This is a clip from Facebook on a post, from a couple days ago on my blog post about the chart of some payments Lance made to Dr. Ferrari for a doping program. I was surprised that James, who I have no idea who he is, seems to be sort of pissed or more accurately, condemning, about the subject matter.
He seems to think that I have any motive writing my website other than jotting down some of my thoughts . And I did think it was pretty interesting about the financial matters and exchanges in the doping process. I don’t know why James thought that this chart was somehow negative. Some of the comments from the Facebook comment section on the post got kind of pointed, but that wasn’t my doing.
Anyway, I did an interview with Chris Case from Velo a couple weeks ago. I was mildly surprised about a few of the questions he asked. He asked about whether I worried that some of the younger riders in the sport, that don’t know me personally, might think I’m sort of a jerk about calling people out. He didn’t word it like that, but that was his question.
I told him that sometimes I’m pretty blunt and pretty much state whatever is on my mind. And I realize that when anyone, me included, introduces a polarizing subject, like doping in cycling, religion, hand guns, any subject people have their own, set, convictions, then it is going to draw a line in the sand.
But, that line isn’t always there. I have a few lines that I think are permanent, but I could probably be convinced that my stance is off if there was enough compelling evidence or information.
I do post a fair amount about doping in cycling. But, not nearly as much as most people think. I just checked and I’ve posted here 2517 times. Man, that seems like a lot. And I very much doubt that one of ten of those posts has anything to do with doping. So, I’d guess 10% of my posts, which might be off to the high side by a ways, are doping related.
Most, more than 70%, guess once again, of my posts, have something to do with cycling. That is what I do most. And doping is a very relevant subject in cycling. It has affected the sport more than any other one thing the last two decades. I would love to be able to just comment about the great aspects of our sport. I think I do that too. But, the doping stuff is there, always, trying to be spun a million different ways by people with agendas. People that have a vested interest in the issue silently disappearing.
Let’s look at Vino and the Astana team issues recently. Two of his Pro Tour riders have turned up positive. One helped Nibali win the Tour de France this year. Then three riders from the Astana Continental team are suspended. And here is Alexandre Vinokourov, last Olympic Champion, past doper, and czar of Astana saying that –
“People have to understand that they (the Continental team) has nothing to do with this team (the Astana WorldTour team). The only thing we have in common is the jersey and the name.”
NOTHING. He says this and then somehow, since the teams are so separate, suspends the whole Astana Continental team. Man, that is pretty separate, huh. I wonder if I could have just suspended that team if I wanted to? Maybe I can suspend the license of the Astana WorldTour team since I am virtually positive that I have “nothing to do” with it.
Someone has to call these goofballs out. I don’t think it’s my “job” to do it, it just rubs me the wrong way enough, and is entertaining enough for me, to be involved in a small way.
I told Chris at Velo that I am surprised how people tend to focus on the doping posts and disregard posts that I think should have more interactions. Like the homeless, world hunger, etc. But, those aren’t polarizing subjects. Everyone agrees on those subjects. He agreed somewhat. He told me that on the Velonews website, they had to take down the comment sections on some posts because it just got into the same old broken record happening on each and every doping post.
Anyway, my answer to James is, no, I have no desire or thought about “staying relevant”, whatever that means, through this website. I just write what is in my head. It’s my website and pretty much how it has to be, since I know no other way. And “put it to bed already”? I just wish, but doping in the sport seems to be never ending.
PS To appease James a little, I’d like to say that the most hits to my website ever, superseding Vaughter’s Outs Danielson, was the announcement of Steve Hed’s passing. It was so popular because Steve Hed was so important and touched so many people’s lives, in a very, very positive way.
This is a clip from the Velonews website a few weeks ago. Obviously, since Velonews is a specific publication about the sport of cycling, and 50% of their stories that day, have something to do with doping, it is a very relevant topic.
You start a blog and you put a target on your chest. If less than half of the readers are
taking shots at you, feel blessed.
Steve
It’s not you. It seems like an awful lot of people with Facebook and Twitter use it primarily to be snarky, basically passing judgment on everybody and everything. I’m a college professor and father of two twentysomethings, and I’ve seen how it’s become a way of life with that age group especially. Twitter, with its limited space, and Facebook as well, encourage people to communicate by being online version of standup comedians, using catty, condescending one-liners where extended thought and conversation used to be helpful. It’s the future, unfortunately.
Thanks for keeping it real, and open minded. There is a reason we keep coming back. This is one of my favorite sights on the web.
When a person puts their opinions out in the public forum, they open themeselves up to criticisms. There all types of people who say and write all kinds of opinions and criticisms in response to things people write. Be glad people are reading your words.
Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t change things. your opinions are as valuable as anyone’s and you should try to remember that. Keep on keepin’ on.
You wrote the other day that you try to live life without regrets. That’s a great attitude. I agree with that.
Unfortunately the anonymous nature of social media allows some folks to write things that they’d never say to your face. You’re doing just fine, Steve. Just keep calling them as you see them.
Totally!!!
There are actually no stories you can comment on anymore on Velonews.com. I don’t know how that has affected traffic to the site, but I hope Steve is getting some ad revenue off his blog. More than 14,000 visits on a single post is darn good!
Who cares if some young riders in the sport think that you are a jerk for calling out dopers.
Seems to me that they are the idiots. Your blog is really nice, Steve. Keep it up.
I actually commend you for calling out dopers. Its exactly what is needed. The problem I have is that when you decide you like the guy thats doping or doped, you make it out like its no big deal. Being friends with guys like Eddy B, Dave Zabriskie, Alexi Grewal, Dewy etc, and allowing money to come into your home from BMC, make all your points about doping valueless. Would it be OK to defend a really nice guy that got really mad one night and killed someone? The crime is the crime.
You talk about a line in the sand but you make drastic notches in the line for people like that to stay on your side of the line. Thats the Bullshit that you’re getting called out on. A real line in the sand is straight across the facts with no exceptions for some guys who are actually really good guys but still shoot drugs into their veins. You need to hate them equally, good guy or not. You often say, “once a doper, always a doper”. Mean it! Either that or just let it go and realize thats just how it is and you’re gonna not like most racers.
As far as putting it to rest. It needs to be (the whole idea that it can, or ever will change. It will not. I think it’ll just get worse and worse.) But thats the reality of it man…..cycling, or more accurately bike racing has become a huge joke. A laughing stock of lying, cheating, skinny little bitches (Brad Wiggins, I’m looking at you). Thats the part that I can’t believe you don’t realize. I don’t consider my opinion fact, but has it ever changed in the history of the sport? Have guys dropped dead from doping? Thats a yes, and it didn’t stop shit. Thats all the convincing I need. I’d feel like a fool if I believed for a second that its a new generation, a clean generation.
Since this is your blog, most of your readers hate my comments. Thats makes sense and is perfectly fine with me. I don’t expect it to be any other way. You write so many great posts, the animal lover in you is awesome to read about. Your friends, your travel, your introspections are all excellent reading material and why I stopped here in the 1st place, years ago. But all this vitriol, and nastiness stops the day you stop writing about doping. Maybe thats something to think about.
I also think you’re eventually gonna kill yourself through cycling, but that seems to be how you want it, and it’s your business, so have at it. Although I’m sure there are a ton of great people and animals that just wish you wouldn’t.
The REAL question you are asking, Steve – is – would cycling (and young riders) benefit from more frank, open discussions about doping (including perhaps “calling” dopers out)? Or would cycling and younger dopers benefit more from people keeping their mouths shut (being “polite” to dopers) and pretend this doping thing never happened and is not happening and will never happen again?
Somebody must say the king has no clothes. I am very glad you do. Please keep posting whatever you think relevant.
thanks
Kevin
I’m waiting for him to addess the elephant in the room of Trudy working for Och….otherwise I love reading
his blog.
See above post for yet another idiotic type of comment by the same troll. No, he is not Levi Leipheimer. He has claimed to be Leipheimer in the past. He’s just an internet troll and likely doesn’t even ride a bike. Sad, really.
C’mon man, this doping crap has been going on for decades now. If you really look at it, you can say it has gone on since the beginning. It has been discussed to death and it continues. There’s news TODAY about the same drugs used in the same way. No amount of talking is going to fix the problem.
As long as you have people, drugs and competition, there will be cheaters. Sad, but true. Sadder yet is that there are kooks who seem to LIVE to talk about drugs (Levi).
“You might want to ask Floyd about his old boss. See if that leads to your doorstep?” Jonathan Vaughters.
greg t
great post . totaly agree..look up on wikipedia of all those that got busted ond drugs and its 90% of the peloton since day 1.. hahahaha.. to make it to the pro level and make $ you cheat.. common sense.. we all know that .i imagine a few super tallented racers made it without drugs but i dont think their career lasted too long before they were bumped off the team by a drug user. levis comments are always spot on..