So maybe Brad’s “I’m Doping” shirt was not the best choice for Interbike.
In the event guide was a welcome message from Lance Camisasca, the show director. Right in the middle, in bold type, was the following quote: “Let’s not let doping distract us, the media or consumers from the positive aspects of bicycles.”
And I showed in a shirt with this on the front:
Oh well. It got a few smiles and comments at the show, but nothing negative. Later that night we went out to dinner, and I got plenty of attention. As we walked through a casino, one guy said “Hey, I’m doping too!” and held up his beer. Guys that got it laughed out loud, while old ladies gave me puzzled looks.
While it’s an inside joke to us, it’s still no laughing matter. I agree with Lance that cyclists are not the only athletes to be tempted by performance enhancing drugs. And I sincerely hope that all the publicity will encourage users to start cleaning up their act, since it will catch up with them one day.
In the meantime, let’s not let anyone else taint the image of our sport.
I thought about wearing my “EPO – The Racer’s Choice” t-shirt that I got from Velochimp, but I figured that would be in poor taste and decided against it. Several pros at Interbike might be a little sensitive about the issue.