Toby Atkins

yourpaceormine
yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
edited July 2016 in Pro race
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... eam-263173

Not seen this mentioned here, but interesting (albeit a short) article about Toby Atkins.

Chapeau to that young man. How scary must that have been? Easy for us armchair pundits to pontificate about doping, but if faced with the situation he was in, I can see how many could be pressurised/lured down a path that they would not normally go down. Good to read that British Cycling supported him, and very pleased to read that both BC and the UCI had his safety as paramount.

Brave young man.

Comments

  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Good lad. Would have been so easy to have just gone ahead. And fair play to BC and UCI for their actions.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good lad. Would have been so easy to have just gone ahead. And fair play to BC and UCI for their actions.


    Are you sure - with all that has happened!!
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good lad. Would have been so easy to have just gone ahead. And fair play to BC and UCI for their actions.


    Are you sure - with all that has happened!!

    Well, he could have thought:
      - If I want to be successful I might need to do it - What happens to me if I don't - No-one else will ever know, they're not doing any testing here - I'm knackered and don't know how I'm going to cope with x more days of this
    An ambitious 20 year old kid, under pressure in a new team, in a strange country; I don't know that I would have done the same thing.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,642
    Good to read.

    A strong positive for me is that British Cycling and the UCI responded quickly (contacting him within 24 hours) and have subsequently addressed the issue. This of course won't put people off insinuating that the UCI is useless, doing nothing in the fight against doping etc. etc.
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    SpecialGuestStar wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good lad. Would have been so easy to have just gone ahead. And fair play to BC and UCI for their actions.


    Are you sure - with all that has happened!!

    Well, he could have thought:
      - If I want to be successful I might need to do it - What happens to me if I don't - No-one else will ever know, they're not doing any testing here - I'm knackered and don't know how I'm going to cope with x more days of this
    An ambitious 20 year old kid, under pressure in a new team, in a strange country; I don't know that I would have done the same thing.

    Agreed, whilst normally I'm sure all atheletes would say "no, never" it must have taken great strength to do the right thing.

    I found the article a really interesting read, explaining the circumstances of how he was offered. Too many biogs I've read gloss over the situation that young riders were in when they started to dope.

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