Originally Posted by
Cat4Lifer
Reading the book, I expected the so-called level playing field myth to be destroyed, I don't
think Coyle even chipped away at it. And if I'm not mistaken, Hamilton himself said something
to the effect of the other riders having the same opportunities he did.
They addressed several times how taking EPO didn't level the playing field. They even used one of their teammates who had a high hematocrit level naturally (47 I believe) and how taking EPO helped him such a smaller percentage than those with lower levels. They addressed it early on when he first took EPO and then again much later after he had left Postal Service and he was trying to figure out what Armstrong was doing to be so strong for the Tour but so weak earlier in the year.
I remember, off the top of my head, a line something like "EPO didn't level the playing field, it simply shifted the playing field to some other less meaningful measure"