Floyd data online.

[NJBikeGal]

I have never been able to believe that Floyd is a doper! (Call it naivete or faith?!) I agree that it's particularly interesting that the only people that are "investigated" are those who have a winning record. Note that David Millar is currently under suspicion because he started contending for races. Also, it's quite funny that for the most part, the cases against these guys are falling apart. The Basso case for example. The only guy who really seems to still be in the hot seat is Ullrich!

[alpinerabbit]

I agree that it's particularly interesting that the only people that are "investigated" are those who have a winning record.

The Basso case for example. The only guy who really seems to still be in the hot seat is Ullrich!

That is not entirely true, it just looks that way, because the people who are tested at the Tour, for example, are the stage winner, and the maillot jaune, and one random rider every stage. So yes the winners are always scrutinized.

By the way no one takes anything? Think again.

The results point up how many riders have exemptions (Landis also had one during this year's Tour, for cortisone, used to treat his decaying hip), and the possibility that at least some of them are not strictly necessary. Out of 105 riders tested at some point during the Tour, 60 percent had a medical exemption for at least one banned substance.

13 riders tested positive during Tour, 12 had exemption

PARIS (Reuters) - Thirteen riders tested positive for banned substances during this year's Tour de France but 12 have been cleared because they had Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), the French anti-doping agency said on Friday.

"A total of 105 riders have been tested and 16 samples from 13 athletes have tested positive," Pierre Bordry, the head of the French anti-doping agency (CPLD), said in an interview to be released in daily Le Monde later on Friday.

"Floyd Landis's case put aside, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has closed the cases arguing all the riders had a TUE."

"This is not a surprise because it is UCI that decided to give these TUE. What is worrying is that 60 per cent of the tested riders have said they had a TUE."

The Therapeutic Use Exemption allows an athlete to take a banned substance to treat a medical condition such as asthma.

Let's see about Ivan (alas, he's cute) and Ullrich (not so cute, hence everyone's favorite sandbag?)

[NJBikeGal]

I have absolutely no doubt that some (and possibly many) of the riders dope and take something to make them as fast as they are. In particular, I was referring to the witch hunt of the Spanish doping ring, where they particularly chose to eliminate Basso and Ullrich from the Tour on allegations of doping. They hadn't done anything, they hadn't been tested, they were simply pulled out of the race. Whether that was a team decision or not, it was certainly a huge blow to the race, without proof of any misdeed. In fact, Basso was officially cleared of the allegations yesterday. Does this mean Basso hasn't doped? Nope! Just that these allegations are just that...allegations.

With Floyd, the story is a bit different...a sample tested positive. The question here is how accurate is the testing? Not guilty until proven so, except in the court of popular opinion, I guess! Again, I still have a desire to believe that he did nothing...dumb maybe, but hey, what can I say?!