Should riders be given a lifetime ban?

Felix-da-house-mouse

fruit bars with eyes wrote:

difficult to think of what cycling would be like with no eddy merckx, thevent, de vlaeminck, anquetil, sean kelly, lance armstrong and others who tested positive in their careers if they'd been banned immediately....

but would the above mentioned great riders still have taken whatever they all took if they knew if caught they would never ride a bike proffesionally again? despite the fact its theft from the other riders prize money and also fraud.

iainf72

Felix-da-house-mouse wrote:

but would the above mentioned great riders still have taken whatever they all took if they knew if caught they would never ride a bike proffesionally again? despite the fact its theft from the other riders prize money and also fraud.

Can you confirm the only reason you don't break the law is because of the punishment?

I would suggest it's mostly because you believe doing those things you could be punished for is wrong. The peloton has been doping for so long it will take a long time to change the mindset of doping being the norm rather than wrong.

What the AFLD and ASO are doing is spot on - They are making it clear that it's not going to be easy to get away with it - If you were taking CERA how would you feel at the moment? Last week it was undetectable, this week they've bust 3 guys for it. I tell you how I'd feel - I'd be pooing it.

bahzob

fruit bars with eyes wrote:

- unless you believe there are some good clean riders out there which i don't- all the good ones tend to end up positive if you ask me-

Including Mark Cavendish? That's the trouble with doping it leads to cynicism that taints the whole sport.

As to OP. Yes there should be a lifetime ban. Partly because I dont ever want to see the twats who cheated this year again. But mainly because if this actually were to come into being it would mean that all the bodies involved in the sport had taken a decison to rid it of its biggest issue. Sadly it wont happen, becuase, more sadly a lot of people involved (including I would say most of the fans in Italy and Spain) couldnt care less.

dave_1

yes, life ban on first offence...but it will not stop doping...you are dreaming if you think it will...does the death sentence deter crime or tougher jail sentences. No! A lifeban should be put in place for 1st offence so clean riders can get a spot rather than let people like Ricco or Basso return after 2 years and deprive an amatuer of a spot he deserves.