Doping

IRTA CTC doping control, which presumably is some kind of quality check on the cakes and sandwiches carried in the saddlebag...

in late 2017, there were three rugby league players on coke bans who had won the man of steel/dally m award

If you can't celebrate it what's the point in winning it?

"man of steel" award for coked up rugby players some kind of joke, no?

"I'm fucking sure I can fly Brucey, hold my fuckin' beer!"

But at least you’ll have been noticed eh?

mate they got the awards before being pinged for beak.

but you're right. i certainly don't think cycling would celebrate anyone who's tested positive multiple times for it.

I realise this. It was still a funny coincidence. Wait a minute, is that why rugby players are always sticking their nose in each others pockets?!

Boonen tested positive for bugle THREE TIMES and continues to be celebrated.

this is exactly what i didnt want to happn

cough Merckx cough great cyclist ever cough

It’s only banned in competition in cycling.

I think it would be more surprising if a young, good looking, highly marketable, successful sports star wasn’t doing coke to be honest.

what are you saying about wout?

Are you surprised? https://youtu.be/JbzzUBjo5o8?t=152

why is cycling picked on

Because, in contrast with other sports, it's easy to show that the biggest event in the cycling calendar was repeatedly "won" by the use of a large scale and highly effective doping conspiracy. It's easy to speculate on the effect of kickball players' doping on the outcome of matches, but it's much harder to draw a simple linear narrative.

Well, this is a plausible and possible explanation, but I feel it gives too much credence to the idea that 'news' in newspapers has much connection with real life events.

'A newspaper contains as many of its proprietor's opinions as his advertisers will allow him to print.'

I've delayed this post because I've wasted a lot of time trying to discover who wrote this (it certainly wasn't me -it's far too clever for that). However I feel it may give at least a clue to what's going on. Essentially there's very little money in the bike trade when compared to the motor industry and its associates (roadbuilding etc).

I think it may not be generally understood that newspapers have an 'agenda'. This may be long term (eg Telegraph = Tory, Guardian = Remain/rejoin), but there are also transient threads - e.g. electric scooters are fun! The Guardian is not keen on cyclesport, but when the subject is a feisty woman their ears prick up:

https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/feb/21/ethel-brambleby-obituary

What chance of publication for a not terribly succesful male racing cyclist's obit ?

So, my point is that for many decades the medias' agenda has been anti cyclesport. I believe that it's now just possible that cycling's green credentials might change this and it's up to us to push for change.

for many decades the medias' agenda has been anti cyclesport

They were never against it, they just didn't see the point of writing about it since so few readers cared.

It's not even the case that they ignored it completely, although coverage seemed to drop off as kickball exploded from something people went to see in person to a media driven commercial behemoth, and at the same time minority sports got their own media thanks in part to the magazine boom enabled by DTP

I dunno whether I'd characterise the Graun as anti-cycle-sport; with Fotheringham they've at least got a decent dedicated (sports - Peter Walker and co. fight the good fight on the leisure/transport side) cycling correspondent.

(That obit was part of the 'other lives' strand, so 'quirky piece written by an acquaintance of the deceased'; a not terribly successful male racing cyclist might well pop up there, if they had other points of interest.)

i think these days that cycling and cycle sport get a fairer crack of the whip in the mainstream media than arguably more popular but less fashionable sports like (twice in two pages, go for it fizzy) rugby league.

that's probably due to the recent success of british cyclists, among other factors.

media driven commercial behemoth

Well, I think you're in agreement with me on this point.

Given enough money almost any activity could be promoted.

I’ve never seen the full version of that. I love Gilbert refusing to join in.

if they had other points of interest.)

Precisely the point I was making - there would need to be some aspect that fitted the paper's agenda.

So you can do cocaine during the off season with no repercussions as far as the sport goes?

"French newspaper Le Monde alleges that in the course of investigating Operation Puerto, a doping bust primarily focused on cycling, extensive documentation was found of "seasonal preparation plans" for Real Madrid and Barcelona that include notation suggesting doping practices. [1] Sources suggest that of the 200 sportspersons implicated in Operation Puerto, approximately 50 were cyclists (including notable names such as Ivan Basso and Tyler Hamilton) and the remaining 150 were from other sporting codes, including football. The football players were never pursued in the investigation, leading to claims of double standards between sports." Wikipedia.

I found this quote immediately I googled 'footballers EPO'

I wonder if football fans would be upset if they were told (frequently) that players were doping , and not just with recreational drugs? In reality I doubt whether it would make much difference, but I guess there is a fear that money invested might be damaged.

I think the thing with doping in team sports is that you'd probably need the whole team, or at least all of the wide players or midfield/attackers/full backs to be on something to make it really worthwhile.

I don't think a change or unfair advantage in a single player's athletic ability would be anywhere as significant to the outcome of games as a single cyclist's doping could be.

I dunno whether I'd characterise the Graun as anti-cycle-sport; with Fotheringham they've at least got a decent dedicated (sports - Peter Walker and co. fight the good fight on the leisure/transport side) cycling correspondent.

I did not intend to say that The Guardian is especially anti cycle sport - it just happens to be the paper I'm most familiar with. Also, it seems reasonable to refer to it since this bit of the thread started by Steve_s quoting the report in that paper on the Richard Freeman hearing.

It does seem to me to be wildly over keen on football.

I think the thing with doping in team sports is that you'd probably need the whole team, or at least all of the wide players or midfield/attackers/full backs to be on something to make it really worthwhile.

I don't think a change or unfair advantage in a single player's athletic ability would be anywhere as significant to the outcome of games as a single cyclist's doping could be.

I have been given to understand that cycling, at least in the form of professional stage races, is indeed a team sport.

I have been given to understand that cycling, at least in the form of professional stage races, is indeed a team sport

Lance understood that better than most, which is why he wanted the whole team doped.