British Olympic Association 'resigned' to losing lifetime ban case; decision due next week

Paolo - surely BOA's stance should be applauded rather than vilified?

The bigger mystery to me, is why CAS, WADA and all the world's sporting bodies (including the UCI)don't have the same bylaw as BOA?

Let's be honest for a moment, doping would be pretty easy to eradicate if the political will to do it was genuine. A lifetime ban for cheats, coupled with financial disincentives for BOTH the athlete and their team (all personal winnings and sponsorship recouped from the athlete and a eye-wateringly high fine for the team along with a crippling loss of points, and add in possible prison sentences that could be applied to the doctors and pharmacists in the chain to-boot). Doping would be gone overnight. It's only worth it when the rewards outweigh the risks - change that and it's the end of the story.

Alternatively, take to court one of the only national bodies with a genuine disincentive for doping, and force them to adopt the same position as everyone else: roll up for the games no matter what you've done in the past, dopers are welcome. How much do you think these people really want to stop doping? It's pure lip-service. Actions speak louder than words...

Thank goodness for that... not sure if the BOA was being niave or pig headed?
but can't understand why they think there own athletes should be at a disadvantage when the rest of the world doesn't agree

He was caught in possession of an old syringe months after he had decided of his own accord to stop doping. He was not caught in possession of EPO, but I take your point.

However, I'm not aware of him remaining silent on the doping culture - the opposite seems to be true? Also, I'm not aware of him being critical of whistle-blowers - can you elaborate?

You say that anyone else in his position would do the same, but its funny then that no-one else is? Most of them just come back then carry on racing.

Also, this isn't just cycling. Everyone knows the rumours about the non-cyclists named in Operation Puerto, but only cycling is bothering with things like blood metrics monitoring, and Garmin-Barracuda (and it's part-owner DM) are on the pro-active side of that.

Lets get it straight. Millar did not confess. He was caught in possession, hook line and sinker. He initially remained silent, then made admissions as mitigation, probably after realising there was no way out. He has remained silent in relation to the culture of doping in the pro-peleton, and been openly critical of whistle blowers.

And whilst he has become an anti-doping spokesperson, he will not go as far as endorsing lifetime bans for riders because he would fall foul of this, both as a rider and part owner of his team. Lifetime bans are needed, both as a safeguard to keep the dishonest out of sport, but also as a message that doping will not receive a milimetre of tolerance. You do it -you're out. Coming back after two years spent training hard is hardly a punishment at all, and certainly not a sufficiently effective deterrent. Tolerance in any way gives the wrong message, and is not what you get in other professions for the most serious types of dishonesty. Insider trading, as an example, will almost certainly result in a lifetime sanction and possibly even a prison sentence. If cyclists want to be taken seriously (c.f. Millar's whinging about being under pressure in his book) they should expect serious sanctions when they cheat.

His position, whilst apparently admirable, is entirely self-serving. Being a continual 'mea culpa' apologist has allowed him to return to the sport and gain a lot of media attention, essentially re-establishing him in a financially even stronger and more marketable position than he was before.

Of course, this is what anyone else in his position would do, and I don't blame him for it. But the fact of the matter remains that he cheated, the effects of this remain, and the idea that he might be selected over other riders who have not flys in the face of what Olympic competition is about.

The problem here is with the rules, but lets not make him out to be some sort of angel. Maintaining the position he does very well suits his career, both in terms of increasing the size of his public image, and allowing him to continue as a rider and in a management role which he should be banned from permenantly.

Whatever the rule it should be equitably and universally applied and consistently policed. If CAS want lifetime bans for doping then they should work to get such action applied to all athletes regardless of sport or nationality. They have the moral high, but sadly there is really no point in being a evangelist in a desert.

What would be hypocritical of him is if he continued to dope while maintaining his present anti-doping stance. Is your problem that you suspect he's still at it? (Not having a go at you if you do, everyone's entitled to their opinion)

I don't see how f***ing up, taking your punishment, apologising for it then trying to make amends can be identified as hypocritical.

He's basically a hypocrite because last year and the year befor that, he came out and publically vilified doping, all 'holier than thou', brought his book out and 'ooh look at me I have changed' hang on Mr Millar, you cheated because you thought you could beat the system.

Being a pro rider should be seen as an honour and a privelige, especially when riding for your country in the olympics. There's so many more up and coming pro riders in the UK that will work hard in order to achieve their dreams WITHOUT doping.

He may be a 'different person' but that doesn't change the fact that he was arrogant enough to try and cheat the system in the first place. That's why imo his original fine and ban wasn't hard enough. And that's why he's a hypocrite.

I don't think he's a hypocrite, he's acknowledged the bad decisions and cheating in the past, and I believe him when he says he's a different person now. That UK Sport elected him to the WADA Athletes Committee (on behalf of all UK Sport, not just cycling) says a lot about his anti-doping work, as does the fact that he is part-owner of a notably 'clean' team, backed up by pro-active blood monitoring (think they were the first team to do this).

Dave the Brave indeed, good luck fella.

This rider is a hypocrite and should have been banned for life when he was caught CHEATING. Badly handled case.

let him ride, hes good! and clearly clean. if it happens a second time then its a no go, but how much of these dopers is rider choice or team pressure