Armstrong teammate says he wished he had doped when he had the chance

I remember watching a programme sometime ago about a frauster who'd done time for some bluechip fraud, and the money had never been recovered - his simple question was along the lines of how much time in prison you'd consider in exchange for several million pounds in the bank.
And I guess the same is true of the drug cheats... If you win enough and then get caught, it doesn't really matter to them, as they've got enough to live comfortably thereafter. Get the winnings, bank it into property or simliar, keep fingers crossed that the drug testers aren't at next race... Simples.

Good to see 'integrity' is for sale.

The best part of this whole story was when I looked into it and found this

Quote:

Despite being acquitted, it was too late to save Joachim's contract with US Postal, as they immediately fired him based on their "zero-tolerance" drug policy. The Luxembourg champion is hopeful of finding another contract, and is talking with US Postal.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/2000/nov00/nov25news.shtml

Joachim's real problem was one of ineptitude. The only reason he raced clean was because having been caught once (and aquitted on a technicality) he was subsequently a marked man.
I mean, how incompetent at doping do you have to be to be sacked by USPS because of their avowed "zero tolerance" policy?

I agree with him.
He is right about LA's wins as well. He did win. You can't say he didn't.
How he did it is another matter. I think the records shouls show his name but annoted accordingly. That also emphasies the issues for those who want to.

Hats off for not doping, but what's his point. Woe poor me time. You had a career as a professional sportsman and did ok, if you wanted to win more you should have trained harder and put yourself in that position. Why look back with regret. Joachim your a tool. Now can we focus on the positive look forward to what looks like a fantastic season coming up. Alp d'huez twice bring on 2013.

He needs a thump to the head and told to wise up. These kind of attention seeking news stories should not be published.

Let me guess, he's got a sob story "because I didn't dope" book coming out?

I take issue with one aspect - he can't really comment on the health impact can he? Surely nobody has actually studied the potential health implications of a doping programme much like that employed by USPS... have they?

Lets be clear - he's being honest now, but he wasn't riding clean out of honesty, just out of fear of getting caught. I also admire his honesty now (with it being so popular for people to wring their hands and talk about how principled they are) and in his shoes I would probably feel the same. Like he says, it's easy to see the world in black and white, but it's just not that simple most of the time!

He's not just honest - he right too.

Being honest and saying no to drugs has cost these honest people a lot of money, prestige and recognition never mind their careers.

Add to that, so called whistleblowers getting let off with a 6 month winter ban and there is no reason to ever consider saying no to drugs if your not a major rider.

I dont disagree with the principle that we wouldnt get whistleblowers without doing a deal, but these honest guys have really been the hardest done by in all of this, even the guilty get off better including LA.

Maybe these are the guys the teams need to offer jobs to to promote cleaner riding for the future.

thanks monty dog - good knowledge!

I bet there are a lot of people in the banking sector who are thinking the same thing: why did I let my fears hold me back from the kind of dodgy trading that would have allowed me to convert my millionaire status to that of billionaire, now that it turns out there has been little-to-no ramification for those who did. And in other industries too (professional sport is just another industry after all.)

Red Astana jersey is probably Luxembourg National Champions jersey - it'll be white and pale blue below.

what's that red astana jersey? looks surprisingly good - don't remember Lance ever wearing it.

I can see his point.

There could have been a clean rider in the peloton who would have won races if everyone was clean. No-one knows his name and he missed out on a small fortune.

Compare that to Tyler Hamilton who still has a list of wins to his name, still has the prize money, still has the wages and now has the book sales.

Truth and reconciliation might help the next generation but it still leaves the previous generation of clean riders cheated by the dopers.

Makes me wonder how much he thinks hes going to get payed by LA for being nice.

A sad example of the win at any cost mentality that feels like it has destroyed a decade of professional cycling. A candidate for next UCI president perhaps?