Shane Stokes a little naive?

gimmeaminute

The penultimate paragraph of Stokes' piece on Nicholas Roche in Saturday's Times:

'In his seminal pro cycling book, Rough Ride, Paul Kimmage talks about having crache dans la soupe, spat in the soup, for claiming cycling had a drugs problem. These days it would appear that to “crache dans la soupe” is to actually take drugs, because you are ruining it for everyone else.'

He bases this conclusion on Roche's assertion than cyclists who have served a ban are no longer welcomed back into the peleton with open arms. But cynic that I am, it seems to me that the sin is getting caught, not doping in the first place. Or worse, as in Ricco's case, getting caught and then giving up a doctor or another cyclist in order to obtain a reduced sentence. I'm not saying Ricco isn't an odious little prick, but his odiousness seems to partly emanate from his overwhelming confidence that everyone is doping. And how would a kid come to this conclusion? If the ostracising of Ricco and The Chicken is less to do with doping and more to do with bringing the sport into disrepute then plus ca fuc*ing change on the soup cracking front.

Just thought I'd brighten everyone's Monday with that. Oh, you're welcome.

ROK ON

I find it quite difficult to get worked up over doping. It is an unwinnable fight. We have about as much chance of solving the heroin problem in society as we have in eliminating doping from sport.
I am not saying that I agree with it or that authorities shoulnt necessarily try to eradicate it. But I have accepted that there will always and everywhere be cheating.

SSbike

Hey, I was pretty surprised to see the piece as I didn't actually write it. It was written by Ian O'Riordan, who was at the Sports Council's presentation during the week and talked to Nico there. Sub editors put my name on it by mistake - Ian was as surprised as I was.

Personally, I think it's too soon to say omerta is finished...some riders are being blasted, but generally only after they've been caught. It's a step in the right direction, perhaps, but there's still a long way to go...

Shane

gimmeaminute

SSbike wrote: »

Hey, I was pretty surprised to see the piece as I didn't actually write it.

It all comes clear. Didn't read like you at all.

Personally, I think it's too soon to say omerta is finished...some riders are being blasted, but generally only after they've been caught. It's a step in the right direction, perhaps, but there's still a long way to go...

Agreed. Thanks for clearing that up.

RobFowl

SSbike wrote: »

Hey, I was pretty surprised to see the piece as I didn't actually write it.

Hope they paid you for it though

Junior

RobFowl wrote: »

Hope they paid you for it though

I did tell him to stick in an invoice !

Zipp101

gimmeaminute wrote: »

It all comes clear. Didn't read like you at all.

Thats for sure..it was more like Tommy Campbell !
The concluding sentence had me asking questions too.

Was half waiting for him to ask Roche's "predictions".