OH NO Landis Positive drug test?

[Ripzalot]

fuck, it actually gets kind of old being on the right side of "I told you so".

well, you were wrong about him saying he never doped.

i'd like to know how lance was able to win 7 tours with all the mandatory testing for having the yellow or winning the stage. none of the samples ever tested positive. is that really possible?

[Telephil]

Read Burke Swindlehurst's most recent blog entry. He's a local pro that rides for Navigators. Not saying it supports or denies anything at all, but interesting to say the least.

http://t-birdsroost.missingsaddle.com/

[Rontele]

Read Burke Swindlehurst's most recent blog entry. He's a local pro that rides for Navigators. Not saying it supports or denies anything at all, but interesting to say the least.

http://t-birdsroost.missingsaddle.com/

That is an interesting read. It also underscores how corrupt the entire sport is--both from the perspective of the riders and the anti-doping agencies. I guarantee you that if the B sample tests positive, Landis will never admit to it--that some conspriacy theory will be brought forth, casting doubt to the legitimacy of the anti-doping agencies.

As Long Duck Dong posted earlier, the real losers in all of this are the fans. We support cycling, get fanatical about the Tour, and see its legitimacy and sense of dignity swept under the rug by rampant doping, allegations, crucifixtions, and continual doubt casting (ie., Amstrong's success). All of competitive cycling, from the racers, to the teams, to UCI, and the anti-doping agencies need to take a hard look at what is taking place. The sport is losing its footing, its legitimacy, and if this continues, its fan base. This is just very sad.

[cinnepa]

That is an interesting read. It also underscores how corrupt the entire sport is--both from the perspective of the riders and the anti-doping agencies. I guarantee you that if the B sample tests positive, Landis will never admit to it--that some conspriacy theory will be brought forth, casting doubt to the legitimacy of the anti-doping agencies.

As Long Duck Dong posted earlier, the real losers in all of this are the fans. We support cycling, get fanatical about the Tour, and see its legitimacy and sense of dignity swept under the rug by rampant doping, allegations, crucifixtions, and continual doubt casting (ie., Amstrong's success). All of competitive cycling, from the racers, to the teams, to UCI, and the anti-doping agencies need to take a hard look at what is taking place. The sport is losing its footing, its legitimacy, and if this continues, its fan base. This is just very sad.

amen brother.

[rideit]

well, you were wrong about him saying he never doped.

i'd like to know how lance was able to win 7 tours with all the mandatory testing for having the yellow or winning the stage. none of the samples ever tested positive. is that really possible?

Yup, I was wrong about that. I had thought that was the case...oh, well.
As to never testing positive, I truly believe they were just not testing for the 'right' things...

[Oarhead]

i'd like to know how lance was able to win 7 tours with all the mandatory testing for having the yellow or winning the stage. none of the samples ever tested positive. is that really possible?

By regularily removing and replacing blood over a period of time a person can avoid spiking the time stamps on blood cells thus avoiding testing positive for blood doping. The test looks at the age of the blood cells. A person should have a fairly uniform range of blood cell ages. If a person removes blood at one point and then puts all of it back in at a later date then the test will show a large spike with blood cells of a certain age. The best way to get around this is to do the multiple removals and replacements. A doctor can ensure that a persons hematocrit and other levels are all below the stated rules.

To do this type of blood doping needs a medical professional with access to expensive transfusion and testing equipment.

This is only one type of cheating. THere are shitloads of other ways to cheat.

[Plakespear]

Read this too. Very interesting opinion.

[TeleAl]

i'd like to know how lance was able to win 7 tours with all the mandatory testing for having the yellow or winning the stage. none of the samples ever tested positive. is that really possible?

Possible? Yes. It's a business more than it's a sport.
Is the fox guarding the hen house?
In other words, who is doing the testing, what are they testing for, and who is releasing the results?
If the answer to these questions is the same as who is running the industry, then yes, it is possible.

I make this analogy all the time:
Are there steroids in the NFL? If so, why is no one getting busted?
Does the NFL test NFL players? Is the fox guarding hen house?

[Ripzalot]

Possible? Yes. It's a business more than it's a sport.
Is the fox guarding the hen house?
In other words, who is doing the testing, what are they testing for, and who is releasing the results?
If the answer to these questions is the same as who is running the industry, then yes, it is possible.

why don't you tell me instead of posing rheotical questions? harmp.

for the record, i'm not defending lance or floyd, i'm just a casual TdF watcher who doesn't know jack shit about the goings on behind the race. i'm not so cynical to proclaim that all cyclists dope, but i would agree that there are probably dopers in every race.

given the number of tests lance has gone through, and none ever tested positive, the probability that he was clean is in his favor. certainly it is still possible that he doped, but that possibility seems rather miniscule. again, i can't be so cynical to cling to that slight possibility and judge him guilty.

plakespear's article was interesting and reflects some of my discontent with the way things are handled. too much premature guilty verdicts and not enough investigation before something is announced.

[TeleAl]

too much premature guilty verdicts and not enough investigation before something is announced.

Completely agree with that.

In more local news, Le Matin ran these 2 pieces.

Front page:

http://www.lematin.ch/nwmatinhome/nw..._en_jaune.html

And then inside, near the page with the article was this, and I thought,
Hey, Floyd sure does know how to party. Damn boy!!!



I completely understood the higher testo levels.

Maybe the UCI should take my post as advice on how to handle this.

[Ripzalot]

1234567890

[Long Duck Dong]

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10643.0.html

Some dude is offering Floyd $100,000 to take a polygraph. Theres no way he'll accept, but its interesting nonetheless.

[Cornholio]

We should all chip in!

[Cyber Cop]

Great Idea!!! Then they can all can the bullshit about how we're all too quick to judge. Polygraph the entire fucking peloton and Lance. The whole sport is turning into a joke. A few poly's would clear the air and give some credibility to the conspiracy theorists if there is any truth to it. C'mon floyd... was it really dehydration? whiskey? of dope?

[whatcomridaz]

Any sport with dudes wearing spandex is already a joke

[sfotex]

Any sport with dudes wearing spandex is already a joke

Dude, shut the fuck up. WWF RULEZ!!!

[TeleAl]

B results in.

Now the TDF will hand the title over to someone that wasn't tested.

[Long Duck Dong]

B results in.

Now the TDF will hand the title over to someone that wasn't tested.

Thats actually the job of the UCI, which says that until he is formally found guilty, or admits guilt, he will remain the TDF Champ. Sounds like it will take a while for Oscar to be crowned, something he apparently doesn't really want.

[Mean Gene Okerlund]

Dude, shut the fuck up. WWF RULEZ!!!

That's what I'm talking about.

[WWCD]

Dude, shut the fuck up. WWF RULEZ!!!

Let's not forget about doubles luge!!

[BeanDip4All]

Bump. Article from Velo News where Landis concedes his cycling career may be over. The final quote is really sad.

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/11346.0.html

Landis concedes career may be over
By Agence France Presse
This report filed December 16, 2006

American Floyd Landis, who is expected to be stripped of the Tour de France yellow jersey for testing positive after this year's race, said Saturday his cycling career may be practically over.

Landis won the race in spectacular fashion this year to succeed his now-retired compatriot Lance Armstrong, the iconic seven-time winner of the world's biggest bike race.

However days after his triumph it emerged that Landis had tested positive for the banned male sex hormone testosterone after his spectacular victory on stage 17, which resurrected his bid for the yellow jersey.

Landis, who grew up in a strict Mennonite Christian community in Pennsylvania, has always protested his innocence. And while weighing up his future, he told the Belgian press that even if he

is cleared by an American arbitration body early in the new year, he will likely miss the coming season.

"There's a minute chance of me racing again in 2007," the 31-year-old is reported as saying in Belgian dailies Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Gazet van Antwerpen. "Even if I'm not suspended, who will want to sign me?"

Landis's positive test prompted his former team, Phonak, to pull out of cycling. Their place in cycling's Pro Tour series was on Friday awarded to Swedish-Belgian outfit Unibet.

"And if they suspend me for two or four years - a humiliation which I hope doesn't happen - it's over for me." he added. "As things stand now, I don't see myself as a bike racer."

Landis has claimed that inconsistencies by the French laboratory which analyzed his samples led to his positive result.

And he claims he is now fighting for his personal reputation, and not just his career.

"I've never taken testosterone, I would have been stupid to because you just can't get away with it (in doping tests)," he said. "What it comes down to is that I'm being accused of stupidity more than

doping."

If found guilty, Landis would be the first rider in the modern era to be stripped of the Tour de France's yellow jersey. In the event, it will be handed to his former teammate Oscar Pereiro of Spain.

"Even if I'm proved innocent, my reputation is ruined," he lamented.

Ahead of the festive season, Landis - whose father-in-law committed suicide, in still unclear circumstances, not long after the news of his positive test became public - said he wants a simple wish for Christmas.

"To have a day without any worries," he said. "This whole affair has ruined my life. My father-in-law committed suicide. There must be a link to what happened.

He was my best friend and my biggest supporter."

[powstash]

this whole affair leaves me with less and less desire to watch the TDF this year, let alone spend the energy to follow some other races.

At least I can still get stoked about my personal riding goals - since I'm not doping yet and all.

[lph]

this whole affair leaves me with less and less desire to watch the TDF this year, let alone spend the energy to follow some other races.

At least I can still get stoked about my personal riding goals - since I'm not doping yet and all.

Agree totally.

(disclaimer: the remainder of this post is from the gut and in no way is a logical argument).

My lack of interest doesn't even really stem from the fact that the riders are doping. It has to do with the fact that it is, IMVHO, entirely possible that Floyd did not take willingly take steroids and was in fact 'set up'. I am not going to try to suggest how he was set up, but I do believe it is possible.

I just have this sense that he is telling the truth. Something about the way he denies it, the words he uses, his demeanor.

It is starting to feel like boxing, where the judges can decide whom they 'want' to win or are paid off to have win.

And, yeah, that interview above with Floyd is sad. Regardless of whether he brought this on himself or was set up, he is clearly in a bad place and I feel for the guy.

Would he really have been that stupid? Was there really much of a benefit to be gained?

[Dantheman]

Would he really have been that stupid? Was there really much of a benefit to be gained?

I don't know if stupid is the right word. Probably something more along the lines of the lapse in judgment people have when they ski a BC line despite warnings that it could slide.

As for benefit, if you believe that most of the people you are competing with are doping (which they probably are) and the only chance you have is to dope too, the perceived benefits are huge.

[lph]

I don't know if stupid is the right word. Probably something more along the lines of the lapse in judgment people have when they ski a BC line despite warnings that it could slide.

As for benefit, if you believe that most of the people you are competing with are doping (which they probably are) and the only you have is to dope too, the perceived benefits are huge.

Those are both really good points, Dan.

As to the first one, I think that is a valid analogy and don't really have an answer.

As for the second, i am not arguing the benefits of doping. But, more specifically the benefits of taking some testosterone in what would seem to be an effort to recover more quickly. I don't know all the ins and outs of how steroids work, but it sounds like the benefits of shooting up some roids in this situation doesn't make much sense.