Chad's spot for various thoughts, musings, poetry, ideas and whatnot

Thursday, July 17, 2008

You'd think they'd learn but no one ever accused professional bike racers of being particularly smart, especially the Europeans. This is the sport that once called Laurent Fignon "The Professor" because he had actually gone to college for a year. Now granted, that's a bit more difficult to do in France than here in the States but please.

Anyways, Ricardo Ricco, who thrilled everyone including your erstwhile commentator here with his daring victory, turns out to be just another cheater. And a stupid one at that. I guess someone told him that if you take this new type of EPO that stays in your body longer, you'll be able to avoid detection. Too bad the World Anti-Doping Agency has been working with the drug's manufacturer to make sure they have a test to detect it (and probably the manufacturer has engineered the compound to be easy to detect in a simple blood test). For what I've read, all three doping positives in this year's Tour were for the same thing. Like I said, no one ever said these guys were smart.

So Ricco's out of the sport for a minimum of two years (assuming that the UCI's doping code isn't thrown out with the rest of the organization now that the ASO has decided to form a new cycling league). My personal opinion, as I've stated on the blog before, is that he should be banned for life unless he does some sort of penance. I'm not Catholic but there are times when I think that the church has the right idea that it's not enough to apologize and serve some sort of sentence but that you've got to actively work to fix what you've done and make things better.

Here's what I think. Ricco should have to come to the US and work amateur races as a volunteer course marshall. If he does that for two years, he gets to ride his bike again with the slate wiped clean. Until then his jobs include standing at a corner on some forgotten country road here in the deep south and holding the cars while packs of men and women who really love this sport go careening past him every so often. He can sit on the side of a hill and hand out water bottles to those struggling up the climb at the back because they believe that there's something more to bike racing than winning. He can see the pride and joy in the fathers' eyes when their kids line up for their short little race and everyone cheers for them harder than they've cheered for all the other racers that day.

I have to say that one of the things I respect about Nathan O'Neil is that after his suspension he's worked at the local races here in Georgia to make them more interesting. He's great about interacting with us pack fodder racers and bringing a little star power to the events. He could have just gotten sullen and frustrated when he got popped but instead he decided to give back to the community with his time. All of these pros should have to do that to get their licenses back...kind of like community service.

For the doctors and other enablers who prescribe this crap and help the racers find it or pressure them into using it, they should be run out of the sport period unless they can show that can make their mistakes right in some way. Penance.

So, if you're sick of the Tour and the doping scandals, go out and find a local race in your area and cheer for the guys who are racing for the love of the sport and little else. It's like going to see a Babe Ruth League or American Legion or local softball league game after getting sick of the high salaries and prima donna behavior of steroid using major-leaguers. There are a lot of great crits being run and everyone should get to stand in the center of their city square and see cyclists contest the finishing sprint in front of their city hall. Go out and support that...it's as "American and Apple Pie" as almost anything I can think of.

Thanks for Reading.

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