after reading this thread It reminded me of an article that I read in Outside magazine years ago, so that tells you just how good it was that I still remebered it. it really shows you the tempting side of drug use and how much it really does work since the author is writing from first hand expierence. Its about a guy who spends about 8 months experimenting with all kinds of banned drugs and documenting everything. The article was so interesting becuase he was using a doctor to help administer the drugs correctly, and he experimented with many different kinds including HGH and EPO. After he would take these drugs he would actually test them out by going on long bike rides and doing many other very physical things. heres the link, and and some good parts of the article. you'll be hooked if you start reading it.
http://outside.away.com/outside/body...ug_test_1.html
"My plan was simple. I would train as I always do—about 15 to 20 hours a week—while taking various supplements under Dr. Jones's supervision. I started in January 2003. In eight months, I intended to ride the 1,225-kilometer (761-mile) Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race, a once-every-four-years sufferfest that's popular among amateur ultracyclists. I would first have to qualify by completing a series of 200-, 300-, 400-, and 600-kilometer rides within certain time limits."
"After the EPO kicked in, I rode a 200-miler and I felt strong, fresh, ready to hammer. The next day I easily could have ridden another 200. It all started to make sense: recovering this fast would be a huge advantage in a stage race like the Tour de France."
"One of my bike racers who isn't really a climber went on a training ride and dropped the best climbers on his team," he said. "They were like, 'Um, what are you taking?'"