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[quote=midlifecrashes ]
If he was a remotely affable person you might forgive him like David Millar
Oi, who said anyone here forgives that dirty cheating scumbag?
Which one are you on about now?
It's his comment about VP that was unnecessary IMO.
I don't think he's doing himself any favours. Histories on the bike notwithstanding, David Millar comes across far better I think (and far less biting the hand that fed him) off the bike.
I think he means that she's really tasty and you can't help fancying her on the way home from work on a Friday?
molgrips - Member
A lot of deep insights into his character given on here. How many of you know him?How many of you know how much someone's personality can be distorted by even well-intentioned media?
It's the direct quotes that i am getting put off by.
It's the direct quotes that i am getting put off by.
Oddly I find his honesty endearing.
Have you ever seen the film 'The Departed'? The character played by Mark Whalberg is the only person in the film you can trust precisely because he is so utterly rude and obnoxious to everyone. When someone is like this, it tells you they've got not filter; whatever is in their head comes out of their mouth regardless of who it's going to offend.
They may be offensive, but at least you know you can trust what they are saying.
Sports stars these days have to be politicians as well as athletes.
I've previously defended Bradley Wiggins on this forum, and on The Graun's CiF.
But . . . I saw the Skoda ad last night.
What a ****.
Im with GeeTee. Wiggins just says what he thinks/wants, which I like. All the Sky hatred is just bizarre. People love Valverde - convicted doper - but froth about Wiggins, who pushed the boundaries like all sportsmen, but stayed within the boundaries until proven otherwise.
and had to use performance enhancing substance as hard as he could within the TUE system to get there.
And you know more than WADA & the UCI how exactly?
He's probably now dropped to my 6th or maybe 7th favourite drug cheat.
at least you know you can trust what they are saying
ahem, "needle free policy................" 8)
Yeah, trust isn't exactly Wiggo's biggest asset at the mo.
Im with GeeTee. Wiggins just says what he thinks/wants, which I like.
That's the problem with modern society really, lots of people think that because they CAN say something that they SHOULD. It says more about him as a human being that he feels that peers or former colleagues are all fair game now it's about lining his own pocket in after dinner speech fees. If he'd been saying he thought all the marginal games stuff was bollocks when he was at Team Sky or (presuming we all read it right) how nice but dim VP is when he was in Team GB with her then I'd still think he was a **** but at least he'd have the courage of his convictions. Doing it after the fact just feels like tabloid bullshit.
He sounds like someone who has simply got to the point of telling it like it is.
Snake oil is snake oil ..... and I figure he has had to take enough of it over the years including team doctors telling him what he must take.
At the end of the day margin gains are bollox... either you go and ride then puke then ride more, puke and ride more or you fail and no special mattress of magic crystals (or 95% of TUE's) are going to change that.
Worse, when you don't have the magic mattress and crystals you also fail if you believe it has anything to do with your actual performance.
Some people are so hopeless they need a job and invent marginal gains ...so long as everyone HAS to do it in the team noone can prove it's bollox....
Those who believe in a magic crystals and similar rubbish are what I think he refers to as milkshakes.
This isn't specific to cycling or even sport ... I've seen similar stuff at work, usually by HR types trying to justify their existence.... then some people seem to just latch on to mystical crutches, usually those lacking in confidence which isn't the same as those crap at their job.
I've spent weeks overall on "motivational bollox" etc. organised by HR and anyone speaking out about "how about I just do my job well instead" joins a redundancy list... which is of course great motivation!
telling it like it is.
Along with "keeping it real" that phrase is the refuge of the rude arsehole who wants to justify their own crappy behaviour.
the refuge of the rude arsehole ...
Of course, by calling someone a rude arsehole, you are just "telling it like it is" and "keeping it real" right ?
Snake oil is snake oil ..... and I figure he has had to take enough of it over the years including team doctors telling him what he must take.
That snake oil that he injected before all three of his major GC victories?
That snake oil that a consultant specialist in asthma said administering was “bizarre”, “unacceptable” and akin to “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.
That snake oil that David Millar no stranger to doping said was the Most Powerful performance enhancing substance he took over the years?
Worse, when you don't have the magic mattress and crystals you also fail if you believe it has anything to do with your actual performance.
you've failed to grasp the purpose and scope of Brailsford et al's Marginal gains strategy, but whatever; crack on
That snake oil that David Millar no stranger to doping said was the Most Powerful performance enhancing substance he took over the years?
His well-established beef with Wiggo makes him an unreliable source on that though.
Of course, by calling someone a rude arsehole, you are just "telling it like it is" and "keeping it real" right ?
I'm generalising in my assertion some people are rude arseholes and I doubt anyone would disagree, I've not identified anyone by name other than Brad but apparently telling it how it is will earn me some kudos.
Snake oil is an unreliable sauce?
Snake oil is an unreliable sauce?
it's as bad as that reggae reggae stuff 😆
Along with "keeping it real" that phrase is the refuge of the rude arsehole who wants to justify their own crappy behaviour.
I'm not justifying mine... or really his either. I more see this as him getting to the point where he's no longer spouting the BS he's been forced to spout.
However British Cycling has obviously got some real deep fundamental issues and a huge amount of people raking it in.
It reminds me in many ways of the NatWest whistle blower...who spoke out whilst she still had a job... then not only lost the job but became unemployable.
I wonder what she's doing now?
It's similar to the whole London Olympics jobbo....
Cost the country billions we couldn't afford but Sir Seb and his mates all raked it in. Meanwhile lots of people especially in resto's lost their jobs because of the Olympics shutting their work and then Sir Seb and his mates sold mobile pitches that mostly turned out to be rubbish ...
Speaking out is all fine and dandy unless those with the money decide that keeping your mouth shut is more important than actually winning.
you've failed to grasp the purpose and scope of Brailsford et al's Marginal gains strategy, but whatever; crack on
Oh I understand the strategy ... its about how much money they can make spouting BS... if it has or has not any benefits is irrelevant to them so long as they can rake in the ££££
huh uh...as I said, crack on. It's not like anything looks like it's going to stop you anytime soon anyway, you seem to be just getting into your stride.
That snake oil that he injected before all three of his major GC victories?That snake oil that a consultant specialist in asthma said administering was “bizarre”, “unacceptable” and akin to “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.
That snake oil that David Millar no stranger to doping said was the Most Powerful performance enhancing substance he took over the years?
As I've said elsewhere... the real guilty parties where a doctor has signed a prescription are the doctors.... though you could argue they are just doing what their employer tells them to do.... or the employer will find another doctor that will.
The whole thing is set up to point back to someone who is being TOLD what they take and TOLD not to question it when the directives and way they treat team members/employees is a top down way of working.
“I think it’s [marginal gains] a load of rubbish, if I’m honest. A lot of people made a lot of money out of it and David Brailsford used it constantly as his calling card. But I always thought it was a load of rubbish.”
For once I actually agree with him.... 😆
[url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/25/bradley-wiggins-doping-worst-thing-to-be-accused-of-for-a-man-of-my-integrity ]Sauce[/url]
For someone who professes to hate publicity, BW seems to spend a lot of time courting it.
For someone who is so critical of marginal gains he threw the kitchen sink at the hour record, custom 3d printed Ti bars, etc.
Sure, there may be little things that can help him or her do a bit better, but those must be peripheral at best.
Which is why they are called "marginal gains"...
I'm not sure why there are so many "MG is rubbish" comments. It doesn't seem a particularly controversial or radical concept, and no one has suggested it replaces the need to have exceptional mental and physiological abilities as an athlete (and perhaps the right drugs as well). It's just taking a systematic approach to optimising everything you do as a racing team. An awful lot of pro cycling has traditionally been very old school and not necessarily very scientific. I remember Robert Millar talking about his DS telling him to always wear tracksuit bottoms off the bike, to avoid "getting fat on your legs".
I think it is perfectly feasible to have gained a wee advantage by looking hard at how things were traditionally done and seeing if there was a better way.
I never thought the marginal gains approach would ever produce the same performance benefits as a good solid doping program.
For someone who is so critical of marginal gains he threw the kitchen sink at the hour record, custom 3d printed Ti bars, etc.
He's critical of them NOW. When they were helping him achieve his goals and fill his bank account he loved them.
I'm not sure why there are so many "MG is rubbish" comments. It doesn't seem a particularly controversial or radical concept
It's not the concept ... rather it's the sales that go with those who "sell it" and how its then extended into a slippery slope ending in superstition.
Sure a comfy bed the night before is great... but it won't replace actually doing the miles. The problem comes when there is a dominance of marginal gains over actual training hard .... a "secret recipe type sauce" that certain coaches sell ...
This can go even further into stuff without any foundation and pure snake oil... [b]and the point is anyone speaking out about it is chucked out...[/b]
We had a similar thing at work... where most people actually needed a bit of actual on the job training - 90% of people would have (and did say off record) what they needed was training in the new computer system etc. (This being a bunch of scientists and engineers)
Instead HR arranged "inspirational talks" (some rowing gold medalist) then it was "not drinking coffee and meditation" ... when it got to spirituality and crystals I and half the other scientists/engineers quit with the ones who been vocal about "what we need is training in...not this spirituality stuff" were pushed or fired.
It's one thing to have to attend a "how crystals will balance your aura" workshop... its quite another as a scientist or engineer to be forced to write lies as to how it benefits your work....
It's one thing to have to attend a "how crystals will balance your aura" workshop... its quite another as a scientist or engineer to be forced to write lies as to how it benefits your work...
To be honest, the last thing that BW will ever be accused of is being a scientist or engineer.
A lot of the MG stuff was to out-psyche the opposition, of course all the riders will have done masses of training leading up to the season, and throughout it. The marginal gain is the last 1% or so that actually gives you that victory - its not the 95% of just sheer hard work that basically all pro riders do.
The marginal gain is the last 1% or so that actually gives you that victory - its not the 95% of just sheer hard work that basically all pro riders do.
As I say, I'm not against that 1%.... I'm against team trainers etc. thatr make their living claiming that 1% is a magic they bring that the whole team must follow and more importantly "buy into"
To be honest, the last thing that BW will ever be accused of is being a scientist or engineer.
Perhaps not but what HE knows is the 95% pain and hard work...
Specifically about the thread topic.... "bit-of-a-milkshake" is what I believe is his term to those who actually believe in the magic mattress and magic crystals etc.
The thing for me though is it's sort of irrelevant ... because it's more about his lack of freedom to express those views when he was on the team.
British Cycling is turning out to be a toxic organisation... largely because people were not allowed to speak out without being dropped from the team.
Shut up and tow the line seems far more applicable to Olympic team selection being based on actual performance!