Lance Armstrong ! Some advice !

My Letter to LANCE !
Delivered by a Tweet , hope he decides to read :


Lance ,

  "  Through the many years that i have been riding the routes of the Pro World Cycling Tours, i have had mixed responses from you . Mostly they appear to have been favourable .I have treated ALL Racers in the same way , with a certain amount of respect , regardless of misgivings as to their proberty in respect of any  " Doping/PED usage "! It would have been foolish of me to treat " Vinkie " in a bad way , since his No 1 Mechanic , for any number of years , was always " Helpful to me " , whenever i needed advice or assistance . In fact the British Mechanic , Alan , on your teams at different times , was friendly and helpful . Craig , the Kiwi mechanic , with you at Astana , now with Orica / GreenEDGE , is another example . So many Teams have had their Record " Blotched " by the " Less than Honest Behaviours " of their Racers . Many of the Team Support Staff , are fully aware of the situation they find themselves with , the alternative is to leave , and HOPE , they find employment elsewhere . How can they be certain , that it is not , jumping out of the frying pan , into the FIRE !  Media Reports , suggest , you were less than kind , to some of your Support Staff , let alone those that raced with you !

You may recall that in Monaco , " Le Tour Grand Depart of 2009 " , i asked you to have your Team Members carry " LiveSTRONG Wristbands , in their pockets and pass them to any people in wheelchairs , beside the barriers , as they went to the " Sign on podium ".  I repeated this request , when riding with you before the start of the  Rotterdam Grand Depart , 2010 . Both of these occasions resulted in me being on TV and on front page of various Newspapers . Of course , my story , is so old now , that Journos take no interest in reminding theeir readers or viewers of my interest in Assisting " Para Athletes "! As you have told Journos in front of the Crillion Hotel in Paris , i seem to ride more milage than you , each year , certainly a thankless task !

I can think of several people , that have been inspired by your efforts , over the years in respect of LiveSTRONG .  @8 wristbandman was with me in Monaco and Jesolo , having fought cancer , successfully for several years , he is still supporting you , regardless of the mud that besplatters you in recent times !  39stoneman , is another that has continued , to blog his support in recent times .

Since the " USADA Reasoned Report " people have been trying to put distance , between their actions in past years and your current morass of difficulty ! An example of this can be found in a Tweet i received recently ! Mike Rann , like others , saw you as an opportunity to further their interests . No doubt as a Politician , he relied on his Staff to guide him ? With that advice he went along with the opportunity to " Publicise " the Tour Down Under " start in 2009 . Only You , will know , how easy it was to arrange an " Appearance Fee " , and where these monies were deposited ! You will be aware that most people THOUGHT , that this money was going to " LiveSTRONG "! Where it actually was banked has led to a huge amount of Speculation ! Perhaps , one of your mistakes , was  creating a " LiveSTRONG.com ( Personal Business ) " , marketed alongside the " LiveSTRONG.org ( Charity Org. ) " , ALL your detractors , have honed in on this facit of your affairs , rightly or wrongly ?  Mike Rann's tweet to me :
 " Mike Rann ‏@Mlke_Rann
@skippydetour Please dont mention my name and that man in the same sentence again... I'm trying to distance myself from any connection!

Friends like this , who needs enemies ?

Social Media has been of benefit to you over the years , not only Twitter , which at one time , was more tham 4.2Million followers , but other platforms in which you invested . Currently , there are a few Tweet addresses , asking people to use the " Unfollow " facility . Time will tell , how effective they will become ?

When it was confirmed that Oprah , would be interviewing you , in your home , many hopped on the " Bandwagon " with their views as to how and under what terms this " Interview " would be conducted ! Speculation is " Rife " , about the reasoning , leading to this interview . Personally i have mooted the possibility of a reoccurance of " Health Issues " ? Most are of the view that the 1996 Cancers , were the result of the " Cocktail of PED Products " , that you are accused of using ! Suffice to say , most are of an opinion , that this is about " Lance " , not about a Genuine Desire  to rectify past errors of Judgement ! The following link refers to a " Baseball Player " and his " Confession ":

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/11/sports/baseball/11giambi.html?_r=1&

This is an example that you should not follow , you will find yourself in a " Firestorm " , should you take this course .

Far be it for me to offer you advice , considering the amounts you spend , to retain the best professionals in every respect , needed to preserve your previous " Good Name "! With reports of your Assets being in excess of $125M , it is possible that you are getting good results , from your investment in their endeavours . Very hard to put oneself , in your shoes , and decide , if ALL your decisions , since the return to Road Racing in 2009 , were beneficial to your and your family's wellbeing .

Not having access to the Oprah Winfrey Network , i guess , i will see segments in Sky News and on CNN Sport programmes . Whatever takes place , ONLY a full disclosure of the relevant facts , will satisfy ANY of the Viewers ! People like " Jaime Fuller of " Change Cycling Now " and; Skins.inc " have voiced their concerns as to what you plan to do :
 http://watercooler.skins.net/blog/2013/01/08/hey-lance-if-youre-going-to-confess-you-better-do-it-right/#comment-235
 Reading his Blog Post , reveals GOOD Advice , no doubt , you will have another perspective ?

No doubt , you are aware of " Phat Mc Quaid "  losing his WADA Executive status , he claims that he was on the Executive since 2009 , Heinous , currently , has not repeated his " NEVER , Never , etc " remarks , regarding your friendship , doubt he will sleep easy , until after you appear on the " O Show "!

In the past , you have had regiments of Journos , following you at the various Cycling Tours , eager to earn Plaudits , for a different " Spin " , on your remarks , NOW , they will be like Pirannas , endeavouring to draw " Blood " ! You will lose  , regardless of how " Honest " your part of the " Interview " turns out !

Since first posting this Letter to you , the following from David Walsh has appeared in the Media , both in the U.K. and in the Chicago Tribune :

https://twitter.com/lioneljbirnie/status/290156457746395137/photo/1

Many of these questions have been posed to you over the years , so they will not surprise you ?

Sincere disclosure only , please ! The outcomes and their results are hard to predict . In past Blog Posts i have described you as either a " Saint or Sinner " depending on a Person's point of View !

Choose a path that helps your family , they will have to live with YOUR CHOICE !

Their Welfare is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY !

Ciao
Skippy

NB   Should you not follow blogs in Europe , here are a few comments worthy of consideration :



  "  Difficult not to think this will be a highly manipulative interview by Armstrong portraying himself as a victim and martyr, only doing what others were doing (as the Lance-apologist photographer Graham Watson was saying in his blog a few days ago, which apparently met with Armstrong's approval).

  "  Being interviewed at home in Texas will also give Armstrong an opportunity to create just the right surroundings to say what he wants to say to an American audience which I suspect will be a lot more sympathetic to his case than people over here.


  "  That would indeed be ace. It's like a train crash, it's perverse to watch but not sure I'll be able to help it. Although the early-hours slot might take care of that for me.

  "  Funny, the last half dozen Lance stories have lacked any rabid fanboys telling everyone else how brilliant he is... wonder why that is?!


  "  He won't confess to anything at all. I predict that the phrase "maybe I've made some mistakes" will be used, perhaps "I'm not an angel", and similar.


  "  Then they'll talk about all his charity work, how many people he's inspired to take up cycling, and a million people who care about the sport will combust.


  "  The guys at RedKitePrayer.com had a good analysis of this nonsense. Anything Lance does is completely self serving because his cashflow has come to an abrupt halt. He doesn't travel on Livestrong's dime any more. He doesn't get paid to all of the things he normally does. Padrag even floated the idea that it's politically motivated so he can run for office in Texas.

Go away Lance!

  "  I think I did a little sick in my mouth, pass the bucket there's more

  "  Now, if Dame Edna had been doing the interview that would have been different

  "  You guys are all dicks... I bet if you were in his shoes you'd do the same thing. If I was on the brink of death and survived and had a chance to come back and start over, I'd do the same thing. I'd be all in, no half assing, you're either with me or against me, cause life is too short to f*** around.

Saturday Evening , i came across the " Guardian Newspaper " offering  , which may be worth consideration :

THE OBSERVER'S 10-STEP PATH TO REDEMPTION

1. Observe an injured, even dignified, silence. Give nothing away.

2. Express televised contrition, ideally to a popular host.

3. Involve your wife/partner in 1. and 2.

4. Apologise to everyone, but don't confess.

5. Suffer a life-threatening illness.

6. Write a book; write three books.

7. Smile through your tears; be brave.

8. Mobilise the support of influential friends and allies.

9. Turn to prayer; find a priest; talk about confession, but keep the details private.

10. Keep Buggering On.

Some of these points , i am sure you have already considered ?

Letter to the Australian Governor General

Preamble for the Change.org Petition :


Currently Australia , a nation that leads in many Sports , has found that there are some "Athletes " with a "Tainted Background " . It is necessary for discovery and reconciliation rather than retribution ! This proposal may not be the " IDEAL WAY FORWARD " but , i hope it creates the impetus that generates the result !

SPORT Stars are " Idolised " in Australia , but , recently we are seeing " Tainted Results " and now there is "Suspicion " , perhaps unfounded , in many cases , regarding Sport Results .

Letter ;


Your Excellency

Cycling Australia is now at a crossroad ! Senator Lundy , as Minister for Sport , is working on trying to establish a way forward . As a Race Cycling Fan , with countless efforts of riding the routes of the “ Le tour , Giro & Vuelta “ , over 15 seasons I believe that what I propose here has a chance of assisting an early resolution of the quandary /quagmire into which  the “ UCI “ has led professional cycling !

As the representative of the Queen and thus Head of the Australian Federation , I would ask that you direct your Government to set up a facility for All Sports Athletes to declare their Past and Present usage of “ PED Products “! To enable this to take place , I would suggest that you appoint a panel that would operate with the laws governing “ Statuatory Declarations “ and perhaps the “ Official Secrets Act “

What I envisage is that “ Sports Australia “ will declare ALL Athletes require a NEW Licence from the 1st January 2013 , should they wish to participate in any Sport activity at Top level for their State , National or Internationally ! Most of these Athletes will already be subject to “ Out of Competition “ Doping Testing & whereabouts reporting requirements .

What will be required for a 2013 Licence will be a signed “ Stat. Dec. sworn before a “ JP “ or such other  person . This “ Stat Dec “ will be passed to the “ Panel of the Commission established where they will note , in secret session , the “ Have not “ or “ Have Done “ declaration in respect of their History in relation to “ Doping /PED usage “. The panel will file the “ Stat.Dec. “ for the date that the WADA Amnesty is implemented . That WADA will have to eventually call an “ Amnesty “ is a given , when you read the “ Donati Report “ , it will become apparent how deeply Criminal Elements influence the careers of too many Sports People .

Because what this “ Commission “ will be doing is so unusual and the ongoing “ peace of Mind of the Athletes “ will be at risk , I believe that the “ Official Secrets Act “ will be required to warn off the Media and any others from snooping and revealing the information .

Those sighting the “ Sworn Stat. Decs.  “ should be limited to people such as the “ Head of the Secret Service , Head of Armed Forces OR people of that stature . That their secretarial staff are involved in the tabulation of the information is a given , but storage of the “ Hard Copy “ will require considerable thought .

Each Athlete , both past and present , will be aware that their Sport has “ suspicious people “ that they choose to avoid . They may well wish to voice their misgivings , and report these suspicions . Thus there should be a facility available to accept and deal with matters raised in confidence with no risk to those raising the suspicion .

As stated earlier the  “ Stat. Dec.” should be specific to be of any value , I suggest a sample :

                                    ####

 “ I the undersigned ………. State , at risk of the 4 years Imprisonment , that I

DID NOT USE PED Products .  That I will not USE any in the future .

DID USE PED Products .  Will when called on at a later date , provide ALL relevant info to the Panel .


Signed by Athlete

Witnessed  by “ JP ( other ) “.         “

                                 ###

When those Athletes subject to “ Whereabouts & Out of Competition testing provide these “ Stat.Dec. s “ to the Panel , their Sports Federation will be advised to issue the 2013 Licence . There will be no disclosure of any facts ascertained . Those living Overseas will have to be considered also , since I am unsure of the arrangements that will be necessary to enforce compliance .

I would suggest that the “ Panel “ created will be from areas outside the Australian Olympic Committee since I believe that a “ Fresh Approach “ is required to solve the problems Sport has encountered up to now .

As regards the Cycling side of this matter , may I suggest that you call on Steve Hodge and Matt White for their imput . Both stepped away from their positions before they were called to do so , and to me it demonstrates credibility and transparency . That they have encountered the problems to which All Top Professional Sports People have been subjected is a factor worth consideration .

When WADA announces their " Amnesty for ALL SPORT or whatever " , the panel of the Commission can then decide HOW they will disclose their " Evidence "! May i suggest that they advise each individual that has " admitted Wrongdoing " a course of action that would be most appropriate for their individual circumstances ? Should " Steve Hodge " been one of these , the Panel would suggest he announce resignation from his Posts before the next Election to the Committees of which he was a member . No point pointing the finger and revealing 20 year old info , unless he was actively coaching /training Elite Athletes . With " Matt White " , my suggestion would be that the Panel ask/tell  him to step into a less direct role that allowed less direct influence on the day to day racing . Perhaps a " role "similar to that Alain Peiper has just taken up recently ? Should Alain Peiper have declared a " I Doped Stat. Dec. " , he would be required to avoid taking a future job as a " Director Sportif " .

Treating people with respect , even though they made bad choices in their racing career , can only be to the future benefit of Cycling Australia . Knowing their backstory , allows people to glean the knowledge that they acquired as they pursued their career ! Any Administrative personnel in the Hierarchy of Cycling Australia , at ALL levels , State, National & International , need to declare their  Cycling Race history , to ascertain their past and thus remove them from areas of contention in decision making , such as " Imposition of Sanctions " against Racers found wanting through " PED Product " usage .

So many things to be considered , many beyond my competence to discuss let alone offer an opinion .

TIME is passing and ACTION IS URGENT !

With respect Your Excellency , you are the ONLY Australian that can create what is required to solve this continuing problem that too many Athletes , both Past and Present , have had to endure to make their mark in their chosen Profession !

Australia as a “ Sporting Nation “ , gets results far above it’s place in the World . It has a Sporting Legacy , second to none , and when Australia leads in “ Cleaning House “ , other Nations will employ the same tactics to achieve a similar result .

The People of the “ Armed Forces “ are HEROES “ , but , the general public “ idolise “ their Sports Stars ! Let’s make them PROUD of the 2013 Results , rather than wonder “ who is Tainted and what result lacks lustre ?

The petition is to be found with this link : http://t.co/BU3r7126

Sincerely

Skippy Mc Carthy

Addendum on 24th July2013 :

Today Stuart O'Grady announces his Back Story to the Media !

My blog on this :  www.Skippyaus.blogspot.com/Stueyogrady  link :  http://t.co/jZwpBnJOxP




Found this item on SBS/cyclingcentral :

Jenene 14:03 AEST, Sun 11 Nov 2012

I am not against Kluas being re elected, in fact I think there is a lot of merit in him suggesting an amnesty. This could allow everyone involved in doping to own up, we then have the slate wiped clean. Then any one caught doping after that gets a life ban.

Letter to Jacques Rogge , IOC !

As the leader of the “ Sporting World’s No 1 Event “ you will be aware of the Cycling Communities problems and particularly those surrounding the current edition of “ Le Tour “! If the newspaper reports are to be believed there are some competing who have withdrawn from selection for the London Olympic Games . This must be good news to your organisation but it appears that there are a number of issues being raised which will be troublesome to “ Fair Minded People “?

Last month I again raised the question of a “ SPORTING MORATORIUM “ in a number of places but it appears that this is TOO HARD for so many vested interests .

YOU and WADA are capable of “ Outing “ all the “ Skeletons in the Closet “ which have been rattling around for years . Even the fact that the Great Britain team HAD a ban on “ Sporting Fraudsters “ competing has now been overturned .

When is the Olympic Committee going to “ Clean House “?  So many serving the Olympic Committee have been “ slandered “ in a variety of Forums and Media Outlets that one wonders if there is the will for the Olympic Committee to see that Future Generations of youngsters are trained and encouraged by those with “ Clean / Known records “?

Coming from a Sailing Sport background you will be familiar with the competitive instincts of Sports People and no doubt will recall efforts by competitors to gain unfair advantages of the prevailing winds . Amusing incidents will no doubt come to mind ! I am sure that supplements may have been used in some situations but not to the same extent as in Cycling or other Endurance Sports !

By issuing a “ Sports Moratorium “ with an effective date backed by Life time Sanctions imposed for Non Disclosure on both the Competitor and their Support Team , a line can be drawn and ALL Sport can move forward with confidence .

IF you impose a date and the Athlete fails to disclose relevant sanction able errors then ONE MONTH later their Support Team risk “ Life Time Sanctions “ if they do not reveal their knowledge or participation in these events . Can you imagine the Coach , Mechanic , Director Sportive or Team Owner , allowing a Cycle Racer to conceal their Wrongdoings even a generation ago to jeopardise their current employment ? I think not !

Generations of youngsters have been gradually influenced since before the fall of the “ Iron Curtain “ by appeals to their “ patriotism “ by family , friends and sporting advisors . These days “ Celebrity and Lifestyle “ are great influences . Families even , benefit from  the success of their offspring , so the impetus to excel continues and even at a young age , advantage is sought .

In most countries there are now policies in place to detect “ Paedophiles “ since this is perceived as the greatest threat to a child’s safety ! When the “ Moratorium “ is in place “ Sporting Influences “ will be also disclosed . I am not suggesting that a Coach /trainer is as dangerous to the child’s wellbeing , but am suggesting that a parent can discover any questionable background and thus make an informed decision on those they allow to train their offspring !

No doubt these issues have been raised with you by better people than I , but , as the Pontiff can dictate to the Catholic Church and the Dalai Lama to his Brethren , so should You to the SPORTING WORLD !

Great things are expected at the London Olympics but do we want the future Sporting World to be run by “ Hasbeens  , Lawyers and Concealed Impediments “?

SPORTING FRAUD will continue whilst GOOD MEN do nothing !

LANCE ARMSTRONG again ?

Round and around we go , where this story will end , nobody knows !

Will post my comments to various blogsites here :

Charles Pelkey writes a balanced view of the current issues and here is his site :

http://redkiteprayer.com/2012/06/the-explainer-just-when-i-thought-i-was-out-they-pull-me-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-345604

then my comment :

  "  EVERY US Cycle Racer must be " pissed " about their " Annual Licence Fees " being used by " USADA & others " to persue " Ancient History "!
An unknown . "tyrant spelt tygart " is grandstanding for whose benefit ?
Lance has won and placed in several Triathlons so we aLL know he has the abilities he has claimed over the years .
Jealousy comes in many forms and if i was Lance i would walk away and ignore these poor specimens of humanity .
My blog post relates the news about this latest traversy of justice but personally i wish he would " Sue the ass off all involved " , it would win him Millions , though i doubt it would contribute to his wellbeing as a person !
Lance you are a role model for many , so ignore the hate and vilification coming your way ! As a service to those accusers , send them a copy of " IF " that poem that many use to calm the outrages they suffer in their lives ! "

Went onto the Mushroomers thread on this subject at cyclingnews with this comment :

  "  As i stated in " Skippyblogging " , if i were Lance i would send ALL his accusers a copy of " IF "!

Having won a 70.3 and podiumed several times there is nothing more to prove !

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=902815#post902815

  "  Lance walk away , head held high ! Certainly you are head and shoulders above the accusers and regardless of what you do , there will always be those " mushrooms " that reek of jealousy ! "

Received this reply amongst many :

 "  Yeah, I love that poem!

  "  IF you can keep your red blood cell count high when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on three weeks of racing,
If you can trust your hemotologist when all in The Clinic doubt you,
But scorn and demean them for their doubting too;
If you can storm up an HC col and not be tired,
Or lie about your friends' testimony, what's one more lie?
Or being hated, don't give way to haters,
And yet don't show compassion, nor kindness:
If you can dream big, and believe in miracles;
If you like your credibility, even though you have none;
If you can meet with Ferrari and Bruyneel
And treat those two cheats just the same;
If you can bear to hear your doctor
retroactively produce a TUE;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one night of hookers and blow,
And test positive for PED's,
And never breathe a word about your payment to the UCI;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To accept testosterone, HGH, and EPO,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except these drugs and an extra litre of blood which says to them: 'Chaarge!'

If you can talk to the crowds in Paris and keep a straight face,
' Or ride up mountains with domestiques holding a GC man's pace,
if neither foes nor so-called friends can stand you,
If all men work for you, but none deserve your respect;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of lying to cancer patients,
Yours is a special kind of evil,
And - which is more - you'll be a cheating, lying, disgraced so-called 7 time Tour de France winner, my son!

This guy must have spent the last generation dreaming this up !

FATCYCLIST.com spends a lot of time raising monies for a variety of causes , including LiveSTRONG and World Bike Relief . With these events " Fatty " has become friendly with LANCE and Johan Bruyneel and holds them in high esteem . In Fatty's most recent blog he posted the following Quote : " By their Fruits you will know them " ( matthew 7:16 ) ! Very appropriate since both these Guys have done Astonishing Work for others whilst busy with their " Day Job "!

My Comment to " Fatcyclist.com ":


  "  My 100MON  this year ,was on L'Alpe d'Huez , once again ,with the Dutch Cancer Fundraiser ! This year on both the Wednesday & Thursday and i exceeded my own expectations simply because i was inspired and motivated by a GREAT CYCLIST !
 I was there in 2005 when Lance won the ITT race up this climb  , even caused the " Clown " that pushed him to be detained by the Gendarmerie ! Lance chose not to press charges .
 Even more to the point , whilst Fatty rode as a guest with Lance and the Team , i on so many occasions over the years , have ridden uninvited , alongside Lance . Never once did he complain and in fact deflected team mates who would have acted on his behalf . Always found him gracious towards others when time allowed BUT time management was one of his secrets !

Meticulous in the extreme , he was known as " Mr Millimetre " since he was always looking for improvements in every aspect of his Equipment , Training and Team ! One hard task Master that would not accept a lower standard than 110% !
 Little wonder that there are those that fell by the way side since they were unable to keep pace . We all think we are better than we are , some take it badly , others recognise their short comings .

 Tall Poppy syndrome is alive and well throughout the world BUT particularly in SPORT ! Nobody likes to come in second and there are so many out there that feel " Short Cuts " are the way to go !WRONG !

Currently "The Fox " guarding the " Hen House " seems to be that ALL SPORT suffers from and until there is a " Moratorium " when ALL past and present Athletes can come out of the closet we will continue to see " finger pointing " !

Lance has returned to Triathlon and has succeeded through effort and training in gaining the top step of the Podium , being not the best runner in the world , he has trained hard for his success >

To those doubting him " SHAME ON YOU " , to those in the Government Agencies " WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE THIS A BETTER WORLD "?

To those racing against him " WHAT IS YOUR TRAINING REGIME "? Try harder and believe in your selves !

As regards Lance's Past , who gives a fig , as regards his work with LiveSTRONG , do not let the naysayers interrupt the GOOD WORKS there !

LiveSTRONG works will be remembered long after the " Le Tour " fades into obscurity !

Fatty as usual you post from the heart and the road you have chosen will not sit well with those that i call " Mushrooms "!  "

39 Stone Cyclist has contributed to Fatcyclist on several occasions and i have added the above comment to his blog post on the  " USADA star chamber , travesty of Justice " !

WHEN A COP SAYS STOP !

Spent the last three days reading a “ Bicycling Magazine ( http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/when-cop-says-stop ) ” article about an Ohio case where two cyclists were stopped and one was “ Tased “ ! Over 11 pages this article went into some detail as to the happenings on that occasion . Suffice to say that the L aw E nforcement O fficer started off by acting incorrectly and now this matter will be finally settled in a Civil Court Action which will cost the Ohio State a LOT of money !

Some interesting points were raised about the way that Ohio Law operates and the behaviour of the people involved in this case but I am sure that the story could have been told more concisely . What is clear is that a L E O can order you to stop and the best result is that YOU STOP ! The grounds they have to Order you to stop may be a “ figment of their imagination ” but you won’t know this until after the interview has concluded . Whether there was a justification for the order does not matter since they are in the uniform and as citizens we are obliged to respect the uniform and the Laws of the Land . In reading the article it is clear that this particular L E O had not ordered a stop but he thought he had and thus an unfortunate incident occurred .

Considering my own behaviour as to the Police I have always found that complying with their requirements and going along with their assessment of a situation has resulted in minimising the incident . Confronting the L E O only digs them into their corner and thus they can become self righteous and seek to add justification for their behaviour and the outcome then becomes more abrasive for all concerned . Copping a ticket/citation is never a pleasure but then there is the opportunity to contact the authorities to have the matter resolved in a straight forward way rather than having to adjourn elsewhere either voluntarily or otherwise .

When on occasion I have been injured riding the bike I have had to refuse “ Hospitalisation “ because there was no provision for transporting the bike . How can you leave your property on the side of the road somewhere and expect to recover it later ? No way Jose ! Whatever is not “ Nailed down “ will get up and walk away since there are so many charming people out there only so willing to offer a new home to ANYTHING they chance upon of value ! In the article the two bikes were abandoned by the L E O ‘s and only chance saved the day ! So there is another reason to avoid creating a situation where you could lose control of your property .

Over the years of riding the various Cycle Tour routes I have come across so many different attitudes of the L E O ‘s involved in Policing these events . Generally they behave respectfully towards those who are out to ride the route but there have been cases where Juniors have been rigidly officious and I can think of several cases where when stopped I have been told the bike will be impounded if I try to leave the point where stopped . In most cases when stopped I will walk on till out of sight but when confronted with a “ Stand Here ” order it is hard to overcome . Usually I then look to enjoy the hospitality of those on the scene since they have seen the unreasonable behaviour . One occasion on the Tour de France I was given a sumptuous lunch with wine and when the Gendarme involved approached for water ( hoping for better) he was sent away to the local shop . One of the hosts chortled about his getting one back for me but as it turned out we were delayed beyond the “ 15 min prohibition period after the passing of the “ Broom Wagon “ regulation ! A bit of “ tit for Tat threre I think .

Reading the comments attached to the article it was easy to see that this was not there first time the article had been run and there was a series of exchanges in 2010 which could well have been left out since the two parties were too busy slanging each other to contribute value to the debate . From the initial comment by “ NoMoreSlowFiveO ” on 3/09/2010 to 14/09/2010 he responded repeatedly to comments by “ BadBadLeroyBrown ” . Hopefully when this article next appears these nonsenses will have been removed .

Tour de France does the Gendarmerie no favours by having these L E O standing in the same spot for most of the day , rarely in the shade on hot days and exposed to the elements in inclement weather . As to turning Public roads into “ Private Roads ” for the passing of “ Le tour ” one wonders why they cannot follow the example of the “ Tour de Suisse ” and thus not create the problems for the community that result at present . Whilst the Policing forces are busily occupied the criminal elements are having a field day not only badgering people and enterprises to “ BUY ” their nougat and plastic Drapue but perhaps other crimes such as burgularising empty homes and stealing bikes and bike parts and breaking into unattended cars . Of course these activities take place elsewhere but then the response is so much quicker and positive investigation and not a “ incident no ” that will be the outcome when you report to the Insurance Co. your loss in an area where the “ Le Tour ” has visited .

POSTED by Posterous as Blogger continues to give problems !