The Manx Missile

ellal said:
Are you suggesting that Cavendish is still winning because of doping?

And FYI doping has been around since the tour began...

It was part of the regime but not found out/punished until proper testing was introduced...

And even then...

Merckx got caught at least three times, but was simply given a 'slap on the wrist' because of who he was...

Fausto Coppi (look him up) said that riders on the tour took drugs only when necessary. Asked "When would it be necessary?" he answered "Almost Always."
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Cav is clean as the proverbial and 'doping'* in the early years usually consisted of a Brandy snifter and amphetamines...not the best way to climb a mountain. As Tommy Simpson found out to his cost. And don't worry about the height of the mountains, global warming will wear them down faster than a horde of cycling fans. :mrgreen:
 
There have been plenty of studies that show how you can dope under the radar.

There was a journalist who did an experiment to cheat the blood passport, went from a group C to a group A rider in 3 months.
 
motorbiking said:
There have been plenty of studies that show how you can dope under the radar.

There was a journalist who did an experiment to cheat the blood passport, went from a group C to a group A rider in 3 months.
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Wouldn't that kind of improvement be noticed and the rider required to undergo testing?
 
That’s the whole point of doping under the radar.

For example.

You could go to some high altitude locations and train for 6 weeks, to develop your red blood cells legally. Or

You could pop a pint of your blood in the fridge and let your body grow some more and then pop the blood back in.

Both will improve your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles.
 
Cavendish was on the Tour of Columbia this year but i'm sure that's just coincidence. Armstrong did the blood in the fridge trick and rumours spread for years before he was caught and hung out to dry. The start of this years race honoured the memory of local hero Pantani, who won in '98 and was subject to one of the first doping scandals of modern times. He was resentful of being held up as an example while his complaints that 'everyone was doing it' were ignored. Poor sod overdosed in 2002, in Rimini, where the Tour passed on stage two; his name painted all over the road through.
 
Brigadier said:
Years not before he was caught, but before the authorities decided that it was time to let the cat out of the bag?
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Probably. But he felt victimised, and rightly so, considering the run of Tours Armstrong achieved. I'm still ambivalent about it. Those riders have a punishing schedule and even with a little pick-me-up are still better than most of the competitors.
 
This was my own Resting HR when I was still competitive. I had it down to high 20s at times. I used to get Vasovagal syncope as side affect of my high Vo2Max, but while sharing a similar resting HR... I was never near the 80+ that the pros get to.
 

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Brigadier said:
:ROFLMAO:


Having to wake up during the night and ride a stationary bike (because your blood is so thick, you'll have a cardiac arrest if you don't), is a bit more than a toot on an inhaler and a double espresso :ROFLMAO:
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I know, right. :mrgreen: Tried riding around the D.shire Dales once upon a day after enjoying the intoxicating company of Mary-Jane. Not an easy way to excercise your lungs but i did find the whole experience very amusing for some reason. :cool:
 
Odds said:
Cav is clean as the proverbial and 'doping'* in the early years usually consisted of a Brandy snifter and amphetamines...
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Actually cocaine was also a popular choice back in the day...
 
ellal said:
Actually cocaine was also a popular choice back in the day...
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I guess you could use it as an excuse in the mountain stages but it must've been hell coming down the other side. Mad stuff they got up to in the past. I think one guy hitched a lift and drove most of the way.
 
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