50 replies to this topic Post Order

[Mellow]

i like this quote

Already in 2004, Giovanni Spinosa (who was the Public Prosecutor in my famous trial) affirmed in a nice interview that for him "cyclists, soccer players, tennis players, are not sportsmen but entertainers and as such they should be regarded: enough with the hypocrisy, the true scandal is people pretending to get shocked, time has come to distinguish professionals from the rest of the sporting world."

[Lucky Luke.]

Jorg Jaksche (who Christie mentioned earlier) had this to say about his attempt to ride the tour clean in '99

Quote

Afraid of more drug raids after the 1998 Festina team's doping scandal, Jaksche said he took nothing before the 1999 Tour, in which he finished 80th. Without drugs, "You have to put in more effort, recovery is slower. I couldn't hang on and felt unnecessary. At the end, I was afraid of getting dropped at railroad bridges." Not doping almost cost him his job at Telekom. "I didn't understand the system. I didn't send my girlfriend to France with the substances," said Jaksche to Spiegel.

But a few years later, he was one of 13 racers prohibited from starting the 2006 Tour de France due to an alleged connection with Operación Puerto. Spanish police had found bags of blood, illegal doping products, and names of cyclists in a raid of Eufemiano Fuentes' facilities in May of 2006.

Jaksche admitted to starting a program of blood doping under the guidance of Spanish doctor Fuentes beginning in 2005. The blood bags with the name "Bella" on them, found in Fuentes' lab, were indeed his.

"Fuentes was a master of disguise. None of his clients knew about the others. Not even in our team did we know if other teammates were involved or not," said the 2004 Paris - Nice winner to Der Spiegel.

Commenting on the pervasiveness of doping in cycling, he added, "It's perverse, but the doping system is just, because everyone dopes. Cycling without doping is only just when really no one is doping any longer." Jaksche revealed doping was often coordinated by team management or at the very least, permitted. "The logic is you adjust your performance level to the rest, because everyone is doing it. In cycling, you live in a parallel world.

http://www.cyclingne...for-july-1-2007

[Skaap]

please make all drugs legal!!

it would be so much more fun, dramatic, entertaining.. etc...

[StevieL]

Skaap, on 27 January 2011 - 12:44 , said:

please make all drugs legal!!

it would be so much more fun, dramatic, entertaining.. etc...

[StevieL]

Skaap, on 27 January 2011 - 12:44 , said:

please make all drugs legal!!

it would be so much more fun, dramatic, entertaining.. etc...

The TDF would certainly be very boring without drugs. Especially the mountain stages...

[SBR]

Here is a logical reason

[massiveboy]

Dopeing ----- such a scary word! But just a small insight, without it athletes would not be able to produce the performances we expect and the TV stations would lose a whole lot of viewers (cause we not watching) thus less advertisers. Its a big circle and the money involved is way above any of our heads!!

Dopeing will always be in the pelaton, the products are way ahead of the tests - remember they can only test if they know what they are testing for!

He is not my best cyclists but give Contador a break he is only doing what the rest are! For those of you who think Protien shakes make these pros tick think again!

[TNT1]

Search.

[Wil6]

Huh?

[FlashJordan]

Doping discussions/speculation always seem to centre around the road pro's, obviously with good reason. Was just wondering if it is the same story amongst the MTB pro's??? Or is MTB a 'clean' sport???

[RaymondC]

Or try soccer where More than 100 players tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol during the Under-17 world championship held in Mexico.......... I'd hate to see the rugby stats.

[American Flyers]

TDF is becoming boring when they take drugs because they all ride close each other.
If you look years back, some riders ride well, and suffer next day and ride better on
following day. That makes the race interesting! like Hinault vs Lemond...

[Fujioso]

The Peleton is doped up, but I still enjoy the spectacle. I cannot wait for the TdF to start.

[TNT1]

American Flyers, on 08 February 2012 - 01:07 , said:

If you look years back, some riders ride well, and suffer next day and ride better on
following day.

Floyd Landis springs to mind.

[philip.maree]

Skaap, on 27 January 2011 - 12:44 , said:

please make all drugs legal!!

it would be so much more fun, dramatic, entertaining.. etc...

+1

[Lucky Luke.]

American Flyers, on 08 February 2012 - 01:07 , said:

TDF is becoming boring when they take drugs because they all ride close each other.
If you look years back, some riders ride well, and suffer next day and ride better on
following day. That makes the race interesting! like Hinault vs Lemond...

I know what you mean, drugs are part of it, but I think it's more to do with how the team doctor culture has changed since the late '90s.

These days, the rider's form is managed by professional team doctors. Things have become highly competitive at a medical level.

Team doctors are controlling the level of performance, testing hematocrits, keeping the guys right up against the legal limits of performance, whereas in the old days riders would have to look after themselves.

Bob gives a good example in the case of Landis, who had to manage his own doping strategy. It showed in his erratic performance and probably also in the fact that he got caught.