What credibility now ?
The grand tour winners of the past several years have now all been shown to have doped at some time in their careers.
Armstrong TDF winner
Heras Vuelta winner
Garzelli/Simoni Giro winner
Gonzalez Vuelta winner
We've had the cocaine/PED allegations levelled during the Giro 2000/2001, we have had the EPO allegations levelled at the TDF since 1999, we have PED allegations against Vuelta consistently.
In 1998, we had the Festina scandal which was followed by reciminations, counter allegation, statements of intent from the UCI.
Finally as the civil authorities in France became involved we got, for the first time, admissions of doping by Virenque and Zulle.
That brief window, when the sport could have re-established it's credibility - and perhaps have saved cyclists lives - was slammed shut by our sports inability (unwillingness ??) to deal with the doping issue, once and for all.
The 7 year charade has come unstuck with this latest doping story.
Only it's the fans of the sport who have been cheated - cheated by the riders, UCI, and in some cases, the sponsors.
The perception is now the reality.
The grand tour winners of the past several years have now all been shown to have doped at some time in their careers.
Armstrong TDF winner
Heras Vuelta winner
Garzelli/Simoni Giro winner
Gonzalez Vuelta winner
We've had the cocaine/PED allegations levelled during the Giro 2000/2001, we have had the EPO allegations levelled at the TDF since 1999, we have PED allegations against Vuelta consistently.
In 1998, we had the Festina scandal which was followed by reciminations, counter allegation, statements of intent from the UCI.
Finally as the civil authorities in France became involved we got, for the first time, admissions of doping by Virenque and Zulle.
That brief window, when the sport could have re-established it's credibility - and perhaps have saved cyclists lives - was slammed shut by our sports inability (unwillingness ??) to deal with the doping issue, once and for all.
The 7 year charade has come unstuck with this latest doping story.
Only it's the fans of the sport who have been cheated - cheated by the riders, UCI, and in some cases, the sponsors.
The perception is now the reality.