Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: andygates on 17 July, 2008, 06:14:30 pm

Title: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: andygates on 17 July, 2008, 06:14:30 pm: Here's the scenario: You're a successful pro rider in a Tour-grade team. You're using PEDs and you are getting good results. But you've decided that you want out.

How do you come off the PEDs without appearing to have a suspicious collapse in performance, or missing your mortgage and school fees? Is it actually possibly to "get out" without quitting the sport or testing positive?
Title: Re: Thoguht experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: Tiger on 17 July, 2008, 06:16:58 pm: Isn't that why Armstrong quit then?
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: nuttycyclist on 17 July, 2008, 06:50:00 pm: Decrease the PEDs and Increase the training.
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: andygates on 17 July, 2008, 07:22:10 pm: And slide slowly out of the rankings (and presumably income) while planning a career as a coach or writer or restaurateur?

It's grim though - you're winding down your dosage while being at risk of a positive test, when you could be still up a the front eating mountains for the same risk.
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: David Martin on 17 July, 2008, 07:27:46 pm: Given that PEDs tend to be either used in a careful regime during out of competition training, or for an immediate boost (eg homologous blood transfusions) it should be fairly easy to come off them. If you want out then just do it in the off season, claim an illness/injury or other 'taking some time to come back' event.

..d
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: Frenchie on 17 July, 2008, 09:20:58 pm: Maybe this explains why the French riders have appeared off the radars for a while. The so-called diagonal testing demanded by the French governing bodies has been in place for a while now, following the Festina affair. I hope this is one good reason, amongst others I am sure, and that one day these riders will have the last laugh.
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: Ian H on 17 July, 2008, 09:25:29 pm: What was that recent study that appeared to show that placebos had nearly the same effect, and some effect even when the riders knew they were taking them.
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: Frenchie on 17 July, 2008, 09:28:55 pm: Quote from: andygates on 17 July, 2008, 07:22:10 pm
It's grim though - you're winding down your dosage while being at risk of a positive test, when you could be still up a the front eating mountains for the same risk.

Millar got out "honorably" it seems and is still there.
Title: Re: Thought experiment: giving up performance-enhancing drugs
Post by: andygates on 17 July, 2008, 09:39:13 pm: Millar did it by taking his punishment. He fessed up, took his lumps, and is conspiciously uber-clean now (though still hated by some).