ericcox

Anyone catch this from the Giro (or post it already)?

If it leads to something, it's really a shame. I liked DiLuca's style and was finally coming around to Simoni.

Lithuania

ugh

bdcheung

you're in trouble if your testosterone is too high. you're in trouble if your testosterone is too low. where the **** is goldilocks?

harlond

Is there any surer path to prosecution than winning a GT?

These days, if you want to to be the acknowledged winner 1-2 years later, the place to finish is second. Perhaps we can look forward to the time when podium contenders start doing trackstands to avoid victory.

patentcad

Pcad would always be DQ'd for too much testosterone. Be happy I'm not in the UCI.

geneman

If you ever though ... even for one minute ... that DiLuca et al. are clean, then it's time for you to watch another sport or get over it and enjoy it for what it is. I'm Just sayin'

Mark

skinny

+1

...and a domestique finishes third....

...and the band plays on.

Just curious, was Stijn glancing around furtively at the finals awards presentation in Switzerland?

biffstephens

This will help the riders sign the Anti Doping Charter....lol

The science is just to subjective for the Anti Doping Charter...ther are some drugs where it is not so subjective....they should start there.

donrhummy

Actually, it doesn't surprise me. I've read that extreme physical exertion can leave you with temporarily lower testosterone levels. After a stage like Zoncolan, if your levels were normal, THAT should raise alarms.

I think the problem is twofold:

1. They're using inexact science, science that doesn't fit each person or context perfectly
2. They seem to assume that all the riders are guilty and seem very quick to leak this stuff to the press

dmotoguy

I think the press is exagerating this though. CONI said that the hormone levels were wierd and that they were just going to look into it further, they will probably figure it our pretty quickly.

A)They were all doping and then covering it up..
or
B)They just did one of the hardest GT stages, after a few other hard stages, and their bodies were battered.

Snicklefritz

Riding like that for 3 weeks isn't a normal human activity. So I could see why people's body chemistry might get screwed up. Not saying that they are clean, but there are other things that could throw stuff off.

Stallionforce

Masking agents are a possibility; but, as others have said, riding 6+ hours per day for three weeks can doubtless turn off the hormonal tap. It would be interesting to see what the levels were though; and to compare that to what sort of reduction is normal given the typical exertion of a 3 week tour.

roadwarrior

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better.

El Diablo Rojo

If the UCI are to save this sport from a never ending string of doping allegations and embarrassments, they need to offer the riders amnesty. With draconian punishments and a perception that the only way to be competitive riders are A) never going to come forward and clean up the sport and be B) continue to try to get away with doping to remain at the front of the field. As long as riders live in fear that not only their lively hoods will be taken away but also the very real possibility that they will be sued by sponsors no one will ever admit to have doped.

I propose that the UCI and IOC offer all athletes a one time amnesty that if they come forward and admit to doping now or in the past, name the doctors, DS's and team principals that helped them then they get to go on with their lives. If they test positive again it's a lifetime ban. In order for the testing to be above board there has to be three A samples and three B samples taken. Each sample is sent to a different lab, one to our favorite lab in France, one to the UCLA lab and on to the lab in Canada. If a riders sample if found to be non-negative then the other samples will be tested. Only if all three come back with the same results will the rider be considered to have doped. Yes this will be very costly but we are talking about a persons career and dreams, in that context it's very affordable

Super Guanche

And it wouldn't surprise me that CONI had read this too.

It could all be nothing, but based on what we know so far you'd have to assume that if it is a phenomenon, they're aware of it. They test riders all the time. Are these guys the only people who're exhibit lower levels? Or is there something out of the ordinary going on?