http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007...ul07/jul26news
What next?
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Good title but dang....I guess we saw this coming.
Am not even sure what to say anymore.
I really hope that this is not true - seriously unless they haven't realeased something yet the only reason for pulling him would be his missing some out of season tests (for which he has already been punished) and rumors spread by a mt. biking collegue of his. If it comes to pulling riders out because someone *says* that they saw something, heard something, whatever - what kind of chaos would that cause! ANYONE could start a rumor to get any other rider that they wanted pulled from a race. Heck, at least riders wouldn't have to dope, they could take all the money they are saving not buying EPO and use it for bribes instead. :mad:
If someone tests positive but there are B tests to be done or if the cyclist maintains innocence, are they allowed to finish? If Rasmussen IS innocent, shouldn't he be allowed to ride while all of this is getting sorted out?
Imagine being pulled only to be cleared later. Not that anyone appears to get cleared.
another source: http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/det...s/12944.0.html
Someone posted on another board that Rasmussen's team was the decision maker here - they pulled him because they say he lied about his whereabouts during one of the periods he wasn't reachable during the off season. I don't know how accurate this is.
And as far as A tests and B tests go I thought it was supposed to work that way too - The media isn't even supposed to know about a positive test until either the rider waives the right to a B test or the test is performed and confirms the positive, but that all seems to have gone out the window in the last year. Any suspicion and proof positive or not out you go - it sucks.
That's a lot better, PedalWench!:)
I think El Pollo wasn't Amigos with anyone on Rabo.
WTF! I thought this was a totally chaotic Tour without one team in control, Rabobank gets control and then this! Wow! What an incredible shame.
whoa! I know I shouldn't be surprised... but I am :eek: :(
at least they seem to not just be "slapping their wrists" as punishment anymore... still a bummer tho.
Maybe they should just forget the yellow jersey and start competing for a tie-dyed jersey...
LOL! I think I MUST find a tie-dyed jersey now. I'm on an official quest!Quote:
Originally Posted by onimity
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: What's next?????
Levi tests postive for......
Rogaine!:p
Yeah, Levi and Chris Horner. :)
That's great! Thanks for the chuckle! bikerHenQuote:
Originally Posted by Fredwina
I'd be lying if I said I was pulling for Rasmussen. I'm pulling hard for the Discovery team. But dang, Ras had a great ride today. I wish I had the discipline those boys have to train and eat correctly and keep so little body fat that they are called the "chicken". I think it is terrible that the tests keep getting leaked to the press before there is confirmation. You'd have to be pretty dumb to dope and drug these days. I've said all along that Ras was cheating. If the Tour meant that much to him and he was clean, he'd make damn sure he was where he was supposed to be for the tests. I'm just praying someone doesn't make something up about Discovery. We've got to believe someone is CLEAN.
Hey dont even joke about Chris Horner he is such a cutie. I have withdrawal symptoms if I dont get to watch the Horner diaries. I will miss him when the tour finishes.Quote:
Originally Posted by slinkedog
Trek-with a little crush-hawk:D
haha, if they bring in a tie-dyed jersey you might get a bunch of older dope smoking fixie riding men entering the tour, might be a little slower!Quote:
Originally Posted by onimity
j/k :D
But in all reality all of this is sad and you know that they wouldn't just pull him for missing the tests, because otherwise he would have never started to race. They must have a feeling that he would be testing positive after his great ability to keep the yellow jersey....... but that is just my opinion
Ask and you shall receive:Quote:
Originally Posted by onimity
http://www.velowear.com/images/produ...es/1010305.jpg
http://www.velowear.com/products/1010305PRT2XL.aspx
I dunno - I can understand balking at having ones every move charted.... its not that he had a list of time that he had to show up for controls and he missed them. Riders are required to present the doping control agency with an agenda of everywhere that they plan to be and when in detail, ahead of time, so that if the bloodsuckers decided to drop in unannonced they know where to find you..... I would certainly have a hard time living like that, I kind of like being able to be spontaneous....
What's next. Locked in their hotel rooms each night, all training camps to be held in North Korea, since they have plenty of experience running prison camps and providing government minders.
I'm afraid I am more on the side of the riders at this point. Sure they catch up some real cheats, but it seems now adays you can't win a race without automatically being accused of doping - maybe it should be a slow race instead. The person who can cross the line last wins - but if you put a foot on the ground you're disqualified.... We could put all 21 days into doing one stage.
You find just about everything on the Internet:Quote:
Originally Posted by ehirsch83
Another exasperating giggle-fest is Morini (?) of Cofidis...
He took part in the "we riders are so tired of the doping" start delay this morning... and was booted at the end of the day for a positive A sample from the other day.
Now that's nervy...
I've been wondering if Ras would go. I think a positive test is lurking out there and his team may be acting before the leak hits.
Drugs, sex, rock & roll... cycling, the new Woodstock.
spazz
p.s. there's some comment by Vino about his positive for doping being a mistake because "he had so much blood in his thighs". Do these guys not know basic biology... 8 (oops, or is it 9) pints of blood in the human body. Except in cycling where they have extra (in little see-through bags in the luggage).
Yeah, without the sex and rock'n roll!Quote:
Originally Posted by spazzdog
I feel so sorry for these guys. I'm surprised we don't hear of cyclists-suicides more often.
godness knows how badly this quote was mangled in its translation from Kazhak though.....Quote:
Originally Posted by spazzdog
I've heard that some think the test shows new/vs old red blood cells and he was trying to make the point that he should have a lot of new cells since he lost a lot of blood from his injuries..., but the test for homologous blood doping actually does test for your cells v/s someone elses. The only way you can truely different types of red blood cells with totally different antigens is to be a true chimera, and that's not something that would only show in one test - ask Tyler how poor an argument that one is....
Funny, I can believe Landis, I even believed Tyler....but Rasmussen? Naw...he didn't just miss one test, he missed 4 and then we find out he lied about what country he was in?!?!? Nope. Guilty. Signed.
As for Vino, I want to believe him, but it is tough...lab people, may I ask a dumb question? Is it possible to contaminate the sample to give the test results? That is, could the 'evil person' who wanted to see Vino tossed, contaminate his blood sample with a second person's blood? Or, is the blood treated when it is extracted, thus, making it impossible to contaminate?
If this is true (was posted on another board by a Brit) I can't see the TDF continuing this year.
Just reported on Sky news (TV) that most teams will leave the Tour and go home tomorrow..... T-Mobile, FDJ, CA, Gerostina amongst others plan to leave the Tour.... enough is enough..... they claim that until all teams play fair there is no point in racing races like the Tour........ well done UCI for withholding the information on Rasmussen before the Tour... what are they on ?
Man, oh, man... this would be a first!
If it continues, if I were Contador, I would refuse to wear the yellow jersey to start. Better to stay in the white one. It has less doo-doo on it this year.
spazz (who never liked yellow anyway :p )
p.s. I believed Tyler right up until he used the "chimera" defense. I walked away to go bury a bone at that point.
Wow! At the rate they are dropping from the TdF, I shoulda entered! :eek: I would have podiumed even with the climbing skills(?) I have. Ask AuntieK about them.
Oh I hope that is not true. For the clean riders that have trained so hard it would be one hell of a blow.:(Quote:
Originally Posted by Eden
With all of these teams/riders pulling out/being sacked, the question arises: What happens to the standings? Does everyone just move up? What about KOM and green jersey? Do the points for each stage get reassigned to redistribute for the missing riders? Just curious:confused:
I'm sick of hearing about doping. It's sad that these athletes that we look to for inspiration in the sport we love are resorting to this sad tactic. What does it say when one has to dive to the level of having someone's blood transfused into them to get the burst they need to win? Perhaps that they should have trained at higher altitudes...:mad:
In the standings, everyone just moves up. I don't think they "redistribute" the points; they're just gone.
On a tangent to the doping thread; anyone know the stats on incidence of doping on the womens side of the fence? I know there must be some there, like in other sports.
Take your pick...
Disgusted.
Flabbergasted.
Disallusioned.
Unbelievabley pissed.
Let down.
Sad.
Worried.
But yet...clinging to a thread of a hope that all this is untrue.
What a Tour.........what a freaking Tour! I'm damned near speechless. :(
~BikeMomma
I'll take all of the above. This is sad. :( Very Very sad. bikerHenQuote:
Originally Posted by BikeMomma
BikeMomma, honey... it's twuu. And, unfortunately, a long time a-comin'.
Perhaps what it will take is the TdF being canceled... stopped right now. The sponsors pull out, the paychecks go away (thus they can't afford to dope), and the sport rebuilds from the ground up.
It would help if other pro-sports (and amateur) went after dopers too, instead of rewarding suspect records (eh-hmm, bonds-atchoo... excuse me)
but I digress...
I just erased all my Tour recordings on my tv :( This is my way of protesting ;) oh and I haven't watched it yesterday or today :(
This is the first year that I’ve watched the TdF. I didn’t know what to expect, but in the past couple of weeks I’ve been completely sucked in...to include crushes on a few of the riders ;) , and even canceling brunch with a friend on Sunday so I could watch the finish live. But now I’m so disappointed in the way things are turning out...especially if that story about so many other teams pulling out is true.
Is the TdF like this every year?
This is what I was thinking the other day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifesgreat
I mean, If 25 years ago I toured all through France alone with a loaded bike including a tent and prepared almost all my own food (even to growing alfalfa sprouts hanging from a nylon tied under the saddle and rinsed every few hours)...
Who knows what I would be able to do *now* on a perfect road bike maintained by expert mechanics to the last millimetre, hotel accomodation, support car(s), etc
ring-ring....ring-ring....ring-ring
Sorry, gotta go...it's The Telephone
Yeah, that was Christian Prudhomme on the phone...
he says everybody from TE on line now gets a free ticket to Paris and he will pick us up from Charles de Gaulle and will everyone e-mail him with details of their dream bike which will be waiting at the start of tomorrow's Stage...
Normally, noQuote:
Originally Posted by ATL Laura
But, I believe that Pro Cycling is undergoing a sea change at this moment with a shift to clean riding and The Companies/sponsors and Team Organization being held accountable for their rider's action. (vs the old "Sgt. Schluz I know nothing" model) you know when you hit one roach with some insecticide, a whole bunch more come scurrying out? same thing.
It's going to be a wild ride, y'all.