Jonathon Tiernan Locke blood passport iffy? (ToB title for Haas?)

[Pro Tour Punditry]

As an aside, I used to quite like Sky when they started, but that has changed.

 

[smutchin]

It's up to them what they do

Up to a point. There are employment contracts and related laws to consider, which is perhaps the only reason they've suspended rather than sacked him up to this point.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Up to a point. There are employment contracts and related laws to consider, which is perhaps the only reason they've suspended rather than sacked him up to this point.

Indeed

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

It's up to them what they do, and as the article say they have taken the decision to distance themselves from him during the investigation, whether you think that's poor taste or not.

It surely can't be news to you that a) Sky have a "zero tolerance" approach <despite them hiring dopers in the past> and b) Sky don't care about people they care about the brand.

The "IMO" part is just that, my opinion.

The fact that they are making decisions, and distancing themselves from JTL, before any conclusions have come from the doping inquiry shows a ruthlessness that i class as poor taste.

Should they have stood by their rider until proven guilty then, IMO, not only would they have been doing the right thing by JTL they would have looked a lot classier than they do now.

 

[thom]

I don't know what the fuss is about - of all the problems JTL has at the moment, I very much doubt this is something JTL is worried about - might even be his choice. Who knows ?

 

[smutchin]

Should they have stood by their rider until proven guilty then, IMO, not only would they have been doing the right thing by JTL they would have looked a lot classier than they do now.

As jdtate pointed out earlier, no rider has ever been acquitted when the procedure has reached this stage. Sky did stand by him for a long time, but now it's past the point where their public support can help him. We don't know what is going on in private.

It's a no-win situation for Sky, really. If they did continue to back him, they'd be getting a lot of stick for being seen as soft on doping.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Should they have stood by their rider until proven guilty then, IMO, not only would they have been doing the right thing by JTL they would have looked a lot classier than they do now.

see part b) of my earlier post - if you still think Sky give a crap about people then you ain't been watching them for the past few years.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I don't know what the fuss is about - of all the problems JTL has at the moment, I very much doubt this is something JTL is worried about - might even be his choice. Who knows ?

You're probably right Thom, it might just be media spin but the media would also report team Sky publicly backing their rider. How much damage could be done to Skys rep should they have come out and said "our number one priority just now is to stand by our rider. We will continue to do so until the appropriate authorities make their decision".

It appears though that JTL has been nominated the sacrificial lamb before there is any call for slaughter.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

see part b) of my earlier post - if you still think Sky give a crap about people then you ain't been watching them for the past few years.

I don't presume to know wether team Sky give a crap about people. I personally think it might be misguided to tar the entire team and staff with that brush, which seems to be implied?

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

As jdtate pointed out earlier, no rider has ever been acquitted when the procedure has reached this stage. Sky did stand by him for a long time, but now it's past the point where their public support can help him. We don't know what is going on in private.

It's a no-win situation for Sky, really. If they did continue to back him, they'd be getting a lot of stick for being seen as soft on doping.

Yeh i think you are right that it's the fear of how the media can spin it. The shame is at this point is that someone has to lose here and Sky have decided that it won't be them.

 

[smutchin]

It was never going to be!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I don't presume to know wether team Sky give a crap about people.

You can't have been paying attention then.

 

[oldroadman]

Of course, when yu have no financial interests in a project, moralising is easy. Sky have made zero tolerance a public policy, and are a very powerful and rich brand. One of their riders looks as if he may have done something silly. Empathise with the Sky bosses (those well beyond the actual team, the real power players - money men/women). If there is the slightest possibilty of the brand being damaged by association then the source of that potential damage will be sidelined, removed from public association, and if the matter is proved to be true, fired. This is called business. Business does not take prisoners. Professional sport is a business, however much some might want it to be all lovely and amateur and caring. It's tough on JTL if he is innocent, but from a sporting point of view he simply has not delivered anyway since going to Sky, so even if this is the case (innnocent) he may well be in a more comfortable place moving down a division or two where he might be more competitive. It's a tough game and casualties are inevitable.

 

[Crackle]

Doping hearing now coming up

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/doping-hearing-for-jonathan-tiernan-locke-by-end-of-month

 

[lay]

When he done that world champs he was flying at the end...1 can only wonder...i hope for him...cest la vie