Is It Drugs or is It?

[Ivanb]

Thisis a mail i got from Raoul

 

Hello all.

 

is it just me or are we all just a little fed up with having the greatest show on earth, our Tour de France, thwarted with scandal, lies and athletes who just don't get it.

 

I say our Tour because the tour belongs to the people and the athletes. without people and spectators, the Tour is just another race. but it is watched and scrutinized over my millions of people live, as it unfolds, everyday, every year. its one of the few events of the year that people who don't know anything about cycling watch. its right up there with Wimbledon on this list.

 

all the athletes signed a code do conduct before the start of the Tour. but really, did we think this was good enough? people lie all the time, in business, in love, in friendship. so why not lie about something which you might be able to avoid anyway.

 

today we sit with Vino - blood doping. Rasmussen - lies about his whereabouts have cost him a yellow in Paris. Moreni - Testosterone. the list goes on. Don't athletes know about responsibility. but the definition of responsibility goes beyond that. its based on a set of ethics, and those who don't have it base their lives on rules. and I guess alot of pro cyclists are just trying to bend the rules, instead of living their lives on the basis of ethics.

 

I know alot of you are feeling down about our sport, such a beautiful sport. I was explaining to my girlfriend yesterday (im guiding her through her first watching of my favorite reality show on TV I.e. le Tour) how pure cycling is. man on man, no hiding, no excuses. there is no TRY in cycling, there is DO and DON'T. full stop. and today I almost feel sad because I was saying Rasmussen deserved the Tour, he deserved yellow in Paris. but this is a man who lied to the UCI, his team manager and his team mates. this is not the kind of guy I want wearing the yellow jersey in Paris.

 

but I still believe our sport is pure. the cream on the trifle is off, but there are so many layers to cycling. next time you are out riding with mates, go sit at the back of the group and just watch your mates. they are breathing hard, pushing themselves up the hills, telling each other stories, enjoying being out in the freezing cold at times because its still a pure thing cycling. there is something about coming around the last corner on Chappies into Noordhoek, when you catch that beach on a sunny day, the sea is blue... it always takes my breath away. never does it in a car, but when im coming down there at 60km/h on my bicycle, its priceless.

 

until those moments disappear the dream and ideas we all have about riding will continue. we will still push each other up the climbs, still share jokes and conjure up strategies for taking over the world, well, maybe our own worlds, and continue to push the dream that riding your bike is the best thing out there, no matter how many of our heroes crumble, how many guys test positive, or how many lies there are.

 

there are around 220 guys who ride the Tour. there are alot more of us and we wont let them spoil our fun.

 

lets live the ethics of cycling, put the rules away, and go enjoy what is still the most pure thing most of us have in our lives.

 

thanks for listening.

 

Raoul de Jongh

[Ivanb]

My reply. It is larger than just drugs. it is loyalty to your sponsors and helpers.You jeapordize everyones position and livliehood.

 

True words my <?:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Man.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

These guys don?t seem to grasp the repercussions. What about their future for one bust no job no ride. Think about their families as they certainly don?t.

 

Can anyone respect these people.

 

We have them here if you are truly sorry stand up admit it and be counted then you will earn the respect. Hide, you hide shame.

 

It bigger than that just the doping. There are supported and trusted by sponsors to put their job at the front to promote product so it sells so that they can earn from doing what they love. This can destroy everything a company does it hurts them to and the long term is reduced sales!! Less turnover less jobs.

 

I had leading SA Time Trial champion desperate for a TT Bike. I arrange one have it painted paid the money and then got THE CALL!! ?B&H are giving me a full carbon TT bike so I don?t need yours. I need to look after myself?. I sponsor Q rings Powerlung, assist with training, with emotional support, arrange free testing etc etc and for a bike that?s what I get. Its the same as doping no loyalty to those that help!!

 

Time to get real.

[rock]

who's raoul ?

[Ivanb]

Hey its time to get real all makes it harder and harder for those next in line. Sponsors get touggher, work becomes less availiable and the sport is not trusted.

 

I can tell you now we and many other companies are loking twic eta sponsorships, when we now sponsor athletes have to prove their true worth, have to sign documents and contracts that are worse than getting married.

 

They way it looks its going is; sponsored athletes buy this from us and for each good (wanted to say positive) appearance we refund you. If its a bad one drugs then you pay us back immediately and a percentage for tainting the products.

[10Two]

Well said Raoul / Ivanb ...

 

History is a remarkable thing - it brings everything down to a ONE DIMENSIONAL view.

Druggies will forever be remembered as such - SHAME - it's shallow and painful - but true.....

[The Saint]

Yeah who is Raoul?

[slowjoe]

isnt he 1 of the ninja turtles

[Mudsimus]

isnt he 1 of the ninja turtles

 

No thats Rapheal/Rafeal..the red one....

[TheLegend]

Raoul - that's the spanish soccer player! Why does he comment drugs in cycling?

[Delgado]

Does anyone recall the other famous Raoul??? ..........De Villiers. he was actively involved in SA cycling 20...30 years back??

[The Saint]

Nope but i recall Raoul Julia the guy who acted in The Adams family.

[rock]

Does anyone recall the other famous Raoul??? ..........De Villiers. he was actively involved in SA cycling 20...30 years back??

 

I know a guy called raoul de villiers - has the sweetest Yeti.......

[Wolweseun]

Raoul de Jongh is the Rep for cervelo in Cape Town!

 

 I see you got it in a mail

SL-C2007-07-27 08:43:23

[TitusTi]

I think there is something fundamental missing here, everyone tries to put such ideals and unrealistic expectations onto our "heroes". THey're not larger than life, they're not greater than we are, they're just people performing a function, they happen to be quite good at it but that's besides the point. They are there to earn a living, in your daily life there are continously people pushing the boundaries of legalities and over stepping those boundary lines.

It comes down to human nature, we will sacrifice what we need to along the route to getting what we need/want, you can justify it to yourself however you like but every one of you has done something not quite right and not quite correct during the course of living your life. The only difference is you weren't caught and bust on TV in the most over-policed activity of all. Living in communist Russia the peasants had more freedom than these poor bastards, Rasmussen lied about his whereabouts, alledgedly, why should he have to justify what he does every single day to some other authority, weeks in advance as well? Isn't that invasion of his own personal space? I really do feel sorry for these guys, told to perform but do it legally, if you don't quite make it though we're gonna fire you, no pressure.

[TitusTi]

I know both those Raoul's The Yeti man and the Cervelo man, one is part of team St James and the other is an mtb'er!

[Ivanb]

Yip its raoul de jonhg from Cervelo cape town