Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Wal42
Posts: 736
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:09 pm

Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby Wal42 » Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:40 pm

Stephen Hodge resigned as VP of Cycling Australia, he rode 6 TdF's for the Once Team & represented Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he's admitted that he doped during his career.


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more- ... 6499246901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/cy ... 6499246901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/201 ... -went-bad/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
jules21
Posts: 10555
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:14 pm
Location: deep in the pain cave

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby jules21 » Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:48 pm

hodgey has done a lot for cycling in australia. he should hold his head up high.

User avatar
AUbicycles
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15583
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:14 am
Location: Sydney & Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby AUbicycles » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:10 am

Yes, but unfortunately the involvement in doping has consequences for the sport and others.

Lets also consider atheletes who resisted and as a result could no longer compete and thus closed a lot of doors (career / financial) that would have otherwise been open.

I certainly recognise the good in people and their remorse, but also acknowledge that by knowingly doping that an individual is part of the system.

It would be interesting if offenders were required to actively help improve anti-doping tests / knowledge / programs
Cycling is in my BNA

Wal42
Posts: 736
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:09 pm

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby Wal42 » Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:25 am

I agree about the damage done to innocent riders, I feel any rider who doped or was an accessory to doping (ie all those who 'saw' Armstrong doping & did nothing), they should be banned for life (goodbye Contador, etc), made to repay all prize monies received (including pool money won by tainted riders within their team), have all results removed & be fined the total of any wages received whilst doping or being an accessory to doping.

Take away all the incentive & it's not worth the risk anymore.


There is another post covering this which I found this morning so to not duplicate too much, here's the link-

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... 12&t=57613" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Crowz
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:37 am

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby Crowz » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:36 am

I think it's a joke that anyone can have positive feelings for anyone coming clean about doping after the Armstrong debacle. It makes me wonder if any of them would have come clean off their own backs. If Armstrong was never caught would Hodge have resigned? I don't think so... As someone who has only recently taken an interest to cycling, it sure looks like a bloody dodgey professional arena. The damage has been done and it will take MANY years to recover, if at all.

User avatar
AUbicycles
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15583
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:14 am
Location: Sydney & Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby AUbicycles » Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:25 am

Good point, I was thinking the same. Cyclists who have admitted to doping tend to do so when it is the safer option, Hamilton for example only conceeded when he testified under oath and saw that the price he would pay for lying greater than the price for admitting guilt.

I guess it is human nature though a lot of other people are affected.
Cycling is in my BNA

User avatar
foo on patrol
Posts: 9008
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:12 am
Location: Sanstone Point QLD

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:37 pm

The sad thing for me in all this crap that is going on is. They had a simple choice........YES or NO it ain't rocket science is it?

To me it is the same as cosmetic surgery, except your not doing someone out being in the record books of results. Insecure people opt for the easy way out. :(

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

User avatar
skull
Posts: 2087
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby skull » Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:03 pm

Easy to say that when you weren't part of the scene.

Back in the 80s, young, impressionable, everyone else was on some sort of PED, they wanted to make a career out of racing. Not condoning but I can see why someone would do it.

User avatar
foo on patrol
Posts: 9008
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:12 am
Location: Sanstone Point QLD

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:30 pm

I was racing back then and NO it is not an excuse to say.oh I was young and impressionable, what a crook of BS that excuse is. :x

Everyone and I mean everyone, knows that drug use is not acceptable in sport and I was affected by these lowlifes. :roll:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

User avatar
skull
Posts: 2087
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby skull » Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:34 pm

In the pro peleton or a clubbie, big difference.

User avatar
foo on patrol
Posts: 9008
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:12 am
Location: Sanstone Point QLD

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:05 pm

No difference at all and at the elite level. It also happens to be the same rule for all. I get tied of people making excuses for these things, illegal is illegal! :wink:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

User avatar
skull
Posts: 2087
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby skull » Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:12 pm

I see a difference

At Club level, racing isn't paying the bills.

At the pro level a rider needs to continue to perform to stay in the team. That is were I can see the influence of PEDs comes into play, just to stay in the team and continue riding. Especially considering back in the 80-90s it is now considered that most in the pro peleton were doping, if you didn't dope to keep up then it is the end of the game.

No more team, no more money and back to the real world.

Crowz
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:37 am

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby Crowz » Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:26 pm

skull wrote:I see a difference

At Club level, racing isn't paying the bills.

At the pro level a rider needs to continue to perform to stay in the team. That is were I can see the influence of PEDs comes into play, just to stay in the team and continue riding. Especially considering back in the 80-90s it is now considered that most in the pro peleton were doping, if you didn't dope to keep up then it is the end of the game.

No more team, no more money and back to the real world.
I could say the same about drug dealing. It's illegal but my god I'm sure it would more than pay the bills - so it would be ok for me, right?

User avatar
skull
Posts: 2087
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:48 pm

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby skull » Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:30 pm

Strawman, and can you point out were I said it is alright? (In fact I even stated it doesn't mean I condone what they have done).

I am just pointing out I can see how riders got influenced.

User avatar
AUbicycles
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15583
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:14 am
Location: Sydney & Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby AUbicycles » Sat Oct 20, 2012 5:32 pm

skull wrote:No more team, no more money and back to the real world.
True it is a real temptation, but lets not forget that this success costs non-doped riders a fair chance of competition and has consequences that we are seeing today. Lets also consider doped riders who have had successful careers in cycling and beyond, but is because of the PEDs - and those who have missed out on the chance, I am certain that there were a number of talented cyclists out there who didn't get their chance.
Cycling is in my BNA

User avatar
foo on patrol
Posts: 9008
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:12 am
Location: Sanstone Point QLD

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby foo on patrol » Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:22 pm

My sediments exactly Aubicycles! :wink:

Foo
I don't suffer fools easily and so long as you have done your best,you should have no regrets.
Goal 6000km

UpDownUp
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:20 am

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby UpDownUp » Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:26 pm

jules21 wrote:hodgey has done a lot for cycling in australia. he should hold his head up high.
I dont condone doping and agree with comments that there should be suitable penalties / disincentives. What I'm wondering is if we totally "burn" any ex-pros turned to coaching or administration who admit to doping during their pro career then will we be left with a big loss of talent and end up effectively "shooting ourselves in the foot".

User avatar
Alex Simmons/RST
Expert
Posts: 4997
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 3:51 pm
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:45 pm

UpDownUp wrote:
jules21 wrote:hodgey has done a lot for cycling in australia. he should hold his head up high.
I dont condone doping and agree with comments that there should be suitable penalties / disincentives. What I'm wondering is if we totally "burn" any ex-pros turned to coaching or administration who admit to doping during their pro career then will we be left with a big loss of talent and end up effectively "shooting ourselves in the foot".
What, like Carmichael? Christ, he introduced LA to doping when he was a teenager while a coach with USAC.
Or Ferrari, who is still selling his coaching services?

Look, Hodge isn't a bad guy. He did a dumb thing, so obviously it's not all black and white.

But there are people who coach and do the right thing, and who were ostracised because they wouldn't play the game, and as a result didn't get to build their reputations by having the elite riders to work with.

User avatar
AUbicycles
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15583
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:14 am
Location: Sydney & Frankfurt
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby AUbicycles » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:05 am

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:But there are people who coach and do the right thing, and who were ostracised because they wouldn't play the game, and as a result didn't get to build their reputations by having the elite riders to work with.
Very true.

Here is an idea to make doping less attractive, busted riders are oblidged to work for a year performing drug tests at races. Don't think many riders would fancy that job, and it is a type of punishment that would help the sport clean up, from c-grade and up!
Cycling is in my BNA

User avatar
sogood
Posts: 17168
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:31 am
Location: Sydney AU

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby sogood » Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:43 pm

skull wrote:At the pro level a rider needs to continue to perform to stay in the team. That is were I can see the influence of PEDs comes into play, just to stay in the team and continue riding. Especially considering back in the 80-90s it is now considered that most in the pro peleton were doping, if you didn't dope to keep up then it is the end of the game.
That's really the crunch isn't it? Pro cycling is considered to be a profession yet it does not offer any security to those who devoted their time to the sport yet can suffer the ups and downs of normal physiological changes. Not surprised at all that a large portion of the pro riders went into PED.

Resolution of this doping issue takes far more than just punishing the involved riders/managers. There'll need to be structural reforms in the mix.
Bianchi, Ridley, Tern, Montague and All things Apple :)
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.

User avatar
philip
Posts: 1622
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby philip » Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:28 pm

Watching Dr Ashenden on cycling central now, asking Klaus the tough questions. Klaus seems to have his head at least partially still in the sand. Dr Ashenden seriously makes the best points and most sense out of anyone else I've heard in all this. Dr Ashenden for PM!

User avatar
greyhoundtom
Posts: 3023
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 6:28 am
Location: Wherever the sun is shining
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby greyhoundtom » Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:23 pm

sogood wrote: That's really the crunch isn't it? Pro cycling is considered to be a profession yet it does not offer any security to those who devoted their time to the sport yet can suffer the ups and downs of normal physiological changes. Not surprised at all that a large portion of the pro riders went into PED.

Resolution of this doping issue takes far more than just punishing the involved riders/managers. There'll need to be structural reforms in the mix.
Step one for me would be; If a rider on a team is found to have used PED's, the whole team, not just the individual rider is punished by being removed from competition for 12 months, also the riders on that team not to be able to sign with another team until the penalty time was up.

On the other side of the coin, riders would continue to receive financial support from the team if they suffered a form slump for the whole of their remaining contract, even if they were unable to compete.

That would certainly ensure that PED's would be pretty well eradicated.

User avatar
scotto
Posts: 2380
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:38 am
Location: Baulkham Hills
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby scotto » Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:26 am

philip wrote:Watching Dr Ashenden on cycling central now, asking Klaus the tough questions. Klaus seems to have his head at least partially still in the sand. Dr Ashenden seriously makes the best points and most sense out of anyone else I've heard in all this. Dr Ashenden for PM!
"Shouldnt you have asked him straight out" did you use PED's"
"No, we believe everyone is innocent until charged with an offense" and will discuss with University Ethics dept if we should ask that question....
Klaus Mueller should stand down. When hiring a guy who was just sacked for sending a rider to a known drug doctor, that would be first on my list of questions, well maybe second. First would be why.
Klaus sounds like he'd do well in UCI

User avatar
find_bruce
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10579
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 8:42 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby find_bruce » Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:24 pm

philip wrote:Watching Dr Ashenden on cycling central now, asking Klaus the tough questions. Klaus seems to have his head at least partially still in the sand. Dr Ashenden seriously makes the best points and most sense out of anyone else I've heard in all this. Dr Ashenden for PM!
scotto wrote:"Shouldnt you have asked him straight out" did you use PED's"
"No, we believe everyone is innocent until charged with an offense" and will discuss with University Ethics dept if we should ask that question....
Klaus Mueller should stand down. When hiring a guy who was just sacked for sending a rider to a known drug doctor, that would be first on my list of questions, well maybe second. First would be why.
Klaus sounds like he'd do well in UCI
Scotto, my job involves asking people questions in circumstances where they are often motivated to lie. In my experience, approaching in the way the Dr Ashenden suggests & has been adopted by team Sky is likely to force a blanket denial that they ever took PEDs or knew anyone who did.

I feel just a little bit dirty that I agree with Jonathan Vaughters in this regard.

IMO you are far more likely to get an honest answer by encouraging the person to open up about what they know about PEDs, why someone would use PEDs etc.

This approach has been used with reasonable success in various Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, most notably in South Africa.

User avatar
philip
Posts: 1622
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Re: Stephen Hodge stands down as Cycling Australia VP

Postby philip » Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:36 pm

find_bruce wrote:approaching in the way the Dr Ashenden suggests & has been adopted by team Sky
I'm pretty sure Dr Ashenden has a similar view to you? From what I understood from what he's been saying is that the stuff that Sky was doing was useless/not productive.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Amazon [Bot], OnTrackZeD