Tour de France winner 2006

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Phil...So come on then...I only pay attention when following 3 or 4 tour events each year...but you are a big fan........how do they make this sport clean? Can it be done?

Its simple.

If someone is caught doping:

The team recieves a fine calibrated on a team by team basis, that will hurt.
The team also cannot race in any event for a period of time.

The team sponser cannot sposer that or any other team for two years.

The director sportif (team manager) loses his job, and may not work within pro cycling for the next two years.

The team doctor loses his med licence.

The rider is kept, on contract, on mimimun / retainer wages, and is allowed train with the squad after six months. After a year he can ride again.

That's it. Problem solved. That would more or less stop it dead.
It wont happen, because the people with power all know exactly what the story is, they are used to treating riders like cattle, and few people want to change things.

Phil...As an add on to team punishment should not an "anti scandal" type clause be put in to contracts by sponsors? Meaning that if the team or any individual member of a team screws up all monies..including funds paid in advance for training are automatically refunded?

At the end of the day it all boils down to the cash/kudos of being a winner?

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Phil...As an add on to team punishment should not an "anti scandal" type clause be put in to contracts by sponsors? Meaning that if the team or any individual member of a team screws up all monies..including funds paid in advance for training are automatically refunded?

At the end of the day it all boils down to the cash/kudos of being a winner?

Well, yeah, I mean, this is sort of what I was thinking with the sponser having to pull out. The thing is, if the money is spent, its gone. You know? Its not like they can go after riders houses and sell them for the money. (Although, if there is no sponser, then there is no team maybe.)

You are right. At the end of the day its about getting up the road with the sponsers logo on your jersey. Winning is nice too.
Cycling to me though is more than that.
Its heroics, roman gladiator stuff to me. Its about thinking, and playing people, and launching attacks on beautiful mountains.

Its very odd the relationship you develop with your body. How you grade the pain, and abstract it. Its difficult to explain. You listen to the pain, learn what pain precedes what pain, You watch your pulse, watch your water intake. You are really cold, about it. Very clinical. You know that certain pain is bad pain. Most is just your normal body chatter.

I cant tell you how much I (still) respect those guys.

Phil...In essence I have a similar admiration for these guys as you, I see the team tactics as "Chess on wheels" it is a magnificent spectacle.

But all this nonsense just devalues the achievements of those amazing individuals already mentioned in this thread...that is the greatest sadness of all this.