I've decided - life ban for all past cheats!

I disagree.

Bans are not going to solve anything.

Hi there.

Here's a question for you: Do you think that capital punishment is a realistic deterant for those about to commit murder?

Some people might take the "as well to be hung for a sheep as a lamb" line of thinking.

Cheers, Andy

http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Luigi</i>
While we're at it, why doesn't the UCI or whatever build and dedicate a monument to all the cyclists who died in their sleep from EPO abuse? That might put as a few people off as well.
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Hmmmm - I mashed my shoulder up last year and will be developing arthritis soon enough, can't put my hand on top of my head and will need a shoulder replacement in the next 10'ish years.....because I fell off a bike. Does that make you think about whether you should bother riding? Or do the rewards outweigh the risks?

I've read a lot of emotive talk about this issue, but what it boils down to is it's against the rules. The rules are difficult to enforce because it's so easy to get past the tests. Some people will cheat if they can get away with it - If they didn't believe they could get away with it, they wouldn't do it.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by speedbump</i>

I've decided that my opinion is that anyone who was a cheat in the past should be banned from anything to do with cycling in the future.

This includes teaching young kids how to ride, or being on tv etc. Riis should not be allowed near a pro team. Basso should never ride in a race again (even a local amateur TT).

I'd hope at least 90% of club riders (who are the backbone of cycling) agree with me.
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Well thought out. That'll encourage people to come clean. If Riis wants to coach my kids, he'd be very welcome.

<font color="purple"> <font size="1"><i>please pretend there's a horizontal line here. I couldnt work out how to put one in.</i></font id="size1"></font id="purple">
You stir my natural emotions

I can see Speedbump's point which is that if we ever wish to be sure we've conquered doping then we have to make a clean break. Human behaviour in the past is very often the best guide to the future. Honesty, in particular, seems be almost biologically hard-wired and honest people with moral courage tend to be honest in almost every area. I've only ever known a few really crooked people but interestingly they were consistently dishonest even in small matters when they thought they could get away with it and not be noticed.

However, although I understand the attraction of the idea, I think there have been so few clean professional cyclists that we would struggle to make a clean break. I suspect that both McQuaid and LeBlanc have / had the odd skeleton in their memory even if it is only the odd pill to help get up a hill or finish a crit. That makes it harder for them to be completely judgemental. Sadly the legality and morality of doping is a murky area and its difficult to make black and white distinctions. I do understand your point though and my suspicion is that some team directors like Bruyneel or Riis might be just as tainted as Saiz.

Maybe, part of what we need is a new breed of Brailsford-like clean professional DS / Team owners who have no / less connection with a highly dodgy past. Perhaps if Brailsford does get to form his UK Protour team we might be part of the way. Lets hope though that Ferretti makes no progress with Weber - he seems to be one of the "old guard".

How can 'we' ban anyone unless we know exactly who is guilty?

Up till last week, NO-ONE really knew Riis had done anything wrong.

we may have all had suspicions, but without 'proof', its very hard to exclude anyone.

Mleh Mleh Mleh

I am with the 10% (for now). We need a period of amnesty and honesty so that the whole Omerta dies. Everyone needs to come out and say "Yes we all did it" and be big and grown up about it. You can't start a fresh with all the fear and lies and the past hanging around like a cloud. I think Riis' attitude is spot on: pragmatic and honest and bodes well for the future. The rest need to fess up and have a giant american man cuddle then we crack on with a cleaner future for racing.

I'm in the 10% too.

We are now sure virtually if not all the top riders were doing it back then so what would be the point.

I like the amnesty idea, give people until the end of this year to own up to past offences. If they do then there will be no sanctions. If it is found out ater that, then they will be banned from any participation in the sport for life.

More importantly in my view is that doctors who are found to aid such things should lose their license and be banned from medecine for life.

Another important issue is to review the testing procedures and make sure they are not suspect to the degree that they can be questioned in court. Multiple labs to cross-reference results would also be useful.

Make next year the first genuine year of drug free cycling.

My zwei pfennig: crimp the lot of 'em and leave rest to the vultures!

Arminius

but who am I to have an opinion, a mere fan?

I'm pink, therefore I'm spam!

speedbump - your idea is ridiculous. what's done is done. draw a line now and life ban for future offenders. all those who won in the doping days will know that their 'so called' achievements are tarnished and not respected.