Armstrong charged and banned

[smutchin]

I wouldn't be so bold/rash as to state that Wiggins is definitely clean, but if he turns out to be a cheat, his and Brailsford's highly vocal anti-doping stance would be an act of hubris to put Lance in the shade. I just don't see it.

But if you look carefully at what Wiggins has achieved this season, there actually isn't anything remotely suspicious about it. He's just better prepared than his rivals, and Sky are treating every race they enter as a proper race, rather than a glorified training session.

Evans (and others) will make life much harder for him in the Tour, don't worry about that.

d.

 

[Crackle]

Wiggins came out as a 5 on the UCI hot list, compiled from 2010 tour results on the biological passport. I've also read an interview with a doping expert talking about LA's passport figures who stated that Wiggins's didn't look how he would expect it too. On top of that Wiggins has said he is an admirer of Armstrong, innocent until proven guilty, etc...

All that said, it would surprise me greatly if he was juiced and I've never read a single thing, so far, that point beyond a bit of innuendo. The Clinic on Cyclingnews should be treated with some caution, as any rider that does well is given the same treatment. Plus: If Wiggins was juiced, he'd have beaten Cobo last year in the Vuelta.

 

[Andrew_P]

and Sky are treating every race they enter as a proper race, rather than a glorified training session

d.

Remind you of any other Teams in the lead up to previous TdF's?

 

[lukesdad]

Wiggins came out as a 5 on the UCI hot list, compiled from 2010 tour results on the biological passport. I've also read an interview with a doping expert talking about LA's passport figures who stated that Wiggins's didn't look how he would expect it too. On top of that Wiggins has said he is an admirer of Armstrong, innocent until proven guilty, etc...

All that said, it would surprise me greatly if he was juiced and I've never read a single thing, so far, that point beyond a bit of innuendo. The Clinic on Cyclingnews should be treated with some caution, as any rider that does well is given the same treatment. Plus: If Wiggins was juiced, he'd have beaten Cobo last year in the Vuelta.

I assume it surprised you greatly when LA was accused of being juiced too

 

[lukesdad]

Noodley, very good question, I think this would be better asked in its own thread, topic etc, and not lost in here..plus maybe in the generel section, as more people would see it...
it would be interesting to find out why people are not interested or following etc, pro-cycling....

I think that is probably evident within this thread, sadly.

 

[lukesdad]

"Wiggins is just better prepared than his rivals"

 

[Flying_Monkey]

More fuel for the fire... it is being reported that Lance paid more almost half a million dollars to Dr Ferrari* after he claimed to have stopped working with him.

*Let us not forget that Ferrari is banned from working in Italy and all riders who have worked with him face suspension by the Italian federation. There is no doubt about Ferrari's practices.

 

[albion]

"the evidence from Padova related to Armstrong’s alleged $465,000 payment to Ferrari “was not ready” at that time."

One certainly wonders how they make it ready.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

"the evidence from Padova related to Armstrong’s alleged $465,000 payment to Ferrari “was not ready” at that time."

One certainly wonders how they make it ready.

It's correct to wait and see with such reports, but I just not that it's funny how your scepticism appears to be limited to any evidence against Armstrong...

And you aren't disputing that Armstrong worked with Ferrari though, are you?

 

[Crackle]

I assume it surprised you greatly when LA was accused of being juiced too

It did actually, surprised and saddened me. I lost my innocence the moment I read that first forum post about LA. Since then I've entered my cynical phase, I shall not be hurt by such revelations again. <insert winky smiley to prove I'm only semi-serious>

 

[albion]

All that Simeoni stuff would have been convincing if Simeoni had not stuffed up in court.
So did he do it on purpose or was he fabricating it all?

I'm now guessing he won't be a witness against Ferrari and Armstrong.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Armstrong was never a very likable character and I was never a fan, but I still had respect for him until the Simeoni incident.

 

[rich p]

Do they? Why, because they've passed the odd drugs test? LAs passed over 500 and still most think he's guilty- double standards or what. If you think Wiggos clean with his performance spike you are sadly deluded my friend.

No, not because of the passed tests. Have you reaed or researched any of this? As I said before, even Bjarne Riis passed on the tests with blood full of EPO. It would be singularly perverse of Wiggins to consistently bleat anti-drug mantras and publicly volunteer his blood values to the world. Such behaviour leads me (although clearly not everyone) to believe he is clean.
Believe what you will my friend

 

[rich p]

It's correct to wait and see with such reports, but I just not that it's funny how your scepticism appears to be limited to any evidence against Armstrong...

And you aren't disputing that Armstrong worked with Ferrari though, are you?

Monkey Man, get the facts right. Dr F was simply a family friend as Lance has stated many times.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

So in this massive doping conspiracy from 1998 to 2007 I'm still baffled as to why only Armstrong was consistent in tests and performance?

It'd hardly baffling if you know about the history of doping detection and about the details of Armstrong's career, there are three main reasons, all of which are involved in the current USADA charges:

1. He had a trusted inner circle of advisors, riders etc. which operated to keep others from getting too close - however he's alienated more and more of these over the years and they are the source of many of the allegations;
2. He had the 'best' medical assistance money could buy (which no doubt enabled him to time dosage etc. to minimize chances of getting caught - remember this was pre-biological passport and no-one knew what his personal baseline readings would have been); and
3. He did test positive but this appears to have been covered up. Samples have also been tested retrospectively which show that he was using EPO before there was an approved test available.