Graeme is truly one of the cycling “greats”, he is also incredibly humble regarding his many cycling achievements and is incredibly fascinating to meet or converse with as he is so intense when he gets started on a subject he’s passionate about.
He mentioned the doping regarding the “Le Groupement” team back in an interview in 1996 but he was basically silenced by the UCI on making further allegations under threat of legal action and i consider it led or at the very least aggravated his bi-polar disorder to such an extent that he could no longer control it through his focus on cycling as he had done for years previously – i hope the UCI gets shook so hard with the current doping allegations that Verbruggen and McQuaid both get dragged through the courts for aiding drug abuse and complicity in covering it up.
Obree is a national Sottish (British) hero and should be celebrated as such, he cycled clean and bet the best in the world fuelled by jam pieces on white bread and trained up and down the busy A76 and A77 in Ayrshire in all weathers, a genuine hero that kids can look up to in my opinion.