Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Human performance is complicated, and there can certainly be placebo effects as well as competition effects. And, some riders will do anything they think will get them a leg up on the competition.
The "micro dosing" that was in the news a while ago may well be a placebo effect.
But, for the regular increase HCT by EPO, Blood Transfusions, etc, the theory is strong, and appears to be borne out by actual on the road testing.
These are extraordinary athletes with or without drugs. But, perhaps just a little better with drugs.
Tyler Hamilton's book
The Secret Race is a pretty decent description of what motivated at least one rider get into doping, and of the doping routines used by US Postal in it's various incarnations. Certainly in the case of US Postal, the doping was backed up by comprehensive crit testing etc to monitor the biological effects of the doping. Michele Ferrari may have been an unscrupulous cheat, or cheat-facilitator, but he clearly know how to administer dope effectively