posted Aug 1, 2007

Great idea - bring it back to the UK and get the FA or Premiership to run it - its right in their league!

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posted Aug 1, 2007

The Invigilator - I think your post is utter garbage. There's an element that don't like cycling because there are some ridiculous headlines in the press. Never.
Who'd have thought it, garbage in the national press.

Yes I'bve seen it about football too. DO I think these people hate football or do I think they are trying to sell papers. The latter I feel, which is why perspective goes out of the window when you read the press.
Face it, There was a fair degree of doping scandal on Le Tour this year. If you are expecting that not to get sensationalised in the national press then you need to wake up.

What you could do, as you suggested, is ignore it, or understand it for what it is.

That's great that cycling is one of the biggest sports in thr world. It's even luckier for you that it's not that big in the UK (comparitavely anyway) because imagine all the ridiculous stuff you'd have to read then.

Maybe that's it. Maybe unlike the football fans you are not used to your sport being in the spotlight. Well, I'm a football fan and I can tell you now, there's an awful lot of rubbish written by journalists and fans alike - don't worry you'll become immune to the garbage that gets spouted soon enough.

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posted Aug 1, 2007

Fine that the tabloids are trying to sell papers with sensational headlines but I dont see positive headlines for people like Bradley Wiggins, who although had no chance rode through the mountains without a drug in his body.

Lets face it we have a gutter press more interested in the bad in sport & in life rather than promoting positive images and role models.

Yes Vino cheated but guess what he & his team were sent packing, that is a positive to come out of it. They didnt let him race on and bring the event down, anyone who is caught cheating & lying was and will be dealt with, I wish other sports would wake up & try the same thing.

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posted Aug 1, 2007

You're absolutely right SirHellsBells.
I was trying to point out that it is not something that afflicts cycling only. The tabloids will sensationalise any story good or bad.
Actually Wiggins received a fair amount of positive press especially after the prologue. Similarly David Millar was given an awful lot of air time (albeit mainly to express his views on drug taking - most eloquently I thought too).
There'd have been a great deal more positive press in the tabloids and broadsheets had a Brit ended up on the podium in Paris - but they didn't. Wiggins gots lots and lots of press for his time trialling and olympic exploits.

Oh and having re-read my post. The Invigilator - I apologise. A little strong at the outset, I don't mean garbage I just strongly disagree and feel that there are many cycling fans who are being overly defensive of their sport being under attack.

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posted Aug 1, 2007

I think what people need to remember is that from riders tested on the tour only 3 failed drugs tests (Vino, Moreni and Mayo). Rasmussen and Sinkewitz both have cases relating to pre-tour activites it is just that they blew up during the tour because of the increased spotlight on cycling at this time. In a group of 189 riders for only 3 to fail drugs tests is probably a pretty average tour. Also a lot of the riders getting caught and those who have recently admitted to doping are mainly riders of the older generation.

Yes cycling does have a problem with drug taking but the most highly reported cases all occur around a month period around the tour because that is the one time that the mass media take any interest in cycling and so that is when we hear about all the cases. Other sports such as Athletics and Football all have their own drugs cases but due to the way they are reported they occur throughout the year and so the mass of positives are not reported at the same time not making it seem as bad.

Cycling like most sports suffers from the problem that there is pressure from sponsors and fans for certain riders to do well and therefore they fall to the pressure of drugs.

Lets look to the future for cycling. There is alot of young talent coming through the ranks at the moment. Mark Cavendish would appear to have a bright future and for Geraint Thomas to complete the tour at the age of 21 is quite frankly amazing.

So give cyclists the change to sort themselves out and yes the tour should definitely come back to London, I went and watched the prologue this year, getting my place on the barriers 140m from the end at 10am and staying there until half 6 and it was one of the most amazing days of my life. I would love for the Tour to come back London truly was a brilliant Grande Depart.

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posted Aug 1, 2007

I have been to the tour 3 times-twice on the Champs and the London weekend.Loved the trips to Paris-great atmosphere but those occasions were outdone completely by the wonderful time spent in Hyde Park for the prologue-I would love it to return.Although this Tour will be remembered for many of the wrong reasons,many will cherish the memory of this years grand depart-a wonderful weekend.

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posted Aug 3, 2007

I actually ssaw my first tour stage this year after being a keen viewer for about 6 years. I can honestly say that my love for the tour grew immensely and the drug scandals have not made me change my mind. Also in St. Cyprien there were huge numbers of people from all over Europe who felt the same.

As for the Lance Armstrong debate... If we assume he must have been doping then that makes us as negative and sceptical as the ridiculous British newspaper headlines. We should question the performances but remember that we believe in cycling and should believe in the possibility of an heroic performance.

Icidentally for the scpetics I would say one thing about Lance. As our bodies develop from age 9 upwards to adulthood we develop strength, speed etc in different ratios. As humams our bodies become optimised for human life not cycling. That is the process cyclists train to overcome/manipulate fot their performance. Now as a result of Lance's chemo a lot of his body fat and muscle was destroyed and he was more or less starting again from a skeleton upwards. Now that meant he could train for cycling and force his regroth to be optimised for the demands of the tour. In this case it is obvious he would have certain abilities others may not have as he could effectively design his body mass etc. for cycling. In this case cancer was probably beneficial to his later career (though I'm not for a minute suggesting this is anything other than a strangley happy side effect after months of harrowing times and phyical agony).

Of course the Daily Express et al will read this and assume that the peloton are all trying to get cancer in time for next year's tour.

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posted Aug 3, 2007

THE FIRING OF RAS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE SEEMS TO BE A JOKE. SURELY, ALL RABOBANK HAD TO DO WAS TO CHECK THE IMMIGRATION ENTRY STAMP DATES OF THE COUNTRIES OF TRAVEL THAT WERE IN HIS PASSPORT. IT IS EASY TO DETERMINE WHERE HE HAS BEEN AND WHAT COUNTRIES HE HAS VISITED. ALSO, HIS DISMISSAL IS A SELLOUT TO THE SPECTATORS, TEAMMATES, TOUR ORGANISERS AND EVERYONE. IF THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH HIM THEY SHOULD HAVE LET HIM GO A LONG TIME AGO AND NOT LEAD EVERYONE ON AS THEY DID. ARE THEY SUGGESTING THAT HE HAS NUMEROUS PASSPORTS AND HE IS HIDING THE ONE THE HE USED TO GO TO ITALY?

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posted Aug 4, 2007

I think the Tour should come back to London ASAP, never mind the drugs scandals
it was a great event and I loved seeing it in the heart of our country
Especially as I think in a few years time the Tour will no longer dealing with the problems of the last 2 years

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posted Aug 7, 2007

For me the Tour is & will be back to our shores .London is said to be already negotiating a return before 2010,& will be an even bigger succes than this years grand depart!
On top of that the British participation shall be greater & the media interest aswell ,as fireworks can be expected on the velodrome in Pekin & from our girls on the road (Cook,Read)cycling will be back in the news for all the right reasons.
The British press is full of European sceptics & cycling's identity suffers from this ,though why doesnt the European cup final not get the same treatment is beyond me !
Personally i buy news papers for there open mindness in there headlines & not the other way round,there for they shoot them selves in the foot everytime they critersize in an unqualified manor!
Vive le Tour ,LONG LIVE THE GREAT SPORT OF CYCLING!

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