Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man

You know with all the "news" on doping this year and the reactions to it as the road season is in recess, it's got me thinking.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but, the UCI and related groups (or the idiots who run cycling) want to stop doping. Also anyone who they catch, they hope will turn in anyone who was helping them or any other riders who are doping.

Now here is what I don't understand.

When you are caught and/or admit to doping you are banned from riding for anywhere from 1-2 years and banned from ProTour teams for an additional 2 years (not that the ProTour means much anymore). This is completely fair in my mind, however any rider who has been banned, except David Millar, seems to be finding it next to impossible to find a decent team to ride for, in fear of that team not being invited to the big races. Even riders not implicated in doping but talking to a doctor implicated in doping (ie Diluca) are caught up in this.

So my question for the idiots is this.

How does this encourage any riders to come clean and admit what they know? If you would be taking the chance that no top tier team would ever sign you again because they might not be invited to the classics and grand tours, I sure wouldn't admit to anything.

Another thing, maybe the UCI should just post all the documents they've received regarding Operation Puerto on the web. Let the general public decide if Valverde or anybody else is guilty. OR better yet let the general public do the research. People love that kind of stuff. Unless you are worried that some riders may be implicated in the documents that you haven't been hounding like you have Valverde.

Just a thought.