Robert Young fakes run across America

However the report comes out (cheated, not cheated or inconclusive), RY's 'brand' is ruined. Go open an incognito window and google RY Marathonman. The first page is covered with links to cheating. What new sponsor would touch that? What future reporter would not ask about the cheating?

Picture RY attempting another 'record'. How many visits would he be getting in the middle of the night from LR? Perhaps the Geezers will get passports and boots on the ground in the UK or wherever. Hell, they may even learn how to use video cameras. RY will never know when someone will be watching (with video rolling).

RY is ruined, his 'business model' is broken.

Anything he attempts to do will be tracked here, and LR will be competing to be the next Asher: getting the cheating on video!

I don't think skins will care about fraud-type issues. RY is broke and they'll never get their money back. they're going to cut him loose but won't take further legal action.My worry is that they will internally conclude that he lied but won't make any public statements about it unless RY admits what he did. They might fear libel claims under UK law, which are tougher that American laws. So they could just make a wishy-washy statement that let's him try to preserve his reputation while allowing them to cut their losses. But skins, if you're reading this, you know there is no way RY is telling the truth, so don't be afraid to go public with your findings, warts and all. Or, at the very least, if RY cannot explain the missing data give us a run down of all of the holes in his story and let LR take care of savaging his reputation.

To me each missing days data is equivalent to an athlete failing a drug test. Miss 1 out of 40 and maybe we could let it go....

Konami Code wrote:

My worry is that they will internally conclude that he lied but won't make any public statements about it unless RY admits what he did. They might fear libel claims under UK law, which are tougher that American laws. So they could just make a wishy-washy statement that let's him try to preserve his reputation while allowing them to cut their losses.

The evidence we have at the moment is not conclusive, but it is still pretty damning. I doubt RY would want to risk going to court and having all the (currently known, and unknown) evidence laid out. He would also be at risk of withholding evidence / perjury charges if he didn't disclose ALL the data he has. Not an attractive proposition for RY.

Given that the investigators' report was supposed to go to SKINS by the end of August, that means SKINS has already had well over two weeks to review the results. If the investigation somehow exonerated Robert Young, then SKINS' response could have been comparatively quick and easy. The fact that they are taking their time before issuing their statement would seem to suggest that they are having to consider how to handle a pretty complicated situation -- not only from a legal perspective, but also because they have made multiple public statements about supporting honor and fair play in sports generally. The public relations aspect is difficult.

I don't think your timeline is correct. The investigative work has been done. The two profs will now be working on conclusions and s report. I thought this was to be published by them independent of Skins.

Ultraboy wrote:

I don't think your timeline is correct. The investigative work has been done. The two profs will now be working on conclusions and s report. I thought this was to be published by them independent of Skins.

Jamie Fuller's (SKINS CEO) blog post on July 1 says, "What happens next is in the hands of Professors Pielke and Tucker. They will be conducting their investigation from now until the end of August. SKINS will publish their report and our response to it, including any action we take, by the end of September."

Clearly SKINS is trying to walk a line, on the one hand maintaining the integrity and independence of the profs' investigation, but still keeping some control over how the report is released to the public, so that they can manage legal & public relations fall out. Whether or not Fuller has the final draft of the independent report on his desk, I would be surprised if he hasn't known since early September its general conclusions. But I admit this is speculation.

that is kind of a shame. That leads me to believe that a lame one sentence corporate statement comes out like "The evidence has caused valid concerns about the authenticity of Rob Young's transcon effort. The skins thank Rob for his partnership but we will go in a different direction moving forward."

We need more closure and that would include Tucker giving us the why's, where's etc about how he knows that Rob is a cheating scammer.

Jamie Fuller did specifically say Skins will publish the report...

Certainly Skins will want to consider carefully their response, but unless they go back on what was said, it sounds like the public will have the opportunity to evaluate the report.

I used to be a normal American and could evaluate scenarios based on evidence and then make my own conclusions.

But then I became a liberal and can no longer think for myself. Now I need a couple of university professors to tell me what I should think.

if we take Skins az their word wrote:

Jamie Fuller did specifically say Skins will publish the report...

Certainly Skins will want to consider carefully their response, but unless they go back on what was said, it sounds like the public will have the opportunity to evaluate the report.

I dont get why Skins are so reluctant to get shut of him. They are acting like he's an olympic champion that they are desperate to keep.

He's a very average runner, and you'd think they could have figured out months ago he cheated, and got rid of him.

I have no understanding why ANYONE wants anything to do with him when he's not even that good?

Why the reluctance to dump him wrote:

if we take Skins az their word wrote:

Jamie Fuller did specifically say Skins will publish the report...

Certainly Skins will want to consider carefully their response, but unless they go back on what was said, it sounds like the public will have the opportunity to evaluate the report.

I dont get why Skins are so reluctant to get shut of him. They are acting like he's an olympic champion that they are desperate to keep.

He's a very average runner, and you'd think they could have figured out months ago he cheated, and got rid of him.

I have no understanding why ANYONE wants anything to do with him when he's not even that good?

Legal protection. Skins is an Australian company. RY is a UK citizen. Business laws in Australia and UK aren't the same as in the US. The two professors will give Skins the legal basis for firing RY and Speicher.

Sorry if this has been analyzed elsewhere but do we know the extent of any involvement the Skins rep - Speicher - actually had in the likely cheating. From what I read it sounded like he had his own car and would go ahead to scout locations/ directions and wasn't in the RV. Per his LinkedIn page he just graduated college in May 2015 and Skins was his first career type job that he started in September 2015 so I couldn't imagine he would collude with two people he barely knows and risk his career/ reputation (unless he informed his superiors at Skins) when the outcome doesn't really benefit him much and greatly outweighs the risks. Newbies usually still have on the rose colored corporate glasses (and foolishly believe that those who work hard rise to the top) along with the ethics courses fresh in their minds. But maybe it's different with millennials....

No RY at Equinox24 this weekend here in the UK.

Michael Speicher was fully complicit with the scam and should be fired by Skins.

From Skins own website describing Speicher's role:

"Over and above Rob’s incredible talent to achieve the impossible with his running, it’s thanks to his crew – friend and copywriter Dustin Brooks and SKINS digital marketer Michael Speicher – that he’s done as well as he has so far. Together, Dustin and Michael share the responsibility of driving the campervan, recording data, taking photographs and videos, and most importantly, keeping Rob fit and healthy by preparing food, drinks and making sure he’s had enough rest and recovery after each day’s mileage. And when you’re driving through the night and early morning at 5 miles per hour, that’s quite a lot to be responsible for."

5th paragraph.

I read that as they are getting ready to throw Speicher to the wolves.

It's almost the end of September.

The wolves are getting hungry.

That isn't evidence of anything plus it was written a week into it before the fallout. Conjecture but exactly what each person did each of the questionable days is more what I'm wondering about as if Michael had his own car he couldn't have been in the RV the entire time. Did him and Dustin take turns driving. Did they only sleep when RY slept or did they do shifts etc. I think if Michael knew anything he'd cop to it as why go down for some stranger.

Sally S wrote:

That isn't evidence of anything plus it was written a week into it before the fallout. Conjecture but exactly what each person did each of the questionable days is more what I'm wondering about as if Michael had his own car he couldn't have been in the RV the entire time. Did him and Dustin take turns driving. Did they only sleep when RY slept or did they do shifts etc. I think if Michael knew anything he'd cop to it as why go down for some stranger.

That's why I've always been curious about the written logs. Those can be cross-referenced with each of the Tomtom entries. They cheated at night -- most likely time that Michael would be sleeping somewhere. RY made a big deal about the witness signing the handwritten log...

Michael Speicher knew what was going on. So did Dustin. There is no way you could ride in that RV--just the 3 of you--for a couple weeks with RY in the RV for a hundred or two hundred miles at slow speeds and you actually think RY ran all those miles. No way. Laz's report clearly stated the 2 of them were in over their heads trying to take care of RY by themselves. No way on this planet that Speicher didn't know what was going on.

That paragraph I copied was written before the East Sheen Traveling Circus began.