would you like some Mayo with Chicken and Vino?

[margo49]

Rhetorical question, perhaps...
But how does a rider test positive for something, and it comes as a surprise to the team??? Is the team management hiding in a corner, somewhere, counting money, and not paying attention to their salaried athletes/employees??
I

Because they are not *always* together or even in the same country. This is why Jonathon Vaughters' new Team Slipstream is going to be based in a town in Spain (forgotten the name starts with a "G") in housing rented by the Team. All of the riders are non-Spaniards anyway he said. He thinks team management should insist and riders should comply with all sorts of restrictions like this "for their own protection" and "Why should they worry if they have nothing to hide?"
(All this from an interview on Eurosport tv on the penultimate day of the TdF)

[7rider]

Because they are not *always* together or even in the same country. This is why Jonathon Vaughters' new Team Slipstream is going to be based in a town in Spain (forgotten the name starts with a "G") in housing rented by the Team. All of the riders are non-Spaniards anyway he said. He thinks team management should insist and riders should comply with all sorts of restrictions like this "for their own protection" and "Why should they worry if they have nothing to hide?"
(All this from an interview on Eurosport tv on the penultimate day of the TdF)

It's a tough spot. Because these teams are sponsor-driven. You can't hold the team liable (or can you?), as you'll only drive the sponsor away. Perhaps this is a start. If I were a company plunking down my hard-earned dollars on a team, I'd want to make darn sure they don't destroy my company's good name (will half the world now associate "Phonak" with a blood-doping team?).

[Fredwina]

Part of it is it's a "perfect storm" The Rides are independent businessmen, ho in turn subcontract to the team, who in turn, agrees to advertise for the sponsor.it appear they're pretty much to do what they want , as long as they show up for the races on thier calendar
Part of it it is what I call the "Sgt. Schulz" defense. For those who don't know, Sgt. Schulz was a Character on the old "Hogan's Heros " TV show. Schulz was a German POW guard during WWII. A Typical plot line would be : Schulz goes to a bar. he hears someone shouting "Hey Schulzie!" and it would turn out to be Col. Hogan (an american) in a full SS uniform(one of my uncles actually escaped from a Nazi POW camp. Doing this in Real life would result in a bullet between your eyes). Schulz's typical line would be "Col. Hogan, I know Nothing!"
So part of it is the Coach and sponsor have been turning a blind eye, as long as they don't get caught.
Margo, I think the town is Giriona

[Zen]

So many things I want to say about this I don't know where to start.

I'd like to know what happens to these guys without cycling? How screwing up their reputation changes their lives? I want to see cyclings version of VH1-Behind the Music.

[margo49]

Margo, I think the town is Giriona

Yeah, that's the one.
Silly Mummy!

[KnottedYet]

I have patients who take Epo (post cancer and such). They are monitored very closely to be sure they aren't damaging their bodies. Who is monitoring the athletes bodies to be sure they don't damage themselves with Epo?

Or are they just taking the stuff willy-nilly?

[Fredwina]

I have patients who take Epo (post cancer and such). They are monitored very closely to be sure they aren't damaging their bodies. Who is monitoring the athletes bodies to be sure they don't damage themselves with Epo?

Or are they just taking the stuff willy-nilly?

My impression is Willy- nilly, There has been several young riders that have died in their sleep - rumor was massive Heart Attack due to too thick blood. would Vino on top of the world in TT , then OTB be due to a bad blood match?(not a rhetorical question)

[smilingcat]

EPO usage is willy nilly mixed in with made up number for how much one should take. Obviously, some idiots will take more than the made up number cause they are desperate for a win? Others think they are invincible. Most know that the side effect is you DIE in YOUR SLEEP. But does it stop them? nooo...

Years ago, one gal told me " S**t (add my name here), if you want to win you need to take steroids. Everyone else is doing it...How else are you going to win?..." I'm not going to say anything else about the gal cause I don't want something to comeback and haunt me. Besides, we are both wayyy over the hill anyway. The ones who are nationally ranked today could be young enough to be my child age wise.

Yup. It's a sad sordid affair with the drug. But sometimes, I do wonder about UCI and their witch hunt.

Someone wanted to know why not the same level of "enforcement" in other sports and it finally donned on me. Other pro sports have players union. We don't in the cycling world. If the riders had a strong union, I'm sure the testing would be done more uniformly and under better control.

Sad about Vino, Ivan, Rassumusan, Riis, and all the rest. Screwed up health 10, 20 years down the road. It just isn't worth it.

smilingcat

[IFjane]

This article is several years old but is a chilling narrative of the life of a cyclist in the late 90's.

http://www.racelistings.com/rzone/ar....asp?recid=329

The author is from "here" & went to high school with my oldest...