Roykirk’s Enterprises

Thanks to a few pointed words from my brother, but especially with the example set by the steady exit of dopers from this year’s Tour de France—Ricardo (I actually cheered when I heard the news) Ricco only the latest in what is sure to be a nice little conga line—I am starting to come around to the ASO side of things.

McQuaid can sit in his ivory UCI tower and hurl insults at the Spaniards, but no one at this point can believe that doping isn’t anything but rampant and endemic throughout the sport no matter your nationality.  As certain folks have pointed out, the UCI let these shenanigans go on for years with a nod and a wink and the occasional sacrificial lamb to the pretense of doing something about the doping.

Bob Roll and Paul Sherwen keep mentioning, during the pre-race chat on Versus’ live Tour coverage, that these “random” tests are everything but random, and are in fact targeted at riders whose pre-Tour blood tests were a bit…quirky.  That may be, but still it seems to me as if even more could be done to weed out the cheats.  Still waiting to see the first French rider get caught too, as I still don’t trust the ASO/French Cycling Federation combo’s other motives.

But even wider, constant testing may not have the desired effect of actually putting the fear of god into the dopers.  For that some have put forth other suggestions.  I am especially fond of Patrick O’Grady’s latest screed on VeloNews.

Well, we could bring back the guillotine — a few beheadings after the podium ceremonies just might open a few eyes (those that it did not close permanently) while bringing Versus’ bull-riding audience over to our side of the cultural divide.

There is a certain attraction to this solution, for as O’Grady says at the end of his article, Madame Guillotine is “the podium girl to end all podium girls.”  It has a certain sense of ironic closure.

A more measured response I heard bandied about was no more two-year bans but instead permanent pariah status.  At this point, that seems to be the least that should be done.

But something must be done.  It’s come to the point where I cannot believe in the skill or will or any rider, nor can anyone else.  Mark Cavendish appears to be too good to be true.  I am waiting for the hammer to fall upon him too, while at the same time hoping that he’s the real thing.  The hope is small, however.

Thanks, dopers.

Tags: Cycling, Human Stupidity, Sports by Roykirk
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An update to my post yesterday.

It seems the riders of the Paris-Nice peloton are not happy about van Impe’s treatment, and they’re getting upset at the apparent overreach of doping controls at that race—I haven’t much sympathy for this since they were warned by the UCI that racing under ASO only would strip them of rights and dignity. Though whether the UCI’s controls would have been less invasive and time-consuming is a question for another day.
However, David Rebellin makes a strong point that is symptomatic of extremism of anti-doping efforts:

“We support the controls, but what I’m worried about is the invasion of privacy. They come to our homes and we are always available. They have to remember that we are people, too, and not gangsters.”

And there it is in a nutshell: all riders are guilty unless proven otherwise.

David, welcome to the insanity of drug wars everywhere. It’s only going to get worse.

This is certainly something we’re starting to become familiar with in the U.S. as our rights are being eroded by this administration and the fear they’ve generated in the sheep. I’m sure that once they have doping “under control” they’ll start testing for terrorists.

Then again, who’s to say they’ll wait that long. Remember, the indignities these riders suffer are really nothing compared to what hundreds, if not thousands, of people experience every day at the hands of the inept and abusive Transportation Security Administration.

Cycling: humanity and politics in a nutshell.

Tags: Cycling, Human Stupidity, Politics, Sports by Roykirk
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Belgian cyclist Kevin van Impe had his heart ripped out this past Monday, so leave it to a bureaucratic bloodsucker (I’ll bet he’s French) to drain whatever life was left in him.

I really hope this colossal screw-up turns around and bites them in the ass. At this point, I am as sick of the anti-doping crusaders in Europe as I am of the police state drug warriors here in the U.S.

Just another example of what happens when little bureaucrats get a taste of a little power. I hope this vampire and his masters get some stakes through the heart. Oh, wait…

…from reading this story, it appears they don’t have any. Or if they do, they’re shriveled, vestigial organs.

Tags: Cycling, Human Stupidity, Politics, Sports by Roykirk
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Johan Bruyneel says that the Astana team’s exclusion from the the 2008 Tour de France is just politics, and the team is the victim of a continuing struggle between the Union Cycliste Internationale and Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organision.

I say disingenuous, Johann.

Astana left the Tour last year under the cloud of Vinokourov’s doping scandal, and the ASO says the team can’t be trusted. I’d have to agree. The only caveat I have is that no team on the Tour can be trusted. Does anyone out there actually think that Rasmussen is the lone Rabobank rider to have doped? (yes, yes, I know it wasn’t “proven” he doped, but come on)

However, Bruyneel has implemented the same anti-doping measures on the new Astana team that CSC has been using for a few years, and the team roster barely resembles last year’s. New manager, new riders, new procedures—is Astana really the same team as last year?

With riders like Contador (Winner in 2007), Leipheimer (3rd in 2007 and winner of the 2007 Tour of California), and Klöden (2nd or 3rd in 2006, depending on if you consider Landis the winner), all contenders for the overall in 2008, I wonder if ASO is doing a bit of creative field-clearing for other (hopefully French) riders to take the title? Or are they just tired of Bruyneel managing the winning riders for 8 of the last 9 years? Chances are, with the Astana lineup, he’d have won again.

Tags: Cycling, Sports by Roykirk
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