Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
With a little or no testing, and little or no sanctions, the pressure to dope would be immense.
Say you have a son that has real talent on the bike, and the chance to be on an Under 23 team in Europe. In your scheme of little or no testing, your son will have to choose whether to break various laws, and put his health at risk, or give up on being a professional cyclist.
And with no testing, why not raise your hematacrit to 60%, even if there's a small chance it will kill you?
I don't recall writing NO TESTING. I stated TESTING IN COMPETITION, testing more riders, and improved testing. Catch the cheaters, penalize them for cheating, and move on. It is the persecution that I would like see eliminated. People who commit real crimes are not treated and persecuted the way professional cyclists have been this past decade. For what? Cheating in a competition? Pro cycling is a business and money from sponsors will dry up if they don't want to be associated with dirty riders and dirty teams. That in itself is enough punishment in my book. Why punish beyond that?
All this disciplinary action, multi-year bans, lifetime bans, etc. only serves the power-hungry on their high horses.
By the way, my very talented U23 son would have to make the same choices under the current scheme.