Vino positive!!!

[bikerchick68]

this makes me mad too. these guys are and have been my heroes... the people I think of and look up to when I'm out there suffering on MY bike... how freakin dare they?

it's so danged disappointing.

[Kalidurga]

The fact that Astana's pulled out of the Tour seems like an admission of guilt, but I'd still like to see a statement from Vino. After the TT, I also wondered how long it would be before there was some accusation against him, but Astana's response to this implies a lot.

At this point, I'm too stunned to feel anything but sadness. Sad that someone like Vino would feel it necessary to do something of this sort, sad that two of my heroes (Floyd and Vino) have this ugly issue hanging over them, sad that this issue exists at all. Even though, I still feel a naive, yet subdued, excitement to see who pulls through all this chaos to stand on the podium this coming Sunday. Dunno whether to believe the winner will be clean, though...

[GLC1968]

this makes me mad too. these guys are and have been my heroes... the people I think of and look up to when I'm out there suffering on MY bike... how freakin dare they?

it's so danged disappointing.

Exactly.

I feel like crying now.

[gingergin]

Wow- yes I just read on cnn that the Astana Team left the TdF today. How do these guys think they have the right to muddy their (and our ) sport like this?
Don't think about Vino - think about the guys like Alberto Contador and how awesome he is....and hopefully clean and honest!

[Pedal Wench]

I'm so upset too. After watching his remarkable ride yesterday, I had the same flashbacks to Floyd's performance last year - amazing ride after a miserable day. I'll be skeptical of anyone at this point.

[sundial]

Did you guys catch the announcer saying that the head of Astana was going to give them a 10 year contract? I wonder if that contract has been voided now?

I had a great ride this morning and as I started to wane, I kept Vino's struggle in my thoughts to serve as an encouragement. Now I feel so let down.

[sundial]

So did Landis actually test positive, and were his levels just below the threshold for an illegal substance?

[Eden]

So did Landis actually test positive, and were his levels just below the threshold for an illegal substance?

Landis tested as having abnormal testosterone to epitestoterone ratios
Now any use of outside testosterone would be banned, but the tests for this are tricky and it is a naturally occuring substance in the body. Though I haven't read all of the defense I believe that there are some arguments for suspect testing procedures in there. The mass spectrometer (sp?) test that proved the T was not natural sounds like a fairly hard one to counter though.

I think you may be remembering a Lance Armstrong test - it was for a very low level of a steroid, under the threshold for a positive doping test (as this is also a substance that naturally occurs in the body) and was also explained by possible contamination by a legal topical saddle sore cream.

The test for homologous blood doping is also tricky and actually quite subjective, so lets wait for the testing of the B sample (and Vinokurov himself has requested B sample testing) before we make any condemnations.

[mimitabby]

gosh, if these guys want to cheat, why dont they just put motors on their bikes!!

IF he's really been doing this...

sigh.

I still believe Landis was framed.


i'd like to see a race where we can see how the BEST MAN sans drugs, extra blood,
extra stimulants... can win.. who CARES if it's not as fast as last year??!

[alpinerabbit]

The sponsors should be made to pay for cross-the-board tests, every day, on every player, in every sport. Heck some former golf pro suggested they should start testing the PGA tour, we'd see what comes out...

The riders are desperate, they need wins to support their life after 35. They've gambled everything on this sport.

You know what I do care about - we would not have access to Campy, carbon, or speedplay if it was not for drug-infested pro cycling. Now THAT would $uck.

[Ninabike]

I had a great ride this morning and as I started to wane, I kept Vino's struggle in my thoughts to serve as an encouragement. Now I feel so let down. [/QUOTE]

I feel the same way about Vino. I kept thinking, what an inspiration he is. If he can get back on the bike after his crash, then I can keep going. And now this . . .

[Thorn]

You want to believe, but, then this....sigh....But, I will wait to see what he says. As a conspiracy theorist, how hard would it be to contaminate the blood sample? Or, perhaps, he really did it.

Still I continue to back cycling. It is a sport unlike any others in terms of truly being a "team" sport. The sport doesn't breed the superstar like other sports. Sure, Armstrong was the undisputed captain for Discovery, but, when it wasn't his race, he played domestique (images of him carrying water bottles for Danielson at the Tour de Georgia). You so rarely see that (and never in the US's most popular sports).

Doping aside, cycling is unique. I remain a fan...

[smilingcat]

I'm just really cynical about doping, drugs and such.

I've said it before, it's just too easy and they think they can get away with it. Very sad indeed but I'm not all the suprised.

The money and fame is just too great for some. So if you only took 1/2 or even 1/3 of what guys used to take, they think they can get an edge. For some that is all the difference they need to place on the podium. 4hour ride and at the finish its down to less than 5 seconds. 5 divided by 4x60x60. Its a very small percentage.

The another dark side of this doping/drug issue is some "spectators" want their team to win so they'll try to give other riders a spiked bottle in hopes that the other rider will test positive. And its no just drink but food, snack you name it. The riders for the most part know not to take any freebies from spectators and are INSTRUCTED NOT TO DRINK FREEBIE LIQUID from their coaches, mgrs. Maybe some have tried to use this as an excuse for testing positive.

smilingcat

[smilingcat]

EPO is also readily available at cat3 and all the way down to cat5. A lot of guys just don't care and think they are invincible. Until they die in there sleep that is. One of the side effects of EPO: blood is too thick and doesn't flow freely through your system is what I was told.

Other stuff is readily available too. I know Eden hasn't ran across and just can't imagine why anyone would spend $$ for the drugs just to win some measly primes. The guys who take it their head isn't screwed on right.

smilingcat

[Kalidurga]

David Millar's response to this is also very interesting. My first reaction was to think that yes, he served his suspension like a good boy, but he should still have a little more humility. But then I thought about the fact that this news was disclosed during a Saunier-Duval press conference in which that team was announcing something good that they were doing for the world and that their news was totally overshadowed. It's fairly understandable that he'd react so emotionally.

Once again, this confirms for me that Slipstream is a team to watch. If they're as vigilant as they advertise they are, they may very well be the only "clean" team in cycling. Millar was also going to announce that he's joining Slipstream in 2008, and there's a rumor that Dave Z will also be signing with them. That would definitely put them on the map and create some seriously high expectations for them.