David Millar promises to “change your opinion” and reveal “what goes on in pro cycling world”, after critics slam sports festival for “platforming a former doper”

You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself anyway. Don't want to spoil your fun, but have you heard the saying "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone"?

Mike Murray wrote:

But how can he be an advocate for clean sport, HAVING BEEN a doper? Where is the credibility in that. There is another British rider who can, was of the same era and was successful as a clean rider. His name is Chris Boardman. I have plenty of time for what he has to say.

Having participated in workshops with kids at risk of joining gangs etc and ex-offenders, I can tell you for sure that nobody has more credibility than a former offender who's seen the error of his ways and wants to use their experience to stop others making the same mistakes. Nobody. As for Chris B, yes a wonderful man and great clean rider, he doesn't seem to have any problem working for the same ITV team as Millar. Perhaps he is prepared to believe in redemption and forgiveness rather than sanctimonious "no second chances" nonsense?

A second chance yes of course, within the sport, no
Doing the work outside of the sport to teach others to avoid heading the wrong way in life is admiral. However still being a part of the sport leaves a bitter taste, in the same way that Riis and Vino were DS after they were found out. Where is the morality in known cheats having any part of a sport where riders that supersede them will always have suspicions about how clean they are when they win a race or more..
How would you feel had your offspring missed out on a podium, a medal, even a win at the hands of someone who didn't play by the rules? The moment of pure joy as people celebrate a race winner has gone, the prizes, the chance to get a better contract at the end of the year, etc, even if the cheats are stripped of their titles as a result of subsequent investigations.

And how would you feel if you were a talented, successful rider and suddenly found yourself struggling to keep up in races you should have been shining in? If you had the choice between doing what much of the rest of the peloton are doing and having the career you feel you deserve, or packing it all in, what would you do--bearing in mind you that you might have a family to provide for?

Mike Murray wrote:

There is another British rider who can, was of the same era and was successful as a clean rider. His name is Chris Boardman. I have plenty of time for what he has to say.

Chris Boardman rode in an era when the peloton was absolutely full to the gills with doping. Doping with hormones was the norm, EPO, testosterone and corticosteroids (the latter de rigueur on French teams). Chris Boardman rode fro a French team. Chris Boardman had to retire from cycling because he had osteoporosis. He also had very low testosterone and he says he had to start taking T after cycling.

Osteoporosis is _rare_ in men, and *super* rare in healthy young men. However, it has been documented to occur as a side effect of... prolonged corticosteriod use, generally still only in middle-aged men or older. Prolonged use of exogenous testosterone is also known to suppress natural production of testosterone.

Chris Boardman is "clean"...

Paul J wrote:

Osteoporosis is _rare_ in men, and *super* rare in healthy young men.

A few facts you might like to take on board before accusing people of doping:

1. Osteoporosis is not rare in men, around 7% of men develop it during their lifetimes and 25% of men will develop osteopenia, the precursor of osteoporosis;

2. Excessive levels of exercise in elite sports people is recognised as a cause of hormonal deficiency which in turn leads to osteoporosis;

3. Boardman has a family history of osteoporosis, including his late mother who suffered from it, and there is a strong genetic component to the development of the condition.

If you're going to make accusations you should do so explicitly and unequivocally. What you wrote makes you look cowardly and weak. It's nasty.

Osteopenia rather common in men and cyclists get it due to not doing weight bearing exercise and eating to stay light

Poor you. What a miserable world you inhabit

Boardman was first and foremost a time trialling track rider. Not a great bunch rider. Pro peleton was a side show for him. He only went pro road quite late in career, already been successful, mature, was already married with children, never moved to France but went home to his family base on Merseyside. Nothing comparable with almost the entire peleton of that era of young men with not much else going for them and at whim of team managers and DS who were themselves doers in axeorld of omerta

I remember him having problems at the start of his pro career because he was so scared of riding in a bug bunch, especially on fast descents.

There's nothing 'cool' in suffering......and is an awful term to use.

'Cool' was your word, but an awful lot of the cycling world would disagree with you if you are saying that suffering is only bad.

And ... Boardman, clean ... Wiggins, clean ... Shaun with the rattling pockets ... clean ...Delgado, clean .... everybody took something ... sometime ..... deal with it ..... 

Everybody took something? Nicole Cooke didn't.

Sean Kelly, assuming you mean him by the rattling pockets, /did/ fail tests in his career.

Whoosh

I'm a bit conflicted, on one hand I want to say, he's paid the price and move on, but has he drugs will have elevated his body to a higher level and the half life of muscles is massive, even after the ban he might have still been benefiting from being at that higher level pre ban

I presume they also switch off when Linford Christie raises his head.
Actually, I still have some issues with Paula Radcliffe over those comments she made in defense of Mo Farah.
At least David Millar came clean about what he'd done.

I know people that vilify Millar for doping but were happy to cheer on that wheelsucking doper Valverde.  Go figure.

And there are others as well.......Cycling has a strange bunch of 'fans'......

I completely agree, it's the SUV that is unforgivable.