A short rant on the problems of cycling follows:
I consider myself a cycling fan - don’t know a huge amount about the sport but I love watching it on tv when I get the chance. But one of the biggest problems facing the sport is the attitude of other cycling supporters who delude themselves constantly about the issue of doping in the sport. It’s not selling out on a sport you enjoy to acknowledge that it has a problem. I’ve been at pains to point on here a number of times that I think cycling is finally beginning to get its act together and there is a large number of riders in this year’s Tour who I reckon are completely clean. But in welcoming the progress and accepting that there have been improvements it’s to the absolute detriment of the sport to pretend nothing is wrong. In that context here is an article from www.sportingo.com on the witch-hunt of Rasmussen:
Tour de France: This Michael Rasmussen witch-hunt is so out of order
It’s 2006 all over again with the Floyd Landis doping scandal erupting once more, this time in Danish as the current yellow-jersey holder’s reputation is tarnished.
‘The news of Rasmussens missed tests seems more timed to sully the name of an athlete who has worked hard to get where he is’
It was a year ago that Floyd Landis pulled out all the stops and recaptured the yellow jersey after a very good time trial during the penultimate stage of the 2006 Tour de France. Landis duly rode onto the Champs-lyses as the 2006 champion of cyclings toughest race.
Riding with a bum hip, he overcame a number of obstacles in his rise to Tour champion, not the least of which was a bad day on Stage 16, where he lost so much time to the other contenders that he relinquished the yellow jersey and fell to 11th in the standings. The next day, as we all know, he came back and rode a tactically brilliant stage, regaining enough time to move back into contention for the overall win.
Unfortunately for Landis, and the sport of cycling in general, he had about two days to bask in the afterglow of his victory before everything changed. But well save that story for another day. Today is a good day to remember how it felt watching Landis sipping champagne as he rode to Paris and the sight of him standing on the podium, smiling. Those are the images we should remember, along with his epic ride on Stage 17. Getting there was the accomplishment. Landis deserves better than what hes been through over the last year.
In this years Tour, the current yellow jersey holder is in the midst of a doping controversy, too. News of missed out-of-competition tests and allegations that he tried to have a friend smuggle blood-doping products into Italy in 2002 threaten to tarnish his image. If that hasnt happened already. Yet Pat McQuaid told The Guardian that he would rather not see Michael Rasmussen win the Tour. What an awful thing to say.
From an image point of view, it would be better if it was not Rasmussen but one of the youngest riders winning the Tour, McQuaid said. But he has not broken any rule so far since two no-shows are not a doping offence.
Other than allegations, with no direct evidence (the claims of two individuals), there is no proof that Rasmussen did what hes being accused of doing. McQuaid would do well to remind people that in the absence of any proof, we should not be assuming the Rasmans guilt. And for every missed out-of-competition test, there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
These days, it seems, theres a strong desire (at least in some quarters) to tear down any good performance by any cyclist in any race, but especially in the Tour. Are some of the cyclists on this years Tour up to no good? Probably a few, step forward the foolhardy whove signed on to the UCIs pledge and are willing to see if they can fool the anti-doping tests.
But the news of Rasmussens missed tests, followed by Whitney Richards allegations, seems more timed to sully the name of an athlete who has worked hard to get where he is, and whos not failed a doping test. At least, not yet.
Rasmussen deserves better. Pro cycling deserves better. And the Tour deserves better than the sideshow thats distracting people from the beauty of the sport and the guts and determination of all who ride and all who finish the race. Just to be in the race is an extraordinary accomplishment. Ask any competitive cyclist who has ever harboured that dream and didnt have the legs, lungs or talent to make it that far.
We should celebrate that and admire that, and all the cyclists who are giving it their all day in and day out for three weeks every July. Thats what the guys duking it out on the roads of France and her neighbouring countries every summer deserve.
Imagine writing something as delusional as that and passing it off as journalism - even Internet journalism?
In an article that purports to address the issue of doping in cycling - even if it’s arguing that doping is not a problem - how can the writer possibly say “We’ll save that story for another day,” about the Floyd Landis affair last year? Why bring it up if you can’t deal with it? “Landis deserves better…” On what grounds exactly does he deserve better? There’s no facts to the argument - just praise for Landis.
And Rasmussen deserves better does he? He’s so deserving of praise that the public don’t deserve to know about his missed doping tests!
And apparently pro-cycling deserves better and on and on…
I love the Tour de France but the answer to its obvious problems is to keep on finding and catching and shaming the cheats. Burying your head in the sand is just crazy. Preaching to the world about how wrong they are to worry about Rasmussen is moronic.