In terms of riders speaking up, I still haven't heard any denunciation from Ryder.
He trots out the same lines as Andy Schleck, posted by Al above. Of course, some of his closest team-mates and friends are in the spotlight for past infractions and team solidarity is one of Garmin's greatest strengths. And I'm limited to what I read in the cycling press. But whoever is in charge of his public/media relations should be getting a statement from him out there strongly denouncing doping and addressing his early years with US Postal, Discovery Channel and Phonak - all teams linked with the pre-2007 doping that appears from USADA's reasoned decision to have been endemic at the time.
After reading through the USADA affidavits, it's very hard to imagine Bruyneel and Armstrong putting up with anyone for long unless they got on the "loading" train. These were not men or teams that tolerated nonconformists.
Michael Barry's confession (sworn just seven days ago on Oct. 8, 2012) covers infractions from 1998 to 2006. He says he used EPO and testosterone off and on from 2003 to 2006 and human growth hormone in 2004. Specifically, he said the following with regard to 2004 during his time on the U.S. Postal team:
From what I can gather from online sources, Ryder made the jump from pro mountain biking to full-time road cycling in 2004, after the Athens games. But for most of 2004 he was doing both. His first team was U.S. Postal and then Discovery Channel from 2004 to 2005.
According to Cyclingnews, U.S. Postal had 25 members in 2004. I fully recognize it may be unfair to connect those dots and say Michael was referring to Ryder in his statement above, but without more information, it's tempting.
Read an interview with Ryder published January 18, 2004 by Canadian Cyclist Magazine about his beginnings with US Postal and continuing to be an MTB pro during 2004 while starting his road career. It's kind of interesting to read his further reports about
his first pro race in Belgium (March 29, 2004), and then
one published April 19, 2004 about riding Amstel Gold with Michael Barry in support of Floyd Landis. Here's one of the first shots of him in his US Postie costume, published February 8, 2004:
Obviously, none of this info is suspicious in its own right. But with the culture of US Postal / Discovery now revealed, it certainly raises the question of whether or not he participated in the "recovery vitamin" program or was aware of it going on around him and elected to resist and stay silent. Only 25 riders on the entire team; it's hard to believe it wasn't one of these two scenarios.
With reference to the Barry affidavit, I think Roland Green was riding off and on for US Postal as well around then, also on the side from MTB.
For example, it looks like he rode alongside Mike Barry at the 2003 Worlds in Hamilton. And I think Roland's been busted for doping in the past. Does anyone with a pre-2009 interest in pro cycling know more?
Lister?
Regardless, I'm sort of surprised to have seen zero recent Canadian media on Ryder and doping. Even just to get a simple quote out there saying "Never. Not then, not now." Surely some sports editors must be raising their eyebrows? This year's Giro forced them to give pro cycling some coverage in the sports section. And now USADA and Lance have hit the
front page a bunch of times over the past two months.
Whether or not Ryder himself doped at the time, now is the best possible time to clear the air. The costs of failing to do so will only rise as his successes and the goodwill felt towards him continue to build. Whatever good works he does off the road (Wheelmen, Ryders [sic] Cycling Society etc.) will fall apart that much swifter and farther, the later any confession comes. And finally, the longer he waits, the longer we have to watch with mixed feelings as he shows us just how kickass and heroic on a bike he can be.
Ryder's huge, long attack on Saturday almost won him the Tour of Beijing GC. Start watching at 10:00 to enjoy his bridge up to and then gradual destruction of the break at 17:15, 21:50, 23:30, 24:12, and 26:00. It then gets great from about 34:00 as Ryder and eventual winner Steve Cummings hold off the peloton for the last 5K, despite the rampaging horde lingering about 30 seconds back. The finish is at 43:50. Ryder's powerful performance was a classic example of how he can often have the single biggest impact out of the entire peloton on a day's racing, despite having relatively little to show for it in the results. He somehow didn't even win the Most Aggressive Rider gong on Saturday, which had me gnashing my teeth.
Obviously, I'm a fan. But I'd like to be a fan without lingering questions. I believe Ryder's amazing 2012 was 100% clean. I have no reason to think otherwise. But if he has any skeletons, I think he has a duty to come clean and be a part of eliminating the doping culture of pro cycling and extinguishing the pervasive omertà that perpetuates it. (I also think fans have an obligation to ask questions where warranted, otherwise we're complicit in the omertà and really can't complain when our heroes crash down to earth.) Even if Ryder's past is as squeaky-clean as I hope, I still think he has an obligation to be unequivocal and outspoken about doping every time he's asked about it and to play an active role in getting that message out, especially to younger riders and future stars like Adam DeVos, Dylan Cunningham and Lister's super-impressive juniors.
As a start,
Wheelmen Ride Bicycles and the Ryders Cycling Society of Canada [sic] should have anti-doping as a prominent part of their stated mission and values. They may not think doping is their concern because Ryder's recent success has been built on nothing but hard work and exceptional talent, but I think everyone sharing in or building on success in pro cycling has an obligation to actively address the issue.
Just to be perfectly clear, I have no good reason to suspect Ryder other than the facts set out above. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt because he seems like a good guy who maybe doesn't talk too much, and I respect his awesome abilities and dedication on the bike. But I really think he needs to speak up about the past and get specific, even if just to stuff a sock in the mouths of muck-raking ignoramuses like me.
, the full, unabridged version of the report (1000+ pages) including current rider affidavits is 