Oscar Freire (Spain) waves to the crowd in what would be his last ever race
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Former triple World Champion calls for radical renewal of anti-doping policies
Recently retired Classics and world championship star Oscar Freire has said he believes that “It remains impossible to state that this is a clean sport, because it isn’t.”
Referring to the level of doping in the peloton, Freire told Spanish newspaper ABC that “It’s not like it was before…but there are some riders who respect the norms and others who do not. Just like in all professions.”
Oscar Freire has never been one to blow his own trumpet when it comes to cycling’s fight against banned drugs, but the fact remains that the former triple World Champion and Milan-San Remo winner, who retired this year, has never been linked to a doping scandal For many fans, this reinforces the Spaniard’s strongly held views on the subject.
Freire believes that the sport has suffered what he calls “degradation” as a result of the doping scandals and that “People think cyclists all do the same and that’s not the case. Testing is more exhaustive than it was, and things are much better.”
“[But] it’s impossible to claim that cycling is a clean sport because it isn’t.”
A professional from 1998 through to the end of the 2012 season, Freire believes – as do many others – that “It is possible to be a professional cyclist without doping, but everybody chooses their path. I followed mine without caring what others did. If other people had thought about things like me, cycling would be different.”
“The problem with cycling is that many people aren’t made to be cyclists and it’s better that they go elsewhere rather than fill it with dirt.”
Freire hinted that his racing at a consistent level showed that there was nothing suspicious about his performances, saying “I didn’t win
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