TDF Rider # 2 Positive 168 to go
 

"Police raided the hotel were Barloworld were staying before the start of today's 11th stage and left with the rider who was to be questioned, witnesses said."


Is raiding the hotel really necessary?

IT just sounds badass. Bunch o' beefed up gendarmes manhandling a bunch o' emaciated chested cyclists.

Get the tasers! He's got a needle!!

It makes sense guys are getting caught. Up to now there has not been a reliable test for epo so I guess people thought they'd still get away with that.

So are people really racing clean, or is there some new designer drug testers haven't caught wind of yet? Overall the speeds of this tour do seem a bit lower.

I wish I would test positive.

Who the hell ever heard of this friggin mope? What was he the Lantern Rouge?

:thumb:

he is actually a damn good rider. won the tour de l'avenir two years ago. finished 37th overall in the tour last year as agritubel's highest gc rider. he was barloworld's team leader after soler went down. finished 11th yesterday, ahead of valverde, schumi, kirchen, andy schleck, cesar, sanchez, zubeldia, etc. and sitting 19th overall. he is somewhere between good and exceptional when it comes to climbing. perhaps he felt pressure to perform after he became the gc leader for barloworld. speaking of which, i really wish robbie hunter was on a different team. there is no doubt that the guy would be loved by many fans if he was on a more popular team.

So the racers are taking EPO during the tour itself? My understanding of EPO is all hearsay and conjecture, but I thought that you took it a month beforehand. Would it even help now? Don't the RBC's need time to mature?

Or is this new test able to detect EPO longer? That would be a godsend to doping control.

My understanding is that to maintain the benefits longer, smaller doses are used to maintain inflated values. Did a quick search and came across a faq defending the use of EPO by athletes & providing details on how to obtain & maintain high hematocrit levels.

^^^what he said^^^

I believe that your hematocrit level tends to drop during a long tour. By using supplemental EPO during the race you can maintain a high hematocrit.

nah, it's 167 to go. they need to leave one French rider alone. this way he will win TdF. Maybe.

And apparently, we have learned why.

Why do you think they're all doping? Because they're all faster than you? Did you believe it when you're mother said you're the bestest ever?!

You are NOT going to clean up the Tour de France without catching more dopers. That's not possible. I'd be more skeptical if NOBODY was being caught in this year's Tour.

Everybody is faster than me (except Chipcom).

No I don't think they're all doping. That's the point.

But depending who they catch you doubt the french lab.

its nice to see this type of thing... and they are happening in small doses so maybe things are much much better and now its just time for cleaning up the scraps.

I still doubt the labs competence

Always pinning it on the French.

Yep.

1) The rider can clearly claim they were clean, it was a mistake, and so forth. If they actually kept evidence (drugs or blood bags) in their hotel room, finding them would be definitive evidence.

2) Doping is illegal in France, so the more evidence they can get, the tighter the case.

3) If you get busted in a parking lot with a couple of joints, why wouldn't a cop want to search your car too?

I've some first-hand experience with the CRS (French riot police). Say what you want about the performance of their military May of '40, but their riot police are some hardboiled mofos.

The recent doubt about the reliability of the EPO test has only recently come into question. It may be fine. It's a question, not a denunciation of the test.

The riders believed the test to be reliable. That's all that matters. The same overall effect is achieved. Those who will risk it will still risk it.

The system of doping is still in place and the culture of doping, although losing ground, still exists.

"Riders testing positive? Who cares?"

"Next."

"So Son, do you like working at that tire factory?"

After all the high-profile crap it's astounding that riders would continue to juice.

It's the only logical explanation. :P