I have to say, when I first heard about Tyler Hamilton’s press conference announcing his retirement, I was a bit stunned. For top-level athletes, retirement is a bittersweet moment, no matter how that retirement comes. Could be after a long, glorious career, or because of a career-ending injury, or any of a thousand other scenarios that one can conjure up. But one of the worst ways to say goodbye to your sport must be with a doping accusation hanging over your head. Especially after having suffered through one suspension already, and knowing that the next punishment handed down would be — in effect or in reality — a lifetime ban from competition.
For Hamilton, this has to be an awful day. And maybe a liberating day, too. He’s been battling a demon for the last five or six years that is a wily bastard. One that can beat you down, even if on the surface you’re living a charmed life. Depression. Depression sneaks up on you. Stalks you. And once it’s got hold of you, it slowly but surely drags you into a deep funk, the likes of which it’s difficult to imagine or believe for those of us who have never been there.
The guys who race and who make it to the highest level of our sport are tough. Physically and mentally. You have to be physically tough to endure the kind of pain and suffering it takes to compete in a race like last weekend’s Paris-Roubaix, for example. For six hours or more, your body takes a pounding over alternately rough and not-quite-so-rough roads. Two hundred fifty nine kilometers. I can’t even imagine riding that much at one time, though once upon a time I did road races about half that distance and lived to tell the tale.
There are few riders tougher than Tyler Hamilton. You want tough? This guy once rode the Giro in so much pain he ground a dozen teeth to stumps. He finished the Tour de France after having broken his collarbone. And when he did, he was one step off the podium. Only three guys in that edition of the Tour put down faster overall times. The rest? They weren’t even riding through the kind of pain he was. That’s tough, my friend.
Cyclists like to talk about suffering on their rides — at least, the ones I’ve ridden and raced with. Sometimes it’s joking around. But sometimes it’s deadly serious. Sometimes racers inflict physical discomfort to weed out those who aren’t tough enough. There’s a kind of Darwinian machismo to it all.
In addition to that physical toughness, one has to be mentally tough, too. Enduring that suffering, day after day, week after week, through a season that lasts from late January until October or November takes more than just physical guts. It takes mental guts. Because soon enough, if you didn’t have enough mental stamina, the relentless beatings that the cycling life has to offer will drag you down.
So, given that mental and physical toughness is part of the game, it would be damned hard for a competitive cyclist, especially one at the top of the sport, to admit he was depressed and to seek treatment. Hamilton was smart enough to get help back in 2003, when depression first grabbed on to him.
Unfortunately, the intervening years since have been less than kind. Rightly or wrongly, Hamilton was accused of blood doping at the Vuelta á España in 2004. He fought as hard as he could to clear his name, but in the end wound up serving a two-year suspension that ended in September 2006. Coming back to the sport in 2007, he was able to race briefly before rumors of his alleged involvement in Operación Puerto caused the Tinkoff Credit Systems team to sideline him for most of the season. Eventually, they canceled his contract. Coming back again in 2008, Hamilton found a new team in Rock Racing, but he was barred from participating at the Tour of California. “No one tainted by doping allegations allowed,” said the ToC’s organizers. To say the comeback trail hasn’t been easy would be an understatement.
Somewhere in the last year, Hamilton and his wife wound up divorcing. One can only imagine the kinds of stresses that fighting to clear his name from 2004 through 2006 must have caused. On top of whatever emotional turmoil the couple experienced, there was a financial cost, too. Hamilton spent a reported $1 million on his unsuccessful attempts to appeal his case. That’s the kind of stress that could easily destroy a marriage.
And yet, even with all of that swirling around him, Hamilton managed to win the 2008 US Road Championship.
But the stresses kept coming. By the early part of 2009, Hamilton’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Could it get any worse? Apparently, it could. In order to cope with the stresses he was feeling, Hamilton doubled the amount of anti-depressants he took. But it didn’t work. So he quit the drugs. Went cold turkey. It appears that he didn’t consult a doctor in making either change, either. Big mistake.
The problem is, making sudden changes in these kinds of medications can lead to some, well, unexpected and/or unfortunate results. Going cold turkey is often a recipe for disaster. By early February, Hamilton was feeling pretty desperate, so he went and purchased an over-the-counter supplement that contained DHEA, which is on WADA’s banned substances list. After taking the supplement (Mitamins Advanced Formula, or some such thing), he got popped for an out-of-competition test. And here is where the new doping story begins.
Hamilton knew that the Mitamins supplement contained DHEA, but he bought it and took it anyway. This was a huge mistake, and it was preventable. Assuming, of course, that he was thinking rationally. But here’s the thing about depression: It clouds your judgment. People who are depressed will make bad choices. They will even do so realizing that they’re bad choices.
We all know how the test results came back. Positive for DHEA. Hamilton held a press conference today where he discussed his positive test, his depression and announced that he was retiring from the sport. He took responsibility for his actions and said he was ready to accept the consequences. Good for him for doing so.
But at the same time, it’s a shame. Because no matter what punishment gets handed down, Hamilton is certainly done as a professional cyclist. The only remaining question is whether or not USADA will impose a lifetime ban, or whether they might show him some mercy. Depending on the outcome, he may (or, I suspect, may not) be able to work in professional cycling in some capacity in the future.
It’s a shame to have to retire from the sport with all of that hanging over his head. But it sounds like Hamilton has a sense of perspective on all that’s transpired. Joe Lindsey at Bicycling.com quotes Hamilton as saying:
“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. […] now I need to take care of myself.”
And the BBC reported:
“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.”
Cycling is just a sport. And there are things in life more important that being the quickest person from Point A to Point B. I certainly hope that Tyler Hamilton can find the help he needs to get back on his feet.
Great post, Rant. I have suffered from depression, plus Panic disorder. I remember days when I could barely get out of bed. I lost my job. But that was a relief. Even thought I’d had no idea what was going to happen to me. I just wanted to live a “normal” middle class life. Nothing special. That dark hole makes you wonder if it’s worth living? I had made my mind up years before that it was worth living.
I feel that for Tyler, what ever the USADA does to him is nothing compared to what he’s been living with. And I pray he finds his way out of the darkness and pain he’s in.
I’d be depressed too if I cheated the sport that I supposedly love by doping and then denying that very fact. What came first: Tyler’s medical condition or his LYING and CHEATING.
I’d be depressed too if I realized that I was a douchebag and everyone who wasn’t a dupe knew I was a douchebag.
It’s depressing when you realize that you’ve made a mess out of your life and you have no way to get out of the tangled web of lies and denial that you have created.
Please save your sympathy for people who suffer from illnesses that they haven’t significantly brought about BY THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
It’s time for Tyler to just go away and stop inflicting himself on us.
I haven’t watched cycling since 2006 and am rapidly losing interest in any other sports. I haven’t seen a bunch of people more concerned with “purity of blood” since the gang that ran Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.
Well, when you’ve spoken with two of the blood doctors who have actually seen the evidence in the trial, and they say things like, “There’s no way he’s guilty – the evidence is genetically impossible. He would’ve died of blood poisoning first.” You tend to start believing that USADA and WADA were up to their pre-Landis tricks.
Nice post Rant, I feel so much sympathy for Tyler, this has to be awful. At least now he can address the depression that has haunted him and get on with the rest of what can be a very productive life.
str
Non believer,
I doubt you’ll read this, but if you do: By the timeline that Hamilton provided, the depression set in a full year before he was accused of blood doping at the Vuelta. So it appears that the medical condition came first. People who lie and cheat, on some level, know that they’re lying and cheating, and usually understand the consequences if they’re caught. While they may be “depressed” by what those consequences are — after they’ve been caught, that is — it’s not clinical depression they suffer. It’s the sadness and frustration and shame of being caught. And perhaps even a twinge of guilt for the suffering or embarrassment they’ve caused to friends, families — and in the case of pro athletes, even their fans. Real depression? No, not by a long shot.
I’ve always respected Hamilton’s athletic abilities. And he’s had a reputation within the peloton of being a genuinely nice guy. But I’m not a huge Hamilton fan. As RW points out, when you look at the evidence in his blood doping case, you may come to a different conclusion than the arbitration panel. That doesn’t make you a dupe. A skeptic, perhaps, but not a dupe.
Apparently, you also believe that people can’t learn from their past. And yet, instead of vigorously denying that he did anything wrong, Hamilton clearly admitted that he knew he was taking a supplement that contained a banned substance, and that he accepts whatever punishment will be meted out for the infraction. If you believe he did lie and cheat back in 2004, doesn’t this show that he’s learned something in the intervening years?
Your comments belie your ignorance of what clinical depression is. But you’re not alone. Plenty of folks have the same ideas about depression as you. Maybe a few cycling fans will actually take the time to learn about clinical depression because of Hamilton’s situation. If so, that would be at least one good thing that comes out of his current situation.
You are a perfectly horrible person who apparently can’t look beyond the sporting realm, see a person who’s dealing with a real illness and have even the slightest bit of compassion. Regardless of what “caused” his illness (and it runs in his family, if you’ve read any of the stories in the last couple of days), and regardless of what he may have done in the past, most reasonable people could still find it in their hearts to at least feel a little sympathy for the guy.
Definition of DUPE
Main Entry: 1dupe
Pronunciation: ‘düp also ‘dyüp
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French duppe, probably alteration of huppe hoopoe
: one that is easily deceived or cheated : FOOL
Yes, whoeveryouare. I am a perfectly horrible person for seeing things as they are not as they should be.
I’m not going to waste time getting into a pissing contest with you on every one of your points . Here are 2 things.
1) Why do you take Tyler at his word but don’t trust the doping control people? Personally, I think they both make mistakes. EVERY athlete lies when he/she is caught. It’s human nature. Tyler has 3 strikes against him: blood doping, the evidence from Op Puerto and now this. If it was one infraction or he admitted to the original case in 2004 I’d have some sympathy for him.
What we’re dealing with here is sociopath behavior.
2) You’re so concerned for poor Tyler. The nice guy. What about the hundreds of athletes who’ve died experimenting with PED’s. Kids in elementary school are doping. After all, their heroes Tyler and Lance do it. I have sympathy for young athletes who are DUPED by criminals like Armstrong and Hamilton into thinking the end justifies the means.
What happens to their mental and physical health after years of doping? You don’t seem to know too much about pro sports esp. cycling. You wanna know a dirty little secret? All the top pro riders and a good portion of the domestiques use PEDS. They have programs set up within the teams to help them buy and use PEDS. They have procedures to beat doping controls and fight positives.
It’s a mafia-like racket. If you don’t wanna believe the truth stick your head back in the sand.
Tyler is finished. Won’t miss him. But I’m sure his arrogant friend Lance will get caught sooner or later. Save up some of your misplaced sympathy for Saint Lance.
He’s gonna need it when his house of cards comes tumbling down.
How a Mr. Floyd Landis would have responded. “I appologize for letting down the fans. I knew that I was taking a banned substance, and I realized that I’ve shot myself in the foot on my previous defence. Although you won’t believe me, I was indeed innocent and won the TDF fair and square, but I can understand how you would have a hard time believe that after this action I have taken. I am truly sorry, I have no excuse.”
How a Mr. Tyler Hamilton did respond. “I have taken a banned substance.. I don’t necessarily wish to appologize at this time, as I am justified in my actions because of my depression.”
If I was truely an evil person, and committed a crime of some nature. The folks that I would want on the Jury, are the same folks coming to the defence of Tyler at this time. Claim temporary insanity based on surrounding conditions and depression.
I will always remember Tyler for the broken collarbone stage. I will let the rest of him fade, and I wish him good luck in his future endeavors.
Austin Cyclist,
Point taken. Floyd would have handled the situation differently. I’m not sure that it’s fair to say Hamilton’s claiming temporary insanity based on depression, but that’s certainly one way to look at it. My point is that regardless of what we think of Tyler Hamilton’s past, if he has depression, a bit of compassion might be in order.
Non believer,
It seems you and I agree on something, and that is that both sides can make mistakes. Clearly the athletes can. The history of doping in sports is littered with a number of athletes — cyclists and others, some professional and some not — who’ve experimented with doping and come to some awful consequences, including death.
Many athletes do lie when they’re caught. We only need to go to the sports pages of the recent past to see that borne out. And there are times when the anti-doping authorities make mistakes, too.
I don’t just take the athletes at their word. If you’ve come to that conclusion, you’re missing the point of my post. As I said above, the point is that whatever Hamilton’s past is with regard to doping, we ought to be able to find some compassion for an individual who’s suffering from depression.
Regarding Hamilton’s connection to Operacion Puerto, the odd thing is that almost two years after USA Cycling/USADA supposedly received a dossier detailing his connection to the case, nothing’s happened. The only conclusion I can draw from that is that the evidence must not be too convincing. Not convincing enough to launch an anti-doping case. That doesn’t mean he’s not connected, however.
As for the long-term effects of doping, I’m well aware that the abuse of steroids has been connected to various types of behavior changes, and not for the better. No one’s alleged that Hamilton used steroids, or that he did in the volume necessary to bring about such changes. But if you’ve got some evidence, use the contact form and send it to me. I’d be happy to take a look. (On the other hand, the recent stories do speak of a history of depression in his family, and there is a tendency for depression to run in families.)
As far as I’ve seen in researching doping, I’ve never run across anything that suggests that blood doping or the use of EPO can lead to sociopathic behavior, or depression. Again, if you’ve got the documentation that shows it, I’m happy to look it over.
As for my concerns about kids doping, my message to anyone considering doing so is clear. Don’t. It’s not worth it.
Who am I and what do I know about pro sports and doping? Well, since you asked, I wrote a book on the history of doping in sport, which covers the late 19th century to today. It’s not the Encyclopaedia Dopaica, but it does cover a wide range of stories and a number of sports, with an considerable amount of coverage to various doping scandals in cycling.
Re. depression, I think many people attracted to cycling are prone to depression–it’s often practiced in solitude, and like all aerobic exercise it is a kind of natural high. It’s also well established that riders at the top of the sport can be prone to the kind of chemical imbalancies that characterize depression, whether after retirement or (apparently in Hamilton’s case) at the height of glory. And it’s also well-established that drug use can exacerbate depression (sry Rant, I don’t have any direct evidence but there are plenty of anecdotal cases in cycling…start with Pantani and Jimenez and what Manzano has told us about their psychology)….and I hope everyone is capable of understanding Hamilton was taking PEDs the entire time.
I have no doubt that Hamilton is telling the truth re. the depression….I simply find it impossible to believe he would take a banned substance for that reason. Please don’t get into the “this substance isn’t performance enhancing” routine–that’s just retarded people. It’s been very well established over a number of years and doping scandals that Hamilton is not credible and is a self-serving individual (another trait of depressed people).
So yeah, I agree with non believer that anyone who takes him looks like a fool. The same goes for equating someone like Tyler (a proven and repeated liar) with the doping authorities (who are simply doing their fing job). Sure, we can all have compassion for Hamilton (and believe me I do–I don’t want to see him die like Pantani any more than you do). Just don’t forget how convenient it is that this story emerges at precisely the time when he is being busted. Consider..who is going to be asking him about omerta and where he got his drugs after he cops this confession?
All the best to Hamilton, but if he wants to return to the sport at some level he should be prepared to produce credible answers on Puerto, on blood doping, and on this incident.
as someone who has been diagnosed with clinical depression and have taken various anti-depressant medications for the past 5 years I can speak from experience. I am on my 3rd medication. The first one (celexa) did not work at all, I went back to my doctor and received Prozac which worked for a few years, I was feeling like it had quit being as effective and went back to my doctor and got Effexor which has done a pretty good job. (Like Tyler I went through a divorce during this time) This spring I felt like I didn’t need it any more and let my prescription run out. After a week I realized I was not doing well, and got it refilled, and I felt better instantly. My point is that any good doctor would have told Tyler to come back if what he was on wasn’t working. As a professional athlete I would expect that Tyler received that same advice from his doctor. For him to give up on the med and not go back seems highly suspicious and irresponsible. Therefore I am not buying his excuses…
I have a couple of reasons why I will accept Tyler’s story until some evidence that he is lying surfaces.
First of all he tested positive for DHEA, and DHEA only. No other PEDs were found in his system. It doesn’t make sense to me that he (or anyone) would dope with DHEA alone, or that if he was using other PEDs he would be able to successfully mask all of them except the DHEA.
Second, either Tyler has depression and experience with anti-depressants, or he has a very close relationship with someone who has, or someone who is familiar with those things came up with the story for him. His story is certainly consistent with my own experience with depression and anti-depressants.
IMO, taking anti-depressants is a bit of an act of desperation in itself. Nobody wants to take them – especially tough guys who think they should be able to handle the depression themselves. I would bet that most people don’t start on them until after they’ve been through several cycles of depression, and are stuck in the middle of a cycle long enough and intense enough to be scary.
The same fear (e.g. of doing something stupid like hurting yourself) and desperation could easily lead someone to trying something like the Mitamins when in a depression and the anti-depressants aren’t working – even if there are risks like possibly failing an anti-doping control.
Ludwig Said:
“I have no doubt that Hamilton is telling the truth re. the depression….I simply find it impossible to believe he would take a banned substance for that reason. Please don’t get into the “this substance isn’t performance enhancing” routine–that’s just retarded people.”
An expert in the anti-doping field disagrees with you. He doubts DHEA is effective for either performance enhancement or treating depression. Do you have sources that contradict Scott, or are you just making it up as you go along?
From VeloNews:
“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.”
As cub says, I believe Tyler until presented with credible evidence to the contrary. This is the standard I use for anyone. I am pretty skeptical about circumstantial evidence that doesn’t follow basic rules of reliability. The term “science” springs to mind.
Tyler is the 2004 Olympic gold medal holder. How will the IOC treat him?
Ludwig,
I don’t necessarily disagree with you that certain types of drug use can exacerbate or bring on behavior changes. My point is that the drugs that Hamilton has either been accused of using or suspected of using don’t generally fall into that category. Pantani is an interesting example that you bring up. His untimely end had to do with the abuse of certain recreational drugs, like cocaine, which used in large quantities can have some of the effect that both you and Non believer suggest. I’d have to look more into Jimenez’s case, as I don’t remember the details all that well right now.
But citing Pantani seems to me more on point with what I was saying, actually. His drug use may well have contributed to his downfall. That seems to be a very reasonable conclusion to draw from the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death. Blood doping, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to be something that would bring on mental illness. With a family history of mental illness, it seems pretty likely that explanation is closer to the mark. Occam’s razor and all.
There is a merit to discussing what drugs truly give a performance enhancing benefit and what drugs don’t, even if you think that’s for the “retarded.” Sure, many athletes use stuff in the belief that it works, and the placebo effect can be powerful, even if the snake oil isn’t. And there are definitely some drugs and techniques that enhance performance. No doubt about that, either. It’s worthwhile sorting out which is which. Everyone is best served when the list of performance enhancing drugs is based on solid evidence and research, rather than conjecture or untested theories.
That said, since Hamilton acknowledged taking the supplement containing DHEA and knowing that DHEA was on the banned list, it doesn’t really matter in his case. He knew it was banned and for whatever stupid reason (or lack of reason) he took it anyway. He says he’s willing to accept whatever punishment is imposed. There won’t be a huge fight over guilt or innocence, although there may be a fight over the length of the ban. In that case, maybe his team will make an argument that DHEA really doesn’t work. We’ll have to wait and see on that.
On the other hand, if, based on a careful review of evidence, DHEA (or any other drug on the current banned substances list) really doesn’t have a performance-enhancing effect, despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary, then it should be removed from the list. The only way that’s going to happen — if it should happen — is if there’s a discussion on the pluses and minuses of its use.
Skibby,
No doubt, taking a supplement that contains a banned substance was a hugely irresponsible thing to do. I really can’t fathom why Hamilton would have done that. Or why he would have adjusted his medication on his own, or why he would have quit taking it on his own, either. Depression can cloud one’s judgment, but why on earth didn’t he contact his doctor to get back on an even keel, dosage wise? It’s a puzzle.
Ludwig, not to re-fight the DPF war, but your idea of ‘proof’ wouldn’t hold muster in a US Court.
I dare say you’d fight just as hard to clear your name if you were accused of something you didn’t do. It’s happened to me, and it took 8 months to clear my name, and I was NEVER exonerated in the public’s eye.
Clinical depression is a shifty disease. Like a previous poster – some meds work some times, some times you adapt and they lose their effectiveness. If you’re a globe-trotting cyclist, it can be damned difficult to keep up with meds, doctors, therapy, and even translations, not to mention what’s legit in certain countries and what isn’t. I also agree that the doctor should’ve been on top of this a bit more.
Venomous haters like a certain wife in Michigan, and some anonymous posters in DPF, as well as yourself, are now going to blow a 2-day consumption of a supplement in to an entire conspiracy that includes cheating at the US National Championships. I’d hate to be related to you. Your evil in your attempt to blow the cover off of this alleged doping syndicate and the athletes you claim as suspects really smacks of McCarthyism.
Each case on its’ own merits, in a balanced, objective, non-influenced court of law or arbitration with fair and balanced rules, regulations, and penalties.
What happened to this latest round of athlete convictions was anything but. And honestly, the athletes lack the funds to continue their fights in a legal court, with lawsuits. It’s almost impossible to break the “Omerta” of the ADA’s and NGB’s. If you want the ultimate insiders’ game, go look at USAC. A bigger group of “Good ol’ Boys” playing with your license money, I’ve never, ever, witnessed before.
Jeff,
Paul Scott works for Rock Racing. In other words, his opinion is not neutral, and Velonews has no business citing him as an expert. The dopers can always produce some kind of expert to call WADA guidelines into question–see the Landis case.
Rant,
There is a very simple and rational explanation why Hamilton would take a banned substance. Occam’s Razor peeps.
As for PEDs and drugs, I’m not an expert on this at all–I can only cite anecdotal examples like that of Manzano where he describes how easily cyclists turned to recreational drugs and how he believed they were trying to mimic the sensations they derived from PEDs (he spoke specifically of Pantani and Jimenez on this score–the other (non-deceased) names he kept confidential). I know that more knowledgable people than myself over at the DPF forums are convinced there is a strong correlation here. Incidentally there is a book by Skibby (Jesper Peterson) where this phenomenon is also discussed.
R Wharton,
Again, the whole reason why this explanation is so convienient is anyone who doubts Hamilton can be easily dismissed as an insensitive hater. I don’t doubt he was depressed, I just think there is more than enough evidence to indicate Hamilton isn’t credible and that it is highly unlikely he’s telling the whole truth here.
There’s still doping, there’s still omerta. Keep yr eye on the ball. Peace.
Ludwig said:
“Paul Scott works for Rock Racing. In other words, his opinion is not neutral, and Velonews has no business citing him as an expert. The dopers can always produce some kind of expert to call WADA guidelines into question–see the Landis case.”
Are you implying your opinion is neutral? Are you better equipped to offer an expert opinion on the issue? What about Scott’s opinion, other than him not being perfectly neutral, which I’ll stipulate, do you disagree with, and why-from a scientific standpoint? As an aside, I’m not sure you are correct about Scott currently working for Rock Racing. The contract ended at the changing of the year, 2008/2009. He may currently be employed by Rock Racing, or not. It’s entirely plausible that Scott was there to answer any possible questions about his testing program in 2008 and then added his comments about DHEA?
WADA guidelines are frequently questionable and sometimes just plain wrong.
Ludwig said:
“There’s still doping, there’s still omerta. Keep yr eye on the ball. Peace. ”
There’s still WADA, they are carving out their own giant slice of the omerta pie. Keep your eye on the ball. Peace.
I was too bummed out to react to Tyler’s confession, and can’t help but think “Where else can a bunch of strangers who love cycling turn into ‘snarling wolves’ at each other’s throats”?
Answer: … Tyler’s latest ‘situation’.
Oh, man, TyHam, I can’t say whether you wanted to race, more than ‘get caught’, because you obviously knew or should have known that these actions were traceable. Depression, divorce, mom, ‘memories’, ‘acts’: which of these took control of your emotional state?
It certainly appears to be a confession of diminished valour, since it followed a Control: shades of Martina Hingis, who’d tested Positive for cocaine metabolites during Wimbledon.
We won’t ever ‘control’ the acts of individuals, in the sense that, thinking they’re smarter than the system, they continue to operate outside the desired framework, and ahead of the tests’ capability.
We can, however, ‘control’ the acts of the system that would evidently rather ‘punish’ their constituents (Athletes) into a better framework, simply by using our power of voice to point out how deficiently designed or maintained are certain aspects of the system.
In spite of WADA having a ‘standardization and harmonization’ director, being the same individual for at least five years, there is little evidence that WADA’s 33-34 labs are using the same number of ‘testosterone metabolites’ to create a positive Result. Other examples abound; Lance is facing the ambiguities between ‘blank boxes’ on signed forms by an under-oath DCO, and subsequent insinuations of ‘irregular behaviour’.
Tyler’s first ‘conviction’, as remarked dissenting Arbitrator Campbell, was based on a test that was interpreted in the hearing as positive because the ‘expert’ said: ‘I know it when I see it’. That’s purely subjective, and thus a non-quantifiable result, coming from a non-standardized procedure from one lab. That fact enraged Campbell, and his words were as scathing as in his Dissent of Landis decision.
Diatribe? Sure is.
Guilty? Hamilton says he is, this time. Source of his depression? I’d like to think somewhat as a utopian: he IS a ‘good guy’, and was (perhaps) totally conflicted through maintenance of a growing body of lies through a number of years. Lies to himself? Wife (who testified so strongly in his case)? The Public? USADA?
Maybe for Tyler ‘one confession fits all’…? I don’t know.
ZENmud
I’m not sure I follow the Hingis reference. Hingis did not confess after the positive test result, and as far as I know, still maintains she was innocent. She retired rather than fight the charge – probably learned from Landis’ case.
“In other words, his opinion is not neutral, and Velonews has no business citing him as an expert.”
Statements like this just tell me someone is not going to listen to anything that goes against their beliefs. “His opinion is not neutral,” is an irrelevant argument. Who’s opinion is neutral? That just diverts from the real question. The question is whether his statement is true or false.
I know there are plenty of questions about Tyler’s case that should make a person with an open mind at least wonder a little bit.
And as far as taking something he knew he shouldn’t have, maybe he wanted to get caught. Maybe it was a cry for help. Or maybe, when you’re depressed, you’re not always in your right frame of mind.
Ken S. said:
“And as far as taking something he knew he shouldn’t have, maybe he wanted to get caught. Maybe it was a cry for help. Or maybe, when you’re depressed, you’re not always in your right frame of mind.”
Since there is a lot of speculation here, and much of it in Hamilton’s favor, on this site, how about a dissenting view?
Since Hamilton had 6 weeks to come up with an excuse I’m a little surprised at his response. I trust my gut feeling on this one. I’m no doping expert but I know bullshit when I see it and Hamilton is so full of it the whites of his eyes have turned brown.
Ok, so I accept he has been diagnosed with Depression. I know plenty of people with mental illnesses but none of them act in the self-serving, dishonest, holier than thou douchebag way that TH has. His personality or character is what is in question here. Not his medical issue.
Okay, I hear the “nice guy” mantra again and again. And I believed it for a while. I was a dupe too until I really listened to what people who’ve actually met TH say about him. The fanboys gush about him and most of the rest say that he is not a nice guy. A phony, a douchebag, a jerk.
So here is what I think happened. He got popped after he was in Mexico working on his “preparation” for the season. The authorities offered him a deal. Cop to bad judgement brought on by your illness and we’ll let you fall on your sword. We’ll hide the sleazy details of your positive and you, Tyler promise to just go away. For good.
The fanboys will wear their “I believe Tyler” buttons and follow him around like lapdogs. TH can be the posterboy for clinical depression which will hide what a lying scumbag he really is and you know, that guy who Tyler most wants to be like, Saint Lance, he might even give him a spot on the “Holier than Thou” tour.
Of course, Tyler has to keep his mouth shut. Can’t talk to Paul Kimmage or anyone who might try to get at the truth. Take it like a man just like ol’ Floyd.
Go ahead. Attack me personally. Call me a cynic or a “perfectly horrible person”
This story isn’t over.
nb, I have no way of knowing if anything is true unless I am presented with credible evidence one way or the other. I simply choose to rely on Occam’s Razor to decide such things. TH may in fact be lying, and what you cite may be true. But…why would The Authorities offer such a deal to him? If they could really pop him, it is most certainly a giant coup for them to simply do their thing, and show their system *works* – that they were right all along. My feeling is that they were indeed planning to do just that, and TH had no alternative but to admit the truth.
For now, we can simply establish that TH used a banned substance, as he has admitted that. He has also claimed being disagnosed with a disease and ailment, surely something that can be verified. I have no reason to doubt that it is true. TH claims a causal connetion between the disease and his use of the banned substance. Why would we doubt it? Because someone else claims TH is a douche?
But, as you rightly point out, TH admits he knowingly took the prohibited substance, and he regrets his error. Indeed, why did he not simply come forward a short period afterwards, confess and retire? Because objectively, he tried to cheat. Maybe for the wrong reasons, maybe because his condition interfered with his judgment, but he did knowingly cheat. So how can we trust his word? Or, as every trial lawyer likes to ask, “were you lying then, or are you lying now…or was it both?”
The problem, or course, is that “see? we were tight all along” *in this case* doesn’t justify imposition of a Code that lessens the requirement that the State present its proof *in a future case*.
eightzero said
“nb, I have no way of knowing if anything is true unless I am presented with credible evidence one way or the other.”
There is absolutely no way to argue with your logic. And despite my tirade I really believe in the truth and getting at it in a straightforward, beyond all reasonable doubt kind of way. I am just really irritated at what the pack of prima donna athletes have done to the sport of cycling. It is very difficult to get a positive on a cheater. They are always one step ahead of the authorities. To test positive you have to be sloppy, arrogant or unlucky.
My point is that most people that have commented on TH’s latest positive, on this site and others swallow his present “spin” hook, line and sinker. I happen to believe that past actions and behavior are a good prediction of future behavior and actions. I’m sure the doping organizations make mistakes and without going into the minutiae of TH’s past doping offenses, I believe he got popped fair and square.
He didn’t have the guts to admit it and take his punishment like a person with integrity. He pulled a “Lance” and attacked those whose job it is to root out the cheaters. Plenty of athletes who have no history of mental illness pull the same crap. DENY DENY DENY
Everyone who comments about poor Tyler seems to forget about all his past transgressions. Where is the sympathy for those riders who don’t lie and dope?
What about those domestiques who labor in obscurity for low pay while the wheelsucking “stars” play with needles and make all the money?
Common sense is in short supply in this world. But in the murky world of pro sports
things aint so simple.
Personally, I hope Tyler straightens his life out. But if he is to do that he better start with a little self knowledge. Denial always stifles personal growth. And IMHO this guy is in a serious state of denial.
Maybe TH is saying the truth in this case but he is suffering of his previous lies and of the lies of others athletes.
We have many testimonies of retired riders who had or are still suffering of that kind of illness. In most of the cases it’s resulting of PED use as athletes. That is one of the danger of doping.
Richard pointed earlier that Tyler could have said the truth about his blood problem.
I must confess that I never followed TH previous case closely. But I am a bit surprise because I do think that would still be easy to prove that he were/is true. He has just to give some more blood, and a new analyse should reveal the blood of his chimera. That seems simple or am I missing something here ?
About the blood poisonning possibility, I suppose that could arrive in case of more bad blood but if there were just small amount of bad blood like a contamination or a bad cleaning of the material like the centrifuge?
Riders and athletes will have to suffer of that kind of problem until their credibility will be restored. We are seeing some improvements but there is still a lot to do.
Anybody here a psychiatrist or psychologist? There seems to be a lot of diagnosing going on: TH’s depression is the result of doping, or maybe that his doping is the result of his depression or whatever. I for one am far from qualified to make such statements, even if I were privy to all the gory details, which we don’t.
What do we know for sure? TH did test positive recently and has admitted taking something with a prohibited substance in it. We also know he was sanctioned in 2006 for blood doping, that he denies that, fought it and lost.
Whether or not TH has been a lying scumbag all along or not, we can feel some sympathy that he has come to this situation.
nb,
You spin an interesting yarn. The part that I have a hard time believing is that USA Cycling/USADA would offer Hamilton a deal to just walk away. I’m not entirely sure I see what’s in it for USADA and USA Cycling. Sure, they wouldn’t have to spend the money to litigate, but that’s mostly on USADA’s shoulders, not USA Cycling’s. The only good for USA Cycling is that a quick resolution doesn’t drag the sport through the mud one more time. But there’s also the saying, “Any publicity is good publicity.”
On the other hand, USADA needs to justify their existence to those who fund them. That’s the federal government and the USOC, roughly 70% and 30%, respectively. Nabbing a pretty big fish is one way to keep those folks happy, as it shows (kind of) that anti-doping system works (kind of). So they have a pretty good incentive to prosecute him in a very public way. That just makes a better case for their continued existence.
If you look at the history of doping in cycling, though, it’s not just the recent prima donnas who’ve doped who have cast the sport in disrepute. Doping goes back a long, long way. And not just at the upper levels of the sport. But, I’ll grant you, the scandals involving big name cyclists over the last decade or more have certainly added significant damage the sport’s reputation.
To some extent, I think some of the powers that be at the IOC and WADA like it that way. Cycling is big enough to make the news, but it’s not the most dominant sport in Europe or the States. So it makes a good whipping boy. Same for track and field.
“See, we’re getting tough on the evil dopers,” the ADA’s can say, while very little really changes for biggest sports — either in the Olympics or in professional sports like football (both the US version and what we call soccer).
Now, we’ll see how this all plays out. If there was some kind of deal, I think that USADA has to get more out of it than just avoiding the expense of prosecuting Hamilton. If he had some incriminating stuff on another athlete, perhaps that information would be of value to them. But given how strictly Hamilton’s stuck to his own story so far, I’d find it hard to believe that he would suddenly start singing like a stool pigeon.
The only thing that Hamilton would get out of a shortened suspension is the ability to work in cycling in some other capacity than as a racer once the suspension is done. At 39 or 40 or whatever age he would be, he’s not going to have much of a future as a competitor, once his sanction ends. Maybe as a coach or as a directeur sportif or as a team owner or something else. But any of that would hinge on some sponsor or team who would be willing to back him. I’m not so sure how likely that is, even with a short suspension.
There’s a very good chance that Hamilton may not be able to find a place in the sport once he’s served his time. It may be time for him to dust off that diploma from CU and consider what he’s going to do next. Grad school, if he can afford it, might be a good way to ride out the worst of our economic downturn, as well as the suspension that USADA is almost certainly going to impose.
nb wrote: “So here is what I think happened. He got popped after he was in Mexico working on his “preparation” for the season. The authorities offered him a deal. Cop to bad judgement brought on by your illness and we’ll let you fall on your sword. We’ll hide the sleazy details of your positive and you, Tyler promise to just go away. For good.”
Not in one million years would they do that, it’s just not in their nature. They crucify, and they love being able to do it as publically as possible.
And everything that Rant just said.
Tyler is a tragic figure for many reasons, and deserves help. There is an addictive element to any substance abuse, no less for PED’s than for many other drugs. That’s one of the things that often gets forgotten in this anti-doping regime. If the organizations that hunt down and prosecute athletes that they think are doping all in the name of Ethics and Morals and Justice, then they have a responsibility to act ethically, morally and justly.
This means prosecuting cheaters, and not letting anybody away with anything, but should include offering help to those who need it, and anyone who takes PED’s is an addict.
An athlete who takes PED’s doesn’t make the decision to do so in a vacuum, and the sport community as a whole (which includes anti-doping organizations) needs to remember that throwing one of their own out into the cold does nothing to remedy the situation.
Jello.
PS to nb – you know what else stifles personal growth? A total and complete lack of ability to react in a humane way to human tragedy, and a propensity to kick someone when they’re down. Personally, I hope you can straighten yourself out too.
Regarding the past several posts,
Jean C, there are many people from the general population that are suffering from depression who never rode a bike in competition or took PEDs. Depression associated with cycling and PEDs is currently anecdotal.
William Schart,
You are correct. Amateurs, equipped with an incomplete fact base and little to no professional training will not likely diagnose TH or the implications of his condition correctly over the interweb.
NB seems to have a mean streak.
The notion that “past performance is an accurate predictor of future behavior”, is an overly broad generalization. (sometimes yes, often times no) That would also assume USADA/WADA had it right wrt TH blood doping in the first place, which is more than questionable.
There is also the notion that “those who spew venom and are unforgiving about the assumed bad behavior of individuals they have little to no personal contact with, are providing cover for their own bad behavior”. (Pick from your favorite fallen politician, fallen TV evangelist, fallen local preacher) This is also an overly broad generalization, but I hope NB can get the help he seems to need if he can’t find a way to tone things down a bit. The act of kicking someone when they are down is usually not a positive one.
FWIW
“I am just really irritated at what the pack of prima donna athletes have done to the sport of cycling.”
I just don’t get this type of reasoning. First of all, as if the cyclists are the only ones guilty. Rant said a lot of good stuff earlier, so I’ll repeat some of it. Like what have they done? Taking something extra to help has always been a part of the sport. It’s not new. And part of the reason you don’t hear about it as much in other sports is because they tend to ignore it more.
And what about the organizations that have arbitrary rules on what is legal and what isn’t? And they follow their own rules, except when it’s inconvenient, then they’re just guidelines, not actual rules. And sometimes the drugs they ban are things that if you or I took might be very helpful to our health and considered good for us. Yet they’re illegal for someone because he or she is considered an athlete, even though it may actually hinder their performance.
And I always like the people who claim, “They all cheat.” Well, if they’re all on PEDs, I guess none of them are getting a real advantage then are they? And the fact is, you can give me all the PEDs you want, I’m still going to get disqualified for being outside the time limit pretty quickly.
Finally, and most relevant to this post, it seems to me that most people here, while expressing opinions on TH guilt or innocence, have mainly been offering support for TH and that he’s able to work through his problems and come out a better person. Isn’t that a good thing even if you feel he’s done wrong in the past?
Jeff,
When you writre the Your logic is flawed
Jean C,
“Il 5% of the general population is suffering from depression and 30% of pro riders too, do you still think that link is anecdotal especially when a lot of retired riders have confessed of their addiction to drugs like pot-belge, and so …?”
Not my area so I don’t know what studies, tests, etc have been done. But seriously, there’s still all kinds of things to consider. What type of person becomes a cycling professional? Did the peds cause the depression or is there something else? I get a bit of depression as well. Many other artists I know do as well. Is it something in our personality that goes along with the artistic creativity? Or would you say the depression is because all artists like to have a glass of wine while discussing politics? Again, I’m not saying the peds don’t help cause the depression. But just because one group of people has a higher rate of depression than the normal population doesn’t mean the first thing you think of that they all might share or do is the cause.
“To move on, everyone (riders, management, organizers, federations, fans, …) have to face the truth and accept it.”
A good sentiment. But what is the truth and who decides?
Jean C,
Perhaps my explanation was truncated, but the logic was not flawed. A citation would be appreciated regarding your quoted 5% of the general population and 30% of pro riders being clinically depressed. I’d be surprised to learn that anyone has cared enough to study pro cyclists wrt clinical depression, much less to quantify those hypothetical results. If anyone has cared enough, I’ll be pleased and will gladly stand corrected.
Your contention is precisely anecdotal. Regardless of various confessions of ped or recreational drug use by former pros (an interesting aside), it’s anecdotal until the variables (like the ones Ken S mentioned in his post) are isolated, studied, quantified, and peer reviewed. Until then, there is much room for other explanations. You assume the one that seems to fit your agenda.
Please allow me play the devil’s advocate for a moment. WADA, and the associated ADAs, claim to be concerned for the health of the athletes they test. If you (Jean C) know there is a correlation between hypothetical rampant doping in the professional peloton and clinical depression in current & retired riders, surely they must be aware too. If WADA is aware of the correlation, it must also know severe depression can unfortunately lead to death by various means. If WADA knows this for fact, then why does WADA only seek to punish, with fines/sanctions/bans, these unfortunate athletes that are now suffering from mental illness? Why is there no incentive built into the system for the affected athletes to seek help that could possibly be lifesaving?
Your contention does not seem to correspond to WADA being an organization that is sincerely interested in the health of the athletes they test. FWIW.
Jean C,
In the interest of fairness I’ll throw you a bone:
http://velonews.com/article/12396
The good doctor agrees with me, in part, in that WADA is throwing out the baby with the bath water as it only punishes, and makes no attempt to rehabilitate.
The good doctor agrees with you, in part, in that she suspects doping has a correlation with mental illness.
Her conclusions, which may be entirely correct/substantially correct/substantially incorrect/entirely incorrect, are based upon anecdotal evidence.
Cheers
Jeff,
You can use a google research with words like sport drug addiction and you will find some interesting readings.
You can correlate it with the testimonies of Manzano, Rooks, Kibby, Mentheour, Voet,… and many other riders.
You can read the Donati’ report about doping
http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/Donati_Report_Trafficking_2007-03_06.pdf
Jean C,
I can google. Seems you can google too. Congratulations.
Are you assuming to take the liberty of offering the cite as part of a general reading assignment or are you trying to make a specific point or is this just another round of “look at the monkey, look at the silly monkey”? 109 pages of material does not sound like you are making a specific point. I’ve scanned Donati’s position paper and while it’s interesting background reading, well, it’s interesting background reading, but doesn’t seem to bolster your position. It does not appear to contain information that might be helpful in definig a direct relationship between doping in cycling, substance abuse, and mental illness, that is not anecdotal.
It’s curious WADA felt compelled to offer a disclaimer:
“The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the WADA. The content and views have not been independently authenticated. No legal liability or other
responsibility is accepted by or on behalf of WADA for any errors, omissions, or statements on these pages, or
any site to which these pages connect.”
When you have a point to make, let me know. I’ve seen enough silly monkeys at your behest.