I'd love to believe that this is true, however I'm fearful that they're just paying lip service. The way that Froome didn't have a bad day on the TdF in particular makes me sceptical.Quote:
Originally Posted by GridGirl
Printable View
I'd love to believe that this is true, however I'm fearful that they're just paying lip service. The way that Froome didn't have a bad day on the TdF in particular makes me sceptical.Quote:
Originally Posted by GridGirl
A cycling forum I visit has had discussion about doping in professional cycling for a long time and it has some good insight in to the matter. ;)
Few weeks ago there were two interesting articles
Ashenden: Understanding USADA’s Armstrong charges
and
Behind the Scenes of the Contador CAS hearing with Michael Ashenden | NY Velocity - New York bike racing culture, news and events
The second one was very interesting, if bit technical.
Is it really over for Lance? Over?
Reminds me of.....
D-Day: War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...
[thinks hard]
Bluto: the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!
[runs out, alone; then returns]
Bluto: What the f*ck happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my *ss from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer...
Otter: Dead! Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these *******s. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
Bluto: We're just the guys to do it.
D-Day: Let's do it.
Bluto: LET'S DO IT!
What I have found interesting in the whole USADA debacle is that the USADA have shown to my knowledge absolutely no interest in investigating George Hincapie. He's American and was Lance's loyal domestique during every one of Armstrong's Tour de France wins. He's falls under the same remit as Armstrong and was there every step of the way including in the less successful years after Lance's comeback. Maybe only having four Tour de France stage wins doesn't warrant an investigation. :s
Wasn't Hincapie one of the ones that was trading information about Armstrong in return for them turning a blind eye.Quote:
Originally Posted by GridGirl
I've always suspected that Lane was high as a kite but it still feels a bit wrong that they've stripped his wins when they haven't really brought forward much proof.
I suppose it's a possibility that Hincapie was trading information but I've never seen anything actually stating who the team mates that have testified against Lance actually are. When there are 20 plus riders in a team and you take into account a period in excess of 15 years it could easily be anyone of say 100 to 150 riders that have spoken out.
My honest opinion is that he probably did dope. They all doped during those days. You can't change history but maybe if you're the USADA you can.
I studied elite athletic physiology for a degree with a particular focus on cyclists because these guys are the ultimate aerobic exercise machines.Quote:
Originally Posted by GridGirl
Their exercise tolerance and therefore competitiveness is based on three factors:
1)Their cardiac output which can be increased with training.
2)Their blood oxygen carrying capacity which is what stuff like EPO increases but otherwise they can't do much about.
3)Their VO2Max, or their maximum oxygen uptake capacity in their lungs which is something they can do nothing to improve.
They can improve 1) by training to a certain level but all these guys are fit so they are equal in this regard. When it comes to 2) they are either equal or they are on easily identifiable drugs or have to self transfuse. Either way these methods are detectable. 3) they can do nothing about.
For motorsports guys it would be as if drivers were given a maximum engine capacity randomly at the start of their careers which they could never change. However talented they were, however well they trained if another guy had a higher VO2max you could do nothing to close the gap with them except for taking drugs. Given how competitive these guys are I really am not surprised one bit that they're tempted to take drugs. Must be heartbreaking to realise you'll never be the best regardless of how hard you train or how well you do on the day because your lung capacity isn't big enough.
At least until those and the next ones in the queue are all found guilty of doping. Truth is they all did it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Just another modern witch hunt. Makes them feel 'strong'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew
Interesting reads, however both of them show that a rather high level of subjectivity was/is involved in the proceedings, they can never explain what exactly is the cause that produces the suspicious results and they are mostly guessing instead of pinpointing the cause.Quote:
Originally Posted by janneppi
With the level of guessing involved a scientist would have a hard time to have an article accepted in a high level publication ( for example Nature) let alone use it as a base in court.