I’ll never forget the day, 2 years ago, when I just turned on Eurosport ‘for 5 minutes’ to check how the racing was going. Flloyd Landis had just broken away from the peleton and started one of cycling’s epic breakaways. Three hours later I was still glued to the set thinking I had witnessed one of sport’s greatest comebacks and procycling’s greatest days. After collapsing the previous day, Flloyd Landis had come back to win the stage in spectacular style and regain the yellow jersey.
His positive test was painful to say the least. Suffice to say that was the last year I watched the Tour de France on tv. It still seems only like yesterday, but already Lance Armstrong is welcoming Flloyd Landis back into the tour. A two year ban seems so paltry and pathetic. These people have ruined the sport, yet they get to come back and make more money and a mockery of the need to promote a clean sport.
I wonder whether Lance Armstong would be so keen to welcome a cyclist like Filipo Simeoni? – (a cyclist who spoke out against a doping doctor – Michael Ferrari) – I doubt Lance Armstrong would be so forgiving of the unpardonable sin of speaking against doping…
People might say people deserve a second chance, but, what about all the clean cyclists who were denied wins by the dopers? where is their second chance to gain their deserved victories? If you are a clean cyclist, it must be really gut wrenching the way dopers:
- Rarely get caught (though you feel this is definitely improving with quite a few positive tests recently)
- When they do get caught they are welcomed warmly back into the peleton as if nothing has happened.
- Yet, those who speak out against doping, historically were permanently excluded from the pro scene.
If you are a young cyclist, there is almost a temptation to dope because the chance of getting caught is so low, and even if you do get caught you will come back soon. I guess that is why so many do it.
I don’t believe in holding a grudge against people. I do believe in forgiveness and giving people second chances. But, I also want to see much stiffer penalties for doping. Their should be a ban of 4 years, and the courts should try to take away their winnings gained through cheating.
Maybe I am being miserable, some people have no problem cheering for the likes of Richard Virenque, David Millar e.t.c. But, I just can’t raise any enthusiasm to see the likes of Landis, Vinokourov and Tyler Hamilton coming back into the sport.
Also, I don’t have anything personally against people like David Millar (at least he had a certain contrition – something I never saw from Landis), it’s the rules that need changing. That’s my rant for the month anyway.
Interesting article from a doping expert- that cycling gets a bad press. I actually agree, compared to other sports, cycling has made huge strides in improving its fight against doping. Now we just need stiffer sentences.
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