Team Sky, Brailsford and doping

[Oldspice]

If teams have dopers, do they have to hand prize money back as well as medals?

 

[asterix]

OT - if my surname was Arsenault I might consider changing it!

You are a Chelsea supporter?

 

[dellzeqq]

LA is indeed a witch

disgraceful article. The man doesn't know the difference between curious and inquisitive!

 

[thom]

So here's a story about 1988, the Tour de France, Delgado, Theunisse, Verbruggen and Yates... And drugs.

"Verbruggen tried to smooth talk them, asking that Theunisse be given the benefit of the doubt: "In the Tour of Belgium last year [1989] Sean Yates, positive with anabolic steroids, was given the benefit of the doubt. And Delgado in the Tour of '88 received the support of a minister. Why not Theunisse?"
Page two of the UCI's play book for dealing with doping cases: if in doubt, muddy the waters. (Page one: shoot the messenger.) Yates had been cleared because it was accepted a labelling error must have occurred and the tested sample was not his. Delgado skated because the UCI's rules allowed him to skate."

 

[rich p]

You are a Chelsea supporter?

Spurs!

 

[asterix]

Spurs!

I'm so sorry. I wish there was something more I could say to help.

 

[johnr]

So here's a story about 1988, the Tour de France, Delgado, Theunisse, Verbruggen and Yates... And drugs.

"Verbruggen tried to smooth talk them, asking that Theunisse be given the benefit of the doubt: "In the Tour of Belgium last year [1989] Sean Yates, positive with anabolic steroids, was given the benefit of the doubt. And Delgado in the Tour of '88 received the support of a minister. Why not Theunisse?"
Page two of the UCI's play book for dealing with doping cases: if in doubt, muddy the waters. (Page one: shoot the messenger.) Yates had been cleared because it was accepted a labelling error must have occurred and the tested sample was not his. Delgado skated because the UCI's rules allowed him to skate."

and interestingly, we see the first airing of a defence siezed upon by Frank Schleck nearly 25 years later:

"Never. Until now I've been happy but now I'm afraid of having drunk from a doped bottle. You know, a rider will drink from any bottle a spectator holds out during a race. It's the only explanation."

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Sky will ask all personnel to sign a new declaration on doping. Those who cannot will have to leave.

 

[thom]

Sky will ask all personnel to sign a new declaration on doping. Those who cannot will have to leave.

It's about all they can do but it still doesn't prevent someone fibbing!
Perhaps there is some ratcheted up legal penalty for a false signatory making it new (and a good thing too) but I already thought they'd asked this sort of thing of the team...

Here's Will Foth in the guardian too.

 

[Paul_L]

a michael barry interview with canadian news
his manner is very muted, in contrast to Tyler

I don't buy these apologies. I don't accept they're from the heart. The USADA investigations have been a convenient cleanser for these fellas, and we're meant to feel sorry for them??? Nah. Fact is if USADA weren't going for Armstrong the likes of Barry, Hincapie and the rest would have gone to their graves keeping the omerta.

I am starting however to feel a little bit of sympathy for Landis. And that feels odd!

 

[rich p]

I can't believe they didn't have this in place already. As I asked before, what on earth was their anti-doping policy?
Sean Yates was already busted in 1996(?) but it was conveniently waived aside by the UCI as a possible mix up over labelling. I can't see him surviving this.

 

[thom]

I don't buy these apologies. I don't accept they're from the heart. The USADA investigations have been a convenient cleanser for these fellas, and we're meant to feel sorry for them??? Nah. Fact is if USADA weren't going for Armstrong the likes of Barry, Hincapie and the rest would have gone to their graves keeping the omerta.

I am starting however to feel a little bit of sympathy for Landis. And that feels odd!

Not sure I totally agree - guys like Barry and the Garmin riders eventually made choices to be on teams that had nothing to do with doping and there was no big possibility of any of this coming to light 5 years ago. I really think they didn't want to be part of it any more. LL and GH have been less forthcoming about their motivation - it is not clear whether this is because they cared less or they care not to spin their story.

btw, here are some other names from the USADA report, or at least educated guesses:

 

[rich p]

Bobby Julich will have to fill in Brailsford's form too.

 

[Cheddar George]

Easy enough to take on young riders and keep them clean, but to find a DS with racing experience who has never come into contact with doping is going to be tricky.

 

[philipbh]

if you rode pre 2005-2006 you are a drug cheat, thats a lot of ex pro's with vast amount of knownledge to pass on...

So give them all a book deal as a farewell to the sport - then the "knowledge" is preserved before we get all sentimental about the value of this knowledge in the first place or technical about the myth of knowledge transfer