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« The Wed Morning Cross World Championships...2007 No. 6 | Main | Preposterous »

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So it looks like Team Fidea has ponied up and signed an ethics charter to support anti doping. Roughy translated from Cyclocross Info:

The Fidea-team wants to support the fight against doping. The ten racers on who the team counts all signed a “sport-loving charter” (Greg: That is a hilarious translation), an internal regulation that will issue fines and other sanctions in case of a positive.

"We are a leader in this area", said manager Van Kasteren. "We want contribute with the Fidea team an even playing field. We already had an earlier agreement, but now we’ve elaborated and refined it.”

The charter contains also a general ethics code of conduct. It has directives concerning clothing (Greg: Huh??), training periods, handles press... "a first of its kind in Belgium."

I guess I'm down with anything that moves the ball forward on this front. But, these Belgian 'renners' have been, are and will always be heroes more than bike racers to their supporter clubs. It's not about winning but about being heroic. It's about the ability of the rider to merge their guts and effort with the Belgian countryside...the same one they came from and where they're going to be buried some day. 'Cross in particular is even more poetic in this sense. Traversing their desolate countrysides of muddied cow pastures and barns. That's why it's so core to them and why we in America think...well...think differently. We like the winner....the result....the prize. Nothing wrong with that but the question of doping fades into the background for a Belgian when it isn't helping anyone necessarily win (it may), but is assisting, quietly, the suffering heroism going on for their fans and countrymen.

I'm going to get the shit kicked out of me in Belgium. HA!

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