywhere, I'm now hoping that not only will it get Armstrong but blow open the UCI intransigence and corruption which many have suspected but now looks more and more real.

There can't be many left who believe in Armstrong's innoncence, yet it seems people do. Here's a comment from a CBS story which is pretty breathtaking in it's naivety

"The truth? Just because he said it it the truth am I supoosed to belive Mr. Hamilton? Or Mr. Landis? Or Mr. Hincapie? Why did he pass all 500 drug tests and others did not? I know many cyclists say that no man can win the tour seven times. But, one story that I will tell you may shed light. A Dr. Friend of mine had cancer and weent through all the treatments to cure cancer. One day he said that his taste buds seemed to be so sensative to taste. His nose could smell all kinds of scents and he felt alost like a new born child breathing in fresh air. Where the cancer once occupied hi body and died, new cells grew. In my opinion Ican imagine Mr. Armstrong going through the same experience when he started cycling after his treatments. Did he have new lungs where cancer once grew? Did his lungs have the ability to breath like a young man? For my friend, he could not believe how great he felt. Why can't people believe the drugs test?"

Even if he's finally convicted, it seems we'll stil be arguing with people about his guilt.

Here's the CBS link, with video

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20064877-10391709.html

 

[yello]

Did he have new lungs where cancer once grew? Did his lungs have the ability to breath like a young man?

Oh, I love that

Of course there are miracles. Didn't LA remind us of that from the podium? What did he say to all those that didn't believe in them?

Seems like the poster believes the 'The Bionic Man' was a documentary.