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Written by: Myles McCorry @ BikePure

How will cycling change its own future if it continues to make the same
mistakes that have left the sport tarnished and damaged in the
past.

Today Erik Zabel self confessed doper became member of the ProTour
council of the International Cycling Federation (UCI), admittedly a
successful cyclist, a great cyclist- but why not hire one of the riders
that didn’t dope during their career to represent us?

Danish rider Michael Rasmussen who destroyed the 2007 Tour de France
has apparently found a team for 2010 and plans to ride a Grand Tour
next season, “I feel as confident as you can be that I will be riding a
Grand Tour” he told the Berlingske Tidende paper. The ’Chicken’ will
join Ricco and Vino who will continue to spread a virus of mistrust in
the peloton during the 2010 season.

World champion and renowned ‘clean’ rider Cadel Evans’ team
Silence-Lotto is on the lookout for a new team doctor for the upcoming
season after Daniel De Neve announced his retirement. The team are
considering the Spaniard José Ibarguren, current team doctor for
Fuij-Servetto, who formerly worked with Euskaltel-Euskadi and Saunier
Duval, the team haunted by a doping past of riders Iban Mayo, Leonardo
Piepoli and Riccardo Riccò.

We are stunned. José Ibarguren has had fifteen of his direct managed
riders caught doping during his career. “We are searching for an
experienced doctor and he seemed like a good candidate.” Please read
that again (we did) “…he seemed like a good candidate” said the Lotto
manager Marc Sergeant. How is this a step in the right direction? We
urge Mr Sergeant to consider all possible ramifications of this
partnership. We await a response, but it certainly won’t be good PR for
Silence-Lotto if they employ Ibarguren.

While the top teams are still staffed by doctors and ex-riders who
served their time during the 1990’s and early 2000’s where doping was
endemic, the mentality of acceptance of cheating will remain and
cycling will remain injured.