PARA ATHLETES

Towards the end of August the Paralympic Games of 2012 will start in London . Para Athletes from all parts of the world will be there celebrating their success at being nominated to participate for their country . For these people their success has come at a price . A price the " armchair critic " is neither aware of , nor doubtlessly would be prepared to pay !

 Aussie athletes at the 2012 Olympics have taken more than a fair share of " knocking " from these windbags , that doubtlessly never were any good when they played at being athletes . So many of the Aussie contingent would not be there , had they not raided their savings and begged and borrowed from family and friends . Can you imagine any reason , why , when they have put their life on hold for multiple years , for the honour of representing their country , that they would fail to deliver of their best ? Athletes go into competition knowing that they have to give of their best . Every person has good and bad days and so it is also with Sport .

Australia has fielded well prepared teams in the past and enjoyed great success . Other countries envying this success , have chosen to attract Aussie Coaching staff to work for their athletes . Team GB has dramatically improved in recent years in Swimming and Cycling . Part of the reason is that their coaching staff contains Australian Coaches who made certain their charges succeeded in competition . Currently the French are having a swipe at Team GB 's success and when things calm down they will seek out and employ some of the current Aussie coaches to help them as they prepare for Rio 2016 !

One Gold Medal was all that Australia had won for too long and then several more arrived on the same day but not from sports which Oz was previously dominant . Having met many of the Cyclists and Rowers and seen their training facilities i am confident that they gave of their best . Losing more coaches to other countries is almost inevitable unless the Oz Government decides to pay the market rate rather than relying on " Loyalty to Country "! Athletes after they finish competition generally will have piled up debts and will thus have to look hard at their options . So many of them will have a family to support and no doubt a mortgage to deal with so they will be forced to make the hard decisions needed to live at a reasonable level of comfort for themselves and their family .

Sunday will be the closing ceremonies and by then there will be a Gold Tally which will have fallen short of  the " Expectations "! Most People do not understand that the " Olympics " are about competing , the Athletes are there to compete , Medals are the " Icing on the Cake " ! Unfairly , we all , are nationalistic and want our countries to shine on the World Stage . Had Cathy Freeman not won Gold at Sydney 2000 Olympics for any of many reasons , the media would have hounded her , blaming her for failing them ! It could have been an " Off Day " or an injury , an American ran last night in a relay with a " Broken Leg ", but the media and " armchair critics " could care less . Had Usain Bolt broken down on the 200m and failed to win , the same would be said of him , no doubt .

Athletes aspire to be the " BEST THAT THEY CAN BE " but do not participate , ONLY if guaranteed a medal .

In a few days PARALYMPIAN ATHLETES will start arriving in London for the 2012 Para Games , i hope they enjoy the experience and continue to perform as they did in training in their home countries . I would hope that they do not suffer the same difficulties that some of the Olympians suffered . Simon Whitfield as an example , came to London knowing that he may not medal . For him carrying the Canadian Flag was the highlight of his Games , since he crashed badly at the start of the Cycling section of the Triathlon . Some other Athletes suffered injury also , Manteo Mitchell of the USA 400m relay team , felt his leg go as he ran his section of the heat but continued through the pain to complete and thus ensure the team went onto the finals !

Paralympians are not as " High Profile " as their counterparts but invest just as much , if not more , in their training . There is a difference though , since , rarely they have sponsors , to cover their expenses  , so it is their family and friends that have allowed them to represent their countries !

ARMCHAIR CRITICS , beware ,  these people come in the expectation of enjoying competition NOT TO WIN the medals ! Your " yardstick " is redundant !

Australia and GB have fought for many years to be the Top Nation on the medals chart . This time , forget it , the Athletes will be there for themselves and if Medals come , so be it !

TO ALL PARALYMPIANS ! Enjoy yourselves and bring pride to your country by being the " BEST OF SPORTS " , never mind the results !

ACTION NOW

As previously mentioned , only you the readers and PUBLIC SPECTATORS can cause the changes in sport that are required to " Cleanout the Skeletons " ! In recent years we have seen many " Athletes " Fess up to their misdeeds , after the Statute of Limitations , has passed . Fact is trying to remove the records of Bjarne Riis from literature related to the " Le Tour " would be a waste of time since the second place went to Jan Ulrich , who paid out a considerable sum of money to make " His " problem with Government Authorities " Go Away "!

There would be no point me listing the Former Racing Cyclists that i come across that continue to influence this Generation of Racers . Having succeeded in avoiding " OOC " controls in their careers they are now able to pass their knowledge to ALL those wishing to go down the same path ! Sitting at home in front of the TV the general public are rarely aware of the behind scenes " deals " let alone the " shortcuts " that so many use in virtually ALL SPORT !

Drug companies are quite content to let Athletes experiment with their products and Designers are continually looking for new products to streamline and lighten their equipment . Of course this provides work for those leaving the field of competition . Media also is stacked with former Athletes that utilize their experience to assist the new generations coming into sport or moving into the more elite ranks .

Cycling particularly has had it's troubles from long before 1998's " Le Tour , Festina Event " . Seems to me that only those who choose to not join the ranks of " Omerta " are suddenly in the news . So many caught out by " OOC and Random Testing " say they acted alone . They share a room on the current event , scrutinised by the Team doctor and Dietitian , have their baggage moved from place to place , and yet they were able to " USE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES " in the few unguarded moments ? Who is kidding WHO  ? Harry Potter and his ilk are fairy stories that we all enjoy BUT we are talking real life here ! So many unexplained Heart attacks since i noticed Jiminez fall off the perch , guy who asked for MY autograph on the Barcelona Rest Day of Vuelta 2001 ! Sad to say that recently , another racer , was discovered by his distressed room mate .

" UCI " are in the position of saying they are the " Supreme Authority " on Cycling Sport , yet they seem to be ineffectual in just about all other than sticking their nose into Bike design ! For them , not having your seat and Tri bars in the right position seems to get an instant result , you don't compete ! What the Athlete puts in their body is controlled by " WADA " and testing before the Grand Tours and Random Testing in Events to those limits does find the occasional errant that " Forgot to drink enough Water " ! Can you believe an Athlete uses that to excuse their being caught for " DOPING "?

HERE IS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION !

Each team contracts with their employees for varying periods of time and if i had my way , it would be " Multiple Years " rather than annual as some Athletes have to suffer . Signing for a year is certainly a relief for a time , but then , you have to perform and continually be on the lookout for next year's contract ! So for me a simple solution for athletes in the " Continental divisions and more senior , ie Pro con. & Pro World , nothing less that TWO perhaps three year contracts should be in place ! With certainty of employment there would be less " temptation " for short cuts .

" UCI " should create a " Standard Contract " required to be usable BY ALL TEAMS ! These contracts would include " DRACONIAN PENALTIES " for breaching " WADA Codes " ! Currently an athlete puts their hand up and says " Mea Culpa " ! From the new contract , they will pay out of their salary , considerable penalties as well as serving on the first offence a Suspension of 4 years . Second Suspension would incur a LIFE TIME BAN ! Teams will be allowed to have ONLY ONE suspension during the calender year BUT on the second Athlete being Suspended would face financial penalties and possibly a Division Downgrade for the rest of the Season . Three Athletes in a a calender year will mean that the Sporting Director will face a TWO YEAR BAN ! Team Doctors should ALSO be penalised !

Athletes are being " scrutinized " by Professionals , these people are paid considerable salaries to pay attention to detail ! What better way to ensure that their sponsors interests are being safeguarded , than to also bear the risk when those in their charge choose to step over the line ? Di Gregario went home from during the 2012 " Le Tour " ! " I acted alone ! " he said , who believes that fairy tale ?

Windbag Mc Quaid says he wants 4 year suspensions , well Fat Pat , get on with the job , or get the Employment Pages , if your Swiss Bank Account , is not fat enough ! Nobody has proven you do anything other than an honourable job BUT frankly , i think you could do the job better ! Start thinking about the lost SPONSORS during your time in the office of " President of the " UCI " and when you look at yourself in the mirror , can you honestly say that being a " Race Cyclist " in 2012 is any better than in 1998 ?

Forums such as Cyclingnews and Velonews are full of accusations , rumour , conjecture and downright libel/slander , but where did this all start ? Even Lance is the subject of the same treatment by those that have tried to take him on in the courtroom ! Personally i would like to see someone with the ability to follow the " IP Addresses" and " OUT " those shallow individuals , who hide behind pseudonyms !

PARALISED SPORT !

YES , it will now be obvious to ALL that Pro Cycling has problems ! Jacques Rogge has seen the " royal salute " during this Olympics Men's Road Race ! Unbelievably " UCI " and " WADA " allowed a " Convicted Doper " to have a two year holiday and then come back and give them the two fingers !

Please understand that i like Vinky , as a person , he has always been friendly and cooperative with me since we met after he won the Paris-Nice ITT on Mt Eze in 2000 . I even congratulated him on his win in the Tour de France last week , when i was photoed with him in Chartres . I am also friendly with Dave Millar , also a " Convicted Doper " and greeted him there , calling him " Rhino " , and in return he called me  " Skippy " , as he has since his win in Futurescope when he startled Lance with the win . Both these Racers were in an event that they had no place to be on Saturday !

Dave was there as Road Captain of the British Squad due to a " Smarty Pants set of Lawyers " , whether it was his doing , or he just benefited from their looking for a way to increase their income and profile , i am unable to say . Dave admitted his complicity in Doping and was given the suspension which stood at two years at that time . Happily he won an Etappe at the " Le Tour  " due to convincing those in the breakaway to cooperate with each other and use their skills to arrive in the last 5km with a huge time margin and there settle their differences . Looking at this TDF i would say all the riders benefited as a result , contrary to other breakaway/escapes , where the racers were caught , even though had they helped each other , one of them would have won and the others would have had recognition  with minor places .

Since returning from the " Jolly " that was two years suspension " Vinky " has enjoyed winning many events and truth be known , a win at the TDF and yesterday's win were well within his outstanding abilities , so why , did this talented Racer resort to Doping ? Seems that there are many who go that route because they are subjected to " Peer Pressure "! A team member of T-Mobile and thus of Bjarne Riis ( Admitted Doper ) , Rolf Aldag ( admitted Doper ) and Jan Ulrich ( no contest to charges but paid 250 big ones for the case to go away ) and Andreas Kloden ( Paid 50 big ones also ) ! Wonder what Jan And Klody said to themselves last night ?

Who knows what " Windbag Mc Quaid ( phat the rat ) " had to say BUT you will be certain that Jacques Rogge will have deflated his persona during a telephone call ! Did i hear Jacques address the " Doping Issue " in his Homily on the Olympic Podium at the opening ceremony ? You can imagine after my letters to him and John Fahey , that i feel  that he behaved like a " Whimp " , with his soft shoe comments ! Money and Sponsors are more important to the " IOC " than cleaning up the " shoddy cheats " that are allowed to continue in sport !

Four years suspensions have been voiced by " Windbag Mc Quaid " for several years  , and what has he done ? Had he acted in concert with WADA , many years ago , then we would not have seen either Dave or Vinky in the race ! Sorry guys , you both know my attitude to Doping , since we first met BUT then as a guy emailed me on Friday , i am perceived as a " Cycling Groupie ",  by him ! Clown wanted me to stand about with him on Thursday and relate what i told him he could discover in reading my blogs . In meeting many people i ask them to refer to " Google " , rather than appear to be " bull shitting " or " one man upping " when
i first encounter them .

When i arrive on someone's premises i always ask for the " Boss " as a courtesy , and most times that is the person i am speaking with  , but no matter their appearance , even then they can surprise you . Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay as an example , after greeting a Portugese Relay Runner , i quickly realised it was Rosa Motta , but later after she had gone for a shower asked the Guy she greeted with kisses , who he was  . I was surprised to discover that he was " George " , the then President of Portugal  . Just a guy on the street , but the armed chauffeur , standing quietly in the background no doubt was nervous about his decision to be in the crowd like  " Joe Public " ?

Had checked the " Olympic Oath " with the intention of voicing my opinion in a post , and i am certain those involved on Friday will be shaking their heads ! Make no mistake , i am not saying that " Vinky " will be a " shamilton " , BUT , i am certain that the alarms have been strident , since Vinky crossed the line ! Standing at 45km from the start , i voiced the opinion , that if the break consisted of more than a handful and  was more than two minutes ahead , i was sure they would stay away ! When 3 minutes passed i knew that the race was done and set off to the Olympic Rowing course and then west of High Wycombe calling in on a few people i had not seen in a while . Happened to read the results in Cycle Care Bike Shop at High Wycombe , but all i told Simon was that the result was " surprising " , since he wanted to stay in the dark until he watched a TV replay in comfort .

In my letters to John Fahey and Jacques Rogge , posted previously , i called on then to ACT NOW , on an Amnesty , so as to get the " Skeletons of the past " into the open ! Neither has replied ! No surprise there , secretarial staff and minders probably think i am a crank ! Simon passed on second hand impressions of recent reports about me by Eurosport Commentators  . In asking if they mentioned my efforts to help find Sponsors for " Para Sport " he thought that it was not mentioned ! Well i met Sean in Chartres and enjoyed a long chat with him and a variety of others that were passing , that we both knew . Certainly Dave Harmon will know what i am about since we have chatted and tweeted , but frankly , unless they mention WHY i ride, i wish they would leave me out of their " who we know " asides !

" El Diablo " was missing from the TDF due to health reasons as was confirmed by Sean and Henri Sannier , appears he had surgery for a Brain Clot , Speedy recovery being underway . First noted there was a problem when i saw an email from Didi  posted by a  commenter to Live Update Guy , this being Chas Pelkey , asked then by email for advice on the situation , with no result .

UNTIL THE SPORTING PUBLIC AT LARGE , get to canvassing their Sports Bodies , there will be NO CHANGE in Doping Practices !

YOU THE PUBLIC can make the difference !

ACT TODAY

VICTORY NEWS

Last month i came across the disheartening situation , regarding " Wildland Firefighters ", through the Change.org website .  I mentioned this subject in my Post " An UNGRATEFUL NATION "!

 TODAY i had the following email waiting in my Inbox :


skippy -

When I started my petition on Change.org asking President Obama to make health insurance available to wildland firefighters, I knew my ask was huge.
But on Wednesday, after hearing from more than 125,000 people (including you!) who signed my petition, President Obama agreed to help uninsured wildland firefighters like me.
Soon, he'll be issuing a directive so that we will be able to buy federal health insurance -- possibly to take effect by the end of the month.
When I heard the great news, I was in South Dakota, getting ready to be dispatched to another fire. My crew and I are still fighting fires day in and day out, but we feel victorious knowing that you had our backs -- and now, so does the President.
It's a feeling I want others to share -- that's why if there's something in the world you want to see change, you should start a petition on Change.org now.
Starting mine took a few minutes -- all the time I had on a break in between deployments. And I can tell you completely honestly: winning feels great.
Thank you for signing my petition, for speaking out for wildland firefighters and for all that you do.
Sincerely,
John Lauer
Tatanka Hotshot Crew, U.S. Forest Service

As you can see there has been the promise , of some action , to resolve the difficulties a great many " Public Spirited Americans " have had to suffer over the years . What we in other parts of the world have taken for granted over the years was denied to this segment of the US population , simply because they were putting their lives at risk ! Can you imagine the Public reaction to the US Forces fighting in " Harm's Way " being told " YOU ARE NOT INSURED "?

When i was younger i played ar being a firefighter , as i was working in the Australian Countryside and it seemed like a good way to meet the people in the towns where  i was living for a time . Travelling around in my Sales job with Tulloch Steel meant being based in Wagga Wagga and West Wyalong , there were also many nights staying in Motels during the week . Sitting there watching TV was not an option from my point of view so i would locate the local Bush Fire brigade and get invited to join training sessions . Many entertaining evenings would follow . Even when working with Combined Insurance when my colleagues were in the Motel i was out at night enjoying the hospitality that was forth coming as a result of pitching in at a variety of events . 

So much for the past but i do enjoy the odd chat with those working in the Fire Services throughout Europe when occasion arises . In Austria the Volunteer Fire People are in most smaller towns called " Freiwilliger " and to raise funds for necessary equipment they put on a variety of Entertaining Fundraisers .

Fatcyclist.com readers will know that in recent weeks his house has been " Smoked Out " by the local bush fires and he has mentioned the Firefighters  efforts and the successful containment of the local fires . Some of the commenters mentioned that Australia has suffered Devastating  Fires with HUGE loss of Life ! 

Nearly ALL fires are caused by human efforts ! Too many think that their ASHTRAY should not be dirtied by their FAGEND ! Yes , they don't want the cigarette butt in the car so OUT it goes ! As you sit in contra traffic , fuming about the delay , running late for that appointment or TV programme , realise that the roadside is being cleared so that a CIGGIE will not start a blaze ! Fact is YOU could do something the next time you see someone dispose of their trash . " DOBBING " is not thought of very highly in Australia , but there are somethings , that have to be eradicated for the common good  . Fires cause Losses of property and more importantly LIVES ! Next time you see someone tossing their butt , ACT ! 

When the local Fire brigade goes into action they arrive back at their depot / station tired and frustrated ! Wouldn't it be great that they did not have to spend even more time , cleaning up the equipment , making sure that ALL is in apple pie order before heading for their rest ?   Leaving even the smallest item unattended  could have serious consequences the next time they are called out in an emergency .

WELL DONE FOLKS ! You serve your community without the praise that you DESERVE !

Moving along , yesterday , we saw the 14th etappe of this year's " Le Tour " . Arriving on the top of the second Cat 1 climb , Cadel Evans had to dismount due to a puncture . we saw him frustrated as those he was riding with  headed downhill on the remaining 39km of the day's etappe . Significantly the next team mate arrived with a flat tire also , more delay , more stress . Then others found they were the victims of the cretin that decided to amuse themselves with causing mayhem .

DID ANYONE SEE that clown , did you photo them ? The French Authorities will be happy to have your help and WE , the Sports Fans , will be grateful !

Robert Kisolovski , racing in the Astana Team is now in hospital after crashing on the downslope , we ALL saw a flash of him lying beside the road as the TV followed Cadel , as he attempted to recover from the  lost time . Robert's ,  " Le Tour " is over thanks to the Cretin who will no doubt say to the Gendarmerie , " I MEANT NO HARM "! In the next hour we were entertained to displays of GREAT Sportsmanship by SKY Team , and superb Team Time Trialling skills by BMC Team as Cadel twice more pulled up because of more punctures . 

Brad Wiggins started on the descent looking over his shoulder , no doubt assessing the situation . Catching the others in the group he imposed his authority and saw to a " go slow " thus allowing his competitors some relief in their efforts to rejoin the group . Shortly after imposing his will , he stopped , got off one bike and onto another . What transpired there , i am yet to find out , but during this period Chris Froome , then exerted even more pressure on the group to control the impatience of others , since Pierre Rolland decided that he was exempt from the " Customs " that most Cycle Racers honour and made off  at higher speed towards the finish !

What are the " rules " about exchanging Bikes since Cadel chose to continue with the same bike , indeed lost time in doing so , and Wiggo jumped off one bike onto another , when the Team car pulled up behind and unloaded the spare ? Mavic , the neutral service team , may not be entirely to blame for their delayed appearance at the GPM , since the roads were so narrow and those fans at the top of the climb were no doubt ignoring " Safety Barriers " and dangerously hemming in the racers to the point some racers were ducking under the flags hanging over their heads . Regrettably the time has arrived that there should be motorbikes instead of cars in close proximity to the principal GC Racers , particularly since the Tour Organisers know this problem exists , from previous experiences . Must Cadel's bad luck continue through the lack of " Neutral Service ? You may recall his lost time on the Vuelta from similar circumstances ?

 Congratulations to Team SKY for their GREAT Sportsmanship ! As an Aussie i hope Cadel gets to find the time needed to  be victorious in Paris !

 Speedy recovery for Robert K. , an unnecessary injury !

 Here's hoping that like the Mounties , the Gendarmerie   find the culprit/s and they get a holiday in a penal colony !