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Stuart O’Grady was my first real cycling hero. I met him in 1997 just after he’d completed his first Tour de France, a race I’d been watching for a few years on SBS, without ever really understanding what was going on.
Miguel Indurain dominated my early exposure to the Tour. I was enthralled by his ability to ride up these huge mountains, mostly still seated, in the process grinding his opponents into the bitumen.
Of course the scenery was amazing, and back then that a key part of the half-hour nightly highlights package. It still is of course, but essentially, I didn’t really know what was going on except that Big Mig was way too good.
So when I actually got to meet and interview a freckle-faced young rider from Adelaide, and ask him about those mountains, the scenery, and how fast he went downhill – all the big questions! – I was hooked.
In July 1998, I was in the UK on holiday, and just happened to lob into a guesthouse in time the watch the day’s Tour highlights. The host was also a keen cycling fan, so imagine how it felt to sit with him while we watched Stuart O’Grady claim the yellow jersey.
Six months later Stuey won the inaugural Tour Down Under, a race that’s significantly shaped my life over the past 15 years.
In those times I’ve closely followed O’Grady’s career, through its (mostly) ups and (serious – mostly injury related) downs.
His ability to recover from some of the crashes has been nothing short of astonishing, as have some of his performances.
Two I’ll never forget are from the Tour de France in 2001, when a near-frozen “Freckle” reclaimed the Maillot Jaune after getting into a break of 13 on the wet roads to Pontarlier.
The other arrived six years later on a warm early spring day in northern France when he won a little race called Paris-Roubaix, ticking another box in the life-long dream list in the process.
I knew it would come one day, but there was as much delight as there was sadness when Stuey announced that his final race would be the 2014 Tour de France.
There was delight because this is when I expect to be at the Tour for the first time. It will be a moment for me to witness the end of a career that’s had such a big influence on my life.
Well that was the plan until Tuesday, when just a few weeks after announcing that he would continue racing for one more year, Stuart O’Grady retired, effective immediately.
The Tour de France had finished barely 24 hours earlier, and to say people were surprised was an understatement.
Journalists I know that had been at the Tour, and had spoken with O’Grady during the race, said he’d never mentioned anything about retiring and was talking up his farewell 12 months.
So what happened to make Stuey make such a huge decision?
I spoke to one journalist who was immediately cynical about the official reason stated in the Orica-GreenEDGE media release; that two stage wins in the Tour and four days in yellow was impossible to beat and therefore now was the best time retire.
This journo wondered if the imminent release of a French Senate report into doping at the 1998 Tour de France was in some way responsible for his sudden decision?
Cynical I know, but this is cycling we’re talking about.
In my day job, I produce a daily radio program, so we made several calls and sent a few texts to O’Grady’s number in France. There was no reply, and eventually it sounded like his phone was turned off.
By Wednesday afternoon another Adelaide radio station was abuzz with rumours a shocking story for South Australian cycling was about to break.
Cycling websites began reporting that as many as 44 names were about to be released for testing positive to EPO at the 1998 Tour de France.
Early Wednesday night the report was handed down, but there were no names, only sample numbers.
A few hours later, 30 riders from the so-called Tour de Dopage were named as either testing positive for traces of EPO or being suspicious.
Stuart O’Grady’s name appeared on the suspicious list. The other three Aussies in the race Neil Stephens, Pat Jonker and Robbie McEwen were not named.
The tests came after samples taken in 1998 were retroactively tested in 2004. So they were not part of a typical anti-doping control taken during a race.
Crucially, the report also stated that this is where their action would stop. “Nobody will face sanctions. We aren’t policemen. We aren’t magistrates. We haven’t noted absolute lies but put-offs and self-censorship.”
The professional cyclists’ association, the CPA, wasn’t impressed about names being published because the original samples no longer exist and there are also no B-samples to test them against.
The findings also fall outside of the statute of limitations.
So what happens now?
Even if WADA or the UCI wanted to, could they step in and make a further ruling? After all, the testing protocols aren’t there for prosecuting a case against a “standard” failed test.
It’s never completely the wisest idea to assume but in this case, even if some reason could be found, what is there to be gained by sanctioning riders for alleged misdemeanours from 15 years ago?
If so, how far back do you go?
Taking all this into account, what does this do to the career of Stuart O’Grady?
Have we just seen one of Australia’s greatest ever cyclists hastily throw away a potentially glorious final year on the bike? Or has he taken the ultimate hit for the sport, and the team that he loves?
The way I see it, cycling can never really move forward until it deals with its murky past, but this is actually a simple process.
All I want to see is for any riders involved to say, truthfully whether they doped or not. That’s all. A yes or a no.
Despite some others paying a penalty, for me the truth will be enough.
It might not be a nice truth to confront, but at least we will know the facts, and the shadow of innuendo and suspicion can be lifted from what is a truly beautiful sport.
So Stuart O’Grady, for your sake, and for the thousands of fans you’ve inspired over so many years, just tell us what happened, so everyone, including the sport can move on.
Given you’ve nearly killed yourself while riding; this can’t be anywhere near as big a challenge to bounce back from.
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