Reputation of Cycling

[L_I_R]

Hi,

I am 6th Form Student, currently conducting research for a Project I am currently undertaking. The title of this project, is What is the public view of Doping in Cycling?

So basically I would grateful if I could get your views on doping?
How bad has it been? How bad would you say it is this year?
Have all the scandals damaged the reputation of cycling?
Are all the scandals are result of the fact cycling is the toughest sport when it comes to drugs tests?
I would be grateful for any feedback.

Cheers

L_I_R

 

[rich p]

I expect our view as cycling fans is a bit more informed than Joe Public who would, I assume, see all cyclists as dopers, a severely tainted image and apart from Sir Lancelot Armstrong wouldn't recognise a pro road cyclist.

My own view is that cycling is a tough sport in which the rewards are not great for the lower tiers and very good for the upper tiers. This causes an obvious temptation for both groups to dope and a percentage do.

None of us know what that percentage is but the perception a year ago was that the new generation were less likely to dope than the old guard. That theory has taken a bit of a battering with the positive results of Bernard Kohl, Riccardo Ricco et al to the point that most of us think that doping is prevalent.

On the other hand there are a significant number of us who would put their mortgage on Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish being clean and yet they are able to succeed. I think I'd include Cadel Evans in this group too.

In short the image is bad, we accept that it has problems but I find it hard to resist its allure as a tough man's sport.

 

[Will1985]

Hold off a bit longer and you may have a new set of results from the 2009 Tour to mull over!

I take the view that doping is rife in all sports, but cycling is facing up to the problem more than other sports. It would be interesting to see large team sports such as rugby and football accept WADA's "whereabouts" rule - they think that they are an invasion of privacy, but then the number of drugs tests in those sports are nothing compared to the number in cycling.

One worrying aspect which has come to light recently is doping in the American amateur peloton as a rider has been banned for two years. I've been aware of this for a few years since seeing a link to an American messageboard where athletes using EPO spoke openly about its benefits.

My personal view is that the Spanish authorities are dragging their heels in respect of Operacion Puerto to protect their own sportsmen and cycling cannot move on until all athletes on the list are exposed and dealt with.

 

[rich p]

A bunch of Portuguese young amateurs got busted a year or two ago too.

 

[Dave5N]

Try researching Rugby or Tennis or Football, or, heaven help us, athletics.

 

[Noodley]

Hi,
I am 6th Form Student, currently conducting research for a Project I am currently undertaking. The title of this project, is What is the public view of Doping in Cycling?

Hi, as a 6th form student maybe it would be better exploring the public's perception of doping in a sport which is more mainstream in Britain? I'm not saying this to try to divert attention away from doping in cycling but cycling is a fairly 'easy target' as I imagine every non-cyclist thinks every pro cyclist (and many non-pro cyclists) dopes. And to confirm this isn't really a project worthy of your talents as a 6th form student is it? Use it to explore the public perception of a more mainstream sport, say Rugby or Football, and see whether this corresponds with reality - there's plenty of material available re doping in both sports. I'd imagine the public perceive doping in both sports as not much of an issue, and this is supported by the media.

But if you want to focus on cycling there's plenty on here who can point you in the right direction.

What research have you done so far?

 

[slowmotion]

LIR, I know absolutely nothing about doping in professional cycling. Rien, nada, zip. You did however ask the question about the public's perception of doping at that level.

Anybody I have asked, non-cyclists all, think that nearly everybody is at it, big-time, and the only reason they are not caught is either (1) because the drugs or maskers are quite clever these days, or (2), the authorities have no real interest, and that TV spectacle matters far more.

You asked for a non expert's view, and I gave it. Please do not start pissing...

 

[Steve Austin]

DON'T FEED THE TROLL.

 

[yello]

What makes you assume the OP is a troll? Now I know I'm gullible at the best of times but it reads like a genuine question to me.

I think you need more answers like slowmotion's. There are plenty of cyclists not interested in racing so perhaps this thread would have been better off being started in Café... or just about any other forum!

For my part, it's too complex an answer to give any real depth to here. There are so many factors, grey areas and lack of general public understanding about drugs in sport generally that my answer could well end up being a project in itself! The latter point (i.e. public understanding) I think is an interesting one. I mean, many people think drugs = bad, but all athletes take drugs of some sort; recovery aids, nutritional aids, cures and pain relief etc etc etc. Of course, these are 'legal' or allowed drugs.

I reckon most people would assume the worst if they saw TdF riders on drips in their hotel rooms, or the injections they'll be give, but it's a common enough site. Simply the quickest, most effective way of getting the riders ready for the following day. Think about any grand tour, it's simply unrealistic to expect anyone to perform for hours a day, day after day as they do, WITHOUT drugs of some sort.

But there is a gap between public understanding and the reality.

 

[johnr]

Welcome to the forum. You've jumped in the deep end of the pool though. As you can see, those of us with an interst in racing tend to be defensive and pushy. Why don't you post in 'beginners' and 'cake stop' as well for a wider contribution from forum users?

As a cycling obsessive, I tend to find myself talking about cycling quite a lot . I'd say most of my work colleagues and friends assume that doping has been prevelant/universal and that there is still a lot of it about: as do I. A more interesting trend, however, is the recent kindling of wider interest in cycling because of the success of Britons in the sport. I think that - mainly due to the way in which the sport is covered in the media - people are beginning to follow it and doping per se is something of a moot point.

Chris Hoy, for instance, is reigning sports personality of the year and the track team, following their success at the olympics, is team of the year. Lots of people know who Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins are and Victoria Pendleton is plastered on the side of sky tv vans... with her clothes on!

Cheating is so prevelant in sport now - I posted the Guardian's A-Z of cheating here recently - that it's part of the background noise of most events. The inadequates who 'report' and commentate on major events are singularly blind to it, however; they do not want to alienate the powers that be, dob in their old mates, or, perhaps, fess up to things they may have done whilst competitors.

To sum up, I'd hazard that the common view of doping in cycling is: 'It's the cheating foreigners who do it; our boys/girls are clean. Yippee!'

Good luck with your project. It'd be great if you'd post a summary of your conclusions when you've done.

 

[Rassendyll]

DON'T FEED THE TROLL.

What's with the aggro - worst troll ever if he is, given the total absence of winding anybody up.

Seems like a reasonable question, except that as pointed out we are not members of the general public and therefore have a slightly different view.

I agree with most of the comments above, including comments on other sports which are not looking for drugs as much as cycling.

If you want to know how bad it has been you should look up some of the books by Paul Kimmage or Joe Parkin, who were ordinary pro-cyclists in the 80s and 90s. And more recently as mentioned, people like Ricco, Kohl, Vinokourov and Pantani.

Although Pantani never actually failed a drugs test and a surprising number of disgraced riders haven't. David Millar being another good example. The aspect of the dopers always apparently being a step or two ahead of the testers is something you should cover. They get hold of drugs that are not even released.

I would amend your last question by way of response too and say that all the drug use (and resulting scandals) is a result of cycling being the toughest sport.
There is the famous quote from Jacques Anquetil who asked "do they expect us to ride on mineral water alone."

It's a question of expectation versus reality innit.

 

[Globalti]

Don't think it's a troll.

Read Paul Kimmage's book Rough Ride and you'll share my belief that they are ALL doping. ALL of them.

 

[Steve Austin]

its an obvious troll. one post and he's is contributing so much to the forum. bet he never posts again.

 

[Noodley]

Yep, defo a troll.

 

[CotterPin]

I think that is a bit unfair. Maybe I am being naive but chances are he is a sixth former who thought he might post his question about cycling on a forum about cycling in the belief that he might get some considered responses. Instead all he got was people grunting "troll" at him. Not exactly very welcoming, guys!