Comments on: Thoughts About Cheating

By: Tommy

Tommy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:26:18 +0000

Hang on a second…”Floyd (Rat) Landis”. If he’s “the rat” of the bunch, what does that say about the rest? In reality that sign speaks more about cycling’s omerta – the culture that Floyd was forced into at Postal – than it does as an insult to Floyd!

Anyone here seen Goodfellas?

By: SteveB

SteveB — Mon, 31 May 2010 02:59:13 +0000

About Floyd’s motives…the idea that he could be attempting to whistleblow under the false claim act(2005 Deficit Reduction Act) makes sense. All the money that was payed by the federal government (United Postal Service) to the team at the time (USPS)would qualify if the feds could prove that the claims for payment were fraudulent, or even inappropriate. I believe the allegations have the attention of the Office of Inspector General (OIG). This would allow for penalties x3 of the claim, plus a 30% payment to Floyd.

I think the timing and motives of the allegations at this late date continue to tickle my jaded side.

By: Paulscarlett

Paulscarlett — Sun, 30 May 2010 23:02:25 +0000

Regarding supporting Livestrong IF LA was ever proved to be a doper, surely it is about integrity. In a nightmare world where LA does pop positive, after lying vehemently for so many years, how can we trust his group is doing the right things, and why should we continue to hold him up as a beacon in the community when he shows nothing but contempt for those that look up to him. I go back to my original point, there are lots of other organisations that can be trusted. Livestrong is one that we like to support because we can identify with its leader, and with its ethos. What does it all stand for if he is proven to be a liar? – p.s. I will continue to dig as deep in to my pockets as I can until suspicions and rumours are proven

By: Kara Kaufman

Kara Kaufman — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:26:16 +0000

I also agree with Philly Jen! You sum it up best!!

I am also of the folk that hope LA is one of the “elite” of the world…An elite athlete (animal OR human) is rare and amazing all at the same time (I am thinking of Secretariat the great race horse, as I am an avid equestrian)…

What amazes me is the people that are suggesting LiveStrong should not be supported IF it were to come out LA has cheated. LiveStrong is about SO much more than ONE MAN! I will always support LiveStrong and am proud to, and will continue to support my husband (BikeCopVT) in his fund raising for such an organization.

I also like to live from a “trusting” standpoint… believing people at face value until proven otherwise. It is just too bad that some people in the harsh competitive world feel they “must” cheat in order to win, because winning is so much more important to them than being an honest, upstanding member of society.

By: blair

blair — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:06:27 +0000

when you cheat, you cheat everyone of something. if it isn’t a podium position or an age-group spot one better than they got, it’s money or fame or the knowledge of what is and isn’t true

and the only thing you win is the material prize for coming in the finishing position you cheated to attain, an improved opportunity to cheat again, and guilt, whether it’s felt or merely factual

you certainly didn’t win the competition, because you weren’t competing in the same race everyone else was

people put themselves through hell training to be good enough to get into these competitions. having the mental toughness to tolerate that suffering has got to be about a need to prove their worth as human beings, whether to show they have some or to show they have more than everyone else. so i totally don’t understand someone who would then grind down his human worth by cheating to get a couple of spots up the finish list. it’s psychotic to accept false acclaim after years or decades of grueling effort seeking real acclaim.

so when you cheat, you definitely cheat yourself right off your personal podium.

By: bob

bob — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:16:23 +0000

@dug & mtb w,

Sorry but this wasn’t “civil disobedience”, it was straight up simple fraud and just plain cheating.

Paying your money makes it a contract, swapping numbers then swapping age groups and riding with a license makes this fraud plain and simple and I’m surprised you don’t see it that way. Would you actually tell your kids that’s not cheating?

By: DP

DP — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:22:08 +0000

Like most cycling fans I’m pretty much sick of all the doping allegations but to those who think Greg Lemond is “crazy as a coot” as quoted above please have a look at the ~1 hour cycling discussion (http://fora.tv/2008/02/17/Ethics_Doping_and_the_Future_of_Cycling#fullprogram) he gives on his past experiences riding in a peloton that was obviously doping on a grand scale once EPO was discovered globally by the cycling community. A great champion goes from tour winner to off the back in 1 or 2 years – tell me that is fair!

Lemond sounds like the only one who has a clue about what really needs to be done to clean this thing up once and for all. Floyd may be a quack and has gone about alot of things in his life the wrong way but you have to be an extremely naive person to think Armstrong has done it clean. And no, it’s not fair to say it’s been an even playing field b/c everyone is doing it b/c obviously some teams have more resources which equals access to better drugs or better doping systems.

By: Another fat guy

Another fat guy — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:33:20 +0000

I have a question for all those who believe or feel Lance has cheated… and I don’t mean to be argumentative at all. I’m a newbie to cycling and am asking because I truly don’t understand.

Can you please explain to me how you think the one guy who has been tested more than any other cyclist, more than any other athlete in history, has never been caught, while guys being testing 1/10th and 1/20th as much are busted all the time?

LA had an entire national government trying to prove he cheated. He has had a target on his back greater and longer than any rider ever.

And yet, with all these others getting caught – dozens and dozens and dozens – he is the ONLY one that they can’t catch? Seriously?

I just need to hear a rational explanation for how that can be possible.

Thanks.

By: Greg @ Greg Rides Trails

Greg @ Greg Rides Trails — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:00:59 +0000

Good post Fatty. Totally agree with everything you said… would be futile to try to add anything to it!

By: CleanCyclist_looking_for_EPO

CleanCyclist_looking_for_EPO — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:17:30 +0000

Previously, I joined in Fatty’s joke about EPO. Now, I have a serious question: am I in danger of cheating?

You see, I’m a mid-40s guy who loves cycling and doesn’t have enough time to do much of it. Although to be honest, I could, but am frequently too tired to get out of bed early, or too tired after work, etc. So recently I went to a doctor to see what I could do to regain some youthful energy. He did a bunch of bloodwork, and found out that I have a testosterone level far below that where it usually has diminished in the average mid-40s guys. So now, I take a daily small dose of testosterone creme, as well as lots and lots of more normal supplements (vitamins, fish oil, minerals, etc.). All done to 1) feel more normal, like a person again, and 2) to have the energy to ride and exercise again, with the hope of eventually being a participant in various rides n races.

So: am I a doper? Should I never enter such events? Have I essentially shot myself in the foot for life? I would really like to hear people’s thoughts.