"Men in Black" Cyclists
07-16-07, 05:58 PM
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"Men in Black" Cyclists
What's up with the UCI and their "men in black" conspiracy they have going on?
Taken from this VeloNews article:
Additional links:
Vino also considered a man in black
Cycling news linkage
Thoughts on this whole "men in black" thing?
Taken from this VeloNews article:
It wasn't exactly the kind of rest day questioning Michael Rasmussen would have expected a day after riding into the yellow jersey for the first time of his career.
The Tour de France leader patiently defended himself Monday against tough questioning from journalists who queried him about rumors he was one of the UCI's infamous "Men in Black."
"It's strange that the UCI says I am training in neutral colors. The only ‘Men in Black' I know of are Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones," Rasmussen said in a rest day press conference. "It's true I sometimes train in neutral colors to respect my privacy. When I ride in my Rabobank jersey, people follow me home, they hang out of cars, stop me and ask for autographs. I don't like that. That why I sometimes train in neutral colors."
UCI anti-doping coordinator Anne Gripper raised doubts about several riders she dubbed as "Men in Black" who she insinuated raced in non-team jerseys ahead of the Tour to allegedly try to avoid detecting from pre-race doping controls.
Rasmussen roared into the yellow jersey in a dramatic display Sunday that have many wondering if the climbing specialist can hang on to win the Tour.
But journalists seemed more interested in asking him about rumors of training practices, particularly his penchant to go to far-away Mexico for high-altitude training camps. Rasmussen's wife is Mexican, but some suggest riders go to Mexico because the Latin American nation would seem a safe haven for dubious training practices.
"I've been using high-altitude training methods since we went to Colorado in 1994 with the Danish national mountain bike team," the former world mountain bike champion said. "After that experience, I've always believed in high-altitude training."
Rasmussen didn't flinch when one Danish journalist asked him point blank if fans should trust him following the damaging revelations from 1996 Tour champ Bjarne Riis.
"Yes, you can believe me," Rasmussen answered. "Unfortunately, this is what we have to deal with now in cycling. Fans can believe me."
The Tour de France leader patiently defended himself Monday against tough questioning from journalists who queried him about rumors he was one of the UCI's infamous "Men in Black."
"It's strange that the UCI says I am training in neutral colors. The only ‘Men in Black' I know of are Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones," Rasmussen said in a rest day press conference. "It's true I sometimes train in neutral colors to respect my privacy. When I ride in my Rabobank jersey, people follow me home, they hang out of cars, stop me and ask for autographs. I don't like that. That why I sometimes train in neutral colors."
UCI anti-doping coordinator Anne Gripper raised doubts about several riders she dubbed as "Men in Black" who she insinuated raced in non-team jerseys ahead of the Tour to allegedly try to avoid detecting from pre-race doping controls.
Rasmussen roared into the yellow jersey in a dramatic display Sunday that have many wondering if the climbing specialist can hang on to win the Tour.
But journalists seemed more interested in asking him about rumors of training practices, particularly his penchant to go to far-away Mexico for high-altitude training camps. Rasmussen's wife is Mexican, but some suggest riders go to Mexico because the Latin American nation would seem a safe haven for dubious training practices.
"I've been using high-altitude training methods since we went to Colorado in 1994 with the Danish national mountain bike team," the former world mountain bike champion said. "After that experience, I've always believed in high-altitude training."
Rasmussen didn't flinch when one Danish journalist asked him point blank if fans should trust him following the damaging revelations from 1996 Tour champ Bjarne Riis.
"Yes, you can believe me," Rasmussen answered. "Unfortunately, this is what we have to deal with now in cycling. Fans can believe me."
Vino also considered a man in black
Cycling news linkage
Thoughts on this whole "men in black" thing?
07-16-07, 06:41 PM
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as if wearing your jersey was the only way to be found?
is there a dope-gestapo that traipses the earth, driving country roads looking for riders out training?
knowing how ridiculous the anti-doping programs are, i wouldn't be surprised....
but then a gain, they always seem more content to randomly smear a cyclist than to actually prevent doping.
is there a dope-gestapo that traipses the earth, driving country roads looking for riders out training?
knowing how ridiculous the anti-doping programs are, i wouldn't be surprised....
but then a gain, they always seem more content to randomly smear a cyclist than to actually prevent doping.
07-16-07, 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by roadgator
is there a dope-gestapo that traipses the earth, driving country roads looking for riders out training?
knowing how ridiculous the anti-doping programs are, i wouldn't be surprised....
knowing how ridiculous the anti-doping programs are, i wouldn't be surprised....
I always thought the training in the jerseys was just for the cameras. You'd think you'd want to train in plain gear to avoid crazy fans! 'Cept for Tom Boonen who was rumored to sleep in his rainbow jersey!
Also, why wouldn't you go to Mexico or S. America for high-altitude training in the winter?
Last edited by GV27; 07-16-07 at 07:01 PM.
07-19-07, 04:17 PM
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As already pointed out in another thread, the Chicken has been removed from the Danish cycling team, due to not informing drug testers of his training locations.
07-20-07, 05:06 AM
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Actually that's EXACTLY what they do - and I think it's a good thing. But they all fill out forms stating their whereabouts. So if you fill out the form that says "we'll be in town x in Columbia staying at hotel y", the UCI just sends some Columbian UCI officials over to your hotel to wake you up at 5am and take a sample. I don't see the controversy, unless they were really dodging the officials.
I always thought the training in the jerseys was just for the cameras. You'd think you'd want to train in plain gear to avoid crazy fans! 'Cept for Tom Boonen who was rumored to sleep in his rainbow jersey!
Also, why wouldn't you go to Mexico or S. America for high-altitude training in the winter?
I always thought the training in the jerseys was just for the cameras. You'd think you'd want to train in plain gear to avoid crazy fans! 'Cept for Tom Boonen who was rumored to sleep in his rainbow jersey!
Also, why wouldn't you go to Mexico or S. America for high-altitude training in the winter?
The point about the training is that people were unsure of his whereabouts and, frankly, these places have a "history", if you will, with recreational and exotic pharmaceuticals.
But to be fair, his wife his from Mexico.
Last edited by roadwarrior; 07-20-07 at 05:28 AM.
07-24-07, 10:43 AM
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Could there actually be something with this whole "men in black" cyclist garbage? 
*sigh* Vino proved to be a true warrior... who cheated.
*sigh* Vino proved to be a true warrior... who cheated.
07-24-07, 06:33 PM
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A storm in a teacup.
07-25-07, 05:41 PM
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07-25-07, 06:10 PM
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As to who the other supposed "men in black" are, I have no idea, but something tells me we will find out before the tour is over.
BTW, so much for Chicken telling everybody they could "trust me."
07-25-07, 06:34 PM
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https://www.velonews.com/tour2007/new...s/12925.0.html
"As cycling faces renewed scrutiny, Contador had to face a few of his own tough questions during the one-hour press conference. When asked if the world can trust him, he smiled and said, "Yes, of course."
--
Regards
