Okay, put down your Philosophy 101 textbook and relax, we're not talking about a bunch of hairy guys in baggy corduroys sitting around a cafe pondering the meaning of Existence. We're actually talking about the hairless guys in Lycra who stop by the cafe on their bicycles and then go on to perform remarkable athletic feats - as well as those who have perhaps been aided by something stronger than caffeine.
Although aesthetically dissimilar, both philosophers and cyclists are generally concerned with notions of truth and meaning, creating their own tailored models of subjective reality and objective analysis with which to justify whatever life image they choose to portray. Sorry folks, but all signs point to our Selves being a function of many internal and external forces - a massive computation of desires, experiences and plain old luck - and not the pure reflection of any unique or innate mission or purpose that many of us would like to believe.
So...does one of these different groups really have a better understanding of the basic components of Human Nature which so often drive otherwise logical and thoughtful people to acts of dishonesty and manipulation - mental and physical, internal and external?
I doubt it. The same demons that plague cycling are surely present in all walks of life, no matter how sophisticated the endeavor.
So...just as in all things involving human beings, there is certainly no point is assuming (or hoping) that bike racing is going to be limited to participants who are unwilling to submit to the same temptations of greed, jealousy and dishonesty. At least I certainly don't think so. Sure, it's depressing...but not at all surprising.
So...now what? Well, I assume we don't want to get into a detailed Existential debate (at least not in this post) so why is there an expectation of a true reality in bicycle racing? Or Sports as a whole?
Maybe you know the answer. Or perhaps you have convinced yourself that you do. I sure don't.
We can choose whether or not to speculate on sliding scales of guilt or innocence and if we happen to be really motivated, we can actually take a critical look at the path taken get to this point in an attempt to find truth and meaning. But the thing is...hindsight is not always 20/20 either. And as always, the more you look - the more you find. Good and Bad.
So...putting down the Philosophy book and picking up the World History text, it can be safely concluded that those who have been the most successful (don't ask me to define "successful" please) are those who have subsequently controlled the manner in which their so-called history has been chronicled. Sadly, this does not speak well of the accuracy of our textbooks but does confirm the subjective nature of not only the world we currently live in, but also the world we as humans have always lived in.
Strangely though, Cycling History does not seem to be following this path. Instead of the "Victor" having control of his or her legacy, it seems we have gotten to the point where the act of winning is a guaranteed precursor to greater scrutiny and criticism. Despite the many disappointments of high-profile doping violations, this loss of presumed innocence is ultimately the biggest problem that cycling and the sports world as a whole will ever face.
My personal take is that there has probably been little to no change in the natural psychology and philosophy (Kill/Be Killed, Fight/Flight, Egocentrism, etc) of humankind since the recent advent of highly-potent performance-enhancing drugs. The people have not changed - the drugs have. The results may be more skewed with drugs like EPO but again, the history books tend to show that examples of lying and cheating are located individually and have nothing to do with the birthdate of the subject.
The reality (as far as I can assume) is that older generations of athletes would have been just as willing to plunge a needle or take a pill as the current and recent generations. The old guys just didn't have access to the good stuff, so they were left with amphetamines and whiskey. Well, I guess some things never change - or at least never leave the menu.
I've heard people say, "The older I get, the better I was."
I always chuckle and then subtly begin to wonder just how my history and that of my generation will vary depending on who writes it. Then I stop and remind myself to just enjoy the ride, the entertainment of sports and the fact that I am fortunate enough to worry about such things.
Wait, where was I again?
