I realize I said I would shut up until after SM in Sunne but my feeling is that this is not the forum to bring up these issues. There is no discussion and based on Google Analytics I can see that I am only really talking to the people that usually read this page. So I will now make my final point and then let my boycott speak for itself.

We can see that out in the big big world the aftermath of Circus Lance is having the expected effect. Most attention is around Hein Verbruggen and whether he was covering up for doping. But here in Sweden everything seems to have blown over and nothing has happened at all. Why? I have the answer.

After some searching on SCFs website one can find this document on Antidoping information. And many parts of this are in fact good but my problem is the contradiction that spoils the whole thing.

Under 'Vem är ansvarig?' you can read this:
Enligt dopinglagen är alltid idrottsutövaren själv ansvarig för vad han/hon stoppar i sig. Det åligger således honom/henne att förvissa sig om huruvida ett preparat han/hon intar är dopingklassat eller inte.
Även den som hjälper en idrottsutövare att dopa sig, kan bestraffas. Att hantera förbjudna
preparat är dessutom enligt svensk lag förbjudet och kan leda till fängelsestraff.

This we already know. But by placing all responsibility on the cyclist it means that SCF has nothing to lose if someone is doping. That is why they can sit there passively and why Ulf Näslund can call us all cheaters in DN. And that leads to the contradiction. The document starts with Dopingens 3 punkter, of which #3 is:

FÖRSTÖR
Doping skadar idrottsrörelsens trovärdighet och utgör därigenom ett allvarligt hot mot
idrotten som ungdomsorganisation och folkrörelse.

This we also already know. Cycling has a horrible reputation out there in the general public and any cyclist that has encountered an angry motorist or pedestrian knows that this is not getting any better. But this also means that we can't get any sponsors for our local clubs and that it becomes harder and harder to arrange races. Göteborgsgirot is going to have quite the battle on its hands, for example.

There has to be some responsibility or penalty for the club or team too because as things are now everyone can just look the other way and ignore the problem. This is precisely the same thing that happens for alcoholics. Many still say that it is their fault that they became an addict. And the fact that only 7% of those with alcohol problems in this country ever receive any care or ward for their problem is again a problem of responsibility. Although in the case of alcoholism I know that things are slowly changing for the better.

Maybe no one cares but for those of you that do I suggest starting locally. If a club or group can come up with a better way to deal with the doping issue or is willing to take responsibility for the actions of their cyclists then the idea might just spread.

My view on the issue will be represented by my DNS on Saturday.

And with this now said I can now return to the joys of cyclocross...