Testosterone

[Cindyloo]

From what I read the rules state that the ratio can not be more that 4:1 and Floyd's was 11:1 so it wasn't like it was a close call I guess. The isotope tests also showed that he had synthetic testosterone in his body which would not have been made by him.

Here is the article that I read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/sp...rtner=homepage

[mimitabby]

wow, the last paragraph of that article!

“The rules say that it is a violation, but if you can show that the athlete had no fault or no significant fault, there could be a mitigation of the sanction,” he said. “No matter how it got there, the athlete has to show how it got into his or her body. It could have been sabotage or contaminated dietary supplements, or something else, but they have to prove how the testosterone got there.”

[Triskeliongirl]

In view of the recent developments reported in the NY times, and in velonews, I predict that Floyd will be stripped of his title by weeks end. Its a damn shame he was that stupid...............

[alpinerabbit]

You know, he had nothing to lose. Perhaps it was a gamble.

He screwed up the stage. With his hip surgery coming up he's not sure if he could come back again. If they caught him, too bad, if they didn't, cool.

[Triskeliongirl]

Yeh, but he did have a lot to lose, his reputation. I would have respected him more for finishing at any place with his bum hip than finishing and then being found out as a cheat. He knows the tests they do. He knows the stage winner and yellow jersey are tested. Yeh, its a gamble to be the other 'random guy', but not the stage winner............. But, then maybe it was the testosterone talking. Maybe he was supposed to re-claim a bunch of time, but not actually win the stage....... I rememeber them saying something was wrong with his earpiece as he was fiddling with it at the end of the stage. Maybe he ripped it out to stop the shouts of his advisors to keep from winning the stage. If the mass spec analysis confirms there is exogenous testosterone in his B sample then I will be glad he is caught. Yeh, I know some of you wil slam me cuz we don't have the results of the B sample, but even the Landis camp has been warning us to expect no difference. As a professor of biochemistry, I believe the mass spec results, so short of sample tampering which doesn't seem to concern Landis, mass spec doesn't lie. I am really upset about this because Floyd was my hero. I too have a bum hip from a cycling accident. I too am hypothyroid. I know how these things slow me down relative to 'normal' cyclists, or how much pain I need to put up with to not have them slow me down. But seeing Floyd win that stage and win that tour was so inspiring. Seeing the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity is inspiring to anyone. Now we have to face the reality that no, it was simply greed (remember that 2.5 million dollar bonus from phonak) and arrogance (that he was above getting caught) that let him bring down not only himself, but the sport we love. But, maybe we can't blame Floyd. Maybe it just is what cycling has turned into. Maybe its the only way to win in a climate where everyone cheats, and maybe this will be the last straw that allows the formulation of new policies that truly clean up the sport.

[Bad JuJu]

Yeh, but he did have a lot to lose, his reputation. I would have respected him more for finishing at any place with his bum hip than finishing and then being found out as a cheat. He knows the tests they do. He knows the stage winner and yellow jersey are tested. Yeh, its a gamble to be the other 'random guy', but not the stage winner............. But, then maybe it was the testosterone talking. Maybe he was supposed to re-claim a bunch of time, but not actually win the stage.......

I couldn't agree more, on both points.

I've been involved with drug testing, in another context but with similar high stakes, and time and time again, people would turn up positive even when they KNEW the risks and the testing procedures and what they stood to lose. I usually chalked it up to the drugs "talking," as TriskelionGirl says--the same stuff that makes a person feel good/perform better can also make him believe he can't get caught.

And I already had enormous respect for Floyd, riding so hard even with the bum hip--practically no hip joint left, according to the reports. That respect would have remained, even if he'd lost. But now...well, I'm still holding out some hope that he'll be able to clear himself, but it's looking less likely every day.

[mary9761]

just out of curiousity (yes, I know what it did to the cat) was the sample taken directly after he finished the stage or after the night he was drinking? Could something hypothetically have been slipped into one of his drinks to implicate him? Sort of like slipping someone rufies to take advantage of the person, could someone have given him something in a drink that he unknowingly took?