Monday 26 January 2009

The UCI, where would we be without them?

It's another fine mess you've gotten me into!

Whilst I make no bones about my dislike of dopers, sorry, that should read my hatred and utter contempt for dopers, sorry that should read, my wish that when ever satellites drop to earth they land on the heads of you local B test failure. I make no bones about the entertainment value that is to be had from their activities.

Now take Mr Schumacher (and in the words of that old music hall gag, 'I wish someone would') I'm sure you like me thought that when he was caught bang to rights that was it, end of story.
A little social dalliance with speed in Germany was followed by victory in two Tour TTs, beating the favorites and specialists in the process. He then managed a storming ride in the mountains and made us all nod knowingly, and say 'how long before he's caught?'. Well apparently not too long and pretty soon he was getting his marching orders. With two samples coming up positive for CERA we all assumed it would only be a matter of time before the hangman was sharpening his noose, or what ever it is that hangmen do.

So you can imagine my confusion when it transpires that sample B has yet to be investigated and until that is done Schumacher is in a state of limbo.
Meanwhile Patrick Lefevere is threatening to get the lawyers to go round to AFLD (the French anti-scum agency) and give them what your local gangster would term 'a slap'. To be honest you can't blame him can you? If that's what it takes to get AFLD to pull the proverbial out and get the B sample tested then 'let it be so'.

Have a look at the AFLD web site and the only mention os Schumacher is the original release saying he was found positive at two tests and that the UCI, WADA and the German federation have been notified. Since then, October 8th 2008, nothing, zilch. So where are we? Why the delay? Why no testing of the B samples? Have they been lost? Contaminated? Drunk? Smeared all over a chicken in some sort of pagan sacrifice ritual? God alone knows, because clearly the UCI, Quick Step, WADA and the German Fed clearly don't.
So we have Schumacher threatening to sue everyone on the planet, Lefevere not wanting to be associated with damaged goods (he's got enough on his plate with Tommy boy), the UCI, Tour and WADA looking like idiots again (sorry that should read, as usual) and the fans not knowing if they should start hording rotten eggs for when Schumacher next rides past.

You'd have thought that the idiots that run our sport would have to go a long way to match their previous hapless attempts at ridding us of dope cheating scum. But just when you start to believe they can't be anymore inept, they manage to pull of a stunt of such mind boggling stupidity and ineptitude that the only thing you can do is stand back and admire it, (after you throw up that is).

Blood passport, where the hell are we?
So when will the names be named? First there are statements on the web slagging the UCI for not getting the blood passport bandwagon running sooner and next the UCI are coming over all sheepish and saying that there are at lest 30 riders with questionable values and that amongst their number is one 'top rider'.

Who this top rider is, is anyone's guess. Indeed judging by the tabloid source that started these rumors that could include anyone who's ever thrown their leg over a bike. Top rider, could like, top doctor or top scientist, just be euphemism for 'some bloke we met down the pub'.

So on present form we can look forward to the UCI naming names in about twenty years.

Well you asked the question.....
Lancey boys return to the sport has seen him ask many a question, amongst one of the more interesting was the one that managed to link David Millar, Ginger Floyd and dope. It went something like, 'how come the fans are prepared to give Millar an easy ride when they aren't for Landis, Landis has served his time and should be allowed to ride'. I know full well they weren't the exact words, but to be honest I can't be ased to open up the RSS fee where I have it stored. But it was a valid question, so how come?

Well as one fan who isn't prepared to give Landis an easy ride, or indeed Millar, or to be honest any ex-doper. My view is this, simply Millar did at least confess (eventually) to doping and has since his 'dark days' at least been speaking out against doping and attempting to something about it. Landis on the other hand seems to have air-brushed two years from his existence and appears still to be claiming his elevated levels of ginger were caused by drinking too much water in a hotel and that the water in question had been discolourd by rusty French taps.
I'm not naive to believe that doping (in one form or another) will ever be eradicated from cycling but I sure as hell long for the day when it's associated whinging and complaining about unfair treatment are a thing of the past.
Maybe it's not the action on it's own that really pisses people off, maybe it's the associated protestations of innocence that finally tips the balance? Just a thought like.....



.

1 comment:

The Caked Crusader said...

Just stopping by to say "hello" and thanks for putting me on your blog list.
Cyclists need cake and I'd like to think I'm the woman to help out!!!