From what I've read they've said they'd be more content to finish 2nd to a doper than to dope and get the win. Floyd is spinning it pretty good unless there is something else out there. After reading that interview Floyd is coming off more as the a-hole.

Vaughter's has never said that. Vaughter's rally cry is that the team, management and sponsors are going to live with the fact that they are human, some good days mixed in with some bad days. Vaughter's is edging toward a complete paradigm shift as it relates to the pressures of "winning at all costs". To some degree, I can see Floyd's point of view. I imagine Vaughter's will find some balance as the year progresses to limit some of his banter because if he keeps it up, he will be insinuating that his guys aren't good enough to compete whether or not others are doping. And yes, I'm sure it would piss just about anybody off that wins knowing they are clean (Floyd's point), and a sport director pops off afterward that the race was just too much for his team when they are preaching "squeeky clean". How else would anyone interpret it?

I'm generally a completely anti-union person as I feel the leadership of most union's care more about their personal interests than that of the union members, but cycling it is at an huge disadvantage since every cyclist is essentially competing year to year for their own survival (paycheck). It claims to be a team sport, but to survive a cyclist must put his individual interest first to survive in it. I believe that's where the real pressure exists to dope. Can you imagine the NFL, NHL, NBA or Major League baseball without a players union protecting the players rights?

I have to disagree. I think he brings up some serious deep rooted issues with the entire system. I think he makes a pretty good case that USA Cycling wouldn't go to bat for any cyclist in this country. That in itself is FUBAR.

interesting. I've read a lot of commentary on Vaughter's and I must have missed him saying, "I'd be more content to finish 2nd to a doper than to dope and get the win." Please share where that came from.

Now I think others (journalist) may have tried to put those words into his mouth, but I don't think HE's actually said that. Again, if you could point me to that, I'd be interested in reading it.

I do find it refreshing what Vaughters is doing from a fan perspective, but I think Floyd was giving a pretty darn accurate depiction of how a clean cyclist is going to react to it once the season starts. Floyd is a passionate person who sprinkles in quite a few f-bombs, but it doesn't make him an a-hole. I think he's done a pretty thorough job of exposing a very prejudiced system. And I'm not saying Floyd is clean. That's a whole different tangent which has been beat to death. Vaughters is generating a lot of good PR for cycling right now in the US. Can he keep it up? Only time will tell.

listen to the competitor radio interview. I don't think he came across that way at all.

Dan
www.aiatriathlon.com

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http://www.aiatriathlon.com

It will be very interesting to see how this season plays out as Slipstream enters a whole new realm of racing. Vaughters has never been one to be quiet so I can't wait to hear his responses to his riders performances. I don't believe this team will be very succesfull overall just simply by the roster, no one has really displayed any real sustained excellence even prior to riding for this team. So I'm curious to how Vaughters will react.

I do believe Floyd does have some good points and I think all he is trying to say is the entire system is flawed. USA cycling is a joke, there is no question about that. The legal system in which Floyd and all others is a joke (guilty or not guilty). Hopefully both Vaughters and Floyd can raise awareness to the problems this great sport has and at least try to minimize its problems as much as possible. I think we would be naive to think that this problem will ever go away but all we can really hope for is fair treatment to everyone riding.

I have to say that this forum is by far the best. I don't write here often but its always nice to get intelligent responses to questions. There are a lot of other triathlon/cycling forums but its obvious this one is viewed by much more intelligent and mature folks than alot of the others (no disrespect but its true).

Cheers and good luck to everyone with all of your goals this year.

RS