Good response to Wiggins' rant

[Lister Farrar]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17734

Default An open letter to the peloton
Because it's become abundantly clear that the pro-peloton are aware of us;

More accurately, dear people applauding Bradley Wiggins for his foul-mouthed tirade today:

I'd like to outline why I think you're all massive hypocrites, and why you get the reaction from people that you do.

We've sat by for years - for some of you, your entire professional careers - and watched the sport.
We've sat through almost 30 years of doped riders, of positive tests, of confiscated victories weeks, months and sometimes years after they were awarded.
But most importantly, we sat by whilst all of this was going on, and you did nothing.
You didn't speak out then.
You didn't speak up against people you knew were doping.
You didn't speak up against your teammates when you knew they were doping.
All you ex-T-mobile riders didn't say anything about the visits to Freiberg.
You didn't say anything when riders gave evidence about what they'd seen, and were harassed because of it.
Some of you, through your inaction, did nothing about that harassment. Those of you who raced with Lance Armstrong said nothing back then.
Those of you who raced in 1998 complained about your rights and your dignity.

You didn't complain about those people who stripped them from you by cheating.
You didn't applaud those people who tried to out the real cheats within the ranks.
You didn't chastise those people taking trips to Spain and Italy to see doctors. In fact, some of you did it yourself.

You complained about early morning drug tests.
You complained about out of competition drug tests, and you complained about whereabouts forms and not having a private life, and media intrusion.
And some of you still ride today, still having said nothing about doping.

I'll say this: I've sat up until 3 in the morning every July for countless years now. I've watched, I've supported, even some of you who turned out to be cheats. I've dreamed of being in the position you're in, of having a tenth of the talent you're blessed enough to have, because no amount of hard work will make up for the gap. So when I'm at work at 7am, busting my rear end to make ends meet for the next ten hours for a tiny bit of what you get, remember this, every one of you who applaud Wiggins abusing those of us who ask questions:

We ask the questions because you refused to.
We get suspicious because we're tired of seeing more than half of the last 13 TdF titles get stripped and re-awarded.
We're tired of you guys continually saying "We're clean" and then seeing someone test positive.
We're tired of seeing you complain about us, because we got tired of seeing you cheat us as fans, by not taking matters into your own hands, getting rid of - and speaking out against - those who are doping, and have doped.
You give your blood values and power numbers happily to the ASO, and treat us with contempt, like we're just supposed to watch, buy your sponsor's products, and cheer on demand.

You do nothing to dispel doping suspicions, to out cheats, and to clean up the sport. You are the blight on the sport, not us.

Footnote: I'd include a list of riders DS's and who have publicly announced their support for Wiggins and his remarks, but I find them abhorrent now.

e: I realise the irony of me posting this under a pseudonym. To all those cyclists and staff members on twitter who echo his thought, my personal details are available to you on request. All you have to do is ask.
Last edited by Cavalier; Yesterday at 12:01.

[sylvan]

Nice. Lots of good writing happening the past couple of days including this piece on Verdruggen: http://t.co/sMYaJGWk

[wonger]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17734

Default An open letter to the peloton
Because it's become abundantly clear that the pro-peloton are aware of us;

More accurately, dear people applauding Bradley Wiggins for his foul-mouthed tirade today:

I'd like to outline why I think you're all massive hypocrites, and why you get the reaction from people that you do.

We've sat by for years - for some of you, your entire professional careers - and watched the sport.
We've sat through almost 30 years of doped riders, of positive tests, of confiscated victories weeks, months and sometimes years after they were awarded.
But most importantly, we sat by whilst all of this was going on, and you did nothing.
You didn't speak out then.
You didn't speak up against people you knew were doping.
You didn't speak up against your teammates when you knew they were doping.
All you ex-T-mobile riders didn't say anything about the visits to Freiberg.
You didn't say anything when riders gave evidence about what they'd seen, and were harassed because of it.
Some of you, through your inaction, did nothing about that harassment. Those of you who raced with Lance Armstrong said nothing back then.
Those of you who raced in 1998 complained about your rights and your dignity.

You didn't complain about those people who stripped them from you by cheating.
You didn't applaud those people who tried to out the real cheats within the ranks.
You didn't chastise those people taking trips to Spain and Italy to see doctors. In fact, some of you did it yourself.

You complained about early morning drug tests.
You complained about out of competition drug tests, and you complained about whereabouts forms and not having a private life, and media intrusion.
And some of you still ride today, still having said nothing about doping.

I'll say this: I've sat up until 3 in the morning every July for countless years now. I've watched, I've supported, even some of you who turned out to be cheats. I've dreamed of being in the position you're in, of having a tenth of the talent you're blessed enough to have, because no amount of hard work will make up for the gap. So when I'm at work at 7am, busting my rear end to make ends meet for the next ten hours for a tiny bit of what you get, remember this, every one of you who applaud Wiggins abusing those of us who ask questions:

We ask the questions because you refused to.
We get suspicious because we're tired of seeing more than half of the last 13 TdF titles get stripped and re-awarded.
We're tired of you guys continually saying "We're clean" and then seeing someone test positive.
We're tired of seeing you complain about us, because we got tired of seeing you cheat us as fans, by not taking matters into your own hands, getting rid of - and speaking out against - those who are doping, and have doped.
You give your blood values and power numbers happily to the ASO, and treat us with contempt, like we're just supposed to watch, buy your sponsor's products, and cheer on demand.

You do nothing to dispel doping suspicions, to out cheats, and to clean up the sport. You are the blight on the sport, not us.

Footnote: I'd include a list of riders DS's and who have publicly announced their support for Wiggins and his remarks, but I find them abhorrent now.

e: I realise the irony of me posting this under a pseudonym. To all those cyclists and staff members on twitter who echo his thought, my personal details are available to you on request. All you have to do is ask.
Last edited by Cavalier; Yesterday at 12:01.

like.

[Rolf]

This reeks so bad: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mcquaid ... etime-bans

Despite the title of the article, McQuaid refuses to comment. Not even to toss out some platitudes about cycling's commitment to cleaning things up (at least as reported in this article).

Lister: how can we do our bit again to throw out the clowns atop the UCI?

[Lister Farrar]

This reeks so bad: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mcquaid ... etime-bans

Despite the title of the article, McQuaid refuses to comment. Not even to toss out some platitudes about cycling's commitment to cleaning things up (at least as reported in this article).

Lister: how can we do our bit again to throw out the clowns atop the UCI?

I thought that cyclismas article was right on. Verbruggen is in this up to his neck and I almost feel sympathy for Armstrong. If you wanted to win you really had no choice but to dope. Not that you had to go around threatening staff and other riders though.

McQuaid is elected by delegates of the continental federations, themselves often shady organizations cooking up voting blocks ( check the connections to lance in the graphic published recently.) When I dug into how the CCA votes I found one nat president who once thought he was a voting delegate and then discovered he wasnt. But there are 40 odd votes who are mostly naAtional federation presidents. They are supposed to attend continental federation meetings and ensure they appoint the delegates fairly, but traveling to those meetings probably seems less appealing than sending riders to races. You can google Sylvia schenk and UCI and read about the charges of manipulation. I could find only one continental fed that actually published who it's delegates to the UCI congress are.

To answer your question though, the way is like any other political process. Be informed, write letters, go to meetings, organize others to vote. Our current CCa president has responded a few times even, and they did create the CCA Race Clean campaign roughly after a campaign asking for it. Maybe they were going to do it anyway. He has not responded very strongly about asserting a Canadian position re the continental fed and who votes for UCI president next time. Now would be a good time as the UCIs role becomes clearer. It's easier to put a new captain in when the rats are swimming. Trouble is every CCA president in the past has been eager for commission positions appointed by the uci president. Not likely to campaign openly for a new president. CCA presidents also count on the UCI good will in negotiations to get international races for Canada and allocations like Olympic spots. On top of all that the uci is in Switzerland where privacy laws have prevented disclosure of money and decisions; essentially the reason they are in Switzerland. Google FIFA and Swiss law and read about attempts to change Swiss law.

So I think the best way is organize regular cycling Bc members to write to the cycling Bc president, asking for stronger demands of the CCA. CCA is run by a board that answers to provincial presidents. And depends on membership fees from provinces. Our current president used to be quite proud of his influence over the CCA. But he's on record saying he doesn't believe Floyd. Guess he's betting on lance to win.

Next step is organizing clubs to show up at the CBC Agm (road trip anyone?), and elect a new prez that will lobby other presidents of provincial associations to ask for more from CCA. And make it clear that losing a few races, jobs, or places might be the price until the UCI is changed. THAT will be hard; telling a rider they can't go to an Olympics because we pissed off McQuaid. But maybe worth it for the future.

[John D]

>Lister: how can we do our bit again to throw out the clowns atop the UCI?

I was thinking of ordering one of these:
http://www.twinsix.com/gear/mens-tech/t ... 2011-white

And also one of these but for, um, different reasons.

http://www.fatcyclist.com/wp-content/up ... v8_F11.jpg

Best quote on the site "As you drop other riders and they see “FATCYCLIST.com” as you ride away, they will remember you."