Is Bjarne Riis' doping admission good for cycl...

Is Bjarne Riis' doping admission good for cycling?

Discuss.

I'm all for honesty, after all, a once majestic sport in such a MESS has to be honest with itself. But should Bjarne have said what he did or kept his mouth shut?

I have mixed views on this. I lived for cycling for a period in my life and still love the spectacle of the Tour de France more than almost any other sporting 'exhibition', but cycling fans are currently faced, maybe with nothing more than we already knew, that the results are potentially a complete farce.

Riis was a man for being so honest, but he lost more than he gained, and so too I think did cycling.

We now know for sure what we feared all along... that our champions and heroes are frauds, cheats, irresponsible role-models... I could go on. Millions of cycling fans have lost the faint hope we held that there is some honesty left in our sport, not ten years later but at point of victory.

Fortunately only one champion has come 'out'. What would it mean for cycling if we were to learn for fact that , Merckx, Lemond, Hinault, Fignon, Delgado, Indurain, Roche, Rominger, Ullrich and the true great of world sport, Armstrong were, all along, cheating?

I know we have to look forward, maybe Riis knew what he had to do to save the sport, but I'd have preferred the illusion to live on.

Same with last year after Floyd Landis won, he's been stripped of the title.

Who are the favourites for the Tour this year then with the big names like Basso and Ulrich not riding? I would like Vinoukorov to have a good ride, I like his attacking style. Moreau is also in good form after winning the Dauphine Libere today.

Nice to see that there is a Welsh rider in the Tour this year for the first time in over 40 years!

Floyd hasn't offiicaly lost last years title as yet... has he?

I'm all for outing drugs in all sports, but it's one of those contentious issues that'll never be resolved. The matters is endlessly debated on the cycling forums. Anyone who thinks all other high profile athletic sports don't have similar problems is mistaken.

As for this years Tour... I think Valverde has a good chance if he can stay upright. Vino is looking sharp, Moreau perhaps peaking too soon(?), and others mention Cadel Evans as having a good shout.

Hope to see a Brit (Millar / Wiggins) take the prologue, and maybe another Brit grab a stage later on (Hammond on a stage breakaway if selected for T-Mobile?)

P.s. - I'm one of 5000 lucky souls who get to ride Stage 1 (London to Canterbury) on 1st July - a week ahead of the tour. I'm pretty sure I'll get caught by the Peleton even with as much as a week headstart!

Originally posted by rhb
P.s. - I'm one of 5000 lucky souls who get to ride Stage 1 (London to Canterbury) on 1st July - a week ahead of the tour. I'm pretty sure I'll get caught by the Peleton even with as much as a week headstart!

How can I get involved? Is it too late?

Originally posted by asromacalcio
How can I get involved? Is it too late?

Check out the everydaycycling website for details, their last newsletter mentione places available still i think.