Couple of points. Kenny is some cunt in fairness nd every bit as bad as Gay Byrne for being blinded by a national icon. Scientist my hairy hole. The bit where he brings in Dr Bill Tormey as a medical expert at 19 minutes is fucking unreal. Dr Bill the medical expert then proceeds to read a few pieces he downloaded from the Internet that morning.
It also has to be said though that Walsh was unconvincing on a couple of occasions. It was fairly obvious that he had the Conconi files for what they were worth and fuck all else. In fairness talking at key points about Shay Elliot and some random Dutch chap who died aged 27 was pure waffle.
Great video. Yer man Tormey was an absolute prick. I suppose itās easy to snigger at the audience and Kenny with hindsight, but Roche was a hero back then and Walshās arguments were wafer thin and sounded spiteful tbh.
Cycling really needs a truth and reconciliation committee.
Thanks for posting that Thraw, I had not had the pleasure of watching it before. It was very very depressing. I might come across as a hypocrite but here is my take on it: Roche had more talent in one toenail than most riders. He won what he won taking whatever shite was going in the 80s. There was no wonder drug to make these huge differentiations like happenened in the 90s and 00s. EPO came in around the time that Rocheās career was in decline, he was past it. Maybe he pricked around with it but he won fuck all at that time anyway. A time of which Tony Rominger said āthe problem with EPO is that it makes every guy think he is a championā. And that is how it was, cunts that couldnāt normally get over a railway bridge winning classic races and Tour stages.
And what bothers me is thisā¦David Walsh made his career on the backs of Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. He went over to France in 82 reporting in the Irish Press on Kelly winning the Green jersey. I remember waiting every evening for the sports news at 5:50 or 5:55 on RTE 1 for his report on the days stage. He made his name. And for him to turn around and stab Roche in the back was cuntish behaviour of the highest order. There is absolutely no comparison with what Roche, Fignon, Hinault might have taken with what went on in the last twenty years. Look at the average speeds. Remarkably they started to drop around 2005 but the1987 average was no great shakes compared to the 50s or 60s.
Ah here for fuck sake Balbec. What was he supposed to do when he got this info? Bury it because of some old pals act with Roche and Kelly? Itās because of cuntish thinking like that we donāt have investigative journalism any more.
The overall speed chart doesnāt mean much either. Cyclists have gotten a hell of a lot fitter over the decades and the parcours differ dramatically year to year.
I texted Tormey, referenced the video and told him I hoped he was ashamed of himself.
This is 10 years ago. Kimmage was 22 years ago. These two boys deserve an official reception in the Aras or something. Brave, courageous, steadfast heroes.
Me too. No journalist makes their name on the back of a sportsperson. No one sportsperson is bigger than the sport. He was there, a great writer and covered it. And when he saw it was rotten he reported it. Some balls to go on the Late Late and confront someone heād written two books with.
Tormey has been texting me back, by the way. Seems like an ignorant cunt. I told him he owes Walsh an apology and that Iād be happy to go to his office to present him with enough data to show that he was talking out of his hole. Heās been fairly abusive actually. Told me that if I was 30 I should grow up and learn manners. Iāll happily transcribe the texts that show that this comment is totally unwarranted.
How would he be ashamed of himself? Heās an attention seeking wanker who got loads of attention for himself on the night. Heāll be delighted with himself that you are bringing this up again.
Iām not saying he wouldnāt, he certainly would not have shied away from the modern day PEDs. But the graph doesnāt really prove anything in particular.
Well it does show that there was a remarkable improvement in average speeds in a short period of time. And all I am saying is that the products available to the riders in the 80s were not comparable to the shit availble in the last 20. So people should not compare Roche with the likes of Armstrong who ran a professional doping process.
