With all the trouble aussie cycling has been in over the last few years, drugs, discontent with coaching and the pressures of being up there in the world rankings has turned many of the talented away from the sport, or turned them in to total nutters. Sad really for a sport that at one stage was one of the most honourable and respected of them all. I remember as a kid on a friday night watch the track racing, and one was lucky to have room to swing a cat. Now you could strangle a cat and no one would notice. Even the local road race around albert park, drew heaps of spectators. The days when gentlemen racers like Russel Mockingridge, (Aussie Bandit will like this one, a geelong boy) are long gone. And aussie cycling still sits and wonders why no one wants to see them race.
Its not hard really with on and off track behavour. Getting back to the Tour deFrance they both needed to be shown, the exit door from the tour. It would in turn show them and aussie cycling to clean up or piss off.