Road Bike Racing - Doping punishments

Do you think its right for a pro rider who gets caught using EPO to be punished with a 6 month suspension?
Is this sending a proper message?
Are the riders thinking "ohh, I would dope, but if I get caught, I might not be allowed to race during the offseason this year! That would be terrible!"?
:rolleyes:

What do you all think?

I think it should be a year suspension. Now that would really hurt.

If it is a flat out, "Im a cheater" kind of scenario, I think lifetime ban. If it is something like, too much sudafed, or too much anti inflammatory while recovering from an injury, then that is different. If the person is just shooting up enhancers, then they should never race again. That would be a deterant.

Yeah, I know there are plenty of minor cases with drug use that isn't nearly performance enhancing. Generally I don't think there should be harsher punishments in those cases. But I think its wrong for a rider to get busted using something like EPO or steroids, and only get a 6 month suspension.

I agree that it should be based on the type of drug detected. If it's something that has no legitimate medical explanation, such as steroids, a harsher punishment is warranted. If somebody "overdoses" on his grandma's cocaine-laced candy or puts too much rash creme in his shorts, maybe a shorter suspension is needed.

I definitely would like to eliminate situations like the one involving Igor Gonzales de Galdeano from last year's TDF, when a set of doctors say his medication was legitimate and within limits while others recommend his suspension.

The question remains, though, how do you punish all the violators without making the sport look like it's full of dopers? I'm tired of all the "sports fans" talking about doping in bike racing while cheering on certain baseball players who are obviously juiced up...

The reasons for bans are primarily for the credibility of the sport. If the sponsors associate with riders who do drugs, then get light penalties and return quickly to racing, the sponsors become facilitators in the eyes of the fan, the consumer. The sponsor's name becomes sullied, and the advertising values fall. Then the teams and riders don't get paid as much.

I still remember the drug users from years ago. How many people remember the Michel Pollentier incident? I still remember that and the team he was riding for. How many people remember that Francesco Casagrande had a victory in the San Sebastian taken away because of drug use? That was a few years ago.

The sponsors and the sport suffers greatly from the use of performance enhancing drugs by some riders, and I think the penalties should be stiff enough to affect the riders career. They should be forced to consider the possibility of losing their career if they try to cheat to improve it.

Therefore, I think that 2 yr penalties for obvious verifiable offenses are not uncalled for. This is the length of time that can break a riders chances of being able to maintain the strength and skill needed to ride with the peloton. He/she would also be forced to reestablish themselves, probably at a considerably lower wage.

I do not forget riders like Laurent Jalabert, Eric Zabel, Lance Armstrong, Greg Lemond and others who've had victory after victory without the benefit of performance enhancing drugs. Their sponsors got their moneys worth. Throw the cheats out.

Ejection from pro cycling for 10 years for doping would be sufficient. This will insure that most will be too old to attract sponsors after the suspension.