One byproduct of me doing this everyday, I seem to be on some list that gets all books on cycling sent to me. A few I have really been meaning to read, but haven’t had enough time yet. I received the book, Cycle of Lies a couple weeks ago, I guess. It sat on my dresser until I packed up to head West. I grabbed it at the last minute.
I’d read an article in the New York Times about the book and there were some quotes in the article from John Hendershot, a soigneur that Trudi helped hired for Motorola, back in the 90’s. Trudi quit the year Lance came to the team. So, when the book came, I flipped through it and read a couple passages from it. From my 5 minute thorough perusing, I’m interested enough to read the whole thing. I can’t say that I agree with all I read, but it is close enough not to be wrong.
Today an article over at Velonews taking excerpts of the book and then having Steve Johnson, CEO of USAC, categorically deny them. I guess he is calling Dave Zabriski a liar, since Dave says that Steve Johnson was cognizant of the doping usage by the US Postal Team back in 2006 and Steve Johnson says that he never had that conversation with Dave. This is probably going to get good down the road.
Anyway, I plan to read the book. It isn’t going to take long, big print, 400+ pages. I’ll let you know what I think.
Hard not to think of Mr. Johnson as the Hein Verbruggen of USA Cycling. Maybe a little more clever than Heinie, but I look forward to the day when all the doping-related skeletons come out of the closet in Colorado Springs. Zabriski’s claims might be the start of the fall of USA Cycling’s house of cards?
Follow the yellow brick road to the Wizard – Thom Weisel and his patsy Jim Ochowicz and behind the scenes his wife Sheila Young – long a thorn in the USA Cycling going back to Eddy B era – these people are poison.
The article makes complete sense. Never have I been an insider, but having competed in the sport for two decades, I think everyone heard the rumors. It is hard to imagine that owners, managers, and others would be shocked or even surprised. Johnson should step out of the sport! Either he is a worthless idiot, or he lied. The problem, and this goes to football and baseball as well is that there is so much money in the institution as a result of those activities. I think far more than any of the athletes getting suspensions the real investigation should be of the management. I think that was the thing I took from the Tyler Hamilton’s interview. Doping was happening before Armstrong showed up. Sure, these guys made the choice to do it. The choice to cheat. However, I don’t know if in the same situation I wouldn’t have done the same thing. Seriously, Leipheimer is rich. Without doping he might be struggling along running a bike shop, or something worse (like an accountant). It is time that we get a real investigation. I hope that more guys come forward similar to the Zabriske comment in the book. If anything deserves an investigation, it is the people that truly pushed drugs into the sport, paid for them, or even turned a blind eye.
what could get good down the road? Zabriski cheated? or that Johnson was somehow involved with the whole LA clusterfuck? .. Zabriski cheated and Johnson is pissed he missed out of all the under-the-table cash and jerk off parties cuz he was so involved fucking up the USAC as best he could.
I raced many times in the ’80 with/against Steve Johnson…he was arrogant back then and seems to have not learned a thing. The Cabol of Weisel, Och, Johnson are dirty. They knew and they benefited….throw them under the Bus!
Steve Johnson was a nobody when he raced – you have to ask yourself why is he the CEO of USAC – bottom line just a puppet for Weisel the Wizard.
Why don’t more people on here have a problem with Trudi – and Steve – supporting Och? He’s filthy dirty and Trudi – and Steve – are riding that gravy train. Pot, meet kettle…
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Would you?
Agree with the Tilford/Trudi/BMC/Och conundrum. Stevo, are you treading lightly here out of some mealy-mouthed misplaced loyalty, or has your righteous indignation dialed down a tad now that you and the Last American Hero are text-buddies?
Thom Weisel and Ochowicz provided a culture which fostered PEDS to win at all costs because the bottom line was profit (and control of the sport) – but not the interest of cycling – Johan Bruyneel – who fell off the face of the earth now – was just another puppet to achieve the means. LA was at the right place at the wrong time in retrospect because he is under the bus now.
Bottom line – no one is suing Thom Weisel.
Trudi BMC ”gofer”….hmmm…was she around when that other BMC guy got popped with 160 vials of EPO? Just sayin…
I just had a copy sent to me from the publisher in the mail as well. I assume it is because I teach a class at Truman State University about ergogenic Aids and doping.
I don’t have any plans to read it right now, but am interested regarding your take.
Juliet Macur may be a New York Times journalist but I am sure Trudi would have had more information than Juliet had access to by simply being part of the BMC Team. I have not read the book yet so I cannot comment – but my feeling is LA was used as a pawn in the greater scheme of things – and of course now he is under the bus – and Thom Weisel is still sipping his margaritas from his penthouse in SF amused by the whole mess. Ochowicz and his wife – Sheila Young are on the bottom of the totem pole so I don’t think they are immune as they think they might be. Carmichael is another POS that perpetrated the fraud that he was LA’s coach to get the focus of Ferrari – glad I slept with his girlfriend in NYC when he was away – LOL.
Ted’s right. Lance was very, very good at his job of being the frontman while Thom was the architect. A gentle reminder that Thom was hiring doping doctors way before USPS.
Johnson and Wiesel both should get lifetime bans. A federation that runs a doping operation should be an issue for the USOC, if not for the IOC. But, this is the IOC and corruption is okay as long as IOC members are getting their cut.
Another character deeply involved is Mike Plant. Mr. Plant was recently promoted to the head of the UCI’s cyclocross commission. He’s a longtime co-conspirator with Thom.
Channel_zero – thank you for your comment!
Mafia always hires from its own ranks.
Steve, I love your stuff. I come to your site daily. Maybe the time has come for you to give up the doping stuff. When you pick and choose targets, when certain people are given a pass and when you refuse to talk about the two ton elephant-former speed skater in the room your credibility goes way off the back.
More dogs less doping.
Yes, more Bromont please.
I read it. Have to say it’s more of the same “Lance is a dirt bag, and this is how much of a dirt bag he has been and is going to continue to be.” I found the book interesting in that it got more into the Andreu’s and Vaughters’ story. Also the book fleshes out Dave Z’s struggles. The book explained to me how Allen Lim could be floating around these guys without getting stung.
Not the greatest book on Lance. I would have to say the best book I’ve read about modern cycling was Lance Armstrong’s War.
Thanks for all your posts, Steve.
Palmares anyone?
Since this is really Steve Tiford’s blog and we’re just reading it maybe we ought to pretty much respect what he says as one man’s perception, his view, his opinion. Based on his knowledge, his experiences.
I know I certainly don’t have the palmares, the resume, the background to criticize him.
I agree with JC (Just Crusty). I’m glad let’s me in on his window on the world. Throwing rocks, etc. is poor form.
We all like Stevo quite a bit, bt when he spends as much bandwidth as he does ranting about the immorality of doping, then appears to sidestep the issue wnenit hits close to home, we question things, and rightly. Bill Stevenson above nails it. So how about it, Steve? Why so quiet?
One of these days, when the Feds show up at Steve’s door flashing their badge and gun, someone’s going to talk. Good luck with that one Trudi. And they’ll ask Steve what he knows too if they have been reading his blog these last years.
Terri – You have no idea what you are talking about, so I think you should keep your accusations to yourself.
Kudos to Terry and Ted. Call it like it is. I’ve wasted half a work day thinking how to comment without being a flaming troll.
Steve: After you read this book I hope you’ll find inspiration in the example that Betsy has set. Take a stand and pick a side. Do something to give back to the sport.
USA cycling should burn to the ground people.
Lastly. I have a good friend whose son will ride for one of the two best American development squads. In the current climate, at some point his future will depend on how “willing” he is to make the necessary “sacrifices”. He will most likely be in Europe, alone, with his “coaches”, whom he thinks have his best interests in mind. He shouldn’t have to be in that predicament…
Burn it down. The time is now.
Steve – I find it odd that the ONLY follow-up comment you have on this post is to Terri – and what position are you in to tell him he has no idea what he is talking about – do you know him personally or his knowledge of the sport? You sound very defensive – nervous?
Thank you scottamus38 for your kind words!
Who are you making allegations for – you’re just a near-queer want to be bike racer Bill