If I tell someone I am a cyclist some sort of conversation usually follows about all manner of random things. This is the good part; normally it starts with something about the Tour De France/Olympics, I think this is great because it shows the general British public are becoming more interested in the sport, due to British success. However some sort of question about doping normally follows those about the positive sides of the sport, on occasion there will be no mention of the positives all together. I have just seen this quote on BikePure's Twitter and I think I may have to use this as a response in the future:
'In recent years cycling has had 466 positives. Bad rep deserved- Yes. BUT in the same period Track and field athletes have returned 820.'
Our sport of cycling is doing the most too clean itself up, of course that will temporarily lead to bad press and some big stories but I would rather be part of a sport vying for change than one complacent with its poor ethics any day...
Clean or not (yes im going to use another Armstrong quote, two posts in a row...) Lance summed it up perfectly stood atop of the Tour De France podium for the last time:
'Finally the last thing I'll say to the people who don't believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics. I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that you can't dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race. This is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe it. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it. So Vive le Tour. Forever.'
This is my dream and no one can ruin it.