Forgive me if this has already been posted - haven’t been around for a while. What could Tyler be referring to other than doping? Wonder how all his supporters and believers (naive as they are) will interpret his comments.
Tyler Hamilton will officially return to racing with the new Tinkoff Credit Systems team. The 35 year-old American, who has served a two year ban for blood doping, will be one of the team’s top riders. There will be a total of 17 riders in the pro continental team, which will have a strong Russian flavour.
After signing the contract, Hamilton was quoted in an official team statement as saying, “I made a mistake and I paid a very high price. But now I’m ready to be back in the game. I’ve gone through endless months of torment and misery, my family and closest friends kept me up and helped me through it all. Today I’m ready for a new challenge and I’d like to thank the Tinkoff Credit Systems team for the opportunity they’ve given me.”
unbeleivable - seems like the trend is to tell the truth and get on with things … at 35 I cant see him doing anything special on the bike especially after 2years off
Paid a high price? Didn’t he get to keep his Olympic Gold? Interesting but debatable if the price Hamilton paid was high enough. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy and feel grateful that he had the balls to admit his guilt but… well I don’t know. I guess I haven’t had my coffee yet and I’m a little grumpy. Ah well. WELCOME BACK TYLER!
Very interesting! Not really surprising, but … interesting. As you said maybe some people remember this next time someone comes up with some weird explanation… no wait… we have this “somebody” right now (many to be precise).
By “paid a high price” perhaps he’s referring to the hopefully thousands of (now former) fans and friends that he lied to - again and again - only to emerge once a deal is inked and say “oops, sorry!” I hope the high price he paid is one of lost friends and fans.
Want to talk about how drugs is ruining the sport of cycling? Look no further. This situation is a laughing stock and Tyler’s professional existance on the bike an insult to the sport.
"seems like the trend is to tell the truth and get on with things … "
Indeed, it is a refreshing change from the deny, deny, deny protocol. However, in Hamilton’s case, if what he’s saying is to be believed, why didn’t he just say that he made a mistake and did something wrong right when he had the positive test. David Millar did that and a number of other drug cheats have done so as well. If they are truly guilty, then admit the guilt and the wrong doing and move on.
How about an interview where he actually goes into some depth? Or where he actually shows a trace of remorse?
Ever tell a lie to someone, and then realized how exhausting and awful it is to maintain that lie? I wonder how he’s slept at night these past few years (other than on a pile of money).
“How about an interview where he actually goes into some depth? Or where he actually shows a trace of remorse?”
That would be nice. Howevcer, I have far less respect for someone such as Hamilton, if all this is true, than some like David Millar who came out right away and said that he in his words “%^&*ed-Up”, and that he was sorry, he made a huge mistake and that he was ready to serve his time . . etc etc. . Not that I condone what Millar did, but Hamilton has been carrying on the rouse for two years now, keeping everyone guessing. Battleing in the courts. Taking up people’s time/money only now to admit that all along he did blood dope. However, to believe this we have to have absolute faith in the testing systems and the procedures and protocols that go with it and the stuff leaking out of the Landis affair would lead one to believe that you can’t yet have absolute faith in the system.
It’s all a very confusing situation and in the end, you really don’t know who to believe.
F all you guys. Like you’ve never done anything wrong. Like you’ve never lied only to retract it when you have no place left to go.
SO he f’ed up. he did pay the price that the governing body passed down. Move on. You don’t have to be a fan but move on for god’s sake.
You want to see change? Do something about it. start a petition or a fundraiser for better dopping controls. How about starting up a website that calls for harsher punishment.
Oooooooooo. someone took drugs in order to win a bike race… Move on already.
What I find funny is that the Millar bashing on this forum has been almost nonexistant but the Nina bashing was strong and long. She came out an admitted it so did Millar. Why did everyone bash one and not the other? Sexism?
Compared to the Tyler bashing you would think people had a bashing level based upon some arbitrary measure. Hmm lets see they dope and came out, said I did it in 5 days so that is only 3 threads about how bad they are vs they have denied for 2yrs so that is 300 threads vs they admitted after 4 months which is only 28 threads.
People dope, AGers & elites, you don’t have to like it, I don’t, but you need to accept that it is going to happen. It IS part of sport, like it or not, it will play in an outcome in every major event. Someone gets nabbed (a good thing) does their time and is allow back on the streets. Same thing with the penal system here in the US. Do a crime (PEDs) get found guilty (busted in a drug test) serve you pushinment (2 yr ban) and go out and try to be a productive citizen of society (resigned by another team or toeing the line again).
Interestingly, cyclingnews quotes him as saying “There have been mistakes and the price that I had to pay was very high,” This implies to me that he is saying the testing agencies made mistakes?
“F all you guys. Like you’ve never done anything wrong.”
Is that the point? I think the point is that here you have a professional athlete who, by being a professional athlete, is an example to other riders and fans. To steadfastly deny doping - even in the face of convincing and unflinching evidence - and then to come back, get a contract, and say “oh well, sorry” is what’s fucked up.
If you don’t feel like discussing it, how 'bout you move on?
wow, those cyclingnews folks are a sneaky bunch - I copied the original post on cyclingnews to send to friends and it said very clearly:
“I made a mistake and the price that I had to pay was very high,” said Hamilton.
If you google “Hamilton” and “mistake” under news you’ll get a lot of articles (procycling, guardian uk, eurosport, abc) saying I made a mistake… I’m surprised that cyclingnews made a silent change…
ha. I just looked a little further. Guardian Unlimited & Eurosport say:
“I have made a mistake and I paid a very high price for it,” the American was quoted as saying by news agency All Sport.
“I have made a mistake and I paid a very high price for it,” the American said.
procycling says:
“I made a mistake and I paid a very high price. But now I’m ready to be back in the game.”
For a “quote” from a guy who speaks English (or so I thought) they’re awfully different…
crazy. most of the “I made mistakes” are attributed to All Sports news agency.
Found this from AP.
“Mistakes have been made and the price I had to pay was very high,” Hamilton said in a statement released by Tinkoff Credit Systems.
