I just read the news of Vino’s positive test and the resulting death sentence for Team Astana in the Tour de France. Strangely, I don’t really care that much.
Why?
Well, partly because I just completed one of the best cycling days of my life. We covered 140 kilometers over some of the most historic cols of the Pyrenees: the Peyresourde, the Col de l’Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet. We suffered, but overcame the climbs; then practically flew down the narrow roads to immediately do it all again on the next one.
I logged more than 10,000 feet of climbing. It was a beautiful day. I’m in France.
I just don’t feel any connection to the dopers in the pro peloton. Is it only a few or is every pro using illicit means to improve his performance? Because I’ll never know the answer, I don’t let it concern me all that much. I’m convinced that whatever they’re doing in cycling, you’ll find the same misdeeds in virtually any other professional sport if one digs deeply enough.
So, while the officials sort through who is cheating and who isn’t, I’m planning another epic ride up the 30 kilometers of the Col de l’Aubisque tomorrow to watch the pros contest their final mountaintop finish in this year’s Tour.
I’ll try to focus on the amazing performances of the athletes, the craziness of the crowds and the spectacle--still far bigger than any busted cheater--that’s called the Tour de France.
Rob
Rob Klingensmith is an avid recreational cyclist and an executive at Active.com. Rob will provide a unique perspective on what it's like to be inside some of the most decisive stages of the Tour.
Tour de France
Previous Next
Gerald Gruber
I still believe the bulk of the peleton is clean. The testing eliminates the few who try to go over the edge. That is what why they have testing. No big deal. These are still phenomenal athletes. If other sports tested the way cycling does, there would be few participants. It's The Tour Baby, and it always will be.
Blue Bianchi
Rob, how did it compare to ride the Peyresourde with fresh legs instead of at the end of a brutal series of climbs?
Len Low
Hey I don't care either because it's become a joke, the winner most likely will go the way of Landis. I agree the Tour is the biggest bike race but for it to continue, to have any significance it has to appeal to the masses not just the riding aficionados. Do you for a moment think the average joe is going to appreciate what these atheletes are doing? First thing that comes in their mind is doping. As for most in peloton are clean? Yes..majority probably are but are we talking 51%..52%..53%?
kathi
It seems to me that with the world's addiction rate of over 10% and people who excel in life often being ADHD, that the possibilitiy of this smal group of elite riders may have serious mental health problems that we are ignoring. And more importantly, telling them they are bad people, cheaters, and we are not giving them the mental health help they need.
The ability to perform at the top is the rare athlete, and yet, we somehow believe that everyone can do it and more importantly, judge our worthiness by it. Our society has continued to ignore mental health issues and the notion of addiction. You can bet that when someone with an addiction problem wins using drugs, they will do it again. And simply having stringent rules to follow will be impossible for the addicted. For the athlete without an addiction problem, they will stop because they can control this behavior.
Why are we continuing to ridicule people instead of helping them? I have always had great admiration for the commentators but when those who are addicted are called cheaters and ridiculed for a mental/physical illness, I am disappointed. Everyone loves Sally Field who came out years ago helping to further mental illness when she disclosed she had bipolar or manic depression. For years, medicine thought that schizophrenia was caused by controlling mothers. And there are still many professionals who believe someone who is depressed should simply be able to "get over it". We know there are physiological reasons for these problems, just as in diabetes, and heart disease. Please, lets help these talented athletes get back on their feet with their own power through the use of the many ways to get help for addiciton problems, a definate physiological problem.
Blessings to all of you who understand addiction and prayers to you who don't.
Rob: From an exec at Active, one would expect more. You got blinders on, my friend. This story is not about one busted cheater; it's about one busted Tour de France. Ignoring it is not going to make it go away, and both Active and Versus will suffer as viewers drop in droves. Deal with it.