Originally Posted by
bruce19
Then let's just capitulate? When I know that someone is damaging us I don't support them. You can try to do what you can do or you can give up. And, since this is a bicycle forum I addressed this issue here. It's also why I do as much business locally as possible. If you do nothing, nothing will change. I do what I can. If everyone had boycotted TREK when this happened, TREK and others would have gotten a message. You can either try to make things better or you can go along with a bad system. Your choice.
But they didn't.
Why? For many people, the same reason they don't boycott corporation X or Y - simply because they need or want the product. Many of these people don't know or care about LA or doping, or the sponsorship, or even the connection between the two - they walk into a local bike store and a nice bike is sitting there at the ready for them to purchase.
For many cyclists, myself included, flat knew that LA and everyone around him was doped to the gills - that cycling from top to bottom was dirty... all the teams, the sponsors, the originations/officials, ex riders, current riders, future riders, doctors, assistants - they all knew flat out that doping in cycling, and all sports for that matter - were and are dirty.
Most of us knew this, those that didn't were burying their heads in the sand.
Knowing this - find me a bike company of the time that wasn't supporting a doper, and wouldn't do the exact same thing if they happened to have the top dog of all the dopers...
Mario Cipollini was doped out to the max and fully backed by Cannondale. Are they off limits? Pantani rode a Bianchi, Ullrich rode a Pinarello, Contador rode for Specialized - all dopers, and the bike companies flat knew it. That list goes on and on and on...