Snap Judgment: Did Vaughters Really Say That?
Last Saturday, CycleTo's Bob Cullinan sat down with Garmin-Slipstream's Director Sportif, Jonathan Vaughters, for a live Q&A at the NorCal HS MTB League's annual CycleFest dinner. Approximately 300 people attended the event in Mill Valley, CA.
Candid, witty, and self effacing, Vaughters answered questions that ranged from the possibility of Alberto Contador riding for Garmin-Slipstream in 2010 to the rivalry with Columbia-HTC and the drama that ensued on Stage 14 of the 2009 Tour de France, which left fellow American George Hincapie without a yellow jersey and in considerable tatters.
But perhaps the most compelling, yet understated part of the interview was when the conversation turned to the topic of doping.
As many have previously stated, and Vaughters substantiates in the interview, doping was "a matter of fact" part of the cycling culture. But as he continues to describe cycling's past, he also seems to implicate (at 2:40 into the audio clip) himself in that vary culture by suggesting that "I don't exempt myself from that statement."
Doping has been, and by the attention that some other cycling sites pay to it, is still a part of the fabric of cycling. But by no means does it completely define the sport nor is it the sport's sole driving force. Vaughters certainly recognizes this fact, and since their inception, Garmin-Slipstream has gone to great measures to counteract the effects brought about by cycling's past and contribute to a cleaner version of the beautiful sport.
His possible admission is startling in the same way that a child first discovers that one of his parents is not as pure as once thought. Potentially earth shattering and undermining, the news could also be Vaughters' saving grace. Much like those parents who have varied life experiences, Vaughters may just be the perfect role model for the young riders in his care, for he knows of the implications that accompany doping, but also of the amazing possibilities that exist outside that sordid world of performance enhancements.
In any event, it is well past the time for cycling, and for those who cover it, to focus on all the positive and constructive aspects of the sport rather than on the small percentage that makes up the negative.
Photo: Courtesy Bob Cullinan (CycleTo)
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