Weight Weenies

McQuaid and Verbruggen are suing Paul Kimmage for defamation for claiming that the UCI is "corrupt." Having just finished Tyler's book (in addition to having read most of the other stuff out there), I find it hard to believe they have the cajones.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kimmage-receives-uci-subpoena

Anyone concerned about cleaning up the sport should support Paul Kimmage, who has been one of the more courageous anti-doping advocates.

There's a Paul Kimmage Defense Fund started on NY Velocity which has moved to Cyclismas:

http://www.cyclismas.com/

http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2012/paul-kimmage-defense-fund

I just wanted to edit my post to point out that in the U.S., this defamation action would be summarily dismissed under the First Amendment. Given the legal standard here, the available evidence would certainly be more than sufficient to support a journalist's allegation of corruption at the UCI. (For those who know, the legal standard is very low: when criticizing a public figure, the speaker is only liable for defamation if he/she spoke with reckless disregard for the truth.)

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The same Paul Kimmage who admitted to taking drugs himself and wrote his book after his career had finished; and then bleats on about Omertà. Yes, the UCI are scumbags, but Kimmage is not Mother Teresa.

that's a little harsh. anyway, he never claimed to be Mother Teresa -- or even a great cyclist.

If I was looking for a hero it would be Christophe Bassons. He told it like it is as a rider, not when his career was over. I don't think Kimmage ever got over the fact that he was a very average pro. Since then he's dished it out on everyone, including the fans of the sport.

He wrote a nasty article in the Sunday Times some years ago: he lambasted people riding up Alpe D'Huez as leisure riders, calling them 'sad bastards'. It's for that reason many Brit club riders of my ilk who grew up with the sport from the 60's dislike him so much. He didn't have a good word to say about anyone and did the sport down at every opportunity.

He's lightened up a bit, but I wouldn't give a single dollar to help him.

KB wrote:If I was looking for a hero it would be Christophe Bassons.

I'm not looking for a hero. (That's what got us into this situation in the first place.) But I agree with you about Bassons.

Yes, hero's the wrong word because from experience, most of the people we set up as hero's in cycling have let us down. We want to believe, but eventually, for most of the stars, they get caught: they even managed to nail Lance, which I didn't expect although I always thought he was taking PED's. Hopefully it will be a deterrent to others, but I'm not holding my breath, although it would appear that the sport is getting cleaner,there's a long way to go.

Guys aren't they only suing him for 16K CHF combined and public statement retracting his comments? *f##k*, most of the bikes on here are worth more than that. Please explain why this requires a Floyd Fairness Fund? I don't feel compelled to pay for the occupational hazards of pissing everyone off at one point or another to sell papers and books.

I care for cleansing and transparency in cycling and don't doubt that Hein and Pat are as dirty as advertised and should be exorcised. I just don't see this case having any bearing on that inevitably happening.

For what it's worth I own Rough Ride so there's my contribution to the Free Kimmage Fund.

petepeterson wrote: ... I don't feel compelled to pay for the occupational hazards of pissing everyone off at one point or another to sell papers and books.

That sums up my feelings pretty accurately as well. I also have Rough Ride.

It is truly an upside-down, backwards, bizarro-world in which the cheats and rats are elevated to "heroes".

KB wrote:

petepeterson wrote: ... I don't feel compelled to pay for the occupational hazards of pissing everyone off at one point or another to sell papers and books.

That sums up my feelings pretty accurately as well. I also have Rough Ride.

Why pretend to live in a free and open society when there is such disdain for those that speak truth to power?

Something called evidence apparently. We're coming around the same old argument of subjectivity. Why don't we just slander everyone and get away with it. In fact, the press does that every day. The law is for those who can afford it and the media know that. I've had some dealings with the press in the past and many of them are lying, cheating scum.

It doesn't matter how much 16K CHF is to some people here. Kimmage is only a freelance journalist, being sued for articles he wrote as an employee of a newspaper.

It's the principle behind the matter as much as Kimmage probably not having the cash sitting around to fly to Switzerland and pay legal fees etc.

Rick wrote:It is truly an upside-down, backwards, bizarro-world in which the cheats and rats are elevated to "heroes".

Yes it is and I love to sit back and watch it all played out right in front of my eyes.

KB wrote:I've had some dealings with the press in the past and many of them are lying, cheating scum.

Do you believe Paul Kimmage to be lyin, cheating scum?

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The UCI aren't going after the newspaper Kimmage worked for. They are going after him as an individual. In cases of libel, this is not the way it should go down.

Also, they have no plans on suing Tyler Hamilton or Daniel Coyle, who stated Armstrong and Bruyneel in cahoots with the UCI made the positive dope test during the Tour de Swisse go away.

But of course, what credibility does Kimmage have? He's nothing but a doping cheat who couldn't hack it as a pro and now wants to tear cycling down, right gentlemen?

How about he doesn't present himself to answer the charges in Switzerland and goes around saying the whole process was a witch hunt? Would that increase his credibility? Would he be able to keep riding gran fondos while declaring himself a seven-time sportswriter of the year award winner?