The 'Latest Drugs Revelations' thread

[gonzo]

Piepoli and Schumacher test positive at Tour de France

www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling

Who was really shocked to hear that?

Didn't think so!

[GruB]

No, not shocked.  In many ways I'm glad they are really trying to improve things. 
Emanuelle Sella is also no shock.  They have to learn not to cheat.

[clarion]

*feigns surprise but his archly raised eyebrow gives him away*

[Frenchie]

The list is potentially longer as well...

Frank Schleck Suspended

Rira bien qui rira le dernier.

[gonzo]

A post over on weight weenies:

I remember back from what Pez had reported from a the Het Laatste Niews newspaper in a previous doping thread:

*AG2R: Valjavec plus 1 rider from: (Efimkin, Dessel, Arrieta, Dupont, Elmiger, Gadret, Goubert of Riblon)

*Saunier Duval: Ricco, Piepoli en Cobo

*Team Columbia: Two riders from: (Kirchen, Hincapie, Burghardt, Cavendish, Ciolek, Eisel, Hansen, Lovkvist of Siutsou)

*CSC: Five riders from: (Cancellara, Fränk Schleck, Andy Schleck, O'Grady, Voigt, Gustov, Sastre, Arvesen of Sörensen)

*Gerolsteiner: Two riders from: (Schumacher, Kohl, Förster, Fothen, Haussler, Krauss, Lang, Scholz of Wegmann) (gb)

An ominous day indeed...

It's looking like a fair chunk of the TdF podium could come out positive by the end of the week...

[Frenchie]

There's some overlap in our lists... and some big names!

[gonzo]

It's nice to see that the tour organisers are providing 'entertainment' in the off season!

[Frenchie]

If we combine the two lists, some people do seem to be in trouble.

[Rich753]

Ohmigoodness!  Who is your money on?

I'd be disappointed, not to say overwhelmed, if some of those names were found positive.  But otoh not too surprised at some of the others.

[andygates]

We need a sweepstake.  Like a dead pool, only without the Pope.

[Frenchie]

We need Clint as well... 

[oncemore]

And I'd always assumed that it was the illegal drugs that prevented me from attaining the heights of sporting success....

[Frenchie]

Interestingly Prudhomme is being attacked today by readers in L'Equipe for being an hypocrit: How did he dare let Schumacher and Piepoli, and Ricco ride? He can't win really? Had he said anything before the evidence were accepted, legally he was in trouble. If he doesn't do anything, although in the know, he is attacked and the TdF is again in the news for the wrong reasons! Still, I think that his attitude and France's attitude in general are wimming the battle. As noted elsewhere the labs are now helping and it is happens that Roche had/has tagged the CERA molecule so that it was/is detectable. The public is also starting to see the extent of the damage and understands his position and suspicions. Good news at last.

[Rich753]

The TdF got slated in the US for banning Astana -  there was that "let Levi ride" campaign -  where to anyone prepared to look at the evidence it was a logical and practical decision.  Again Prudhomme did the right thing and was prepared to take the flak.

Just goes to show, you can't please all the people all of the time

[David Martin]

As noted elsewhere the labs are now helping and it is happens that Roche had/has tagged the CERA molecule so that it was/is detectable.

Sorry - that is a myth. The molecule is not tagged. It would cost far too much to do that. What Roche did do was to work on the doping tests during drug developemnt so the test was available as the drug came onto the market.

..d

[gonzo]

So now that Khol's gone, who else will go? Sastre's final TT performance is making a lot of people suspicious. Another TdF yellow jersey to be removed?

[Frenchie]

Sastre is in the list given on Stade 2...

[gonzo]

Apparently they're done with the testing for CERA and no one else has tested positive.

Would they have named Sastre if he had tested positive?

With so many suspicious values on CSC perhaps they were on something that's not detectable yet?

[Si]

 
All I can say is (again) I'm now much less bothered about not being able to watch live racing next year on Eurosport....each set of new revelations just makes me less and less enchanted with cycle racing. 

[GruB]

The Armstrong employs top Doc is a good thread to read to understand about how / why the lab people do what they do, in my opinion.

[clarion]

All I can say is (again) I'm now much less bothered about not being able to watch live racing next year on Eurosport....each set of new revelations just makes me less and less enchanted with cycle racing. 

Happier not knowing, perhaps?  I'd rather that the cheats are being weeded out aggressively and that whoever remains on the road is as clean as can be determined, than have all results in doubt.

[Si]

All I can say is (again) I'm now much less bothered about not being able to watch live racing next year on Eurosport....each set of new revelations just makes me less and less enchanted with cycle racing. 

Happier not knowing, perhaps?  I'd rather that the cheats are being weeded out aggressively and that whoever remains on the road is as clean as can be determined, than have all results in doubt.

Thing is though, we've been through it all before, Festina, etc, and everyone has said "well, the bad old days are over" and then it's all kicked off again.  So you get to the point where you start to ask "should I invest time and emotion in following the racing, supporting certain riders, being awed by their abilities only to have our faith dashed again with the new generation of clean riders?".

Sure they should all be treated as innocent until proven guilty, and sure, this time they might actually crack the drugs problem, but I'm afraid that you can only kick some old dogs so many times until we decide to leave home.

[gonzo]

It's looking like Valverde is on very thin ice at the moment, but I found the second point on this list more interesting:
Operation Puerto: More on the CONI Investigation - Podium Cafe

The first one was quite enlightening too; the Italians are going out of their way to get the testing of Spanish riders done when the Spanish federation seems to be protecting its riders.