Finally, someone puts doping in cycling into perspective...

[Cassandra_Cain]

Doping happens in cycling, but then it happens in the vast majority of sports.

I mean just recently two cricket players, (yes I said cricket), from Pakistan were banned for doping offenses. The stuff is rampant in american football and baseball. Plus they don't even test for many known enhancers (like HgH) in those sports.

I've stated my opinion on Floyd Landis and all, but this is a general comment.

Somehow, you only hear about doping as it relates to cycling, but rarely about other sports anywhere near as often. I mean take Operation Puerto, where Vino, Ullrich, and Basso were banned from riding in the TdF....yet, Puerto supposedly had data on far more big-name athletes in sports other than cycling. Where are their names? Where are the suspensions? Why did we only hear about cyclists?

I don't know if other sports just have better spin doctors, or are better at covering things up, or if it is just what the media focuses on....but cyclists get a far worse rap than other athletes when drug use is rather widespread.

[ridethewind]

Doping happens in cycling, but then it happens in the vast majority of sports.

Somehow, you only hear about doping as it relates to cycling, but rarely about other sports anywhere near as often. I mean take Operation Puerto, where Vino, Ullrich, and Basso were banned from riding in the TdF....yet, Puerto supposedly had data on far more big-name athletes in sports other than cycling. Where are their names? Where are the suspensions? Why did we only hear about cyclists?

Yes, cycling takes a very bad rap when it comes to doping. Yet, cycling takes doping more seriously than any other sport. The penalties for doping are far more serious than the slaps on the wrist given by other sports. Suspensions and lifetime bans and that happens after only a few offenses. I'm not aware of any sport that even comes close to this.

Jean

[Kalidurga]

Somehow, you only hear about doping as it relates to cycling, but rarely about other sports anywhere near as often. I mean take Operation Puerto, where Vino, Ullrich, and Basso were banned from riding in the TdF....yet, Puerto supposedly had data on far more big-name athletes in sports other than cycling. Where are their names? Where are the suspensions? Why did we only hear about cyclists?

I don't know if other sports just have better spin doctors, or are better at covering things up, or if it is just what the media focuses on....but cyclists get a far worse rap than other athletes when drug use is rather widespread.

Exactly!! I'm to the point now that I don't care whether Floyd, Ivan, Jan or any other cyclist has doped or not, because WADA (and D-i-c-k Pound specifically) has blown everything so ridiculously out of proportion. The mission statement at the WADA website begins:

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against doping in sport in all its forms.

Composed and funded equally by the sports movement and governments of the world, WADA coordinated the development and implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.

Did D-i-c-k Pound get dropped on a bike ride in his younger years? Did he lose money betting on the TdF? What on earth accounts for his seeming vendetta against pro cycling? Because WADA doesn't seem to truly "harmonize anti-doping policies in all sports", I just can't find it in me to worry about whether my favorite riders will be doped next season or not.