Cadel's response to recent events

[boss]

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

Whilst the work for our 2013 season has started both on and off the bike and next year's Tour de France route is about to be announced, cycling is still in the news...

Behind the news, hysteria and sensationalism, I hope that people remember that the events being uncovered mostly occurred seven or more years ago, amongst a minority of those involved in a sport which has already changed and moved on.

Whilst these events are difficult and confronting to deal with now, both for those directly involved in the sport and for many around the world who follow cycling, let's commend the authorities who are succeeding in the battle against doping; learn from these events which are the driving forces behind major changes and clean-ups in cycling, and have bought the sport to where it is today - not on the front page of tabloid newspaper - but to a level playing field where the hard work, meticulous equipment preparation and natural ability are winning the big beautiful prestigious races.

For those who are disappointed with the situation right now: do not despair, do not abandon us now we are in our best years, preparing things for our most important moment yet - the future...

Kinda seems a bit marketing machine to me?

[RonK]

Yes, doesn't sound like Cadelspeak to me either - it's probably straight from the teams PR agent.

But the sentiment behind it is probably genuine Cadel.

[scirocco]

I hope it's not Cadelspeak. He's better off saying nothing than saying what he did. In the current climate saying "it's all behind us, forget about it" just associates yourself with the wrong camp.

I really, really hope Cadel didn't dope and there's been nothing in his performances to suggest he did, but when you come out with a statement that is conspicuously lacking in anger against the cheats that robbed him of wins, well, you just send out all the wrong messages.

[Ozkaban]

In the current climate saying "it's all behind us, forget about it" just associates yourself with the wrong camp.

+1

[Xplora]

I hope it's not Cadelspeak. He's better off saying nothing than saying what he did. In the current climate saying "it's all behind us, forget about it" just associates yourself with the wrong camp.

I really, really hope Cadel didn't dope and there's been nothing in his performances to suggest he did, but when you come out with a statement that is conspicuously lacking in anger against the cheats that robbed him of wins, well, you just send out all the wrong messages.

Or perhaps he acknowledges that his livelihood relies on safety in the peleton, and he'd rather be riding than shaking trees like McGee did?

If Armstrong did what they are accusing him of doing, then it basically nullifies the entire sport's credibility for decades (because it's not the first grand conspiracy to be found doping a team). And maybe Cadel has come to terms with that and realises that he loves riding bikes more than he loves "the ideal of drug free sport".

MANY won't like that approach, but it is what it is. Cadel doesn't owe the public an attitude towards drugs that matches their own. These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

[boss]

These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

This sort of argument is routinely rolled out when a sportsman/woman has an off the field gaff. Drunken binge, marriage infidelity, whatever.

I've always found it to be tenuous.

I find it even moreso in this situation.

[Xplora]

These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

This sort of argument is routinely rolled out when a sportsman/woman has an off the field gaff. Drunken binge, marriage infidelity, whatever.

I've always found it to be tenuous.

I find it even moreso in this situation.

It's an embarrassment though - I am not responsible for the actions of a person who thinks that we are supposed to look up to someone who is paid to run fast and catch a ball better than myself. It is no different to CEOs who behave in a boorish fashion. They are the rolemodels for the business world... be careful who you want to put your faith in. I honestly don't idolise anyone, because it's just dumb to put so much faith in someone who has no moral character related to their profession. I would be much more concerned with the moral character of a priest/monk/guru... but an evil demonic SOB can ride a bike fast, the same as someone white as the driven snow... it hurts, but there is no correlation to sports skill and moral character.

[wombatK]

I would be much more concerned with the moral character of a priest/monk/guru... but an evil demonic SOB can ride a bike fast, the same as someone white as the driven snow... it hurts, but there is no correlation to sports skill and moral character.

Given the rate of child abuse in the clergy (eastern and western), there might not be any less reason to trust what Cadel would tell us.

But I agree totally with Sirocco. It's ridiculous to say that the sport has moved on when the goons at the top of the UCI and likely other national cycling associations, ours included, have not taken responsibility for what happened on their watch and resigned.

Only when they've moved on can anyone say that the sport has moved on.

I'd dearly like to believe Cadel was not involved, but the only way we will really know would be for the UCI to publish all
the haemocrit data it's collected over the last 5 years. That might reveal who has been flying under the radar, just like
Lance and his team did.

[Howzat]

It's ridiculous to say that the sport has moved on when the goons at the top of the UCI and likely other national cycling associations, ours included, have not taken responsibility for what happened on their watch and resigned.

Only when they've moved on can anyone say that the sport has moved on.

This is right, and it's look likes it's happening (slowly) at Cycling Australia, but McQuaid could help the UCI by taking a strategic retirement. Now is the time to clean it all up.

OT: Xplora, if we have to choose role models between cyclists, priests and CEOs... I'll take Lance Armstong

[Xplora]

Even the resignation of involved parties does not heal the wounds. Look at what happens when a disgraced politician resigns. It is meaningless to the broader public. These people are not banished from senior roles at other places, and the replacement is rarely any better... because experience running the place means being dodgy. Cadel is old enough to know that running the UCI is like leading a war. People will fall and apologies made but it does not change the fact that purity in sport does not happen at the elite levels... winning trumps nobility and it always will.

[ldrcycles]

These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

Yes they are, you might not like it but that's the way it is, people look up to them (myself included), that's why they are being paid the big bucks. It comes with the job, don't want to be a role model then stick to club crits.

[Oxford]

These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

Yes they are, you might not like it but that's the way it is, people look up to them (myself included), that's why they are being paid the big bucks. It comes with the job, don't want to be a role model then stick to club crits.

I don't look up to anyone myself personally, but I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Whether they like it or not they are leaders, they need to act as leaders. Don't want to be a leader, step aside.

[Xplora]

These people are professional sportsmen - they aren't role models.

Yes they are, you might not like it but that's the way it is, people look up to them (myself included), that's why they are being paid the big bucks. It comes with the job, don't want to be a role model then stick to club crits.

I don't look up to anyone myself personally, but I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Whether they like it or not they are leaders, they need to act as leaders. Don't want to be a leader, step aside.

They aren't leaders... they ride bikes fast. There is no correlation between being a nice guy and riding fast. In fact, competitive spirit tends to produce nastier people because aggression comes with it.

Was Casey Stoner a pariah for saying "I just don't care about riding motorbikes professionally, so I'm quitting"??? Maybe we have to accept that our hopes as a nation in the MotoGP can't rest on his shoulders, because despite talent and results, he just doesn't care anymore? A lot of people would die to have his position, and he's throwing it. That's an unacceptable position for many people We can't put our hopes and dreams on sportspeople... they aren't leaders, or role models, they are athletes competing for a prize.

[skull]

Actually they are representatives of the sport, so in some aspect yes they are role models.

As young people view the sport and view the current champions. They then focus on these sports people as someone to aspire too.

Sent from my not iDevice using Tapatalk 2

[ldrcycles]

All they need do is to play the game within the rules and to the best of their ability. That's all that's required of them to be a role model.

Your behaviour matters, and the public expectations of that behaviour are naturally going to be higher when you are in the public domain.

My thoughts exactly. Re expectations of behaviour when in the public domain, it reminds me of when i drive somewhere in a work vehicle, i'm normally a careful driver but when i am in someone else's car, with advertising on it for someone else's business, i drive like i have a load of TNT in the back. Should be the same thing for a sponsored athlete.

[Alien27]

Was Casey Stoner a pariah for saying "I just don't care about riding motorbikes professionally, so I'm quitting"??? Maybe we have to accept that our hopes as a nation in the MotoGP can't rest on his shoulders, because despite talent and results, he just doesn't care anymore? A lot of people would die to have his position, and he's throwing it. That's an unacceptable position for many people We can't put our hopes and dreams on sportspeople... they aren't leaders, or role models, they are athletes competing for a prize.

Casey loves riding the motorbikes in MotoGP, its the PR and politics that he doesn't like. If all he had to do was turn up to tests and race weekends, he would not be retiring. Unfortunately there isn't much motorbike riding in his schedule and the little there is is getting less and less as they reduce the number of tests, practice tyres and track time at the GP weekends. He has said the good (racing against the best in the world) isn't enough the out way the bad (PR, crap press, team politics, back stabbing etc, etc...) so he is retiring.

I know that's taking the thread a bit off topic but as is self evident, I'm a big fan of the number 27 alien so I couldn't resist

[ldrcycles]

Casey loves riding the motorbikes in MotoGP, its the PR and politics that he doesn't like. If all he had to do was turn up to tests and race weekends, he would not be retiring.

That and his ankle being mush .