Confused by Wiggins Twittering

[johnnyh]

I like Wiggins, I like his attitude, music taste and total disregard for saying what people want to hear... but

On his twitter he says

"Di Luca, what a self-gratification artist! unbelievable"

and today

"And so to the Ventoux, spare a thought for the great Tom"

The great Tom who was so dosed up he basically killed himself, yet Di Luca is a self-gratification artist?

As I say, I like the fella, but c'mon Brad!

 

[Chuffy]

You like him? But you barely know the man...

I don't get the whole Great Tom thing either. He was a very good rider, sure, but ultimately another drug cheat. And please, no-one give me the old 'but they were all at it' line, it won't wash.

 

[oldgreyandslow]

I agree it is a bit contradictory, however Tom did die on the climb and you have to have some sympathy. Of course the contrary argument would be if he wasn't whizzed up to his eyeballs he wouldn't have died. It's a difficult one due to the fact he died. However sympathy for the other cheats who got found out and lost their "hero" status (Virenque anyone?) no way.

 

[yello]

I don't think it's confusing at all. I mean no disrespect to Bradley Wiggins when I say it is at worst hypocrisy, at best contradictory... and we are all guilty of it from time-to-time.

Besides, you can be both sympathetic and critical.

 

[asterix]

Perhaps times were different in 1967?

Tom Simpson died 22 years after the end of WW2, a conflict in which amphetamines were widely used and and officially sanctioned by both sides to combat fatigue and enhance performance.

 

[johnnyh]

You like him? But you barely know the man...

hahaha, yes like what I see of him I should have said... but I dont let it consume me

 

[onthe_road]

He was great enough that British cyclists - private individuals - funded the memorial on Mt Ventoux.
Is anyone here calling them a bunch of self-gratification artists?

 

[ufkacbln]

Tom Simpson - Performance enhancing drugs proven - Hero
Lance Armstrong - not proven, but still performance enhanced and consequently spawn of Satan


A little hypocritical?

 

[stumpy]

And please, no-one give me the old 'but they were all at it' line, it won't wash.

But ther were all at it

 

[yello]

Tom Simpson - Performance enhancing drugs proven - Hero
Lance Armstrong - not proven, but still performance enhanced and consequently spawn of Satan

A little hypocritical?

Definitely. When you simplify matters down to 2 convenient statements.

 

[girofan]

I think that Armstong's "Spawn of Satan" tag is not neccessarily because he is suspected of drug taking, more for his riding down of Simeoni in the Tour and maybe he had an input with Giro organisers to prevent the same rider, who incidentally is Italian Champion, riding this year in the Giro!
He also had a hand in the pilliorying of Christophe Bassons, for having the nerve to tell it like it is.
His mean spirit is legendary.

 

[dan_bo]

You've read bad blood as well then?

 

[Chuffy]

You've read bad blood as well then?

You don't need to have read 'Bad Blood' to know about those two cases (and the Simeoni/Giro exclusion had never occurred to me) they're both a matter of historical record. I believe that even the cheerleader in chief for Team LA, Mr Liggett, muttered 'oh I say, that's a bit off' when asked to comment on the Simeoni incident.