One thing I did like about JV was how he engaged on The Clinic, that forum for whackos and conspiracy theorists (incidentally, those are part of the reason I went off cycling - I'm all for outing and pursuing dopers, but those crackpots are so ridiculous that they actually play into the hands of the dopers). I used to be on there quite a bit 5 or so years back. JV gave very detailed insight into a lot of stuff to do with training, power output, etc. It might have been part of his 'Mr. Clean' persona with the super-clean Garmin team, but he eventually backed off.
My first memory of him was the bee sting during a tour de france when he was riding for (I think) Ag2r. His eye swelled up and he looked for a medical exemption for a cortisone injection. He was refused permission and had to withdraw from the race. I remember feeling sorry for him. The irony of that whole situation being, he was probably all juiced up on every bit of juice known to man to be, in the first case, riding the tour, and the second, riding for that team.
Other than that he always came across as utterly unlikeable. I did like some things he did - like pushing a crowdfund to keep his team alive when garmin pulled out. I was going to contribute. I registered saying I would, and I fully intended to. But then I remembered how much I hate JV and how I don't want to be part of, or contribute to, anything to do with him.
I didn't know that story about Trent Lowe, but I'm not surprised.
My first memory of him was the bee sting during a tour de france when he was riding for (I think) Ag2r. His eye swelled up and he looked for a medical exemption for a cortisone injection. He was refused permission and had to withdraw from the race. I remember feeling sorry for him. The irony of that whole situation being, he was probably all juiced up on every bit of juice known to man to be, in the first case, riding the tour, and the second, riding for that team.
Other than that he always came across as utterly unlikeable. I did like some things he did - like pushing a crowdfund to keep his team alive when garmin pulled out. I was going to contribute. I registered saying I would, and I fully intended to. But then I remembered how much I hate JV and how I don't want to be part of, or contribute to, anything to do with him.
I didn't know that story about Trent Lowe, but I'm not surprised.