The entire United States 4x100m relay team have been stripped of their London 2012 Olympic silver medals as a consequence of Tyson Gay’s drugs ban.

Now, Gatlin is also a troublesome individual, but let’s assume, for the sake of argument that Trell Kimmons, Ryan Bailey, Jeffery Demps and Darvis Patton are entirely innocent.

Assuming that, I applaud athletics for removing their medals as well. Yes, it is a terribly harsh punishment on them if they are clean*, but it’s a laudable stand.

Now, in cycling, specifically road racing, it may be an individual team leader/GC chaser that gets the glory, but it is still a team sport. Do we, therefore, think that a clean* domestique on a team that loses a title for a drugs ban should also lose any such palmares?

*Innocent until proven guilty.

Or, a leader gets stripped of a title because of a domestique that is found to be juicing?

Why not. Collective responsibility, would you tolerate doping on your team if it could cost you your win and the subsequent endorsements / sponsorship that brings?

Or, a leader gets stripped of a title because of a domestique that is found to be juicing?

Good point.

Collective responsibility

Absolutely, if one cheats then the whole team should suffer, would promote greater vigilance within the team to prevent it happening again

It has happened (sort of) where there’s enough evidence to show a team has been collectively doping (maybe not all, but a substantial number), and the team’s been forced out. My historical knowledge isn’t good enough to quote who / when / what team, but i do recall it from the bleak days. But I’d call it for a single transgression. Harsh, but the sport has to cure itself from within and I still don’t see enough desire to do that unless their hand is forced.

Yes of course every member of the team should be stripped of any results gained when a member of that team was doping. They all gain advantage from the improved performance of the doper.

Only slight issue being that the UCI clearly don’t give a toss about systematic team doping; see Astana as the current example.