i can't remember how far ryan tie took his racing career before
getting a real life, but i seem to recall some stellar results on the
national scene as junior-slash-U23. he raced with hot tubes and
may have been one of matt's team mates. regardless, buried on the
vn.com "letters" page, he pens a good note in support of matt decanio.
the link is here:
http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/7497.0.html
and the text is pasted below.
e-RICHIE
here:
DeCanio's goals remain laudable
Editor:
Lack of scholarly pith aside, I think we should take a good hard look at
what
Matt DeCanio and his websites are exposing us to. As one who knows the man
and the life he's trying to lead, I think we should appreciate his efforts
to rid the
sport - and more importantly, our society - of the idea that cheating and
shortcutting
are acceptable means by which to achieve success.
It is unfortunate that he had to cross the line en route to his catharsis -
it really is.
But let there be no mistake: This guy is the real deal, and the problems he
talks
about are equally real. Don't let his outsized angst shield you from the
very fact
that our world is filled with cheaters: drug companies that jam a drug which
doesn't
belong in people's bodies through the testing process; politicians as pawns
of corporations
(on both sides of the aisle); identity theft; mind-controlling media; and at
the very bottom,
athletes cheating to win.
Why at the very bottom? Because sport has been a long-standing bastion of
purity, a
medium in which individuals can challenge themselves, struggle and succeed,
and
ultimately inspire. What sort of foundation and inspiration do we as a
society have
when our athletes are sticking themselves with needles and popping pills
like they're
going out of style (which they clearly are not)?
Come on, people. Don't think for a second that because Matt's site has some
spelling
errors that what he is saying is a total fabrication nor that the issue
isn't of crucial importance.
If you want fiction, go see a Governator movie. The stuff on Matt's site is
100 percent real
and shame on you for finding a way to flip it on end.
Ryan M. Tie
Washington, D.C.