Garmin - Good guys or hypocrites

ROK ON

In light of the news today surrounding several members of the Garmin cycling team, what do people think.

Are JV, DZ and CVV genuine in their anti doping efforts or are they hypocrites.

The reason that I ask is not that I am surprised that they doped 'back in the day' - almost everyone did. Indeed JV has employed at several times that he doped (in relation to his Alpe Duez time iirc).

However two members of Garmin have doped, served time and are now repentant (Millar and Dekker). Indeed both have spoken out as go how wrong they were. In fairness they have maned up, fessed their past sins and are now active in anti doping movements.

JV, DZ and CVV have broken the same rules, yet they have been silent for a decade. Never once admitted publicly whT thy have done. Is this not hypocritical. I have to say if i was Millar I would be pretty annoyed at having to apologise for doping in practically every media appearance, while hour boss and team mates who have drank from the same cup, have stayed schtum and lived a life of omertà.

I think it is pretty hypocritical. What right does JV have to talk about doping - Bjarne Riis at the very least has taken ownership of his past misdeeds.

Flandria

Good points but as long as they follow through on their promise, as they did today by dumping Rasmussen following the CAS decision on the three missed controls, well they can only gather more support. The famous IM exchange between JV and Frankie when they left USPS (still widely available on the inter web) shows fairly clearly that they did indeed dope but it was spun to them that they had to because everyone else was - they were both surprised that there was no such expectation elsewhere (Credit Agricole). JV, DZ and CVV were a product of their times and their environment if they are genuinely trying to change that then they are worth backing.

Vaughters is a bit of a media luvvy though...

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/doping-forum/im-between-frankie-andreu-jonathan-vaughters-104675.html

TinyExplosions

I don't know if I'd really class them as hypocritical... I tend to see their setup as being more "we aren't really bothered what happened in the past, but take a hard line on any doping when you're with us".

Millar and Dekker's bans were before they joined the team, and so were in the media spotlight, and it's maybe because of that that they are asked about it at every opportunity.

The guys spoken about today have been suspected of having ties to doping because of their pasts, but none of them have been caught, and if we assume (if we can) that they are clean now, they are living up to the Garmin remit.

Or maybe Im being to nice to em!

elduggo

signing Dekker was foolish. I think Millar is part owner of the team so the details concerning his being there are somewhat different (still questionable mind you)

I think the year Wiggins finished 4th didn't Paul Kimmage spend the tour with the Garmin team? I recall him saying he was more than impressed with what he saw and was fairly convinced by it all. If one of the biggest cynics in the cycling world says that, then thats kind of good enough for me.

But then they go and sign Dekker......

ROK ON

Let me point out that I firmly believe that the current team has a clean team ethos - I do not believe that is for show.

My point is that JV preaches about doping, yetis actions at various points in last few years are crude for want of a better word.
Today he refused to answer any questions, simply read a statement.
He has never admitted his past and taken ownership of it. Some in the sport have.

Rather than prose outing LA or anyone else from that era, maybe it would be better to have a "truth and reconciliation" type approach.
That way those in the sport can openly declare what they have done and commit to living for a clean sport (whether as an athlete, former athlete, coach or DS).

It is interesting that some people that have admitted their past such as Riis tend not to be so preachy, and some of those that are preachy have not admitted their past.

Again, Millar carries the can, his team mates with the same baggage stay silent all the time.

elduggo

I don't believe Millar told the full truth when he was caught, and I would be surprised if a lot wasn't omitted from his book about those days.

But, hes a total good guy now. I'm completely won over by his 'new' attitude. Hes one of the most honest to god guys (I mean heart on sleeve in terms of his effort on the bike) in the peloton at the moment.

Inquitus

I fully buyin to JV, Garmin and a reformed Millar.

Flandria

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/past-becomes-present-for-vaughters-slipstream-organisation