Doping amnesty

[Chris Norton]

Surely its time that pro cycling did something radical to try and sort this whole mess out. It's almost a daily ritual of reading that another pro has confessed or been caught with the shorts down. You know it's a mess when a countries minister has to quit.

It needs a clean slate with the bio passport and the chance for riders to NOT have to put their bodies through the doping regimes.

As for the picture of Rasmussen, he looked something like a prisoner of war than a highly tuned athlete, but when you look at the likes of Laurant Fignon who blew up like a balloon the moment his career was over it makes you wonder is it all really worth the effort.

The low bone density scares me though and I do have hip problems now.

 

[thom]

amnesty ;-)

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Having an amnesty IMHO condones what went on in the past. This should never be done.
If riders who have doped in the past care about the sport they should come forward and name names, how they did things and help clean the mess up.. It should be from a place of caring and wanting to fix things.
Helping clean up the sport should not come with deals for the sake of the few riders during this time who raced clean IMHO

They need to improve testing and continue to catch them. The punishments need to be harsher though and hand out a minimum of two season bans first time and ban for life the second.

 

[Chris Norton]

amnesty ;-)

Beer and a rather poor spell check. LOL

 

[Chris Norton]

The precedent's have already been set as everyone who did the Armstrong grassing got 6 months rather than 2 years. A brand new start with everyone coming clean is the way to go for me.

 

[400bhp]

The precedent's have already been set as everyone who did the Armstrong grassing got 6 months rather than 2 years. A brand new start with everyone coming clean is the way to go for me.

But what's that (and all this talk of an amnesty) going to achieve?

It's not like it gets them "off the street" is it.

 

[GBC]

Having an amnesty IMHO condones what went on in the past. This should never be done.
If riders who have doped in the past care about the sport they should come forward and name names, how they did things and help clean the mess up.. It should be from a place of caring and wanting to fix things.
Helping clean up the sport should not come with deals for the sake of the few riders during this time who raced clean IMHO

They need to improve testing and continue to catch them. The punishments need to be harsher though and hand out a minimum of two season bans first time and ban for life the second.

The first doping exposé was c.1923. How far back do you think they should go?

 

[Cycleops]

Bearing in mind just how ingrained doping is now in most sports wouldn't it just be easier to let them carry on with it no holds barred! At least it would be a level playing field.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

The first doping exposé was c.1923. How far back do you think they should go?

I'm not sure they should restrict it. If some one wants to help the sport and admit to past wrongs while providing information which will help ensure that sport improves for the next generation of riders I think its a positive step.
What I don't support is cutting deals and getting off season bans, riders who assist under these terms are ultimately self serving and looking for that advantage. (The advantage being off season or short bans) These are the same riders whos quest for an advantage took them to PED's

The next generation of riders need to have knowledge that should you get caught your life as a pro cyclist is over... While the advantages outweigh the risks doping will continue imho

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Bearing in mind just how ingrained doping is now in most sports wouldn't it just be easier to let them carry on with it no holds barred! At least it would be a level playing field.

Your making the assumption that everyone reacts the same to drugs for it to be level which is not the case, some people get a bigger advantage from PED than others.

 

[Rob3rt]

Bearing in mind just how ingrained doping is now in most sports wouldn't it just be easier to let them carry on with it no holds barred! At least it would be a level playing field.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I'm not sure they should restrict it. If some one wants to help the sport and admit to past wrongs while providing information which will help ensure that sport improves for the next generation of riders I think its a positive step.
What I don't support is cutting deals and getting off season bans, riders who assist under these terms are ultimately self serving and looking for that advantage. (The advantage being off season or short bans) These are the same riders whos quest for an advantage took them to PED's

The next generation of riders need to have knowledge that should you get caught your life as a pro cyclist is over... While the advantages outweigh the risks doping will continue imho

While the point about cyclists ''assisting'' is probably valid the other side of the coin is that, without some kind of concession, the pressure is to keep silent and this is probably even more self serving. And harder to break down.

Couldn't an amnesty be framed so that the next generation are excluded from the amnesty as such but get concerted help and support if they report coming under pressure to dope?

 

[Boris Bajic]

It is an interesting question. In these circumstances I find myself instinctively opposed to an amnesty, but some factors seem to support its consideration:

1. Nothing to date has worked.
2. Current senior members of the peloton are tainted, while others who are believed to be clean are almost certainly not. It only takes a couple of saints to have their halo tipped off in years to come for cycling to be back in the gutter.
3. Sometimes an amnesty can clear the road ahead, albeit at the cost of the pride and credibility of some hitherto unknown dopers.

There are several reasons to avoid an amnesty. One might be that the life-ban LA might become some sort of Pied Piper figure or (even worse) the Son of God who sacrificed himself so that other dopers could ride on. I don't want to beat LA with a big stick from now to the end of time, but if he is left allowing to claim that he carries the pain (and the life ban and the sins) of others, it will stick in my craw a little.

I am essentially a selfish seeker of entertainment. I like the GTs because they entertain me. It doesn't go much deeper than that.

Let the authorities do as they will, but please bring me GTs that entertain me.

 

[Hotblack Desiato]

..
I am essentially a selfish seeker of entertainment. I like the GTs because they entertain me. It doesn't go much deeper than that.

Let them do as they will, but please bring me GTs that entertain me.

No. They tar us all. Have been to watch a TdF and cycling home was somewhat displeased when some car passenger yelled 'dopeur' at me as they passed.

Believe it or not, dopers are not highly regarded sportsmen/women. We used to associate doping with the dictatorships behind the iron curtain. Now it is commercial pressure that makes them do it. And selfish voyeurs, I am sorry to say.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I find myself in favour of an amnesty. The amnesty should guarantee that the dirt bags won't be prosecuted in return for life bans from all competitive sport.