Show #303 – July 2, 2016

“Doping? Again?”

I’m going to suggest that you suspend all your previous thoughts about Lance, Floyd, Tyler, and the U.S. Postal Team!

My guest this week has written a riveting book about one of our most favorite and displeasing topics – doping. Now, before you say – “What, another book about doping?” I want to preface the conversation by saying this is an approach I don’t believe anyone else has taken thus far.

He asks and answers such questions as: How, why, and when did we become so indignant and disgusted with athletic doping? What does it say about us and our society as a whole? How have these attitudes shifted over time? And, are you certain we as a society aren’t somewhat complicit?

Mark Johnsons new book, “Spitting in the Soup: Inside the Dirty Game of Doping in Sports” not only helps us in finding answers to these questions; he also gives us a much more balanced view of how we’ve come to the way we view drugs in sports today.

Mark, who has authored other cycling books including The Argyle Armada, is an avid cyclist and surfer. His work often covers pro cycling and by association, doping. He has an MA and PhD in English literature from Boston University, lives in Del Mar, California, and was our guest back in March of 2012.

Show #81 – March 10, 2012

Diane’s back from NAHBS this week, and fired up with a show that runs the full spectrum.

First up is Tim Blumenthal, President of People for Bikes. Tim is here talk about the recent bombshell announcement that the three major bicycling organizations in the U.S.: The Alliance for Biking and Walking, The League of American Bicyclists, and People for Bikes intend to unite to form a single, consolidated entity to promote and encourage cycling. There is still a lot for the leaders of the three groups to discuss and decide, but it appears that cyclists will have a unified umbrella after more than 30 years of wishing and hoping. I’m sure we’ll hear more about this, especially after the Bike Summit toward the end of March.

Argyle Armada
After a refreshing dip in the pool of cycling news, and a much needed rest stop, Diane welcomes Mark Johnson, the author of a new book about Team Garmin-Cervelo. Mark was lucky enough to be invited to embed with the team during the 2011 racing season, and talented enough to write and photograph a book about it. The book is titled The Argyle Armada!