So unless you've been living under a stump - and with the news being what it is these days this may not be a bad thing - you're heard that our latest hero du jour, Floyd Landis, had a positive test at the Tour. Many people seemed stunned by this which I find somewhat amazing. Maybe it's because I spend most of my day dealing with crooks, cheaters, liars and criminals. If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that the higher the stakes are the more likely someone will cheat. Call me a cynic but history is full of examples showing I'm right: Ken Lay, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Michael Milken, Barry Bonds, etc., etc., etc. Needless to say I wasn't exactly surprised that Floyd tested positive. Does this mean I think he doped? Not neccesarily, it simply means I'm not surprised that someone in his position might dope - there's a big difference. I do think it's quite possible that he had something unwittingly administered to him by his team. The Phonak squad hasn't exactly been competing on hard training and mineral water judging by the number of riders suspended from the team in recent months.
Beyond whether Floyd knowingly took something or not is the greater question: why should I care? Not just care about Floyd but care about the whole sport of competitive cycling. I've been around bike racing for a number of years and it seems like the sport has gotten uglier at all levels in recent years. Whether it's junior racers insisting they need $70 tires to compete, Cat 4 racers blowing their stack because of something that happened in a race, sandbaggers, people competing at non-races (such as Seattle-To-Portland) or pros using drugs there's increasingly little about the sport that is appealing.
This all-consuming need for competition has even extended to what you wear and eat. Heaven forbid you go for a ride in regular clothes. No, you must wear "technical" garments or you'll have a miserable experience. Eat a banana? Absolutely not - instead you must consume a "performance product" (that's what we officially call them here at the Gorilla - I'm not making this up!) No longer is it enough to simply hop on a bike and go for a ride. Now you have to train with your heart rate monitor while wearing your technical garments and consuming your performance products. Sounds like fun, huh??
Is this all consuming need to compete really healthy? I'm inclined to think not. At this stage I really don't care too much about the future of the Tour de France or professional racing. I doubt Floyd being stripped of his title will change anything. So long as fame and millions of dollars are at stake someone will try to find an edge and it won't always be honest.
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Chris, I agree with everything you say, except the part about not caring any more. I encounter this sentiment frequently among my friends when it comes to the doping issues in cycling, and it always makes me sad to hear it. This is my attempt to explain why.
It is not that I care, per se, about the outcome of an atheletic competition that, as you describe, is evolving in unattractive ways. Rather, professional sports, and cycling in particular, represent an amalgam, in a global arena, of business, athletic competition, science, journalism, and entertainment. In some small way, if we want the modern world to function, we can learn valuable lessons from the world of cycling.
I view it as my responsibility as a member of society to encourage honest business dealings, fair competition, ethical science, truth in reporting, and wholesome entertainment. By saying "I don't care" about corruption in cycling, I harden myself in some small measure against caring about evil in other, more important areas of endeavour. I guess it boils down to recognizing that human nature is not going to change, yet wanting to fight the bad guys, wherever they may appear.
By caring about cycling, voicing my opinions about its problems, and encouraging developments that may eliminate some of the problems, I am doing my small part.
I also find that cycling reminds me, repeatedly, that things are not always what they seem to be. So often the actors who seem to be good, wholsome, and truthful, turn out to be evil, rotten, and liars. So in following cycling, one's critical faculties are constantly challenged, which can yield benefits in life.
Justin
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