Roar Guru
Joined June 2012
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I am passionate about all sports but especially cycling, AFL, skiing and ice hockey, looking at all issues from grassroots right up to the pros.
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After overpowering the underachieving Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks go back to the Stanley Cup Finals…
French television station Stade2's recent report on how micro-dosing performance-enhancing drugs is allowing professional riders to evade detection under the biological passport protocol is…
Bobby Julich is one of those likeable characters of the peloton: quiet, reserved and full of information on the sport. He once contended for…
I must confess something. 95% of the reason why I decided to start cycling was because of Lance Armstrong. As a 16-year-old schoolboy rower,…
Much has been written recently about how many clubs are in the running for Chris Dawes' services. The Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, even Brisbane are…
Please join us for live coverage of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships Team Time Trial. Â Live blog coverage and updates will begin at…
“Alberto Contador will ride into Madrid on Monday morning (Australian time) to win his second Vuelta a Espana after holding onto the lead on…
I'm not going to argue with the facts. I'm not going to argue about doping. I'm not going to argue about the fairness of…
The women's team pursuit is making its debut at an Olympic Games here in London. This marks the first time in history that men…
The blue ribbon event of the track cycling program at any Olympic Games is always the team pursuit. The race of truth on the…
Host nations in recent history have all enjoyed a strong Olympic campaign, with big improvements in medal tallies. Just 12 years ago, Australia blitzed…
After such anticipation of a showdown between Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans, and despite the promise shown in the first 10 days, the 2012…
We've seen some pretty interesting racing over the past few days: a photo finish saw Greipel get up, a well-timed attack from Luis Leon…
After three tough days in the Alps, the race has taken on a slightly different complexion. Our hero, Cadel, has fallen out of the…
Following Wiggins’ dominant performance in the time trial, I’m having two decidedly different thoughts, neither of which I completely agree with.The first is that…
It was a great win by Thibaut Pinot, holding off a charging field following a daring attack with 17km to go. Cadel finished second…
Stage 7 of the 2012 Tour de France promised to give us one of two things: either a) a breakaway victory, or b) an…
Two weeks ago, this columnist wrote a post on Garmin-Sharp’s ambitions at the Tour and how Ryder Hesjedal was a good chance to become…
I'm back with Twitter coverage of stage four of the Tour de France. Apologies for missing a stage but was anyone really surprised that…
As expected, Mark Cavendish vanquished his rivals on stage 2 of this year’s race. Despite not having his trademark leadout, Cav was able to…
What’s more, sittingbison, is that I used to be a Lance believer. I used to be the guy who scoffed at the suggestion that he doped. I tried to find any excuse to make what he did seem right in some way, even the most recently rolled out one that doping levelled the playing field. But after reading The Secret Race, Bad Blood and Racing Through The Dark (by Tyler Hamilton, Jeremy Whittle and David Millar respectively), my faith in cyclists and the integrity I used to hold them to has been utterly destroyed.
I’m not sure I would give up watching cycling. I love it too much. Even though he’s a convicted doper, watching Contador tear the Vuelta apart on Stage 17 was nothing short of spectacular. But I can’t connect with the athletes on an emotional level like I used to. I used to love the romance of a rider’s story, of where they’ve come from and how they got to the pinnacle of the sport. Now, I just couldn’t care less.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
To be fair to Cadel, let’s not count chickens before they hatch. Hincapie said he stopped doping in 2006, which means he would easily be clean last year. The real question is whether we can take Hincapie’s comment at face value.
Cadel’s never been linked to any doping, apart from doing some testing with Ferrari back before he turned from MTB to Road. But with the amount of corruption and covering up that it seems like the UCI is doing, for all we know, Cadel could be as bad as Lance. I doubt he is, but my scepticism is now complete. I don’t trust any pro rider anymore, which is blatantly unfair as I bet a lot of them are clean. But you just can’t be sure.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Erm, come again?
Cheat (verb): to defraud; swindle; deceive; or influence by fraud
I see nothing in that definition about how, if everyone else is cheating, then no-one is cheating. If you do any of the aforementioned things, you are a cheat, you have cheated, etc., etc.
One thing that I think needs to come out of this is that Lance is not the only cheat exposed. Hincapie, Hamilton, Landis, Vande Velde, Leipheimer, etc. have all cheated too. Lance is just the only one who hasn’t admitted as such.
Just because you did something everyone else is doing doesn’t make it not cheating. Like, if you were playing Monopoly, and everyone was stealing from the bank, everyone is cheating.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Sounds like the kind of thing Paul would say, although Phil was always very supportive of Lance.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Or David Millar. Never failed a drugs test. Was also doped up to the eyeballs and banned for 2 years after admitting to it. The other thing is that, as Tyler Hamilton explained in his book, there were lots of ways of getting around the testers. You just had to be smart and quick on your feet.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Plus the burden of proof for a doping investigation is much less than that of criminal charges, where you have to prove “beyond reasonable doubt”. He’s guilty.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Being a drug cheat because everyone else is a drug cheat is not an excuse. That’s like saying that hitting women is alright because everyone else is doing it. There is a fundamental moral and ethical breakdown in the sport.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
Mate, I’m exactly like you. For years, I blinded myself to the truth. “He never failed a test”, “His teammates are all liars and can’t be trusted”, “Everyone’s just out to get him” went through my head. More recently, I used “I don’t care much for his achievements as a cyclist, its his cancer charity work that’s more inspiring”.
But I can’t resist it anymore. I read Hamilton’s book and more recently David Millar’s and you can’t get any more damning than those accounts.
Finally, we have some closure. We can shoot Lance down once and for all and show that the sport deserves better champions than him. For so long we got sucked into the Lance story, cancer survivor, charity worker, warrior athlete. We know now that he’s a cheat, liar and conspirator.
Not only was it Lance, but this problem with cheating in cycling dates right back to the early-1900s, where riders used to drink until they could feel no pain, jump on trains between city checkpoints on the Tour route and throw tacks on the road to derail their competitors.
Cycling is such a beautiful sport. It deserves champions worthy of its respect. I really hope the latest generation of Grand Tour winners, Evans, Wiggins, Hesjedal, are clean. Because it will take a sustained period like this to restore my faith in the athletes.
We were right to believe in Lance, weren't we?
That’s all from me, folks! I’m off to bed as I need to catch at least some shut-eye for my day-job. Hope you enjoyed following The Roar’s coverage of the Team Time Trial from Limburg, The Netherlands. I have to say that this format has some potential in the future and is a good way to kick off the week’s racing. Take care and see you soon.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Omega Pharma-Quick Step lead at every intermediate check on the course but were always threatened by BMC Racing Team. If not for Taylor Phinney struggling up the final climb and dropping off the back, it could quite easily have been BMC’s gold medal. Alas, it wasn’t. A brilliant team effort by OPQ, who finished with all 6 riders and were incredibly strong. They rolled turns with precision and genuinely destroyed that course.
Orica-GreenEDGE did a good job to grab bronze. They’ve had a wonderful debut season so far and it could get better later in the week as they have some pretty strong prospects in the Road Race as well.
Liquigas-Cannondale were the surprise of the day. Only the very final few teams managed to knock off the early pacesetters and the men in lime green did an admirable job to finish 4th.
Rabobank will be rueing a costly finish. Similarly to BMC, they fell apart up the final climb, which cost them vital seconds and possible 4th place overall.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
FINAL RESULTS
GOLD. Omega Pharma-QuickStep: 1:03:17.17
SILVER. BMC Racing TEam: +3.16
BRONZE. Orica-GreenEDGE: +47.01
4. Liquigas-Cannondale: +1:04.73
5. Rabobank: +1:08.13
6. Movistar: +1:18.57
7. Katusha: +1:18.57
8. RadioShack-Nissan: +1:21.22
9. Sky Procycling: +1:32.21
10. Garmin-Sharp: +1:35.13
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
But they sneak in. Orica-GreenEDGE finish 3rd, 47 seconds down, 17 in front of Liquigas. 49.9km/h. Great ride by the Aussie guys.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
With Sky well out of it, the battle for the medals will be decided when Orica-GreenEDGE finishes. Unlikely to be a gold or silver but could finish in bronze. Going to be very close against Liquigas.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
What a cruel finish for BMC! 3.1 seconds was the final gap. Omega Pharma-Quick Step will win gold. Had Phinney not dropped back up the Cauberg there, they may have won the race. What a fantastic race though. Very very close between the two teams over 53.2km.
Meanwhile, Orica-GreenEDGE are coming up towards the line now. They were 28 seconds behind at the final check so I doubt they will be able to win gold but a medal is certainly possible.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
VERY VERY CLOSE! BMC are really flying and they need to fly up this final kilometre. Who will it be?!
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
BMC have to keep pushing but they’ve dropped Phinney!! This isn’t going to help them try to knock off OPQ. Phinney comes back to them but they lost precious seconds waiting around. Tejay Van Garderen looking very strong.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
This is going to be a ding-dong battle between OPQ and BMC. They’re trading blows at the moment but OPQ still hold a slight edge.
OPQ coming up to the finish now. They’re blowing the field away! 1:03:17! 50.5km/h! Nearly 65 seconds faster than Liquigas. Finished with all 6 riders. What an incredible team effort!
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
OPQ are now closing in on the finish with just a few kilometres to go. Garmin-Sharp just finishing now. 30.34 seconds behind Liquigas in 6th place. They’ll be disappointed with that.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Sky falling way back now. They’re over a minute down at the final check, 12th fastest. Seems like their big season is finally catching up to them. All teams are now through the final time check. We should be done and dusted in the next 15 minutes or so.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Winning time will probably be sub-64 minutes, which is pretty phenomenal on this course. Well over 50km/h average needed.
RadioShack-Nissan finish 5th fastest at the end. Jensie looking pretty spent.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Just missed Orica-GreenEDGE going through the final check. However, they still have 5 riders left so anything can still happen.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Home team Rabobank are driving to the line now. They’ve just missed out on top spot, 3.3 seconds behind Liquigas.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
BMC Racing Team come through the final check at 38.2km and are putting in a good performance, just 8.79 seconds behind OPQ. Meanwhile, Rabobank are starting to disintergrate now. 2 guys have just dropped way back up the climb and things are starting to unravel. They need to get back together and get back into a rhythm if they want to put some respect back into the time.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Getting down towards the business end of the race. Omega Pharma-Quick Step are looking the quickest at the moment. They still have all 6 riders left with around 10km to go. They lead at the final check by a huge margin with only a handfull teams behind them yet to register times.
2012 UCI Road World Championships, Team Time Trial: Live updates, blog
Mick Rogers looks very shady. I’m pretty certain he was a doper, although I can’t prove it, he worked with Ferrari for a long time.
Cadel I’m not so sure about. He did do some testing with Ferrari in the early years of his road career because Ferrari was testing to see whether he could adapt to the road. Not sure if it went further than that. But, you’re right, it doesn’t make for nice reading.
Elephant in the room has finally been exposed