tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172202953319134786.post7780672652428966048..comments2023-11-16T09:57:41.255-08:00Comments on ITALIAN CYCLING JOURNAL: Italian Public Prosecutor Benedetto RobertiAngelo senza la ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00876175566987717150noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172202953319134786.post-40235250017964535942010-11-20T03:05:34.193-08:002010-11-20T03:05:34.193-08:00I've never been convinced it's the distanc...I've never been convinced it's the distances, but rather modern commercial interests that are the problem with regards to performance-enhancing drugs in cycling. A well-trained pro cyclist should be able to race over 100 miles a day, repeatedly, without the need to dope, unless riding at 45kph 'criterium' speeds. Reduce the distances any more and the Grand Tours for example, the jewells in the sport's crown, will become a 21-day travelling circus of speed rather than stamina, favouring riders with different abilities than the 'Tour riders'. This ISA hard sport, and so the Tours have to be gruelling, to provide epic 'exploits', the 'jour sans', a day ruined by 'la fringale', with the winner being someone capable of handling such demanding workloads and blessed with quick recovery. Desgrange said something along the lines of "My ideal Tour is one where only one rider finishes", and whilst I'm not advocating a return to inhuman 400km-plus stages, it's a fact that Merckx and Hinault didn't win Tours with 7-hour stages of 200-250km through the mountains because they doped, it's because they could race smart, use their teams and recover day after day, but at average speeds well below what we see today. All the while you have short-sighted sponsors putting pressure on teams, managers and riders to win at all costs or lose their livelihoods, there will be an unbearable temptation to dope. Addressing this by finding what you might term 'traditional' sponsors who are in the sport because they really understand and believe in it - like Mapei's Sig. Squinzi - and having a competent governing body and associated agencies working in partnership to smash the doping rings, vet the 'soigners' and ban the cheats in a consistent manner will we see the speeds fall. I think it would be a catastrophic mistake if we reduced distances thinking that making things physically easier for these athletes would stop them doping. If we do we'll lose the unique, engaging character of our wonderful sport completely.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066273636618355745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172202953319134786.post-81671457701048784142010-11-20T03:04:24.549-08:002010-11-20T03:04:24.549-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066273636618355745noreply@blogger.com