Some of these comments are absolutely egregious. You've got an Olympian and a world champion having to defend themselves against the reliably uninformed vocal minority on...
Some of these comments are absolutely egregious. You've got an Olympian and a world champion having to defend themselves against the reliably uninformed vocal minority on the internet. These guys are explaining the situation to the best of their abilities, in an honest and straightforward way.
That's a whole lot of words to say "no big deal".
Can't Ritchie and/or his attorney defend himself? Having an industry associated professional do so unsolicited...
That's a whole lot of words to say "no big deal".
Can't Ritchie and/or his attorney defend himself? Having an industry associated professional do so unsolicited on his behalf sounds, well, ridiculous.
I’ve taken the stuff that boys got pinged for and it’s not even that good, a hard dose of caffeine, taurine and beta give you way more of a kick and they are all legal
Yes they are banned and yes he got caught. But he has served his time, which is in proportion to the crime. Stop making out like these guys are bad people who ran intentional, calculated doping programs to rip off other athletes, they made a mistake and will now move forward in their careers much wiser, as will the rest of the field
Let's see how he's doing after 5 races. Several races in 2018 he wasn't even in the top 20, so I don't think him coming out...
Let's see how he's doing after 5 races. Several races in 2018 he wasn't even in the top 20, so I don't think him coming out and not winning his first race means he only won in the past because he was doping. He'll obviously need some time to get back on pace. Sam Hill is doing poorly this year, should we assume he only dominated the last season because he was doping and is now being safe because others got caught? No. People perform different year to year due to other factors than doping.
i do think that before Red Bull he was with a lot more stuff, that overtake on Damien Otton (who was2 in that stage) that he...
i do think that before Red Bull he was with a lot more stuff, that overtake on Damien Otton (who was2 in that stage) that he passed like otton was stopped isn't normal, and it was the last season where he dominated.
we have seen more than one guy dominate, like Maes, but not that much of a margin
and Sam Hill was ill in the first 2 rounds, so if doing top 15 in all the races and sitting top 6 is doing poorly...
@tmano2 that's a pretty loaded and dangerous accusation to be throwing around about a professional athlete simply based on your feels and not one shred of...
@tmano2 that's a pretty loaded and dangerous accusation to be throwing around about a professional athlete simply based on your feels and not one shred of factual evidence. There an interview with Jerome Clementz and a few others in VeloVert this past winter that posed the question of Richie passing Oton as you mentioned and not one racer thought it was a big deal... For one, no PED work that way. You don't get superhuman powers and at best it is small marginal gains. Even Jerome blew it off as Richie seeing his closest competitor in front of him and that giving hm some extra motivation to dig deep. Anyone with a top level race background will certainly agree to to or understand this.
As for the rest of the trash talk, accusations, and general level of misinformation being paraded around here and multiple other website please take your time and read this statement from Jared Graves that was written by him earlier today on another site in response to similar rumor being touted out there as fact.
Jared Graves "Ok,I'll try and clear a few things up, NO BS, just facts, hope it can help.
The supplemnet in question in this case is BPM labs "the one" which if you want to look it up. Now states Higenamine in the ingredients list, but in older versions, and in the tub in this case was listed as Nandina Domestica (fruit extract) and the oxilofrine component is still labelled as Synephrine HCL. Things get tricky when you type these ingredients into the WADA search and not a single result comes up, which tells you everything is OK. So we had to dive a bit deeper into finding out how these things got in our systems, and when we did, we found of that many ingredients have many different variations, and names, which is what has caught us out.
We also found out since learning the hard way, just how prevalent these ingredients are in off the shelf pre workout drinks, which is a bit scary when you first hand find out the consequences, and how unregulated products with these ingredients are. Even a teenager could walk in to a supplement store and buy this, no questions asked. I've also since learned that 1 in 5 off the shelf pre workout drinks (in Australia at least) have something banned in them.
Everything i've mentioned above had to be proven beyond doubt to the AFLD (french anti doping) theres no corruption, or loopholes, or lawyers spin put on it. Just facts and real consequences.
So i'll put my hand up all day long and say im guilty of negligence. MY mindset was that I'v never sought anything performance enhancing, and Ive never had an issues with the Dozens and Dozens of in and out of competition doping tests ive had, so all will be good. I git a bit too relaxed with the whole process, I never thought there was any chance I could ever be in this situation, yet here we are. A moment of Negligence yes, premeditated cheaters, hell NO!!!!
Maybe ask yourself, would you ever think you need to do extensive study and research, on every ingredient of every thing you ever put in your body?
Combine that with what I said above, and hopefully you get a clearer picture of how this very unfortunate situation has come to be.
Possibly the main reason i'm writing this is the amount of uneducated and downright false comments here. Some of you really should be a bit more careful with your wild assumptions and accusations. There are real people on the other side of this. Its obvious that many just want to be hateful and drag people down, and that's pretty sad. When road cycling and in Particular Lance Armstrongs name gets thrown in the ring, WOW, are you serious??? Consider the things iv'e mentioned, and maybe think again.
People all seem to think theres some kind of Magic pill out there, that will take them from weekend warrior to world class level podium guy. Nobody stops to think that maybe the 25+ hours a week spent training, in the gym, on the bike, not going out with your friends, 5am starts, the constant crahses, injuries and sacrifices, has a bit more to do with it. The work that goes in is simply incomprehendable to most, and it's what makes the difference. Everyone who trains and competes at that level understands that, Which I would say is the main reason no other pros have spoken up about this.
Mistakes were made, and we're both paying the biggest price for that. It's added more stress to my life, on an already extremely stressful time. So maybe take the time to consider both sides of the equation before spreading some uneducated hate, and misinformation."
... Hopefully that clears the air a bit and will help people be a bit more informed before they start pounding the keyboard and accusing various riders of being lifelong cheaters and what have you.
i know what you are talking about getting that boost of caughting guys in front , i've done that and yes, it motivates you, but i don't think that's at that level.
And that for me is just is stand out performance that is easier to talk about, he was Dominant those 2 series, and then signs with Redbull that is a company who doesn't want PR disaster with Dopping and his results all of a sudden fall massively. Even at the time this was my opinion, and i read and spoke with people with the same, with what happened last year i feel even more that it is true, and it's not like i Hate those guy because JG was always my favorite rider from the start.
Don't know why you would be so invested in defending him everywhere, even in your social media, Since you blocked me on Pink-bike because you were saying stupid shit and didn't accept when i said that you should be Imparcial as a reporter you lost all your credibility
Deleted previous post. Graves basically posted on "another" media site that in fact it was his water bottle that he gave to Richie. He didn't overtly say it, but he did say "I took banned substances and here is how it happened".
I'm back to being sympathetic to the situation. I could see this actually happening, despite how much my bullshitometer went off when I first read it.
I do think Graves and Richie should have jointly released something, that would have made this a lot more believable.
In the end, I really appreciate Graves' willingness to say "my bad" and explain how complex the WADA doping rulebook really is in this supplement laden world of elite athletics.
While I'm ultimately luke warm on Richie's post, I'm very much a fan of Graves post. Way to own it. Way to explain it. Way to not hide from it.
I've always liked Graves attitude, ability to excel at a number of disciplines, work ethic...and now, his character. Rad on ya Graves.
Why carry the camera, deal with it on race day. It takes away from race focus. They use their gopros to help memorize trail. This year less practice is allowed than ever before. CDC and NAEC are legit races and top pros have done race stage gopro footage. Some do cut course, cheaters will cheat, ain't never gonna change. Tape and rules are to keep the honest honest.
Jeff said above that Graves said he gave Richie the bottle.
I have not found anywhere where Graves said/wrote explicitly that he gave his water bottle to Rude. And regarding the contents of the water bottle, Graves claims he did not know there were any banned substances.
When young Richie started to look like Mark McGwire from his home run years I new there was a problem.
So you mean his whole adult life? Pretty much starting around the age of 12 and having the nickname manchild before he was old enough to drive? That long, huh? Or are you just making up a judgment and accusing him of taking steroids and growth hormones to fit your "opinion"
So you mean his whole adult life? Pretty much starting around the age of 12 and having the nickname manchild before he was old enough to...
So you mean his whole adult life? Pretty much starting around the age of 12 and having the nickname manchild before he was old enough to drive? That long, huh? Or are you just making up a judgment and accusing him of taking steroids and growth hormones to fit your "opinion"
Couldn’t agree more with this, people think that a 95kg male squatting 150kg and deadlifting 200kg is a sign of systemic steroid use as a child. Those are power to weight ratios similar to that of the pro woman’s field. Zero sign of any “real” drugs being used so zero need for any “big” consequences
You wonder what kind of response he will get from his peers.
from those print screens it doesn't fell like it will be a good one, and this if from the ones who didn't like the joke he made on top of this issue, there will be countless others that didn't publicly speak.
i feel that the one he is good friend's with will be fine, but the rest not so much
Just circling back. Reread Graves' post on Pinkbike (in the comments). He 100% takes responsibility for taking a banned substance, though he does so under the veil of "I didn't know". I believe what he's saying, not sure it makes it right, but I believe him.
I posted above that Graves is circumstantially admitting its his water bottle. He's saying "I used these substances", Richie and Graves are buddies, etc etc. What are the odds someone else was using the same esoteric substance and handed a bottle to Richie? (if you believe the whole bottle thing)
End of the day, I still think this is being handled poorly, though again I do like Graves accountability in the matter. Richie, Graves and the EWS should have jointly issued a statement telling the full story. Until we have that, it leaves a lot of question marks around Richie.
Richie just wants to ride his bike and go fast, I get it, he's a hell of a rider but in my eyes this really tarnishes his image...whatever that is. The follow up instagram "jokes" are in incredibly poor taste, too. Its like he's downplaying something that really does matter.
I'm honestly shocked at the number of positive comments from the industry and his peers. I'd be pissed if I was racing against him and this is all that happened with this sort of statement/outcome. I also wouldn't be secret about it. I'd either want further sanctions or more confidence in the story.
Something just seems off here...but whatever. Let the racers race I guess...lets just hope the EWS has their anti doping policy & testing together this go...
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test.. Considering the fact that they gave him a reduced sentence, we can call BS all we want, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time... If he gets popped again, I'm thinking his sentence won't be so light and he will have a harder time getting anyone to believe any story..
I'm curious how this would have played out if it was a top French rider....
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test...
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test.. Considering the fact that they gave him a reduced sentence, we can call BS all we want, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time... If he gets popped again, I'm thinking his sentence won't be so light and he will have a harder time getting anyone to believe any story..
I'm curious how this would have played out if it was a top French rider....
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test...
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test.. Considering the fact that they gave him a reduced sentence, we can call BS all we want, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time... If he gets popped again, I'm thinking his sentence won't be so light and he will have a harder time getting anyone to believe any story..
I'm curious how this would have played out if it was a top French rider....
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test...
I'm willing to give him 1 free pass, and IMO, Richie just used it.. Given his DH history, I'm sure this isn't his first piss test.. Considering the fact that they gave him a reduced sentence, we can call BS all we want, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time... If he gets popped again, I'm thinking his sentence won't be so light and he will have a harder time getting anyone to believe any story..
I'm curious how this would have played out if it was a top French rider....
Turning this into a nationalism debate is a great way to distract from the confirmed PED use and resultant sanction, though.
i don't think it's about nationality, being from the US it's probably better for that, but some rider from a big team, with a good public image.
if it would have been someone like Florian Nicolai that is probably one of the best riders there, or Kelan Grant, i think there carrear would be pretty much over
i don't think it's about nationality, being from the US it's probably better for that, but some rider from a big team, with a good public...
i don't think it's about nationality, being from the US it's probably better for that, but some rider from a big team, with a good public image.
if it would have been someone like Florian Nicolai that is probably one of the best riders there, or Kelan Grant, i think there carrear would be pretty much over
Oh! Got it. I thought you were saying the French would get a pass. I'm in agreement with you then.
The big sponsors behind these two at the very least allow them to spend money to mount a defense.
i don't think it's about nationality, being from the US it's probably better for that, but some rider from a big team, with a good public...
i don't think it's about nationality, being from the US it's probably better for that, but some rider from a big team, with a good public image.
if it would have been someone like Florian Nicolai that is probably one of the best riders there, or Kelan Grant, i think there carrear would be pretty much over
Umm, you guys think RR got of easy because he is a big name on a big team and is from the US?
How big a name does he have? Well I asked my co-workers if they knew who Richie Rude is, to which I got silence. I asked if they know who Jared Graves is, and one person said the name sounded familiar, but couldn't think of where she had heard it from. Then I asked if anyone knew who Lance Armstrong is, and the room erupted in, "Oh yeah, I know who he is."
If the authorities that be had no problem stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France titles, and fining him over a million dollars, do you really think that they would be so scared of Richie Rude that they would lessen his sentence because of his star status? He has no real star status! As far as the AFLD is concerned, he is just a nobody from America in an infant, nobody sport! They have no reason to give any ruling that is contrary to whatever evidence they found.
I love mountain biking, and I love racing, and I want clean racing. But I also know that the EWS is a minnow sized series in an ocean full of sharks. And what happened to Armstrong, once the truth was discovered, is proof that sports can survive even when they cut down a super star. The AFLD gave their ruling based on the facts that they found, and issued what they believe to be a punishment that fits the crime. And since they are far more trained and experienced in these kind of cases than any of us, perhaps we should trust their judgement.
Sorry to rant, but after more than 11 years of inescapable political conspiracy theory B.S. I am quite pissed off to read illogical conspiracy theory B.S. on my favorite website! I hope that many of you will read my words and challenge the words coming from the guy in your mirror with as much or even more vigor than you want to challenge those of RR, JG, or me.
Umm, you guys think RR got of easy because he is a big name on a big team and is from the US?
How big a...
Umm, you guys think RR got of easy because he is a big name on a big team and is from the US?
How big a name does he have? Well I asked my co-workers if they knew who Richie Rude is, to which I got silence. I asked if they know who Jared Graves is, and one person said the name sounded familiar, but couldn't think of where she had heard it from. Then I asked if anyone knew who Lance Armstrong is, and the room erupted in, "Oh yeah, I know who he is."
If the authorities that be had no problem stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France titles, and fining him over a million dollars, do you really think that they would be so scared of Richie Rude that they would lessen his sentence because of his star status? He has no real star status! As far as the AFLD is concerned, he is just a nobody from America in an infant, nobody sport! They have no reason to give any ruling that is contrary to whatever evidence they found.
I love mountain biking, and I love racing, and I want clean racing. But I also know that the EWS is a minnow sized series in an ocean full of sharks. And what happened to Armstrong, once the truth was discovered, is proof that sports can survive even when they cut down a super star. The AFLD gave their ruling based on the facts that they found, and issued what they believe to be a punishment that fits the crime. And since they are far more trained and experienced in these kind of cases than any of us, perhaps we should trust their judgement.
Sorry to rant, but after more than 11 years of inescapable political conspiracy theory B.S. I am quite pissed off to read illogical conspiracy theory B.S. on my favorite website! I hope that many of you will read my words and challenge the words coming from the guy in your mirror with as much or even more vigor than you want to challenge those of RR, JG, or me.
Actually, I don't have a problem with the sentence Richie got... I'm more curious if a French rider would have got the same sentence or if at least it would have been handled quickly...
Yeti doesn't have that much money... They aren't that big..
Now, if you want to talk cover ups, Lance Armstrong is a perfect example.. And it started at the top with the UCI.. They hadn't had much of a foothold in the US since Greg Lemond at that point and Lance was bringing in a bunch of money.. USPS, Discovery Channel... They didn't want to lose that... So, from the top down, there were people who wanted to cover up a Armstrong positive test...
Nobody inside any sport wants see it’s proven champions go down. They want to create Joe Namaths and Magic Johnsons and Babe Ruths who are going to last for centuries. Lance was a shot at that for cycling. Rude and Graves were working on being quite marketable and I am sure they want to get back to that ASAP.
I think the RR stardom was meant inside the EWS circles, as in if a 50 and below placed rider was found dirty, he would have been banned from the sport for longer or something along those lines.
I’ve taken the stuff that boys got pinged for and it’s not even that good, a hard dose of caffeine, taurine and beta give you way more of a kick and they are all legal
Yes they are banned and yes he got caught. But he has served his time, which is in proportion to the crime. Stop making out like these guys are bad people who ran intentional, calculated doping programs to rip off other athletes, they made a mistake and will now move forward in their careers much wiser, as will the rest of the field
And that for me is just is stand out performance that is easier to talk about, he was Dominant those 2 series, and then signs with Redbull that is a company who doesn't want PR disaster with Dopping and his results all of a sudden fall massively. Even at the time this was my opinion, and i read and spoke with people with the same, with what happened last year i feel even more that it is true, and it's not like i Hate those guy because JG was always my favorite rider from the start.
Don't know why you would be so invested in defending him everywhere, even in your social media, Since you blocked me on Pink-bike because you were saying stupid shit and didn't accept when i said that you should be Imparcial as a reporter you lost all your credibility
I'm back to being sympathetic to the situation. I could see this actually happening, despite how much my bullshitometer went off when I first read it.
I do think Graves and Richie should have jointly released something, that would have made this a lot more believable.
In the end, I really appreciate Graves' willingness to say "my bad" and explain how complex the WADA doping rulebook really is in this supplement laden world of elite athletics.
While I'm ultimately luke warm on Richie's post, I'm very much a fan of Graves post. Way to own it. Way to explain it. Way to not hide from it.
I've always liked Graves attitude, ability to excel at a number of disciplines, work ethic...and now, his character. Rad on ya Graves.
i feel that the one he is good friend's with will be fine, but the rest not so much
I posted above that Graves is circumstantially admitting its his water bottle. He's saying "I used these substances", Richie and Graves are buddies, etc etc. What are the odds someone else was using the same esoteric substance and handed a bottle to Richie? (if you believe the whole bottle thing)
End of the day, I still think this is being handled poorly, though again I do like Graves accountability in the matter. Richie, Graves and the EWS should have jointly issued a statement telling the full story. Until we have that, it leaves a lot of question marks around Richie.
Richie just wants to ride his bike and go fast, I get it, he's a hell of a rider but in my eyes this really tarnishes his image...whatever that is. The follow up instagram "jokes" are in incredibly poor taste, too. Its like he's downplaying something that really does matter.
I'm honestly shocked at the number of positive comments from the industry and his peers. I'd be pissed if I was racing against him and this is all that happened with this sort of statement/outcome. I also wouldn't be secret about it. I'd either want further sanctions or more confidence in the story.
Something just seems off here...but whatever. Let the racers race I guess...lets just hope the EWS has their anti doping policy & testing together this go...
I'm curious how this would have played out if it was a top French rider....
Turning this into a nationalism debate is a great way to distract from the confirmed PED use and resultant sanction, though.
if it would have been someone like Florian Nicolai that is probably one of the best riders there, or Kelan Grant, i think there carrear would be pretty much over
The big sponsors behind these two at the very least allow them to spend money to mount a defense.
How big a name does he have? Well I asked my co-workers if they knew who Richie Rude is, to which I got silence. I asked if they know who Jared Graves is, and one person said the name sounded familiar, but couldn't think of where she had heard it from. Then I asked if anyone knew who Lance Armstrong is, and the room erupted in, "Oh yeah, I know who he is."
If the authorities that be had no problem stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France titles, and fining him over a million dollars, do you really think that they would be so scared of Richie Rude that they would lessen his sentence because of his star status? He has no real star status! As far as the AFLD is concerned, he is just a nobody from America in an infant, nobody sport! They have no reason to give any ruling that is contrary to whatever evidence they found.
I love mountain biking, and I love racing, and I want clean racing. But I also know that the EWS is a minnow sized series in an ocean full of sharks. And what happened to Armstrong, once the truth was discovered, is proof that sports can survive even when they cut down a super star. The AFLD gave their ruling based on the facts that they found, and issued what they believe to be a punishment that fits the crime. And since they are far more trained and experienced in these kind of cases than any of us, perhaps we should trust their judgement.
Sorry to rant, but after more than 11 years of inescapable political conspiracy theory B.S. I am quite pissed off to read illogical conspiracy theory B.S. on my favorite website! I hope that many of you will read my words and challenge the words coming from the guy in your mirror with as much or even more vigor than you want to challenge those of RR, JG, or me.
Yeti doesn't have that much money... They aren't that big..
Now, if you want to talk cover ups, Lance Armstrong is a perfect example.. And it started at the top with the UCI.. They hadn't had much of a foothold in the US since Greg Lemond at that point and Lance was bringing in a bunch of money.. USPS, Discovery Channel... They didn't want to lose that... So, from the top down, there were people who wanted to cover up a Armstrong positive test...
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