Cycling: The hardest stage for cycling - That's the title of a report that ARD broadcast yesterday as part of the sports show and which is now available in the media library for all those who missed the date. [Link]
In the 30-minute report, Hajo Seppelt, who is returning to the screen after the summer's major sporting event, which was often viewed rather uncritically, explains with some pathos the mammoth task that cycling is currently facing. And the inclined viewer never tires of smiling at one point or another. Then, for example, if a representative The survey indicates that 51 percent of all respondents believe that cycling should be broadcast on public television again. Even if the respondents state that other sports are no less affected by the problem of doping.
The post has a stale aftertaste. It's actually good that Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb have their say and affirm their attitude against doping, that the recent successes of German professionals are honored. The reference to unanswered interview requests from former stars such as Jan Ullrich, Erik Zabel and Rolf Aldag is also good. But what were Seppelt and Co. thinking? That precisely those people on whom the public broadcasters, albeit not always without justification, unloaded their grudges for years, are now willing to take a stand?
However, Seppelt can get up Experts support – like France's Antoine Vayer, who get to repeat their perennial mantra of dirtied cycling, especially when it comes to Tour winners; to point out almost in the same breath that more and more athletes are also testing positive in other sports. So it's almost a side note when the report points to the pioneering role of cycling in terms of extensive testing.
The recent cases of Walentin Iglinsky and Matteo Rabottini have shown that there are still people in cycling who resort to doping. The certainly justified reference in the article to doping with GW1516 also goes in this direction. However, why the tested athletes are mainly unknown athletes from South America is not questioned. Rather, one is satisfied with showing the closeness of the independent investigative commission, which is supposed to shed light on the role of the UCI in the doping cases of the past, to the world cycling association.
During the entire 30 minutes, the impression remains that the public broadcasters want to take up cycling again, but are caught in the quandary of their own, mostly one-sided reporting of the past few years. If you give cycling a chance on ARD and ZDF, that would be a good sign. However, one should then also try to learn from one's own mistakes and shelve the one-sidedness of the reporting. In any case, the final comment gives hope: “Cycling has come a long way in its most difficult stage, the struggle for credibility”, it says. And although the battle is far from won, it should be wake-up call, as UCI President Brian Cookson describes the reporting, do not remain focused on just one area of criticism.