Skyteam

[Trev The Rev]

I think that Kimmage is more concerned about Wiggin's 'lack of transparency' rather than any real concerns that the team is doping. Previously, Wiggo was more outspoken about doping and now he seems to have gone back in his shell about it.
In reality Team Sky were the beneficiaries of a TDF parcour that was advantageous to them and their style, i.e. relatively flat with lots of time trial kms and also the fact that convicted dopers like Alberto Contador were not at the tour. When Contador and his special fuel returns next year with Andy Schleck then there there's is no way Wiggo will be winning again.
There is a general acceptance (or was) in cycling that Wiggins and Evans were the 2 tour favourites that you could trust to be clean and I personally still think they both won the Tour clean.

I hope you are right.

[SilverBadge]

This is interesting.

http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/09/team-s ... legations/

"but we’ll continue to ensure that our team is 100% clean as defined by legal parameters contained in the WADA code, including ensuring our biological passports don’t look significantly strange,” continued Brailsford.

“Look, we’ve instituted a rule that says only one of our support staff can have dubious connections to potentially dubious characters who may or may not have supplied some sort of doping products in the past. Now we have two that I’m aware of, which is why we’re doing this investigation,” stated Brailsford.


Clean as defined by legal parameters - ensure biological passports don't look significantly strange. Now we have two support staff with dubious connections - this is all starting to sound dodgy to me.

The strangest thing is you didn't spot it was on their "News or Not . . . . ?" page

[whoops]

I'm now fully convinced that without a doubt that Professional Racing Cycling is riddled with competitors consuming unacceptable and illigal substances. This was established before whistle blowers started to shout with all the "latest revelations" "Exclusives" "Shock Drugs Discovery" headlines, etc. in the Broadsheets" So I think that the general public are now convinced of these "outstanding"drug revelations. So, more importantly, what is the answer to the problem, which seems to be the main thing. How are we going to stop it. We know the facts, let's find the solution! or go along with it, like the NCU did when the BLRC were a thorn in their side, on the principle that if you can't beat them, join them, especially if it seems to be getting more popular than the establishment, just like the amateur status seemed to have somehow lost it's powerful bite, when sponsorship/money raised its head in amateur football, athletics, in fact anything that can get a logo on a vest. Let's face it, Joe Public don't seemed to be too concerned; what they want is WINNERS!
And tha't why I think it'll probably blow over again. It has before.

[DurableAce]

It would be nice to have some evidence of the supposed continued prevalence of doping that doesn't come from the mouth of a cheat, reformed or otherwise. Kimmage, Riis, Millar, Hamilton...

In the meantime, I resort to innocent until proven otherwise, especially in the absence of any officially levelled allegation. I revel in the achievements of our riders in recent years and an apparent cleaning up of our sport. Kimmage ought to show a little self-restraint in mouthing off as often as he seems to do about anyone who hasn't been declared a Saint. I'm not sure that even that would stop him, though.

It is my gut feel that team-organised doping is a thing of the past. Sure, individual riders (and perhaps a lot of them) may still do it, but individually is probably the level of organisation these days.

[itisaboutthebike]

Plus Dave Brailsford's philosophy of "The aggregation of marginal gains."

Marginal gains my a*se................

I think we need to go back to 1999 when a certain someone else was saying something similar..........(ok it was a bit more OTT but in the same vein).

Hiring dodgey doctors...................trianing on Teide (like Armstrong used to) away from the testers (I was there and they were all traing on the island). Total domination on the climbs from journeymen roulers.............hard not to see why they're being called 'UK Postal'. I'd love to be wrong, I really would. But as Lemond said.............there's no miracles in cycling (well apart from his genetically fabulous 95 V02Max - compared to LA's 82)

Wiggins doesn't look a happy man.....................I wonder what he's hiding.................?

[itisaboutthebike]

I'm now fully convinced that without a doubt that Professional Racing Cycling is riddled with competitors consuming unacceptable and illigal substances.

Have you had your head up your jacksey for the last 20 years ?

[dslippy]

Cycling has a very particular problem. Undoubtedly other sports have had substantial problems, but doping became almost an essential part of competing.

The proper standard for any individual is innocence until proven guilt, but this is about persuading professional cycling's audience/customers, and not about guilt or innocence.
It is for the sport itself to do whatever is necessary to carry out this exercise of persuasion. The governing body gives every appearance instead of wilfully shoving its head in the sand, leaving an unprotected rear quarters to be kicked by any passer by.

Equally, the continuing pack like behaviour of the peleton - the wall of silence - has to come to an end. Unless and until it is shown to have been replaced by a commitment to openness,the pro-cyclists will not be deserving of belief. There are many good sides of such fellow feeling, and not one of the better sides need be lost.

I want to believe Skyteam. I do.

[whoops]

I'm now fully convinced that without a doubt that Professional Racing Cycling is riddled with competitors consuming unacceptable and illigal substances.

Have you had your head up your jacksey for the last 20 years ?

NO! Just my tongue in my cheek

PERHAPS YOU SHOULD READ ALL OF THE QUOTE! You're not a newspaper editor by any chance. Are you?

[McVouty]

Call me cynical, and I know some of you will, but now that Sky are to make their employees sign a document to the effect that they have never doped (does the question "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?", copyright Senator Joseph McCarthy, ring any bells?) I predict a significant exodus among the team's support staff, if not the riders.

[itisaboutthebike]

Have you had your head up your jacksey for the last 20 years ?

For the last 30 odd years since '79................July '79 when I started cycling 'seriously' (well a Tour round Scotland).

[itisaboutthebike]

So much so I'm even replying to my own posts !

[thirdcrank]

Call me cynical, and I know some of you will, but now that Sky are to make their employees sign a document to the effect that they have never doped (does the question "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?", copyright Senator Joseph McCarthy, ring any bells?) I predict a significant exodus among the team's support staff, if not the riders.

I see that Sean Yates has quit. To quote something I heard in a completely different context only the other day, "His past has come back to bite him."
===========================
PS The story is on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph, claimed as a scoop. The innuendo has started. The main story inside is illustrated with a pic from 1995, of SY with Bradley Wiggins both in Motorola team colours. (For anybody whose memory doesn't go that far back, a certain Lance Armstrong was the team leader.

[Ray]

I see that Sean Yates has quit. To quote something I heard in a completely different context only the other day, "His past has come back to bite him."

But see - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20113671
which says

Sky said Yates's decision was not related to doping allegations.

Mmmm.

Ray

[landsurfer]

Those that came from the dark days of doping now know the clean way works.
Younger cyclists under pressure from more experianced team staff did the wrong thing.
Lets learn from it..
Yates, Millar etc. are the best chance of a clean way forward..
They know the risks, know the signs and could help keep cycling clean, but thier experiance has been dumped for the new PC crusade.
At the next tour there will be Brailsford and 4 cyclists with no support team .... but you will be rightous won't you Dave as you help no one and fail all cycling !!
Let the poachers become gamekeepers and let genuniely sorry ex dopers help police the way forward .... or we will slip into the miasma yet again.... how many more Simpsons or Pirates do we need ....