tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31819641.post4977038707936157497..comments2023-10-06T03:21:26.130-07:00Comments on trust but verify: Saturday RoundupDBrowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17718913310467614671noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31819641.post-53294955893287364392007-08-11T14:25:00.000-07:002007-08-11T14:25:00.000-07:00Thanks for the racing coverage TBV: can we get det...Thanks for the racing coverage TBV: can we get details anywhere? What a finish! --JeffJeff Abernathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10343190059811455005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31819641.post-71618120734041044942007-08-11T10:49:00.000-07:002007-08-11T10:49:00.000-07:00Regarding the decision of the Discovery team to di...Regarding the decision of the Discovery team to disband:<BR/><BR/>I posted yesterday that there must be more behind the decision than had been announced at that time, and I speculated on other possible reasons. Since my post, the Discovery team held their press conference, reported in the cites listed by str. From the press conference, we can now see I was right, there was a great deal more behind the decision ...<BR/><BR/>... unfortunately I could not have been more wrong when I speculated yesterday about the true reasons behind the decision.<BR/><BR/>The Discovery management team (Lance, Bruyneel et. al.) is leaving the sport because they have concluded that the sport is not worth the investment required. That is a mind-boggling conclusion. Discovery is not being forced out, they're voluntarily walking away from a sport they see as untenable, unmanageable, and beyond repair.<BR/><BR/>Major props to str, wschart, jrd and other contributors to this site, who (I think) have been saying the right things all along:<BR/><BR/>1. The primary problem in cycling is NOT doping. The primary problem is the way the sport is governed. <BR/><BR/>2. Each of the organizations that control cycling has seized upon the doping problem in a cynical effort to increase its own power and to weaken rival organizations. <BR/><BR/>Of course, the bunch at Discovery are not passive victims. They, too, are (or, were) a power in the sport. But even so, the decision they have made has held a mirror up to the sport of cycling. There's a reason why the sponsors are leaving the sport in droves: despite what we might think as fans, the bottom line is that cycling is a terrible place to invest your money.<BR/><BR/>From the perspective of Floyd Landis, and countless others like him, the ramifications of this conclusion are pretty bad. Without sponsors, there's no money for better testing, or improved lab procedures, or due process.<BR/><BR/>The sport will survive ... because we fans will support cycling, no matter how badly it deteriorates. But I think we can give up the idea that there's hope for improvement, or reform. Cycling will go the way of boxing, governed (or more accurately, misgoverned) by competing and corrupt alphabet soup agencies ... while truly talented athletes will avoid the sport altogether.Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976868079076669453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31819641.post-49802964828441666342007-08-11T10:01:00.000-07:002007-08-11T10:01:00.000-07:00Thanks so much Glendora!strThanks so much Glendora!<BR/><BR/>strstrbukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00814462555882571936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31819641.post-27610267240722410532007-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:002007-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00Photo of Floyd in the lead at Leadville at the 20 ...Photo of Floyd in the lead at Leadville at the 20 mile mark can be found at http://glendoramtnroad.blogspot.com/2007/08/leadville-hatchery_11.htmlGMRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13827404930085676519noreply@blogger.com