[wpbrad id="53"]
The Big Lie: Armstrong’s rise was good for cycling. But his spectacular fall can be too.
The battle against doping needs to be independent and those voices that have proven so effective need to continue asking questions but focus on other sports too, writes stickybottle columnist Barry Meehan
It’s very easy to go on to Facebook or twitter and let the whole world know what you think is wrong with it. What’s more difficult is to come up with viable, realistic solutions to improve things. That has been especially true for the sport of cycling in the past couple of weeks. Never before has a sport experienced such a deluge of damaging revelations. Lance Armstrong has destroyed its credibility.
Current and past riders speaking out incoherently in his support are making even cyclists, not to mention the general public, question the intelligence levels of some of those who ride a bike for a living. But out of adversity comes opportunity and there is now an opportunity to make cycling the cleanest and purest sport around.
Advertisement
Recreational cyclists already know how clean and pure riding a bike is. But many racing cyclists have forgotten why they loved the sport so much in the first place.
So what can be done?
The biggest issue of today is the call for UCI president Pat McQuaid to resign. He may or may not go without seeing out his full term. But whatever happens in that regard, when there is a change at the top it should be someone from completely outside cycling that takes over; someone with no ties or friendships within the peloton or cavalcade.
Anyone within cycling will find it difficult to take the really drastic action that could result in lasting change.
The UCI, and other sports governing bodies for that matter, should have no hand, act or part in drug testing. It should be totally independent. WADA need to take it over completely and this needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Related News
No individual rider should be able to make a financial contribution to the sport’s governing body. If there is a demand for a system where riders can contribute to the sport, an independent agency should established. Although realistically, it's hard to see that being necessary. A universal set levy on teams or riders to fund anti doping is acceptable. But everything should be totally transparent with no room for misinterpretation.
In the past, I felt that any rider caught doping should receive a lifetime ban, but that may not always be the best option. Have you ever seen how a former smoker finds it repulsive to walk into a room where someone is smoking? Or how a former alcoholic becomes the most intolerant person when it comes to other people drinking?
If a rider is caught doping, comes clean straight away and shows genuine remorse, there might be a place for them within the sport again. David Millar may come across as sanctimonious but as a former doper he is now a leading crusader in the fight against doping.
His Garmin-Sharp team manager Jonathan Vaughters is another who has admitted doping but is a huge asset to the sport as it moves forward. Bjarne Riis, whilst admitting doping during his own career is not willing to admit any part in doping as a team manager, irrespective of what has been documented by Tyler Hamilton. He has no place in a clean cavalcade.
Those riders who own up and come clean should be given one chance at redemption and if they cross the line again they should be banned for life from having any connection whatsoever with the sport.
However, doctors and coaches who are found to have provided doping products or advice should be completely banned for life. And any rider who is found to work with them after the ban should receive a lifetime ban also.
Journalists Paul Kimmage and David Walsh have played a huge part in cleaning up the sport. They have both been generals in the war against doping. But they must realise that they have just won a battle within a war.
Cycling is now exposed and is being stripped bare and the same must be done for all of the other sports that are currently in denial. If these Irish journalists who have proven so effective sit back and rest on their laurels now without pushing on into other sports they will leave themselves open to being labelled anti-cycling rather than anti-doping. That would be a real shame.
Barry
Topics
