Most everyone following the Tour has already heard or seen Bradley Wiggins having a rant over being questioned about doping in the Tour. If you haven’t, here it is.
The question – “There was some chatter in the Twitter-sphere about the comparison between Sky and US Postal.” The, the biting question – “I’m wondering your reaction. And, what do you say to the cynics who say you have to be doped up to win the Tour de France?”
The answer – “Honestly they’re just fucking wankers. I can’t be doing with people like that,” Wiggins said. “It justifies their own bone idleness… because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives.
“And it’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that kind of shit rather than get off their arses and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something.”
I guess Bradley is a little tired of the same old accusations that have been going on since……..1997 or so. It is my belief when you voluntarily participate in a sport that has historically been riddled with doping scandals, including a huge one occurring currently, then if you’re going to do a press conference, you’d have to assume that you’re going to be ask questions concerning doping. Especially if you’re winning the most important race of the season. Maybe he got up on the wrong side of the bed, I don’t know. Here’s a pretty good analysis of the situation at Podium Cafe.
Glad to see that Christian Vande Velde has finally come out publicly and said something pertinent about doping.
Inertesting comment, coming from a drunk.
Watching today’s TT stage. US Posta… oops, I mean Sky are looking impressive again. They obviously train much harder than everyone else when they go to Tenerife. Doesn’t look suspicious at all.
Yeah they are looking so much stronger than everyone else. \Impressive. Must be something in the water over in Tenerife…hmm. Wonder why all the teams don’t train there?
Froome, a climbing specialist, put 20 seconds into the best time trialist in the world. I guess the magical cycling fairy dust from the magical cycling island of Tenarife really works.
I thought for a moment that Ricco would hold that lead, until Piepoli crossed the line.
When you voluntarily dope yourself out of this world you should assume you are going to have to answer questions about how a “diet” turned you into Lance Armstrong. It’s so obvious what Sky is doing but since their boss is the most powerful media mogul in the world publications and networks have to pretend its normal.
That Basso, uhh, I mean Wiggo, is utterly extraterrestrial!!!
Is this Riis-Ulrich 2.0?
Seriously, why train on an Island know for dopers? just curious..
Umm… so you can dope.
I just want to know what is up with Sky’s helmets? Why?
I am thinking at this point if Cancellera would join Sky then he could become a GC climber like Froome.
Why can’t people just race their bikes and not have to deal with all the crap? No reason to be good if you get interrogated for success.
Tim-The reason these questions are asked is because our sport became so polluted over the last 20 years that nothing that anyone does seems real anymore.
Bradley should have been prepared for that question and answered it something like, “I am showing you right now that you don’t have to be doped to win the Tour.” Enough said. But, he didn’t.
Name the last time two 150 lb British guys won the hardest mountain stage in the Tour and then went on to smear everyone, including the Olympic TT Champion, in an individual time trial. Plus, the winner went from the mid 180’s to 150 lbs.
You are Olympic Pursuit Champion at 185 and then you’re winning the Tour de France at 150. It wasn’t like he was fat winning two Olympic Gold Medals. Something seems crazy amiss there.
I weigh 158. That would be like me racing at 137. It could never happen. Impossible.
But, no matter how weird it seems, even it, by chance, it is just “good nutrition”, it will always be questioned because of our sports recent, dark history.
That is one of the saddest things about it- Beautiful race wins are always going to be questioned when they should be celebrated.
Are we to believe Bradley Wiggins’ rant was a convincing protest of innocence? Are we to believe his explanation of why Chris Froome pulled away from him in yesterday’s 11th stage of the Tour (and then was ordered back)?
Cycling fans and the public have been deceived about the use of drugs in the TDF, not just over the last 20 years, but from even before the very first TDF. This from a 1988 article:
‘For as long as the Tour has existed, since 1903, its participants have been doping themselves. No dope, no hope. The Tour, in fact, is only possible because – not despite the fact – there is doping. For 60 years this was allowed. For the past 30 years it has been officially prohibited. Yet the fact remains; great cyclists have been doping themselves, then as now.’
I want to believe in Mr. Wiggins’ convictions and the promise Sky Team has made. But who is really deciding this year who wins the TDF? The riders? Or the teams and their sponsors with the microphones in their workers’ ears?
I like Bradley Wiggins and I want to believe in him. But is he really ready to let the best man win, without cheating in any way?
Now I say, Chris Froome, leave the headset in Sky’s bus (along with the drugs?) and don’t give in to the cheaters.