I disagree. Being a successful athlete does not mean that bad behaviour should be excused.
I honestly think that you guys are being dishonest and only accept it because he's British...in the same way that when foreign footballers dive, it's bad(mm'kay), but when England players do it, it's 'smart'.
I am completely with you on the first point.
WRT to british footballers - well, I'm sure there are some blinkered patriots, but you're daft to paint everyone with the same brush. And football fans, broad-brush speaking, are a very different bunch to bikerace-fans [I don't know why, but fans of the 2 sports do seem to be more polarised than any other sports in this country.I digress ... ]
However, most importantly, I have NO idea what he has done wrong. His "least diplomatic" comments have been after sprint finishes with a mike shoved in his face while he's still panting and sweating into it. Even then I haven't found fault with his comments - he seems fair, hard-working, grateful to his teammates and honest. He has probably engaged in much less "dubious" tactics than a typical elite sprinter.
What is your problem with him?