Pat McQuaid is , as always, the consummate “diplomat”.
VeloNews updates the sad story of Tyler Hamilton.
From Bonnie Ford, Tyler Hamilton to retire after admitting that he knowingly used DHEA in an anti-depressant. Undoubtedly there will be more to come…
In an related article, Bonnie Ford provides a timeline of Hamilton’s career.
Here’s the AP piece on Tyler Hamilton’s admission of banned substance use.
And from Reuters via The Guardian.
Juliet Macur of the NYT also writes of the sad retirement of Tyler Hamilton.
CyclingNews also “flashes” the Hamilton story:
“I took a banned substance so I need to take whatever penalty they will give me and move forward,” Hamilton said. “Today is about my leaving the sport and to talk about my depression, not the past. I don’t want to talk about that anymore, it’s about moving forward and taking care of myself.”
“My future in the sport is yet to be determined. I’ll live with that. I have officially retired right now,” Hamilton told Cyclingnews. “Michael [Rock Racing owner Michael Ball -ed.] knows, but my teammates don’t know yet. It is a very difficult thing.”
Bicycling’s Joe Lindsey also covers Tyler Hamilton’s ill-starred departure from the peloton.
Although Hamilton accepts his complicity in the matter, he maintained that he took the supplement for mental health, not performance enhancement, and his attorney, Chris Manderson, said that he is still in settlement talks with USADA.
“It’s not appropriate to comment on the specifics,” he said, “but we’re looking to resolve this in a way that complies with the rules and also so that the arbitration panel can take the circumstances here into account.” As a repeat offender, Hamilton faces the possibility of a lifetime ban from cycling. Although his retirement effectively blunts that punishment, the ban would also apply to him having any kind of official role in pro cycling, which could substantially diminish his post-racing career opportunities.
For Hamilton, the primary focus now, he says, is on finally facing the illness that he’s put on the sidelines for so long. “I’ve been on medications for going on six years now,” he said of his decision to retire. “To put cycling or anything else ahead of my mental health would not be smart. I’ve given so much to the sport and now I need to take care of myself.”
Meanwhile, over at the Beeb, they quote Hamilton as saying:
“This isn’t about a test,” added Hamilton. “It’s a bigger issue. It’s a disease that I’m going through, that my family has gone through, that I need to take care of.“
“Cycling is just a sport, racing your bike from Point A to Point B. What I’m going through is so much bigger.”
Oh, great. I hope TH gets the help he needs.
And yeah, please no one say stories like this are depressing. Cheap.
Considering what he is going through with his Mom’s cancer I would hope no one says ANYTHING untoward. He reportedly admitted his use and will quit, I posted it because it is relevant news. I only hope he gets the space to deal, and the assistance he needs.
str
Depression is an awful beast to have to deal with. I certainly hope Tyler can get good treatment and move forward with his life. What a shame that he chose to use a product that contained a banned substance. And what a shame that the consequences of that choice will probably not take into account what he took and the reason he took it. Clearly he wasn’t thinking straight at the time. If he knew DHEA was in the product and took it anyway, that’s not exactly good judgment. But in the depths of depression, one’s sense of judgment often isn’t working so well. What an awful way to be forced into retirement.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/apr09/apr17news3
More information, and I wish him a true recovery. He doesn’t deserve to go out like this.
Thanks RW, I just posted the CN piece!
str
A bad set of circumstances for Tyler. He can probably do without the toxic atmosphere currently prevalent in pro cycling wrt anti-doping. A sad end to a riding career that could have turned out so much differently.
In the VeloNews article, Paul Scott says he doubts the substance is either performance enhancing or would improve depression:
“Hamilton was joined on the call by Rock Racing owner Michael Ball, attorney Chris Manderson and Scott Analytics president, Paul Scott. Scott was under contract in 2008 to conduct Rock Racing’s own internal monitoring program, a contract which expired in December. Scott said he doubted whether DHEA offered any significant benefit to an athlete hoping to gain a performance boost. “Frankly I don’t think it would be effective to treat depression, nor do I think it would be effective in enhancing performance,” he said.”
If Scott is corrrect, and he has the credentials to offer an expert opinion, then why is DHEA on WADA’s banned list for cycling and why is it a component insturmental in triggering an AAF or ending a rider’s career??? This is just one of many examples where the zelousness of the current incarnation of the anti-doping machine, which purports to strive to protect athletes, does real harm with no apparent benefit.
All the best to Tyler as he battles depression while worrying about the fate of his mom.
Joe Lindsay has never been terribly kind about Hamilton. I’ve often asked him to use his reporter’s mind and go up to Hamilton’s house, knock on the door, and ask for his time for the evidence, etc. Let’s see if he shows any more sympathy this time.
Well, one look at DPF and bikeradar shows that TH is getting absolutely drubbed. Guys, you can bite me. You’re as inhuman as you are self-righteous.
DHEA is a testosterone precursor, I believe. I’m sorry for Tyler — this comes off as something of a Paul Reubens moment, which doesn’t make it less final or painful. It’s not a good climate to be stumbling near the fire.
TBV
Right you are, TBV. DHEA is a precursor and it’s banned, whether or not it actually confers any performance benefit. Worse, Tyler actually realized it was in the Mitamins supplement and took it anyway. I feel bad for Tyler, because it is a kind of Paul Reubens moment.
The only real question now is whether USADA will show any sort of compassion or mercy. Given that he fought pretty hard on the previous go-round, I have a bad feeling about how they’ll treat him this time. My guess is that unless he opens up a bike shop, he’s going to be persona non grata in the world of competitive cycling for a good long time to come. It’s a real shame to see his career end on this note.
Really Sad.. in fact, I may need to take some Mitamins Advanced Formula to get thru this. wink wink..
Tyler and Ned FLandis (besides DZNuts and Horner) are/were my favorite cyclists.. I believed Tyler back in the day (blog w/ dog pics, how can he be bad?), but slowly could see some flaws in the armor. Based on the types of responses, character, and just subtle oddities. I haven’t seen those qualities with FLanders, and although I may never know with 100% confidence, I think Tyler somewhat ruined it for “the dude..”, who I still support (thanks in part to Rant and TBV). The whole deny deny thing is what Tyler started, and I see it to this day with the positive test we have now.. so, depression, eh? if you really had that.. do what most ppl do.. drink beer. Sorry about the divorce and the mom cancer deal.. my mom died of cancer, so I know firsthand what that’s like.. pretty sorry excuse to blame your cancer dying mom as reasoning for DHEA use Tyler.. Bye Tyler.
Austin,
You obviously didn’t follow the case as much as others, and you may not know TH as much as others. Silence would’ve had you bitching, and any explanation from him would’ve had you bitching. Your response was crass and cowardly. Maybe if we come across each other at a TXBRA event, you can explain yourself more clearly. Otherwise, you’re a coward.
I ‘know’ what happened. Tyler probably ran out of meds, after shuttling between CO and MA, and didn’t get his scrip renewed. He also came up short on the therapy that is necessary with the meds. He’s got a really sick mom, there’s tons of stress on the family (which was pretty damned supportive of him from 2004 on), he’s out of his marriage, he’s out of his house, he’s spending too much time up north and not on his bike, and he ends up in CA, at a camp, under fit, sort of stoned out of his gourd because of doubling down on his meds (no one said it was a smart move), and then dropping off of them completely (another bad move), and literally, in a sort of DT, he goes to the local hippie shop, and they sell him something with dandelion root or some other hokum, and it’s laced with a little naturally-occurring DHEA. He knowingly takes it for two days, maybe waiting ’till the doc’s office hours open up, but bingo! He gets popped by a surprise test.
Guilty? Sure. Culpable? I think it’s debatable.
But thanks to Zero-Tolerance ricks’ with a P like AustinCyclist here, you’ll have him out on his ass, on the street, and in an episode of “Intervention”.
He’s not a repeat-offender. He’s not guilty of that for which he was convicted (do some homework), and since Puerto is still officially nothing more than innuendo, I think you’d be better off leaving that argument on the sidelines until it is brought to case. DHEA does nothing for you, performance-wise. And Scott Analytics has his previous and post data, up to the end of 2008. So there was a gap of maybe 6 weeks.
You’re a heartless jerk, and if you take a spill on Bee Caves Road, I hope you suffer permanent, chronic pain from the road rash. It’s appropriate Karma.
Wharton.
I have followed the TH stuff. I’m sorry, I don’t believe him. That’s my opinion.. heartless jerk hellbound bastard that I am.. I have followed it. I have read all his twin arguments. I have seen the follow-ups why those arguments were taken out of context.. I’ve read all the stuff on Rant/TBV surround tyler.. I saw him race with the broken collarbone. I’ve argued for him countless times.. at some point, I wised up.. I just don’t buy it, I did initially.. Sorry you wish me to take a spill and suffer for having that opinion.. sounds like you have bigger issues with hate and depression than Tyler..
I believe in Floyd. Big BIG difference.
Also believe that the stage set by Tyler is part of the reason the system failed Floyd.
I don’t wish you any ill-will or injury.. despite our differences in opinion.
The PR campaign that Tyler and team put out, appears to work. So maybe it will be easier for him on the way out.. I wouldn’t want to go out like that.. but if he’s ok with it.. so be it.. The bottom line is he took a banned substance and admitted to it.. all the care-bears want to forgive him. Sorry, I’d rather defend the innocent.
If one is trying to take a neutral position until all the facts are in stance, then you’ll never know about Tyler and his blood doping case. There’s just not enough access to the facts of the case to determine. Some intelligent folks argued both sides. That WADA/USADA found against him can’t be a surprise if you followed Floyd’s case.
It’s a leap of faith or belief either way. Either you believe Tyler’s contention he did not transfuse or you trust WADA/USADA’s case against him. Knowing the system, I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to the rider when there are not enough facts in the public domain to determine.
Sounds like frustration on both sides. R Warton and austincyclist both used some harsh words. Call it even. Neither holds the higher ground there. FWIW.