Here we go again... another scandal on TDF

[maillotpois]

Stunning horses, Haud. I think the B sample could take a week. Hopefully it is expedited - but done carefully.

[FreshNewbie]

I will choose voluntarely to keep my pink glasses until it resolved. Because of the scandal and press i was looking at every rider with question in my head:"is he doping, did he take something, blah blah blah" I mean there was no day after TDF without any talk about doping scandals on cycling news and other sites. It really is disturbing.

[Geonz]

I also would wonder if the elevation weren't somehow natural. Heck, I *know* it took a lot of testosterone to do that...
Say it ain't so is right.

[chickwhorips]

wow. thats about all i can say. co-worker who hasn't said a word to me about cycling, asked me if floyd's title will be taken away from him. i didn't know about this whole thing, just woke up so i told him i would get back to him. and of course i came straight here for my valuable information. and found his questions to be true.

i'm starting to think someone has something against american riders. hopefully sample "B" comes back with the correct result.

i wonder if he's on any other medications for his hip that could have caused these results.

[pooks]

To play devil's advocate -- he said he knew that stage was all or nothing, he had to do everything he could to recover from the day before.

I just hope this is all a big fat nothing.

[Dogmama]

I just heard that Phonak suspended him from the team pending the outcome of the investigation. What great support (not!).

[tomgrrrl]

I think it is "routine" to suspend someone initially (meaning they just can't race until it's cleared up), part of regulations they all agree to.

That being said, I am going to withhold judgement for the time being. From what I've been able to read thus far, there are various reasons the "ratio" could be off....it's kind of appalling that there are so many unanswered questions, yet much of the media coverage assumes guilt, almost gleefully. The actually scientific explanations for all this are better left to the experts and I have a gut feeling that after the dust settles, there will be a physiological explanation for this....

I know, given all the suspensions and controversies thus far, it's easy to say he's guilty. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It's a shame, that if he is cleared, that his good name may well be tainted anyway.....

[chickwhorips]

on the note about his name being tainted. i think its bad for any rider it happens to. once they are accused of doping people tend not to look at them the same. which is to bad.

[dobielover1]

I just don't know what to think...I want to believe in him. If it's true...it makes me almost not to watch cycling anymore.

[hsmpcycle]

I just saw an MSNBC Report that Floyd tested positive for Testosterone after the 17th stage. I feel a bit of denial coming through me. This is horrible!!! Maybe he was taking something for the hip pain and it triggered his body to produce more?

[profàvélo]

If the B sample comes back positive, I think I may give up entirely on pro cycling...

[alpinerabbit]

oops, whoda thunk it. Goofy Elf man goofed up ?

This sport is obviously under the 11th commandment - thou shalt not be caught.

[jsgeneroso]

i'm fearful of the results. I was rooting for him. Cross our fingers.

[sydney_b]

From what I understand, it's an inconclusive test. Also, we shouldn't rule out meddling with samples and all that. It seems that cycling has some of the tightest rules and the most testing of any professional sport, so I'm not surprised the top riders are often accused/caught, etc. using enhancements. I'm sure other pro sports would fare similarily. This is not to say that using enhancements should be OK, necessarily, but I guess I don't share the extreme disapppointment.

Maybe we should have two associations: "hopped up" and "ridin' natural." Kind of like supermarket foods -- regular and organic?

[SouthernBelle]

I know he was given permission to have a cortisone shot in his hip prior to the tour. I don't know if that effects the results on those tests.

2nd. That shouldn't have been the only day he was tested. He had held the mellow johnny before, so shouldn't the prior tests have been steroid positive? I can't believe he would have taken steroids just for 17.