I've probably been around long enough to recognise that change is a steady process,
Precisely wrong. "Steady" is not required here. Since the promotion of sport on TV and the Tour going live in the 60's, PED abuse has been endemic. The cycle, "youngster joins team, wins a couple of races, loses a few more, manager has conversation with youngster, youngster turns to old hands, old hands tell youngster, comply or get out, youngster either leaves the sport never to have anything to do with it again or complies, experienced rider [AKA doping thief] becomes team manager, team manager or rider becomes senior official" ensures that nothing ever changes. Nobody is going to say, well I couldn't do it without drugs so neither can you, in fact the very opposite will occur and the system will gang up on the clean rider and ostricise them in so many ways, some overt and many subliminal but very harmful. Individuals who are not even aware of the omerta and who is doping, will innocently be drawn into this bullying as they support the established stars and system that keeps them in place. Even innocent but ignorant officials at the top will be drawn into supporting the wrong side.
The only changes to this sport have come about because of the actions of the law enforcement agencies, Gendarmarie - Festina or independent agencies, or one outcast - Kimmage, who decided to expose national icons Kelly and Roche for being a pair of criminals. Then one journalist hooked on the back and did a great job.
The rest of the bunch are a complete waste of space. Slow change is what these people want. There is nothing to be slow about. The cycle needs to be broken and allowing somebody like Riis to hold a licence to run a team, when he has never, ever been co-operative about who assisted him in becoming Mr 60%, just about sets a flag up as to where these people are at. You want a licence - co-operate. you don't want to co-operate, slink off to your hole and be gone.
Having a Brit near the top of the UCI is no bad thing.
Might have been if he lived up to standards set by so many from his nation, in history before. At least a good section of the the Irish cycling membership recognise that Pat is not someone support. Cookson does not appear to have the brains to work out that sometimes you have to stand by your convictions.
Just because Brian Cookson does not shout about, it does not necessarily mean he is doing nothing. I don't know what he is doing but what I do know is that making headlines is one thing, and what actually happens is another.
Tygart trumps the whole of the UCI board, having given them 8 years head start since Walsh first made the claims about Lance. There were just so many ways the UCI could have obtained the evidence. They hold the ability to set the rules and grant licences. The tools at their disposal were far more effective than those available to Tygart. Look, they had to be backed into a corner prior to Athens, before they would sign up the WADA code. Hein was appalling in all his deviousness avoiding signing.
What you have to think is that it's possible nobody gets nominated. Then what?
Nobody gets nominated - for what ? Nobody wants to be President ? Only Cookson is putting himself in the frame ?
In any case what anyone thinks or says on this or other fora will make zero difference.
Imagine a member of the UCI board was actually writing on here in a pseudonym and starting the odd thread and responding to comments made here. It might be happening.
Regardless - only an asinine moron would totally discount public opinion. Social media has changed the way the World works. So yes it does matter. Maybe not a lot, but maybe so. Brailsford employed Leinders, Sutton and Yates knowing exactly where they came from. He knew exactly what Herrety was like. Leinders was the subject of much forum speculation before being released, absolutely none of it benign. Before, Christmas social pressure was exposing the lie from Sky regarding Sutton and Yates. Somebody sold Yates out to the DT - probably Sutton to save his own skin and then on a good day to bury bad news, Sutton was moved away. Social media might have passed Cookson by, it has certainly not passed Brailsford by.
I was told once that change comes from within, and by patient work.
I was once told "you get what you pay for". That was entirely wrong as well. A whole industry promoting brand over product earns its living perpetuating that myth. You started this thread slagging off Tygart. He is external and without him Lance and all the other criminals like de Jong, Barry, Julrich and Leinders would still be running around and Yates and Sutton would not have had to slink off taking their foul smell with them. That is precisely the problem - the internal solution has been tried for about 60 years and it has done nothing effective, just brought us back to the starting point a few years later. Only an individual locked in that inner circle, could ignore all the evidence and take this stance.
So if anyone out there really wants to make a difference, then the patient way, get on to the British Cycling board and start applying pressure, this requires work, and not just offereing opinions.
I am sure the board has changed in the last 18 years, but there are many of us who have lost too many years, fighting too many one-sided battles and have consumed far more of our time on this Earth, to very little effect, to try again. If the board is different now maybe it can do something. UDI from the UCI would be the most sensible thing for a group who had a spine. Right now they have the riders and the commercial clout - Sky. They just need to take EPA and Marie-Odile with them and then the UCI will not count for anything. Pat and Hein can be left puffing in the wind. See your next comment - it is the logical next step for BC.
The UCI is in a mess, but I don't think that there are any quick fixes, I recall a wise proverb "To every problem there is a simple, obvious solution, which when looked at in detail is usually wrong".
I agree with you there.
Though I suspect I'll have to sue to get it!