Are we ready yet?

[Mansmind]

Eurosport discuss the doping openly - which is a welcome change in policy because during Festina they referred to it "as that issue, which we won't discuss now".

Today it is different. It is opnely discussed. In fact ES quizzed McQuaid yesterday about it. Quite right too.

Maybe Kimmage was comparing and contrasting OLN with ES?

That could be, the coverage certainly wasn't what I would call in depth. Actually the best coverage I've seen on doping was a well written article in Bicycling Mag last year. Ummm.. I say well written, I'd have to read it again to be sure but as I recall it was pretty deep. I learned a lot from it I didn't previously know.

 

[musette]

I don't have OLN : so I can't know if PK is correct or not.

If you say OLN did cover it, then it did.

Yes there was, in a limited way.

 

[Bro Deal]

If he said that, he's lying. There was some coverage regarding doping, and the OP affair.

Hardly. The top contenders were thrown out, they had to say something. But Ligget and crew seem to hold fast to the "few bad apples" line of reasoning. Whenever doping has to be mentioned, it is always down played. It sort of reminds me of forum at the dailypeloton, pretty determined to look the other way.

 

[SaintAndrew]

That LLBean guy was pretty annoying too.

great call. i hate that "serious" commercial of theirs too that shows all their testing processes and how they relate to real world durability.

to answer the original question: is the US ready for grown up race coverage? no.

pretty much everyone on this forum is but meh they're trying to reach a mainstream US audience and they can't just cover the race with all the nuances taken for granted. i hate it as much as the next guy but i can't really expect OLN to do it differently.

 

[moviekindoflife]

great call. i hate that "serious" commercial of theirs too that shows all their testing processes and how they relate to real world durability.

even though the cervelo advertising was pretty low-tech at least it was informative. compared to the trek ads, which starred bob roll acting like a fool, their commercials showed the time and effort they put into their products. I didn't know too much about cervelo other than it was the bike of choice for a lot of people. I thought it was just trendy and avant-garde, and serious roadies need to get their bikes from overseas, etc. but after seeing their commercials, which were all business, i may rethink my opinion of them. Also it was a nice break from all the saab, LL Bean, Trek, Home Depot, VW commercials.

 

[SaintAndrew]

even though the cervelo advertising was pretty low-tech at least it was informative. compared to the trek ads, which starred bob roll acting like a fool, their commercials showed the time and effort they put into their products. I didn't know too much about cervelo other than it was the bike of choice for a lot of people. I thought it was just trendy and avant-garde, and serious roadies need to get their bikes from overseas, etc. but after seeing their commercials, which were all business, i may rethink my opinion of them. Also it was a nice break from all the saab, LL Bean, Trek, Home Depot, VW commercials.

i was talking about the llbean commercial where it had a nick drake-esque guitar tune and showed like all those tests and then the real world applications. i didn't mind the cervelo commericals at all; i did scratch my head raw at where they got the money to advertise so much though.

 

[TrekDedicated]

I don't have OLN : so I can't know if PK is correct or not.

If you say OLN did cover it, then it did.

Nope, unacceptable. I need to know the source, or you are a liar.


This is just like the comment I said on the other thread. So it is okay for you not to have the source, but not me?

God almighty.

 

[moviekindoflife]

i was talking about the llbean commercial where it had a nick drake-esque guitar tune and showed like all those tests and then the real world applications. i didn't mind the cervelo commericals at all; i did scratch my head raw at where they got the money to advertise so much though.

yea that one was awful. what kid tries to tear his coat apart with a hammer. if i had a kid that like to tear his clothes apart, there is no way i would spend good money on a coat that he would tear up no matter how many tests they did on it.

 

[helmutRoole2]

Eurosport discuss the doping openly - which is a welcome change in policy because during Festina they referred to it "as that issue, which we won't discuss now".

Today it is different. It is opnely discussed. In fact ES quizzed McQuaid yesterday about it. Quite right too.

I don't know about anyone else, but I find doping in our sport to be, you know, one of those sad reflections of society -- greed, fame -- and therefore interesting. It adds another dimension to the equation -- the human dimension (cheesy, yes, but you get my point).

I mean, of course I'd keep watching without the doping. In fact, it seems the racing would be better. But if they ever wipe out doping -- and I don't think they ever will -- I'd kinda' pine for the good old days when men of iron fell from grace like lead baloons.

I'm sure I'm in the minority on this.

 

[Bro Deal]

But if they ever wipe out doping -- and I don't think they ever will -- I'd kinda' pine for the good old days when men of iron fell from grace like lead baloons.

There is something to be said for that. During the tiff between Simoni and Basso, when all the other pros and ex-pros were saying that such things should be handled privately, one of the old Italian champions was delighted that it brought back the drama from the old days, when riders would stab each other in the back and fight it out in the press.

If you take the view that sport is just entertainment, like watching a soap opera on television, then the doping scandals just add new twists and turns to the story.

 

[limerickman]

I don't know about anyone else, but I find doping in our sport to be, you know, one of those sad reflections of society -- greed, fame -- and therefore interesting. It adds another dimension to the equation -- the human dimension (cheesy, yes, but you get my point).

I mean, of course I'd keep watching without the doping. In fact, it seems the racing would be better. But if they ever wipe out doping -- and I don't think they ever will -- I'd kinda' pine for the good old days when men of iron fell from grace like lead baloons.

I'm sure I'm in the minority on this.

Doping is a reflection of greed - where big money is involved - cheating will arise.

The human dimension is very interesting as you say : why do some succumb to cheating, while some other don't??