Is this the FIRST Drug-Free Tour for a while then?

[RoadRaven]

Any one else notice that the stages are slower than commentators and TV coverage estimate?

Is this a reflection of lack of or minimal drugs in the Tour?

Have we won at last???

Have the cyclists won, as their managers and teams realise drugs are a stupid decision?

Is this what we are seeing?

[suzbyrd]

I think drugs will be back as long as riders are getting paid a lot of $ for winning. Maybe the peloton is trying to figure out how to beat the drug tests. I'm ready for an American rider to step up right now in the Tour de France. I'm not a patient person and I'm spoiled by Lance taking charge so hard in the past.

Bottom line: riders doped and probably Lance did too. he just didn't get caught. Did Floyd dope, YEP! Did Tyler dope, YEP! Did every rider dope, YEP! These guys were just doing what theycould to keep up with the Jones's. and win big bucks.

[margo49]

Cycling is still the most tested sport in the world. Lance used to get woken at 3 am from his own home by random testers.You saw Linus Gerdemann yesterday just about fall off his bike at the end of the Stage and get half dragged by the soignieur straight to the testing caravan.
And in another part of the world that shall remain nameless football players and atheletes are given the timetable of drug-testing dates at the beginning of the season!

Regulation is simply that. It should not be about saying "I caught you!" or about hounding people or being suspicious of everybody, especially someone who does well. It should be routine and dry and we should take the sting, never-ceasing suspicion and "shock! horror!" out of it. And some people's phony righteousness as well.

We should get to the point in cycling that you test because you test. Not because "they" are searching and not because "they" want to "catch" him/her in the act.

I worked for a while in quality control and the first thing I learned was to "just do it"; without worrying, without hoping, without expecting, without giving workers the feeling that they were always under the microscope or on camera. If it's there (or not) the testing will show it and *then* you take appropriate action .(Get your knickers in a twist for starters!) Same here; first let's get the testing systematic completely routine and then we will find what is there to find. Let's take all this cat-and-mouse out of it. And we can help best by not playing into the media frenzies of "X undergoes drug test! Exclusive!" and "Did he or didn't he?".
Self-regulation (either individual or the professional body) is the best regulation.

[smilingcat]

Maybe most of the riders and teams are playing it cool while the drug issue is still up in the air with Floyd. It was just too easy to get EPO and things like that. So the chill, though totally unfair to Floyd, is doing some good. Hopefully, the athletes start playing clean.

I just can't imagine self-regulation when there is all that fame and money. When you are only off by tenth of a second to be first or second. It's awfully tempting to pop that pill or take a shot. That tenth of a second is the difference of tens of thousand dollars or more...The temptation is always there. The money is is so tempting... Wouldn't you want extra ten, twenty thirty thousand dollars. Just cheat a little.

You have to realize that for many, its their ultimate dream come true. So close but still so far away when you come in second. It's like the whole world just collapsing around you. Just cheat a little and you can experience your ultimate dream from your childhood.

For many of you, just placing on the podium is a rush. But I've known a few where while elated on the outside they were devasted inside for not being numero uno. Its "if I did this I could of been first", "I just needed to suffer a bit more", "I should of gotten rid of my water bottle" , "I should of shoved my bike at the finish line to get the extra hundredth of second.."

Anyway I think the slower times are indicative of clean race.

Smilingcat

[alpinerabbit]

Maybe about half of them were so scared of getting caught they stopped the EPO and blood transfusions. Do not think it was only available from Fuentes.

So that's possibly why they are a bit slower.

Human growth hormone, insulin etc is still undetectable so they are still taking it, I'll bet my bank on it.

[KnottedYet]

I know I'm repeating a link that's been posted before, but I really like their stuff: http://doperssuck.com/

[margo49]

.

I just can't imagine self-regulation when there is all that fame and money.

Actually what I meant by that was that the sport's administrative bodies should be the ones really facing the issue and setting policy. Team management also must start taking seriously their responsibility for generating an atmosphere of zero-tolerance to doping. Rather than what has been happening in recent years where they have been saying one thing but tacitly approving and even encouraging doping practices.
Riders themselves are really at the bottom of the pyramid at this level. There is a lot of money in all this but the Big Money is in the teams not the prizes. And the prize money does not go to the actual rider but the team.

[Zen]

Anyway I think the slower times are indicative of clean race.

See The TdF Almost Killed Me

[RoadRaven]

Interesting to read everyones comments

I didn't intend for this to get into a "who doped or didn't/hasn't" thread... but I think that we are all pragmatic in our understandings about the pressures and that it is most likely that most/all of these boys have tried something at sometime.

But I really believe it might be a "clean" tour this time, with only non-banned substances being used...

And margo is so right... the ability to say "no" has to be supported by team management... and i think the managers and admin staff are beginning to realise that bad choices will do them out of profits... and if thats what it takes to make them grow consciences, so be it.

They have stables of elite atheletes, and these men are so focused and worn out from/on training and racing, they need others to sort out other aspects of their lives. Many days they will too tired to even think... their minders have a responsibility to them, and I am pleased to hope/believe/think that perhaps this challenge to clean has been taken up...

[RoadRaven]

See The TdF Almost Killed Me

LOL Zen... Nuclear cocktails and extraterrestrial hearts... thanks for the link... I enjoyed