Originally Posted by
gsteinb
I just don't follow it. They can't come up with a way to effectively control doping in the pro ranks, despite biological passports, but now they're going to police the wild west of amateur racing? super meh. The day it costs me an extra hour at a race is probably the last time I pin up a number.
That said I'm not giving up my 1. Not for anyone. I worked hard for it, and it's mine.
well.....they claim that the fees are going to be used to "
significantly increase the number of anti-doping tests in the U.S. next year, particularly at the amateur level." (their words)
i'm curious if you actually do get tested as to what will happen -- not that you are doping, just whether you will decide the time to piss is your departure from the sport. maybe others feel the same as you
if i had to stay an extra hour at EVERY race but it guaranteed that dopers would be gone/caught, i'd do it. maybe i err on the side of optimism, but i'm at least hopeful that the new policy will have some impact. i don't intend to judge DBH before he has had a year or more in his position -- it takes time to change a sick organization. maybe USAC is beyond repair, but maybe not.
re: giving up the 1.....if one truly does not believe the extra $20 will help and they no longer race p/1 races, then keeping the cat 1 is just about ego. that's fine, but that's what it is. i suspect USAC also recognized that -- for anyone who makes a stink about the $$ (and some have) few will
actually give it up for the reason you mentioned. they 'worked too hard.'
smart. there pretty much total inelasticity there.
giving it up (esp as a protest) does not erase the record books. you earned it and that part can never be taken away. when you're dead, they can list cat 1 racer on your tombstone even if one downgrades to a cat 2 when they're 75.
my sincere hope is that if many of us are forced to pay higher fees that at least those fees might achieve some greater good. i'm a little torn on whether chasing doping is wasting money, but the perception of doping in the sport does seem to be a very real barrier to entry for many.