Are we all agreed here?

[S. cerevisiae]

Are enough of us seeing a pattern here? Are we becoming a little disillusioned about sports and any athlete's willingness to earn more by any means available?

The Flloys looks guilty as hell, Riis admits it, Hamilton got caught, Ullrich retired because of it, Basso is associated in Puerto...then there is the Austrian nordic ski team.

Feet of clay.

I'm certain that if WADA turned their efforts toward teh pros in our particular part of the world they would find some violations. Anywhere there is money to be won there is the potential to cheat.

F-ing bummer

[rockyrider]

CCES Reports Doping Control Stats for 2006 (http://www.canadiancyclist.com/dailynews/May/5.17.0712.06PM21.shtml)

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has released its report on doping control tests for April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007. During that period 3,481 tests were conducted (a record), with cycling being the fourth highest sport tested (on a by-sport basis for in and out of competition):

Athletics - 334
Swimming - 174
Canoe/Kayak - 143
Cycling - 128
Rowing - 126

By comparison, Hockey had 62 tests.

21 domestic anti-doping rule violations were reported. 9 athletes were sanctioned, and 12 were given warnings and reprimands (these were for cannabis).

The CCES also published the current Violation Registry of athletes under sanction. There is one cyclist on the list, Chris Sheppard, whose sanction for EPO ends September 12th of this year. Sheppard indicated in a conversation at the Sea Otter Classic this past April that he hopes to compete after his suspension ends.
________________________________________

agreed :D

[davkatreb]

Screw it. WADA will never stop doping. Might as well dismantle it and let 'em run what they brung. Steroids, gene splicing, performance-enhancing surgery-Hey, maybe we could take it to the Supreme Court.

Hey, I can see it now-Floyd v WADA. Hell, an athlete should have the right to control his own body. It's in the Constitution, right?

[wigger thomas]

I don't think you'll see everyone in agreement on this one.

If your kid's a fast bike rider and seems to have potential to win races,what do you do?
Tell him racing is for side show freaks. Make him/her quit when they reach a certain level.
What about the first time they lose to a steroid taking zombie? Temptation?

[cMc]

Riis is a bitch. After all his sactimonious bullshit toward Jan and Ivan... sheesh.

Of course, if you look at teh '96 podium the two other top dogs were admitted dopers, too.

I'm still watching the Giro coverage. I DVR it and watch it while I'm running on my treadmill in the morning before work. I FF through any doping chat and enjoy the scenery. I'll do the same for the Tour and the Vuelta.

Whatever, I guess. :rolleyes:

[rockyrider]

I guess it's all about what parents teach their kids about competition and why they'd compete. There's something wrong in the sport support and reward model if winning at any cost becomes a viable strategy.

Somewhere in the process that whole "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" thing has been relegated to the quaint notion heap. And even worse, the fun aspect of sport has been sucked out of it and replaced with business plans, endorsement contracts, media savvy marketing of athletes all feeding the "star maker machinery".

If successful athletes were respected rather than idolized, and were not commoditized, sportsmanship might end up back in sports.

whoaaah...... thump! Damn I fell of my soapbox. :rolleyes:

[wigger thomas]

Sorry Rocky,that idealism will never fly.

My friend has been raving about the Giro coverage. Maybe I'll check out a link. I've really got nothing against most freak shows.
I''m pretty freaky myself. But I am not juicin'.

[rockyrider]

yeah, I'm a product of the idealistic 60's. :cool:

[davkatreb]

I don't think you'll see everyone in agreement on this one.

If your kid's a fast bike rider and seems to have potential to win races,what do you do?
Tell him racing is for side show freaks. Make him/her quit when they reach a certain level.
What about the first time they lose to a steroid taking zombie? Temptation?
I'd be a hell of a lot more worried about the little guy listening to those hippity-hoppity records and thinking that vile filth represents normal life in the real world.

And where is it written that riding and racing must go hand in hand? I have never raced and could care less, yet I still manage to get my bike on. And I enjoy it immensely. Hell yes, encourage 'em to ride, but for the right reasons. Or you'd just as well give 'em a basketball and pray for an NBA contract.

Sheesh.

[wigger thomas]

Unfortunately,any useful tidbits from the Velogezer are buried in senile vitriole. Isn't his day pass from the nursing home expired?

[OTBSkinloss]

Are we all agreed here, may be the stoopidest thing I've ever seen or heard about, posted here.
just gos to show.

[davkatreb]

Isn't his day pass from the nursing home expired?
I would say that comment is beneath you, but I'm not feeling quite that generous.

[chris29]

Not that I approve, but why not let them dope? Don't ask don't tell. If you get caught by the law you lost the race. Lose the WADA. What defines an unfair advantage? Protein shakes by one rider wrong over the one without (not that that exists, but you get the drift). Creatine in some sports -illegal advantage? High altitude acclimation before race > wrong? Genetic advantage? If an athlete is producing test at the lower end of the "normal" range, what if he dopes but only enough to get him to the higher end? This would be within the norms of human biology but a doctor would not prescribe this ethically for fear of abuse. Yet the athlete would be wrong to make parity with his genetically gifted neighbor. Should the spoils always go to the purely genetically gifted? If all athletes had the same training program, and we finally eliminate everything and every supplement under the sun, we'll cal the race every time i.e. Lance (gifted and possible well, something else...you know (though I'd cry if true)). Heck let them push the limit. A few will die on the road and teach a lesson to others. The last one standing wins (*I do not entirely believe this, but I thought perhaps it was another direction to take. Doping will NEVER be eliminated, so lets work with it. Just like the RIAA suing MP3 owners and Viacom suing Google/YouTube. The public will get their media somewhere else, and post it a different place). The horse has left he barn kids, and there is no point making a lot of noise slamming the door. A better mouse will finally break any trap the WADA lays out. Does that in itself make one a better MENTAL competitor? Rewarded for MacGuyver like thinking? Ever patted YOURSELF on the back for your ingenuity? ;-) Preparation is 1/2 the battle. Who's to say how? /Rant /Other point of view, etc...

[OTBSkinloss]

I would say that comment is beneath you, but I'm not feeling quite that generous.


No, Dave. I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head. You're sooooo old, you fart dust. You remember when dirt was new. You could fall and break a hip, any day, now. Mathuzala thinks you're old. :D

[davkatreb]

No, Dave. I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head. You're sooooo old, you fart dust. You remember when dirt was new. You could fall and break a hip, any day, now. Mathuzala thinks you're old. :D
Maybe so, but I always considered wigger a better person than to take that sort of juvenile cheap shot. You, on the other hand...

Oh yeah, and it's spelled "Methusela" in the high school yearbook.

[myron]

Maybe so, but I always considered wigger a better person than to take that sort of juvenile cheap shot. You, on the other hand...

Oh yeah, and it's spelled "Methusela" in the high school yearbook.

The nothing on top but a bucket and a mop
And an illustrated book about birds
You see a lot up there but don't be scared
Who needs action when you got words