Your top performer has just been discovered below the line. It’s your highest volume salesperson caught in a kickback, your most productive line worker taking a quality shortcut. In every manager’s life, a decision will emerge. Do you look the other way? Do you rewrite the standards? Obtain a vigorous denial and a promise never to do it again?
Jan Ullrich was on the team bus when the news was delivered. Ivan Basso was out on a training ride when he got word. The top two contenders in the Tour de France would not start. Should the evidence prove them innocent, then a great injustice has been done. Should the evidence prove them participants in blood doping, then they earned the penalty.
I have seen this scenario over and over. Managers hesitate because they fear the loss in productivity should they scratch their shining star. They put up with ethical dilemmas, anti-social behavior and intimidation, compromising their own value system. Many cannot make the hard decision.
The debate was most likely vigorous, but the decision, swift and unanimous. Every team manager agreed that any rider listed in the investigation would be withdrawn from the team roster. At this late date, Tour rules are specific. No rider withdrawn would be allowed a replacement.
And yet, for managers who make the tough decision to stand the high ground, they find their fears are unfounded. They find a stable of young players ready to fill the gaps. They find that many co-workers were aware of the ethical foul play and wondered what took the manager so long to take action.
And so this year’s Tour kicks off unpredictably fearsome. The field for the yellow jersey is wide open.
Update through Stage 3
The Prologue (individual time trial) separated the fastest by short seconds with Thor Hushovd (Team Credit Agricole-C.A) taking the first yellow by a margin of only one second over George Hincapie (Team Discovery-DSC). Though there has been no official designation of team leader for Discovery, Hincapie may emerge the leader without the designation.
Stage One. It is not certain strategy that George Hincapie (DSC) jump to the front in yellow, but he takes the stage nonetheless edging Thor Hushovd (C.A) by two seconds. It is too early to take the yellow and continue its defense. More likely that Team Discovery will let it go by Stage Two.
Stage Two. Matthias Kessler (Team T-Mobile-TMO) led a break away from the pack that almost succeeded, breaking down in the last 50 meters. It was nail-biting to watch him spin out his lungs as the sprinters in the peleton swept him away. Robby McEwan from Australia (Team Davitamon-Lotto-DVL) moved ahead to take the stage. Predictably, George Hincapie (DSC) let the yellow jersey go back to Thor Hushovd (C.A) who arrived in third place for Stage Two. Hincapie stayed tucked safely in the pack, but only trails in the overall standings by a margin of ten seconds.
Stage Three. Matthias Kessler (TMO) may have something to prove with his team leader Jan Ullrich ejected from the race prior to the Prologue. Once again, he broke away from the Peleton, but today, he succeeded. The sprinters, behind, waited too long, thinking they would repeat yesterday’s sweep, but Kessler kept a five second separation that lasted through the finish. Robbie McEwan (DVL) who spoiled it for Kessler yesterday did not finish in the top 10 today. In the overall standings, George Hincapie (DSC) gained ground over Thor Hushovd (C.A) moving into third place overall only five seconds off the pace. It is likely Discovery will keep him protected near the front, but we may not see much of George until the mountains. Of great interest is also the name of Paolo Savoldelli (DSC), in fifth place overall. That’s two Discovery (USA) riders in the top five. Sadly, Alejandro Valverde (Team Caisse D’Epargne-Illes Balears), a podium contender, suffered a broken collarbone in a crash, so this year’s Tour is over for him.
1 – BOONEN, Tom – BEL – QSI – 14 hrs 52 min 23 sec
2 – ROGERS, Michael – AUS – TMO +1 sec
3 – HINCAPIE, George – USA – DSC +5 sec
4 – HUSHOVD, Thor – NOR – C.A +7 sec
5 – SAVOLDELLI, Paolo – ITA – DSC +15 sec
6 – BENNATI, Daniele – ITA – LAM +15 sec
7 – LANDIS, Floyd – USA – PHO +16 sec
8 – KARPETS, Vladimir – RUS – CEI +17 sec
9 – HONCHAR, Serhiy – UKR – TMO +17 sec
10 – KESSLER, Matthias – GER – TMO +17 sec
Mr. Woods said it all at our annual admissions retreat “Add value to what you do” That doesn’t leave musch room for “looking the other way” when it comes to ethical behavior. As Jim Rohn says in his series Becoming A Person Of Character… “It’s a road better not traveled; full of twists and turns you might regret; is it worth loosing YOUR character for?”