Cycling banned from the Olympics?

iainf72

Le Commentateur wrote:

So, dump the RRs and TTs, re-instate the Kilo and give the ladies more track events they surely deserve.

I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune if the Brits were rubbish at track events.

nathanbloke

stagehopper wrote:

Bach seems to have retreated a bit from wanting all cycling banned to suggesting it's the mens road race which is the problem and might need to be expunged.

I haven't seen this backtrack, do you have a link?

So, let's get this straight. Because the Tour de France has caught some cyclists doping, using a test that was available during the Olympics, but wasn't used during the Olympics, the men's road race should be dropped from the Olympics? That's some twisted logic.

richard wants a baum

Richrd2205 wrote:
chuckcork wrote:
Possibly the only thing that would change the doping culture is to maybe put in a little tough lough, chinese style.

Y'know, public executions in a stadium....hey wait, they've got this brand new stadium in Beijing that isn't being used! Maybe they could use that to take care of the Olympic

cheats? Be kind of ironic, and again you could use each purpose built arena for each doper caught.

Cyclists in the cycling arena, swimmers ritually drowned in the pool and so on.

Of course noone would ever, ever take medication for a cold or flu again, just in case, but thats a downside we can live with!

So the only thing that'd change doping culture in cycling is to move to a system that has been proven not to work? Have you considered a job at the UCI?
Your post is quite funny apart from the huge hole in your logic.
Stiffer sentances do precisely nothing to deter rule breakers, the fear of detection does a lot. Huge amounts of research demonstrates this. I rather wish people would make a vague attempt to inform themselves before offering opinions.

I might be wrong but i think he was making a joke

Ive never understood the argument that better detection means you cant have stiffer penalties. It might not stop people from doping but it would stop people doping getting caught doing the pitiful 2 year suspension then coming back and doping again. Your absoulutely right better testing is whats need but that doesnt mean you cant ban them for life. Personally i think 5 year suspensions are more reasonable. As far as the argument that your taking away a persons livelyhood its simple dont break the rules and you wont lose your job.

stagehopper

nathanbloke wrote:

stagehopper wrote:

Bach seems to have retreated a bit from wanting all cycling banned to suggesting it's the mens road race which is the problem and might need to be expunged.

I haven't seen this backtrack, do you have a link?

So, let's get this straight. Because the Tour de France has caught some cyclists doping, using a test that was available during the Olympics, but wasn't used during the Olympics, the men's road race should be dropped from the Olympics? That's some twisted logic.

I was taking my cue from the following news item in Cycling News - it certainly seemed to be a retreat from his initially reported comments which suggested all Olympic cycling might have to go. He's definitely concentrating on men's road cycling here:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /oct08news

The International Olympic Committee has weighed in with comments following the latest positive doping test results. IOC vice president Thomas Bach has told AP that the cases of Stefan Schumacher and Leonardo Piepoli have further damaged cycling's credibility and the sport's status at the Olympics has been called into question.

It's a well-worn tune in relation to cycling's image, although the calls for "a pause" in men's road cycling at the Games is a relatively new revelation. "This is a hard blow for the credibility of men's road cycling," said Bach. "Obviously, the riders have not changed their mentality. They had a chance to do so, but they did not and this makes it even worse."

UCI president Pat McQuaid has called Bach's suggestion "completely unacceptable" and reiterated that cycling was making headway in eliminating the scourge of drug cheats. He was unequivocal in saying that, "We are weeding out the bad apples, make no mistake about it. No one can say the UCI and cycling authorities are not doing their utmost to find cheats and get them out of the sport."

He then fired a broadside at Bach. "It is completely unacceptable for Thomas Bach to be saying this. I don't like talking about other sports, but there are other sports with persistent problems. Instead of firing guns at cycling he should fire guns equally at them as well."

Bach said that cycling's "stakeholders" were to blame for not fully grasping the initiatives aimed to rid the sport of doping and that riders, race organisers, team owners and sponsors hadn't been co-operating. "I hope that now these stakeholders realise that they have to join this programme and work seamlessly together. They have to react. The credibility of men's road race cycling is at stake."