Tetedelacourse said:
So Rusty, how do you reconcile the doping/ effort conundrum of past and present?
I genuinely don't see a conundrum, seeing racing through the years as one long thread. Same sh1t, different year, so to speak. And it's clear the teams, management and riders do much the same. There's enough evidence, I think, that 'tainted' riders become 'tainted' staff and 'tainted' DS, and 'tainted' riders initiate other riders into the practise. There's no conundrum to resolve there, and there's not a big enough swell for change yet.
Which leaves me watching and wondering what level of fraud is being perpetrated. I watch the spectacle - as do you - full of awe for the class of Contador, the power of Cancellara, the genuine humanity of seeing Ullrich break his spirit against the might of Armstrong… and I love the battle. But I have taken the knocks hard (as a passive watcher) and perhaps the final straw was when Landis got booted from the Tour.
I grew up watching Hinault (he's a God) and have no idea whether he doped. But Pollentier did, Delgado did... etc. The evidence suggests they all did.
Nowadays I cannot grasp that people still laud Pantani, to choose another obvious example.
It's not a conundrum but it's very sad not knowing whether what you witness is a level playing field. I come from the same city as O'Grady and would love to be able to assert he's a clean rider. Would I put my house on it? Not likely; not when I've heard no claim from the rider concerned. And in such a climate you suspend judgement or perhaps even believe the worst. This is the great pity, for me, and I am annoyed beyond reason when I hear claims (an example only, you understand) that Millar is clean because he's 'done his time' or 'he's one of us'.
Anyway, that's a bit of my thinking, not world beating I know, and a bit OT.
