An old but lately realized sporting phenomenon is taking its toll and many a sports and players have and are falling prey to it - yes, doping - and use of performance enhancers have become a need and precedence of thriving individual athletes.
Owning up to a misdeeds is difficult but when the light is illumined bright, the path gets cushy - sportsmen are least familiar to the fact yet, what Bjarne Riis executes is commendable - though, the irony is such that the man’s left mortified.
Cycling is the most tainted by this phenomenon and the confession by Bjarne Riis lightens the verity - Bjarne Riis (a successful cyclist of the nineties) admitted of using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France in 1996. The Danish cyclist confessed of indulging into the use of blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) and also to the use of cortisone and human growth hormone - from 1993-98, confirming the benefits derived from the banned substance.
He has confessed of acting himself in both buying and using drugs and has said that he no longer considers himself a worthy winner of the Tour de France having resorted to unfair means to gain spot.
The Dane finally seems dejected with his undesired act and that is what’s just depicted by the statement - I quote from his confession:
I have taken doping. I have taken EPO. I have made errors and I would like to apologise. Like everyone else I’ve made mistakes in my life. This was my choice and my mistake and I have to take responsibility for it.
The confession is a bold move indeed, relieving the authorities of the final breakthrough in the case and could work as a serious wakeup call for all the other alleged of doping in the sport. Yet, Riis has a lot to go down with - the International Cycling Union has asked the tainted champion to return his yellow jersey, the ‘impeccable symbol of the Tour victory’.
