Is there any hope- ever? Will riders actually choose to slow down? I don’t think so… too much money in the sport- at least as of now…
Greg LeMond is not surprised
Greg LeMond, winner of the Tour de France on three occasions, was not surprised about the doping scandals in this year’s Tour, as he revealed in an interview to AFP
The American pointed out that “the speed at which the riders go up the climbs is as fast as in the Pantani times. That is a shock to me.” He thought that many riders are still involved with Dr. Ferrari and think they can’t achieve results without him.
LeMond’s point of view is that if Rasmussen got kicked out, others should have been excluded, too. “There are others where there is even more proof . If I think about Floyd Landis, who defended himself by saying that the samples were manipulated, that the French were against him and that there is no culture of doping in cycling… Maybe he is just naive, or maybe he is malicious.”
LeMond insisted that the riders know very well who dopes and who doesn’t, suggesting that “it’s obvious there are still dopers in the peloton.” He explained that Contador weighs the same as Rasmussen, and both climbed at the same speed as Pantani. “That’s sufficient for the red flag to come up.” He also reminded us that Contador’s name came up in connection with Operación Puerto, but was cleared after the 2006 Tour. “I am not pointing the finger at him . I am simply saying if Rasmussen got caught then we also need to have a very close look at his competitors.”
LeMond suggested the reason riders still dope is that “if you look closely, very few riders get caught, actually,” adding that no rider is controlled right before the start of a stage. The American’s intended solution would be an independent agency, similar to WADA, but just for cycling. “It should be financed by the governments and should be punitive.”
LeMond negated the question if there should be a winner on Sunday on the Champs Elysées, “I would prefer the organisers would not give out a maillot jaune. It would be a symbolic gesture.”
The ex-world champion was not worried for the Tour’s future, though. “It will survive. It’s an event with a history, a glorious past. During three weeks the riders become actors. If you replace the actors, the Tour is still there. What I am more pessimistic about is the image of cycling, which has taken a serious hit. Every time when we think it’s getting a bit better, we are brought back down.”
Yeah, I honestly don’t understand the hate and disrespect Greg Lemond gets from some people on ST for speaking his mind. It’s not like anybody who posts here ever won the TDF three times. And…I’m sure he was clean when he did it.
I love how Lemond says they all dope. But he was clean. Yup.
It could be; I don’t know, but he only really knows if he doped, not if Contrador does, or Lance, or Floyd. Just because he won the race 3 times does not mean he can make claims like that.
That’s WHY so many dislike Lemonds commentaries…he’s a conceited windbag who loves to hear himself talk and to get publicity. He might be right, and probably is, but it is the WAY he goes about it, and the way he talks that makes people dislike him. To hear him talk, there was no doping when he won, and then everyone got faster, and therefore they were all doping. He sets himself up as some holier than thou kinda guy. To be honest, he’s kinda like the Rush Limbaugh of the cycling world.
Here’s the thing… Interviews with Greg, he talks about how, when he started no longer winning (and this was the beginning of the end when he was starting to suffer from the mitochondrial myopathy), he kept talking about how ALL the other riders were suddenly faster.
Couldn’t be that he was getting slower. Nah. Couldn’t be. Must be that EVERY ONE else is doping.
Hey, the doping was around before Lemond even started his pro career. It wasn’t like suddenly every one jumped on board with it and he was the only one left off the boat. HE changed, and he just can’t seem to accept that. So now he whines.
Sorry, Greg was a fine racer, and did a lot for the sport in the USA in his time, but really, he needs to leave this subject alone.
He’s not an insider. He has no more knowledge about riders than the average fan, yet he continues to speak as if he knows something we don’t. The fact that dopers are being caught and the microscope continues is an indication that the “powers that be” know this is a problem. It is extremely unprofessional for him to be saying these things even if they are true. His mouth will do nothing for the sport except get him in the newspaper. It looks like a desperate attempt to get attention and as a fellow American, he is embarassing and tarnishing his own reputation.
He needs to shut the hell up. If he wants to work behind the scenes to make a difference that’s a different story (and I’d be interested in hearing what positive things he is doing).
I agree that, sometimes, he get a little too high on his soap box. But, I fully understand his point. Look at how fast these guys are going. It does make you wonder.
I see it as no different than guys like Bart Starr or Ray Nitschke making a comment on the size and speed of NFL players these days. Look at the size and speed of guys who played during the Ice Bowl era and look at current NFL players. I understand that training, fitness, and (legal) supplements are more present now, but, come on, guys are doing things that sure make them look like they are on the juice. All of them? Certainly not. A higher percentage of them? Probably.
I see LeMond’s comments are similar. I do not, for a minute, believe the cycling was totally clean in LeMond’s day (probably far from it). But, I understand his comments about it being even more prevalent today.
Yeah, everybody needs to leave this subject alone, and keep with the omerta thing, and keep cheering for these guys flying up the mountains without an ounce of questioning.
This will probably solve the doping problem (as we won’t hear about it like in other sports).
There was doping back in Lemond’s day and even before, but nowhere near the level of sophistication that exists today. It’s a problem in almost all sports, not just cycling.
I used to think Lemond was a turd. When ever he would open his pie hole I would just get pissed. Now I am starting to think he is probably right on just about everything he says. People may not like him and that is fine, but seem to me he has a right to say what ever he wants. People that don’t like it, don’t need to listen. It does seem odd to me that such a great past champion gets so little respect for his thoughts on this subject. Seems to me everything he has been saying all along is turning out to be true. The sport is a mess and has been for a long time. Maybe his being so vocal will help, I don’t know, but I no longer think of him a turd.
I love how Lemond says they all dope. But he was clean. Yup. <<
Exactly…as if he knows everything about everyone.
And note to ceveloguy–I don’t hate Lemond. I just find it sad that he has to play pissing games in public with other people, seemingly because he feels he was disrepected.