Comments on: There are also heroes and they need you to believe

By: Conor

Conor — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:02:11 +0000

David,
It might surprise you to hear that you and Paul Kimmage have so much in common. Both pro-cyclists (although obviously he’s retired), both reformed dopers, both passionate about the sport and both damn good at translating all that into the written word.

All in the name of fighting the good fight!

By: Marika

Marika — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:48:56 +0000

OK, we need a name to call the guys who knowingly dope, deny and flaunt, and those who require the doping. OR we need to tie flaunter’s names to something they’d cringe from.

In the vein of “santorum” in honor of (now former) Sen. Rick Santorum (google it!!!–but not for children), I nominate “ricco” to mean that special combination of jackass, bastard, snake, liar, cheat, amoral idiot that you would never want your sister to date or your boss to hire. (And calling them a snake, etc. is insulting to snakes, jackasses, bastards, etc. Unfortunately, it sounds like the Spanish ‘rico.’)

Those in the know will likely have a better honoree, and better definition.

The word ’santorum’ is spreading (sorry, definition is not for PG audiences), and helped bring an end to Rick Santorum’s political career. May something similar here work similar magic!

The nominations are open! Have fun!

By: Michael LeVere

Michael LeVere — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:00:13 +0000

David,

The more that I read your diary enteries, the more that I respect you, where you have been and what you are doing right now for the sport.

The last paragraph in your entery struck home with me. You are using your experience as an ex-doper to make sure that the sport gets cleaned up and that it returns to the glory it once was. You don’t see that in too many sports. I don’t see one athlete in another major sport that has admited that he took performance enhancing drugs and now is trying to help clean up the sport.

There is no other sport that does more testing on its athletes than cycling does. What would you think would happen to baseball or football (American or Euro) if they adapted the same testing and penalties that cycling has? Half of the teams probably couldn’t survive….

I am so glad that riders like Christian V, Mark Cavendish, Levi Leipheimer and their teams are so dedicated to the cleaning up of their sport, it gives me hope for the future.

Thanks David, for continuing the fight and being an honest, stand-up guy.

By: Qwacker

Qwacker — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:46:41 +0000

Hi David:

Well, I just read every comment so far……

I trust you feel the love….

Many of us still believe and will be cheering for you and you team today and tomorrow in Paris…. and at the races yet to come…..

Good on you, mate!

Please keep posting. You have a very special gift!

~Qwacker

By: Lozy

Lozy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:33:04 +0000

Wow, thank you Dave! We do believe!!!

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:28:58 +0000

I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you so much for this. I’m new to following the sport — I turned on the Tour this year to watch stage eight on a whim, knowing next to nothing about the world of cycling — but then I was hooked. I’ve been doing my best to learn what I can from watching and reading and pestering my boyfriend the cyclist, and in that process I can’t help but come across all of the scandalous bits about doping, and they’re disheartening. I was stunned when Beltran and Duenas and then Ricco were caught. Who wants to cheer for riders when it feels like most of the main contenders are cheaters? But since then I’ve come to learn more about Christian Vande Velde and Mark Cavendish and everyone else on the Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia teams, and to a lesser extent members of CSC and Silence-Lotto, and it just feels like you all have such heart, and that’s refreshing, and it’s restoring my hope and excitement and my new love for the world of cycling.

My best to you and to the rest of the team!

By: LaForce

LaForce — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:50:58 +0000

wow, great words mr. millar!! i love following the team and its story.

By: JP

JP — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:26:44 +0000

David,

Thank for stating what has been on my mind since the first time I heard Ricco tell of his hero.

I have always loved Christian, was sad when he left Postal - and as they say when a door closes a window opens . . . He is showing what I think his fans (and family) knew all along. Christian you are a winner.

David you are turning into a person I can respect, which hasn’t always been. People can and do change and I’m glad to see for the better.

Go Argyle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: PB

PB — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:15:55 +0000

David -

Your support of your teammate is admirable and respectable, including your decision to race through your past transgressions (which need not to be mentioned any further by you - you paid your price).

I agree - Christian has a right to be angry and he can channel that anger and determination into something special. He has a shot to win this thing and Garmin-Chipotle is a team to be reckoned with now and in the future.

However, without your support and leadership, he wouldn’t have the chance he has now. It’s good that you are there to guide him and the team forward.

By: Annie

Annie — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:31:09 +0000

With the likes of the Riccos of the sport, it really brings to focus the importance of Team Garmin-Chipotle and Team Columbia at the Tour. You guys have been up in the overall classification, wearing leaders jerseys, getting in the breakaways, and winning stages…..and you have done it clean. I think that speaks to the talent, courage, determination, and integrity of the riders of those 2 teams.

Looking forward to watching the rest of the Tour….and we will of course continue to cheer for the Garmin-Chipotle riders all the way to Paris!