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Liam Bromiley Primavera.jpgJonathan Tiernan-Locke 2nd in comeback race
Image © Paul Stedman
Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has been beaten into second place in his first race back from a doping ban – with the victory going to Liam Bromiley, who rides for the road.cc-sponsored University of Bath Cycling Club.
The podium at the Mid Devon Cycling Club’s Primavera race today was completed by another University of Bath, Frazier Carr, reports the Torquay Herald Express.
Tiernan-Locke’s two year ban as a result of a biological passport violation expired on 31 December and today was his first race back, riding in the colours of the Saint Piran team he has set up.
"I wasn't expecting too much going into the race, I know my form is currently quite good with a few decent results already this season, but would've been happy just to get in the points in what looked like a fairly strong startlist", Liam told us after the race. "I tried early on with some probing moves and a couple of short lived breakaways, deciding to then sit in the bunch for a lap or so before going again with a group of three others where we held the bunch off for probably ten kilometres.
"When it was clear we were going to get caught by the bunch the others sat up, but with the final prime just up the road I kicked again and increased my lead. I wasn't really thinking I'd be able to hold them off for the remaining 30k, I just thought I'd have a go with nothing to lose. The final 10k was hard into a headwind, though the fact it was predominantly downhill helped me finish the job.
"I'm hoping to maintain my current run of form, entering some more National B races and time trials, with the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) time trials just round the corner in April I'm currently looking for a TT bike to help me achieve a decent result. Primarily I aim to complete my Masters degree before a summer of committing to more training and racing, hopefully this season I can pick up some more strong results."
Former Team Sky rider Tiernan-:Locke who joined that team after winning the 2012 Tour of Britain – a victory he was subsequently stripped of – praised Bromiley’s efforts following a fine solo win in the 85-kilometre race.
"The winner did a great ride, so well done to him," he told the Torquay Herald Express.
"The race was so fast, and one of my team mates punctured at an important time, which made chasing harder.
"We did pull the break back, but the leader was still out there on his own and, on those roads, out of sight.
"After having a wisdom tooth out, I haven't had my best month's training recently, but I'm not unhappy.
"I'm feeling better all the time, and I'm looking forward to more racing," added Tiernan-Locke, who will ride the Severn Bridge Road Race next weekend.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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19 comments
I can imagine if JTL had wanted to moan and make excuses about the race, there was plenty he could have commented about his competitors approach to the race, which he didn't.
I don't want to take anything away from the winner, but like any road race, he didn't win because he simply powered away from the bunch, he won because the tactics of the day, mixed with his balls to go for it, and his strength combined to deliver the win.
There are very few riders, I can think of maybe one in the UK, who could hold off an organised and committed bunch for 30km into a head wind. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that the chasing was less than committed, which I am sure had a lot to do with the presence of JTL.
But as the saying goes, thems the rubs innit?
I think this will be a common tactic for SW races containing JTL this year, so I will be getting myself accustomed to going for the long solo attack!
Fair play to Liam for sticking his nose out there and getting it done.
Being honest i am happier with the idea of banning someone like Dave Millar because it is clear that he did dope. The evidence against JTL isn't clear it is simply informed opinion.
I don't think life bans are actually the best way forward but that is my opinion.
Why would you kick a poor unemployed alcaholic when he is trying to rebuild his life?
No, just technically correct.
I know he signed with Sky but did he actually ever race for them? Just seems a little disingenuous to label him "ex-Team Sky". Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Richie Porte are ex-Team Sky. Technically correct but ugly.
JTL never admitted cheating and he only finally gave up his appeal after a year of trying only to see others with less eivdence on their passport acquitted. He never tested positve BTW, now hang on beofre you climb that high horse.
I am not saying he didnt dope but others who had the same offence on their passport have since been acquitted and have carried on racing mainly becuase they had a bigger wallet. So if you think about this and it may not be true but what if he didnt dope and he did his ban and then came back to the sport he loved. My point is this whether doped or not he has served his ban and should be allowed to give it a go.
I'd rather drunk-driving drugs cheats are banned from the sport for life. That is a far better example to give than serving a short ban, then reaping the physiological benefits gained from their cheating while racing against clean riders.
first prove he cheated....
I'd rather those that have served doping bans are allowed to come back and race clean. That is a far better example to give than living your life in disgrace. Of course some people will want to hound them regardless but cynicism always a nice safe cosy little armchair to shout from.
I get where you're coming from, but respectfully disagree - and not so I can be pious. I don't give a shit whether someone's seen the error of their ways or will say what us mugs want to hear to get, say, a book and/or TV gig out of it. We can't accurately judge whether someone's clean or not. I think the way the evidence is going is much more murky and difficult to police.
Degrees vary, but taking performance-enhancing drugs for a window of training, or training and competition, has benefits way beyond that window. They allow harder training, more efficient recovery, improved recovery etc for that period - and those effects have lengthy repercussions that continue after the PED-taking stops.
Some recent studies (and their interpretation) estimate that, say, a short period of taking steroids can still reap benefits 10 years later. To see phases of a PED-taker's career as binary, as clean/dirty, is over-simplifying it.
The 'you're clean now, welcome back son' argument is appearing out-of-date. The argument that if someone's taken PEDs once, they're always dirty - whether repentant or not, whether they touch PEDs again or not - has hit the 'roids and is rapidly gaining weight.
Problem with this argument is as follows. If at any point in your life you have a course of steroids should you be banned? Plenty of people take PEDs for medical reasons. You only have to think about why EPO was actually developed. Or how about Pseudoephedrine banned until relatively recently, who knows what is legal now and will be banned and what is legal and will be banned.
So yes the discussion is not black and white, it never can be.
I don't think banning someone who had a cortisone injection when they were 7, say, is being proposed. It might add weight to straight bans for life for a sportsperson who is under the relevant rules - but it is messy at the mo.
Why can't this guy just go away and leave cycling alone? He has no place in it.
Totally agree. That second place could belong to a youngster with a great, clean future ahead of them. Instead it now belongs to someone who has been banned from the sport for 2 years by the UCI.
Whether this forum can 'prove' his innocence of doping in a trail by comments section seems, at best, wildly optimistic. He was banned for 2 years. Unless you are on the UCI panels you don't know any more than that. And if you are on the UCI panel then what are you doing harping on, on this forum, get back to work for goodness sake!
Except that youngster didn't beat him. You are right about one thing; an internet forum will not find the truth of the matter, but you will enjoy impotent grumbling in the meantime. Justice has been done already, let the man ride.
Christ you lot are a miserable bunch. He did praise the winner and a second place in his first race back isnt too shabby.
Yeah, take that all you 'he doesn't compliment winners' and 'he doesn't get enough 2nd places' haters, you big miserables.
Wisdom tooth? What a classy guy
Well done Liam Bromley on the win and well done to JTL for broadening his list of excuses