Twitter

Synopsis: A Roadmap to Repair Pro Cycling

Professional cycling, for all its faults, is a beautiful and compelling sport to experience.  The colorful flow of riders at top speed on the open road, chasing a breakaway; the grace under pressure of a rider in solo pursuit; the explosion of joy at the finish line – these are the unforgettable images of the sport. But also unforgettable are the images of Lance Armstrong and his like-minded conspirators, cheating the sport of its dignity. Daily reminders from on-going lawsuits and new revelations only reinforce the fact that cycling is broken. However, right now pro cycling has perhaps its best and last chance to “reboot” the system.   The recently elected executives of its governing agency – the Union Cycliste International (UCI) – should seize this rare, once-in-a-generation opportunity and reinvent the sport.  How many times has cycling falsely proclaimed a “fresh start?” Empty...

Fair Treatment Through Comparative Justice

Lance Armstrong and others continue to push for a version of “truth and reconciliation,” in which major contributors to corruption in professional cycling might receive amnesty in exchange for a full confession. While such admissions and information might broaden our understanding of the doping era, automatic amnesties will only benefit a few selfish individuals at the expense of many others. However, if a real truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) is held, they might get the fairness that they’re asking for, though perhaps not exactly as they envision. We hope that the Union Cycliste International (UCI) is able to springboard from its planned independent commission on into a TRC – so that the discoveries of the independent commission cannot be co-opted by a few individuals, or be used to deliver an incomplete story of cycling’s sordid recent past. Let’s assume that the logistical...

Independent Commission vs. Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Exerpt test