David Millar - Comeback in 2006

[stevefunkster]

i heard he was looking fit and strong, he is around his peak age at the moment i can't wait to see him again(le tour start 2007 in london?)without opening up the old can of worms on epo, i think he deserves to race again, but who will have him?

[stevefunkster]

funny you say that, rob and i were coming back from boxhill along this posh road and he nearly ran over a snake, yes that right a snake i saw it too wriggling away, and before you ask sean no it was'nt a trouser snake

[David Lombari]

I gather he can join any Protour team as the Protour, and therefore the rule not to employ banned riders, wasn't in force at the time of his ban. I've heard Saunier Duval may be interested.

Of course, there's varied opinions but at least (at the very least) when he was caught, he admitted everything and accepted his punishment (though I realise he appealled against the start date of the ban which cost BC £15k).

I think if he came back more mature (no more fits on the Angliru!), he would be an asset to a lot of teams, even Disco.

And don't forget the old cliche.....he never failed a drugs test!!

[Brett P]

Once a cheat, always a cheat I say.

He should never be employed to ride for a high profile team again,
BCF shoyuld ban him for life. What message is it giving to our up & coming riders. Take drugs, have a two year holiday & come back like nothings ever happened!
I doubt anyone would want him ridding for them, he openly admitted that he couldn't win a world title without taking drugs.... what an attitude to have!
Just watchnig world TT champs now...... A Spaniard in the lead!

[Rob]

any up and coming rider with half a brain must realise though that you got to take drugs to reach the top!!!

whats the difference between taking epo to gain an advantage, or sitting in the altitude centre to gain an advantage? feel free to make me see your side on the arguement

http://www.saynotosteroids.com

good site!!

[Rob]

too slow, its gone

[stevefunkster]

most pro athletes of many many different sports are on gear, even high level amatuers, if you dont have the talent to begin with no amount of gear will make you win at high level, most pros i have read who slate gear could'nt win anything even if nobody was on drugs

[stevefunkster]

lets see fordham win the world with no beer!!!!

[quote] Once a cheat, always a cheat I say

[the muur]

Yes Marco, I'd agree with what you say about Boardman. Boardman was a sgood as anyone could possibly be at his desired discipline but was clever enough to realise that for one reason or another (drugs or abillity?) he was never going to be a Grand Tour rider over a 3 week period at the same level. As for Millar, Brett, you're dead right, kick him out. Period. And the same for anyone else guilty of drug taking. Don'r forget, he only retired because he has an illness that requires medication that contains elements of steroid that would fail a dope test.

Unfortunately, we live in a world whereby if he were banned for life, he would be perfectly entitled by EU law, to take the UCI, BCF, whoever bans him, to court on the justification that he cannot have his 'livelihood' taken away from him (similar to if you were made bankrupt, and you were a plumber, they can't sell your tools as they are your livelihood and a means of you earning a living to pay off your debts). An Ice Hockey player has just won such a case in Germany against the German Ice Hockey federation on these very grounds. Which is why, riders only get a maximum of 2 years ban for doping.

As for anyone justifying taking drugs to ride a bike as being almost legit where would it end? Someone who earns plenty of dosh and able to afford EPO, buying it and getting fit on it to win the club 50?

Too many people think that cycling is all about the Pro ranks, sure it's the pinacle of the sport, and nobody loves it more than me, but it's also about Alfie Bloggs riding a 4th cat event on a cold, wet Tuesday at Hillingdon on a bike he saved up for over 18 months and loving every minute of it. As we should all do.

[stevefunkster]

to be honest i can see that argument, but where does it end? if you wish for a drug taker to lose his career and feel that strongly to stand up against it, then what else do you have to give up? i have worked professionally in the music industry for the last 15 years and i know for a fact nearly every product released has had drugs used in its conception or production whatever you think no question(ask me and ill tell you the facts!), last year due to the fact i love cooking i decided to do my chefs qualification and was shocked to find that top level chefs not only have drink and cannabis problems(which can be expected) but also cocaine, herion and even acid problems, if your gonna be working 16-18 hour days in a high preassure kitchen you need some sort of stimulant, im not saying wether drugs for any reason are right or wrong but mankind as a rule has been using substances for thousands of years, the sioux and many other tribes of american indians have been using pelote and many other halucinogens to make decisions prior to battle or migration etc, its a part of life wethere we like it or not, i for one know if i had trained hard as a youngster and was a good rider with potential and was told that only if i took epo i would win the tour de france there is no question i would have taken it and to be honest deep down i think we all would, glory or nothingness? i know what i would choose....

[the muur]

Steve, of course you're right, we all take some sort of stimulent, be it a bottle of Maxim, energy bar or a can of Red Bull in the afternoon at work when a bit tired. I remember the problems with creatin when it was readily available. As for mankind influencing any kind of performence through artificial means, it has been and always will be there. There will always be someone pushing the envelope further and further than anyone else to be better and if that means by an 'unfair advantage' then they'll take it. I remember back in 1974 as a junior (here we go!), doing an event in Belgium with some pals and in the dressing room walked 4 East German juniors. They were skin and bone, with muscles and veins attached to theire legs! They also had bad teeth! We were doing anything of 5-8 hours a day training in them there halcyon days, but the nearest I got to having legs like them was a nice skinny ankle and knobbly knees. It was so obvious that they weren't legal.

As a young rider in the present climate, could you afford EPO? It's no good taking a shot on Thursday for an event on Sunday, it's a course involving maybe 5 -6 shots at £ 80 a pop, so it's more than likely only once tyou get to an elevated position that the 'offer' is madeto you. Where does it end? I think it's more important to ask where does it begin?

As for Millar probably going to Saunier Duval, I'm very wary of anyone not Spanish riding for a Spanish team!

[the muur]

By the way, what a great thread! Well done for kicking it off!

[the muur]

you're welcome, everyone has a view on drugs, which should be welcomed ranging from the 'better a dead world champion than a 90 year old nearly was' to the 'hang em and flogg em' element.

Oh and Marco, you sucked me into this, so I shall try to stay on my soap box a bit longer! Are you still interested in that bike we chatted briefly about at the in Westminster?

[John Cochrane]

I know I may be one the older members on this forum, but "glory in cheating" I hope this never happens in cycling.

In motor racing cheating, in any form, is not tolerated by both us officials and by the competitors themselves.

In my 45 years as an official in motor sport I have found that drivers not only expect but demand that we officials take firm action with anyone that cheats, even if the cheat still can't win! Cheats are shunned and shamed by their fellow competitors and rightly so.

So what's wrong with that. Nothing, it promotes fairer and safer competion for all.

I'd rather glorify a winning cyclist for his/her ability rather than to glorify the drug that made them a winner.