Finally Over?

[Possegal]

My take was always that he did it, but that he wasn't someone that chronically doped and just got caught this time. I sort of thought what happened was he bonked, he was distraught, and he bought the BS the phonak dr handed him - we put on this patch, it helps you recover, and by the time you pee in a cup at the end of the stage it won't be detectable. In reality, most scientists would argue that testosterone has any acute effects like that, so I tend to think that a placebo patch would have done the same thing. And clearly the dr didn't know enough to realize that the tests would pick it up despite the length of the stage.

But - the 'system' has failed him in that you can't have labs just disobeying SOPs and the results of their tests being accepted. SOPs are there for a reason and if you don't properly conduct the tests, no matter what the outcome is, the outcome needs to be tossed out. That's how it works in science, we have to control the process to be sure the results are valid. There seem to be so very many ways in which the tests were botched, and even though they likely were positive, you can't let the lab get away with disregarding proper procedures.

So in the end, I still think he got shafted through the whole process. Never met him, but I've always thought he seemed like a decent guy and I felt very very bad for him, even if he did do it.

[short cut sally]

I really wanna believe him. I read his book ..and he seemed like a really genuine, nice guy..(well, in his book anyways.

[ilima]

I tend to think he's guilty of doping. Either using a testosterone patch or cream OR getting blood doped with blood taken when he was using testosterone.

However, I think that there are such major procedural violations by the labs that the test results should have been thrown out. This business of repeating tests until you get the 'right' result (ala Mayo last year) is BS.

The whole system of drug testing appears inherently suspect. The leaks to the press, the knowing whose sample you're testing, sending a sample around the world to get the right test, etc. is an embarrassment.

Even though I think Landis cheated, I don't really think he was doing anything out of the ordinary compared to the rest of the pro peloton.

[jesvetmed]

I don't know what I think... I know I don't trust the labs -- they seem to have that history of playing by their own rules.

But here's what I don't get...
Why would someone risk their entire career to do something so miniscule, that most believe there are absolutely no performance-enhancing effects? A one time use of testosterone isn't supposed to do anything to help that I've ever heard of? Either you are absolutely desperate (c'mon... you're in the top of the Tour?), or absolutely stupid. Or, as someone else pointed out, the team doc gave it to you. Maybe money/fame talks louder than common sense. OK.. we all know it does to many people.

Hmmm... sad really.