Lets be friends - best friends

[Bollo]

Came upon this interview on velonews today.

Kimmage vs Armstrong - what could go wrong? Find a sofa to hide behind while you watch it and apologies if it's already been put up.

http://velonews.tv/?articleID=2591

 

[John the Monkey]

Any of the press pack quiz him about his supposedly extensive "imperative" anti-doping programme with Dr. Caitlin being dropped after one bloody sample was taken?

Armstrong misses the point about Millar *again* not that he was caught and confessed, but that he's now a positive force in the sport. Basso is only back because his team pulled out of an agreement among pro-tour teams to double the penalties given to dopers. Landis "doesn't feel like he's guilty".

Reminds me slightly of the Pro-Cycling readers' questions issue (Feb 2009) in which he seemed to threaten to blacklist the magazine.

 

[Crackle]

Now first important question. Is it Caitlin or Catlin?

I think Kimmage deserved that.

JTM is spot on though. Can these guys really not see how the world views their machinations?

 

[John the Monkey]

I think Kimmage deserved that.

I think Kimmage's description was out of order - but that doesn't mean he can't ask a question that Mr. Armstrong continually seems to misconstrue and expect an answer. Kimmage also deserves a bit of respect for what he went through - he blew the whistle back when it really was a case of "shut up if you know what's good for you". Commentary elsewhere so far seems to be applauding Lance for the "smackdown" and ignoring the question asked.

Until the rest of the cycling press ups it's own testosterone level a bit, it seems like Kimmage is the only person who is asking, too.

Incidentally, if you've seen it as "Catlin" elsewhere, it'll be me that's wrong.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I liked Kimmages comment, "You don't have the patent on cancer".

Kimmage takes a lot of flack, but he has been there and seen at first hand what goes on. Too many people in the sport would like to pretend that doping doesn't exist, but it does and the public are getting fed up with it.

 

[maurice]

Lance held himself pretty well there, definitely made Kimmage look bad.

I'm not sure of the whole importance of his Landis viewpoint. I respect Lance more for not putting the boot into an friend/ex-colleague while he's down, and not doing it just to satisfy the press. He's said Landis made a mistake, I think it's enough.

If Landis admitted it now and came back to the European tours as a Millar-like anti doping force would he be viewed in the same regard as Millar? I don't think so, different era to be caught in. (and Millar was never as good)

 

[Crackle]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if Kimmage deserves any respect. True, he blew the whistle but out of any nobility for the sport, I doubt. Rather more, due to his own inadequacies as a person and a cyclist. You can't go around making analogies of cancer and then expect to get your questions answered, especially when you're questions and angle is loaded. It'll take a more subtle approach than his to get some objectivity into this.

 

[Chuffy]

Now first important question. Is it Caitlin or Catlin?

I think Kimmage deserved that.

JTM is spot on though. Can these guys really not see how the world views their machinations?

Slightly tangential I know, but...
I work in an area that has associations with PR and the press. I'm no expert, but you start to pick out how a publicity strategy has been developed and is being used and Team LA are damn good. The way that Team LA's association with Don Caitlin was declared to be over coincided very neatly with the publication of the Damsgard testing. A theoretical set of high value test data was never even gathered (despite promises) but Presto! a much lower value set of data appears to replace it. Think of Indiana Jones swapping a gold statue for a bag of sand. Except that there will be no boulder threatening to crush Team LA because cycling just doesn't work that way and once you've got away with it, you've got away with it.

Didn't watch the clip. There's no sofa here in the kitchen and I hate that kind of cringy stuff...

 

[Chuffy]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if Kimmage deserves any respect. True, he blew the whistle but out of any nobility for the sport, I doubt. Rather more, due to his own inadequacies as a person and a cyclist. You can't go around making analogies of cancer and then expect to get your questions answered, especially when you're questions and angle is loaded. It'll take a more subtle approach than his to get some objectivity into this.

Probably true. Rough Ride doesn't paint a pretty picture of the author, he's more brutal on himself than he is on anyone else. You can call it self pity, or bitterness, or whatever, but I admire him for being more cruelly honest with himself than most of us would ever dare to be.

To be honest, Kimmage in a press conference with Team La is never going to be anything other than a bearpit. It certainly isn't going to get any answers. So Team LA is getting kudos for the smackdown? Big surprise, plenty of people want to be on the side of the alpha-dog and Kimmage isn't the most sympathetic of people. But it's a shame that the rest of the press pack is gutless enough to suck up to Team LA and not risk being kept away from the biggest team.

 

[Renard]

But it's a shame that the rest of the press pack is gutless enough to suck up to Team LA and not risk being kept away from the biggest team.

That is one of the main things you take from Jeremy Whittle's book.

 

[Chuffy]

Has anyone read this book?

http://living.scotsman.com/bookreviews/Book-review-Bad-Blood-The.4231588.jp

It gives an insight into just how zealous Paul Kimmage's stance against doping is.

Yup, I've got it. It might make it into the CC Floating Library pretty soon actually. Kimmage is an angry, angry man and hard to love, but I wish that the rest of the press corp had a fraction of what drives him.

 

[Noodley]

Didn't watch the clip. There's no sofa here in the kitchen and I hate that kind of cringy stuff...

I do have a sofa in my livingroom but still did not watch the clip. For the same reason.

 

[Chuffy]

I do have a sofa in my livingroom but still did not watch the clip. For the same reason.

Get your granny to watch it and report back. She's harder than both of us.

 

[Chuffy]

I do have a sofa in my livingroom but still did not watch the clip. For the same reason.

Oh and I did like the ad beforehand with Greg Lemond doing a spot of fundraising for diabetes. He's only doing it because he's jealous of what Team LA is doing for cancer you know...

 

[Crackle]

Probably true. Rough Ride doesn't paint a pretty picture of the author, he's more brutal on himself than he is on anyone else. You can call it self pity, or bitterness, or whatever, but I admire him for being more cruelly honest with himself than most of us would ever dare to be.

Undoubtedly this is true but it doesn't make him the best person to carry the fight forward, in fact it risks further damage to the anti-doping campaign.

You're analysis of the LA press machine is good though, they are very good at staying on side, a bit too good.