I was just reading an article over at Velonews about Jonathan Vaughter’s take on Dan Martin’s win at Liege. I liked getting more of a history on Dan Martin’s history up to now, but when Jonathan gets to the end of the article and starts his spiel about how lucky Dan was that he never had make a choice about doping, it irks me to death.

This seems to be Jonathan’s mantra. I have young riders on my team that never had to make the choices that I had to face. It’s bullshit. If you’re a young rider in the sport this very minute, you have to make that choice. That choice is now a reality in virtually all sports.

Vaughters said, “Dan didn’t have to face the same decisions as those other guys. Never. And thank God for that. Also thank them for that. I’ve watched many guys with incredibly strong resolve against doping slowly succumb to the system. We are lucky we never have to see Dan tested that way.”

Excuse me Johnathan, but Dan was racing in 2005, a time when all his current team mates confessed to have been doping in the sport. He was beating up U23 guys in 2006 when Floyd Landis was disqualified after winning the Tour de France. I’m pretty sure he was exposed to doping in the sport of cycling.

I’m sorry Jonathan, but your story is off. Off by a lot. Dan Martin had to make that choice. He still does. And every other rider in today’s peloton still has to make that choice. WADA is issuing warnings, nearly on a weekly basis, of new drugs, mostly in the clinical trial stage, entering athletics. They’ve done it twice this month. After the first warning, wouldn’t you know it, 5 guys turn up positive. And they are all cyclists. I have no idea if any other sport have a positive from the drug, but cycling seems to always be the sport that show cases the newest and greatest of doping products.

Anyway, one of my quirks is it is pretty easy for me to spot contradiction. This one by Jonathan Vaughters seems to be his never ending theme. The sport is clean now. “The Tour can be won on 5.9 watts/per kilo, you don’t have to be doing 6.7.” On and on, trying to show the general, somewhat educated fan, that we are approaching a level playing field. I’m sorry Jonathan, but you wrong on this. And it doesn’t help when you get caught up in false and misleading statements. He did it at the Tour last season, when confronted with the outing of the 6 month suspensions, he categorically denied it, even though it was true. It is obvious that he has his own agenda, and I’m pretty confused on what it is.

It seems once you join JV’s team, you never have a concern about doping in sports again. Sometimes this amazing occurance even proceeds the joining of the team.

I was sort of irked a couple days ago when someone left a comments asking me, it’s “unclear where you obtained your moral high ground” concerning doping. I felt it was a slam. I felt it was a slam because I didn’t think I take any different stance than every other bike racer out there that doesn’t use drugs to race. I just state mine publicly.

I understand some of the reasons that people use to dope in the sport. None are justifiable. And I don’t understand all the excuses that others use to forgive the riders that “had to” dope.

I still race bicycles for a lot of reasons. But one of the main reasons because I think I understand, at least I believe I have the knowledge, to recognize small, magical moments that occur constantly during a race. The reason that I like to race the hardest, highest category event I can do, is because this moments occur much more often than at a local event or a masters race.

Observing the moments, the “I can’t believe he just did that” actions, is moving. It is intellectually and emotionally relevant to me. And when I have the ability to actually initiate the moment, then I take pride in possessing the abilities and showing the other competitors what can be done at certain times. It helps confirms the reasons I spend such a large portion of my life in the sport.

Cycling attracts me because it is not all brute strength. Many times, a weaker rider can win an event because he used his wits to accomplish something that all the other competitors couldn’t. I love those moments. I give as much respect to a smart rider, actually more respect to a smart rider, than one that is just physically strong.

I believe someone that studies the sport of bicycle racing, participates in the sport, is somewhat of an artist. All artists have their own individual styles and abilities, plus many can recognize greatness in others. When a rider dopes, he has shown that he isn’t comfortable with his own abilities, so he steals his way into the sport. He creates moments that aren’t real. I have no interest in unreal moments. I hate them.

Doping in the sport, ruins special moments that never occur because some jerk has thrown paint all over a newly painted canvas before we all get a chance to see it. He has taken away potential moments because he can.

Anyone can pick up a bucket of paint and destroy a work of art. Anyone can dope to win bike racing. They are both very easy and should be given the same amount of acknowledgment. None.

This whole thing can corrupt you if you let it. I try my best not to allow that to happen, but it does have a way to work its ugly way back in. This is probably when I take a “moral high ground”.

Cycling fans are an easy mark. They want to believe. I am concerned that doping in cycling isn’t going to change. More than concerned. Because then, the sport has no interest for me. I have no desire in watching a bunch of artist wannabes, making photocopies of others work.