Tour de France champion Cadel Evans has singled himself out as one of the victims of the doping scandal that has rocked cycling.
The sport was plunged into crisis this month by revelations of the sophisticated doping regime that disgraced rider Lance Armstrong used on his way to capturing seven Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005.
The Texan finally ran out of friends this week when the sport’s global governing body stripped him of his Tour de France titles and stated he had no place in cycling.
Speaking after a presentation in Paris to announce the course for next year’s 100th Tour de France, Evans said the media reaction had been over the top.
“I would say it has been very hysterical,” he said.
“I can understand it is very confronting for everyone involved and I was there trying to follow (the leaders) in 2005.
“I think if anyone should be disappointed, it should be myself.
“But these things cause change and already have caused changes and from these events we have already moved forward for the better.
“It is difficult to deal with at the moment but let’s move on and look to the future.”
Evans, who has been credited as one of a new generation of clean riders, praised the United States Anti-Doping Agency for their dogged pursuit of Armstrong.
It was the release of USADA’s damning 1000-page report a fortnight ago that has shredded the American’s reputation.
“Compliments to USADA and all those investigators,” Evans said.
The crisis has also claimed the scalps of former Australian professional riders Matt White and Stephen Hodge after they both confessed to doping.
White stood down as Cycling Australia’s professional men’s road co-ordinator and vice-president Hodge resigned from the board.
Evans reiterated there had been a concerted effort to clean up the sport from within the peloton since he finished eighth in his maiden Tour de France in 2005.
“From someone who rides in the front group, I can see and feel there has been a lot of change,” he said.
“In every way, it is the mentality of the cycling and teams, this has been what has caused the changes.”
Earlier on his website, Evans urged cycling fans not to give up on the sport despite the latest chapter in its drug-stained history.
“For those who are disappointed with the situation right now: do not despair, do not abandon us now we are in our best years, preparing things for our most important moment yet – the future,” he said.
Evans this week acknowledged meeting a doctor in 2000 at the centre of the doping scandal, Michele Ferrari, but said they had never discussed anything untoward.
Simon
Guest
Looking at the list of riders who finished ahead of Cadel at the 2005 tdf he should be crowned the winner as they have all be implicated in doping at some point.
glen
Guest
Of the top stage riders, cadel seems the most likely to be clean. However, the meeting with Michele ferrari is troubling. Likewise, it seems clear Mick Rogers doped. He spent quite a bit of time training with ferrari around 2005 just when he was getting good tour results. Everyone knew ferrari was the best doping doctor. His team had to stop the association. Hard to come up with any other explanation. I'm surprised sky has kept him considering their hard antidoping line.
aussie sports lover
Guest
A lot of hypotheticals and questions, Cantab and Iangou, (1) It's hard to be sure who was clean in an era of endemic doping. Guys like evans and mcgee who has publicly stated their innocence, that they were robbed by dopers do have a point on the assumption they are clean but although it's somewhat unfair to them, can anyone really be sure? but even assuming they are clean, it's a hypothetical to ask if they could have won events or the TDF. But yes, they are indeed victims if there were one of the few clean riders during this era. (2) mcgee has stated he has been approached several times with opportunities to dope and to his credit, he now feels somewhat guilty he didn't do anything back then about it. But there are some inconsistencies in my mind for eg, his experience with David Millar who insinuated he doped and therefore McGee should be the rightful winner. Don't quite get it - McGee didn't report this to the authority or even get real pissed and angry, which is what I would have thought would be the normal response. Instead he "selfishly accepted his words as a compliment and enjoyed the kudos" in this own words. He even said he "should have done more for Dave". Here he is writing how the Armstrong years have cheated him of his best years, so he is clearly pissed with dopers but in his anecdote with Millar, it doesn't seem to be the case.
langou
Roar Guru
Great article from Brad McGee http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/how-dopers-stole-the-best-years-of-my-career-20121026-28aif.html
Cantab
Guest
If Evans is clean, (which I presume he is) then he has the Absolute right to 'whinge' and complain, he's been robbed of at least one if not two titles.
Jojo
Guest
Cadel will probably receive a lot of grief and mocking for his statement, "“I think if anyone should be disappointed, it should be myself." I assume people will say he is whining. Maybe so, but I agree with him. He should be mad about it. To me, it was not hard to read between the lines when he won the World Championship and Le Tour. The people covering cycling as well as the peloton in general seemed very happy when each of these wins occurred. That said a lot to me.