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Author Topic: The cycling thread  (Read 98484 times)

Online Chico Hamilton III

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #315 on: March 05, 2018, 04:10:05 PM »
I think the whole thing stinks to high heaven and I speak as someone who used to really like Wiggins.

Online Gareth

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #316 on: March 05, 2018, 05:15:51 PM »
I’m a little conflicted on this in the same way that I am with Farah, it seems certain media outlets are determined to paint the likes of Wiggins & Farah as cheats yet wont actually either come out and say it or prove it....just create the smoke.

It’s quite clear in Brailsford’s case that he eulogised at the start of Team Sky that everything would be done transparently and ethically so he is on shaky ground regarding the governance and the mystery ‘jiffy’ contents and you wonder if he had stood aside at the start that some of this would have gone away. 

Would Shane Sutton have an axe to grind if he felt the authorities threw him under the bus regarding the bullying allegations? Not sure if that doesn’t compromise his claims a little?

When is a rule a rule? In the case of Wiggins he didn’t break any rules and the TUE was approved by the relevant authority - whether this was in the spirit of the rule is open to conjecture, make the rule tighter and take out the interpretation.  If he actually ‘doped’ then surely parliamentary privilege was the time to say it categorically.

Can’t help but think Wiggins is a cheat is a much juicier headline than the governance in British Cycling is a bit iffy....

If Wiggins, Farah or even Froome have broken the rules and gone from grey area to illegal then by all means throw the book at them like with Armstrong....but until then I prefer not to denigrate their achievements.

If you are Anthony Joshua it might be an idea to lose the next fight....doesn’t pay to be too successful #buildemup......

Offline SteveN

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #317 on: March 05, 2018, 05:16:17 PM »
Without wishing to sound like Jim White, I understand the allegations about treatments being used to improve performance rather than help cure a condition were made by Shane Sutton.  He has already been shown to be a tad economical with the truth in the bullying enquiry and could possibly now have an axe to grind with Sky and British Cycling. 
None of that excuses Brailsford's arrogance with any of this.

Edit: Just seen Gareth's post.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2018, 05:19:43 PM by SteveN »

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #318 on: March 05, 2018, 05:40:56 PM »
As the old but wise saying goes, 'never trust a Mod'.

Offline Jon Crofts

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #319 on: March 05, 2018, 06:18:30 PM »
Cath Wiggins had a bit of an outburst on Twitter calling Froome 'a slithering reptile'

Fair play I say.

She had much to say on Twitter today?

It appears she’s on mute. Jolly naughty Wiggins has tweeted along the lines of I will put my case forward very soon.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #320 on: March 05, 2018, 06:24:07 PM »
Yep, there's more than a hint of guilty until proven innocent here.

It could be interesting though - if Wiggo and Sky are adamant they've done nothing wrong presumably they could sue the Government for defamation?

Online Richard E

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #321 on: March 05, 2018, 06:33:13 PM »
Yep, there's more than a hint of guilty until proven innocent here.

It could be interesting though - if Wiggo and Sky are adamant they've done nothing wrong presumably they could sue the Government for defamation?

No. The report is covered by Parliamentary privilege.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #322 on: March 05, 2018, 06:34:37 PM »
Yep, there's more than a hint of guilty until proven innocent here.

It could be interesting though - if Wiggo and Sky are adamant they've done nothing wrong presumably they could sue the Government for defamation?

No. The report is covered by Parliamentary privilege.

Well it sounds even more like a hatchet job then.

Offline Simon Page

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #323 on: March 06, 2018, 01:21:43 AM »
I agree they are all innocent until proven guilty. Makes no difference they are sports people yet detractors seem to think it's okay to fling accusations in a way they wouldn't with serious crimes. What winds me up about cycling in particular, but many other sports as well, is the secrecy. Training methods, equipment and the like is fine to keep under wraps, but medication? If I was a cyclist I'd want to make sure there was no doubt the authorities and the public knew everything I took, if for no other reason than I wouldn't want to be arsed with constantly defending myself.

If you're winning the Tour de France, you know people will be queuing up to call you a drugs cheat, yet still - even after Armstrong - cycling closes ranks rather than just be open in real time. It's no wonder they are constantly retrospectively defending themselves. It also doesn't help that it's a sport with way more than it's fair share of self-important types who've perfected a sneering dismissal of everyone else. What will it take for them to do the sensible thing and be open?

Offline Ad@m

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #324 on: March 06, 2018, 06:04:10 AM »
But like you've says in your second sentence people are always looking to accuse so whether someone had a TUE or not if they start announcing every little treatment they take people will be queuing up to accuse them of cheating. I can understand why the sport doesn't want that.  There's a lack of trust on both sides.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2018, 01:33:05 PM by Ad@m »

Offline aj2k77

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #325 on: March 06, 2018, 09:13:47 AM »
Miraculous transformation isn't legit, who would have guessed?

Offline Simon Page

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #326 on: March 06, 2018, 07:20:16 PM »
But like you've says in your second sentence people are always looking to accuse so whether someone had a TUE or not if they start announcing every little treatment they take people will be queuing up to accuse them of cheating. I can understand why the sport doesn't want that.  There's a lack of trust on both sides.

There's a difference between an accusation born out of opaqueness and people flinging dirt without cause. I'm sure if the TUEs and jiffy contents were independently recorded in advance people would still moan, but you can ignore baseless accusations which would come from 'Grassy Knoll' individuals rather than the shouty voice of the media. It's the retrospective defence that's the hardest and most suspicious. Like I say, you'd think cycling would be really keen to be completely transparent given the accusations and proven crimes that dog the sport. The secrecy isn't proof of guilt of course, it could just be the sport is top heavy with arrogance.

Is Froome's case still being investigated or was it resolved?

Offline paul_e

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #327 on: March 06, 2018, 08:42:20 PM »
TUE's are independently recorded in advance by their nature because they have to be requested and approved before treatment starts.  There's nothing to suggest they didn't follow the process to the letter and all of the complaints are about the motivation behind using them.  As far as I'm concerned questioning someones ethics/morals where they've followed the rules perfectly and have medical evidence of the condition that's being treated is shit-flinging.

The jiffy bag thing is slightly more of a story but again, what's the motivation behind taking a performance enhancing substance after finishing the final stage of an event?  If they'd waited unti lmidnight and submitted a TUE they'd have been able to give it to him within the rules so why would you bother to 'cheat' in those circumstances?  I may be wrong but given the situation I'm more inclined to believe the defence that it was a different substance that wasn't subject to any ban and therefore didn't need to be declared.

My real issue with this is the parliamentary privilege was used to call him a cheat based on almost nothing but hearsay and that will stick regardless of anything he says or does now.

Offline Jon Crofts

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #328 on: March 06, 2018, 09:30:17 PM »
But like you've says in your second sentence people are always looking to accuse so whether someone had a TUE or not if they start announcing every little treatment they take people will be queuing up to accuse them of cheating. I can understand why the sport doesn't want that.  There's a lack of trust on both sides.

There's a difference between an accusation born out of opaqueness and people flinging dirt without cause. I'm sure if the TUEs and jiffy contents were independently recorded in advance people would still moan, but you can ignore baseless accusations which would come from 'Grassy Knoll' individuals rather than the shouty voice of the media. It's the retrospective defence that's the hardest and most suspicious. Like I say, you'd think cycling would be really keen to be completely transparent given the accusations and proven crimes that dog the sport. The secrecy isn't proof of guilt of course, it could just be the sport is top heavy with arrogance.

Is Froome's case still being investigated or was it resolved?

Froome’s case is ongoing, there’s also strong rumours Team Sky as we know it won’t make it to the start of the TdF.

Offline Somniloquism

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Re: The cycling thread
« Reply #329 on: March 13, 2018, 09:20:35 PM »
In more positive news, I pass Steve Abrahams most days on my way to and from work.

http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk

He’s trying the break the record for the longest distance cycled in a year. Despite snow, ice, health problems and being knocked off his bike and ending up in hospital, he’s still going to hit 1000 Miles this week.

Apparently when the paramedics scraped him off the road and put him in the ambulance, they were worried about his heart rate being 37bpm...he just told them that was normal for him.

He did just over 72000 miles in the year, he wanted to aim for 73k but with the "Beast" and his body just wearing out he decided to spend the last day in the pub drinking tea with friends. Still makes him 4th most miles overall.

 


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