Pages

Friday, June 15, 2012

Burning down Lance and Johan might get you more than you wanted.



As USADA Travis Tygart  ties the noose and the Anti-LA and Anti- Johann crowds grab their pitch forks, a few things might have been missed.  I keep hearing phrases like "The truth is needed" and "We need to know", but keep in mind, the "Truth" that is found might not just impact Lance and Johan.   If a blanket is thrown over everyone that rode for Johan some "good guy" fan favs will also be pulled in - below is a list of riders (not including Astana, Shack and  Lance's LIVESTRONG developmental team).  If you want to see Lance go down that bad, is it worth seeing Christian, Dave Z, Ryder, Levi, George, Tom Boonen get pulled in as well? Don't forget Jonathan Vaughters, did he "learn from the master" how to put up a good PR front and have a program? Chris Carmichael would have been in the know as well, so that means all his athletes need to be looked at.  No way you say, many a TV evangelst has been proven to be living separate lives.

Say whatever you want about Johan, but no can argue his eye for talent.  From Tom Boonen to Alberto Contador the guy knew who was gifted.  He found them and groomed them on his team.
It sounds like the USADA is trying to prove Bruyneel has a high tech, systematic program going on his team since 98.  If that was the case, it means the "good guy" types that everyone likes knew and did it, too.

Love or hate the way MLB, the NFL and FIFA try to handle their business, but they try to avoid digging up bones and dredging up history. Why?  Pretty simple - it's bad for business! If the intention of the USADA is to have US cycling fans deeply question every win from 98 until the present, it might happen.  Is that good for the industry...?

Some will say it is for the purity of the sport etc. but, lets not forget these are humans and they make mistakes.  In cycling they have been making mistakes since the turn of the century and will continue to do so.  The goal should be to lessen the chances of the current riders to make bad decisions.

* Before anyone asks if I am okay with doping and "cheating" let me say, I would like a clean sport as much as anyone. I am just realistic about the history of the sport and the "GREATS" that did dope like Merckx, Coppi, and Anquetil. The playing fields have always been equal and those that won did win on the road. Let he who can prove he never took the needle be the first one to contest a result!

Bonus Quiz:

Take a rider and fill in the blanks...did they ride for ______ (Saiz, Riis, Johan, Lelangue) did they work with _______ (Ferrari, Fuentez, etc) _______  Do they train with or were they friends with______ (fill in any rider that has been suspended).  Did their results jump up drastically in one season in a discipline_____ (TT, climbing etc) or as a GC contender?



Former members of U.S. Postal


NameNationalityYears
Lance Armstrong United States1998–2004
Frankie Andreu United States1998–2000
José Azevedo Portugal2004
Dariusz Baranowski Poland1998
Michael Barry Canada2002–2004
Tom Boonen Belgium2000–2002
Jamie Burrow United Kingdom2000
Dylan Casey United States1999–2002
David Clinger United States2002
Michael Creed United States2004
Antonio Cruz United States2001–2004
Julian Dean New Zealand1999–2000
Pascal Derame France1998–1999
Viatcheslav Ekimov Russia1997–2004
David George South Africa1999–2000
Chad Gerlach United States1996
Eddy Gragus United States1995–1997
Tyler Hamilton United States1996–2000
Andrew Hampsten United States1996
Roberto Heras Spain2001–2003
Ryder Hesjedal Canada2004
George Hincapie United States1997–2004
Frank Høj Denmark1999
Marty Jemison United States1998–1999
Patrick Jonker Australia2000
Steffen Kjærgaard Norway2000–2003
Damon Kluck United States2003
Kenny Labbé United States2000–2004
Floyd Landis United States2002–2004
Juan Llaneras Rosello Spain1998
Levi Leipheimer United States2000–2001
Kevin Livingston United States1999–2000
Glenn Magnusson Sweden1999
Chann McRae United States2002
Peter Meinert-Nielsen Denmark1998–1999
Gianpaolo Mondini Italy2002
Kirk O'Bee United States2000
Víctor Hugo Peña Colombia2001–2004
Daniel Rincón Colombia2004
Jean-Cyril Robin France1998
Sven Teutenberg Germany1998
Christian Vande Velde United States1998–2003
Jonathan Vaughters United States1998–1999
Cédric Vasseur France2000
Stive Vermaut Belgium2000
Robbie Ventura United States2003–2004
Anton Villatoro Guatemala1996–1998
Matt White Australia2001–2003
Dave Zabriskie United States2003–2004



1 comment:

  1. SHUT UP & RIDE - Let the CYCLING GODs figure it out. If we keep digging into the past we won't have any heroes left. I would LOVE to watch the pro races without any mention of past DOPING. Isn't there a rider out there who is sleeping w/another riders wife??? LETS MOVE ON!!!

    ReplyDelete