Suspicions Confirmed!

[girofan]

It gives me little pleasure in confirming that which I posted at the start of September:

Vuelta ITT, Sastre and Schumacher also-rans, but in the Tour they were up with the best time trialists. What happened? Did they get their 'Preparation' all wrong for this tour, or is there a nasty smell in the Peleton?

To anyone who follows Pro racing, it was quite apparent that Schumacher in the Tour was 'on something'. It has now been confirmed by the French lab. that he was taking the synthetic EPO derivative, surprise, surprise!!
Where does this leave us now?

 

[rich p]

Where does this leave us now?

looking at the other threads on this subject, I guess

 

[roadiewill]

Knew Schumacher was on something dodgy ever since that first tt in the tour... what a tool

 

[gavintc]

Yep, I was not happy with his sudden improvement in form. The team managers must notice these changes better than we can, they monitor them throughout training - it stinks. I just do not buy the claim from team management that they knew nothing of these drug enhanced performances.

 

[roadiewill]

the whole pro racing scene is screwed, lets be honest

 

[tony_s]

you're right roadiewill. as for me, well that's it, i've had enough- no more cycle sport or pro cycling, now i'm gonna have to start reading cycling+ with their idiot journalistic style and stupid road tests (brompton versus scott addict; okay an exaggeration but not much of one)

 

[itisaboutthebike]

I think it unlikely that Hans Michael Holczer, if he had known Schumacer had taken CERA, would have included him in the team for fear of being cuaght.

But then again, I guess Holczer wouldn't have known that a test had been developed for CERA.

Just like the other 12 riders whose re-testing we await.


Unless you're in in the inner circle we really don't know what goes on between riders and 'management'.

The fact(?)/rumour(?) that Riise accomapied Schmuck visit to Fuentes probably isn't doing his reputation any good.

 

[Dave_1]

It gives me little pleasure in confirming that which I posted at the start of September:

Vuelta ITT, Sastre and Schumacher also-rans, but in the Tour they were up with the best time trialists. What happened? Did they get their 'Preparation' all wrong for this tour, or is there a nasty smell in the Peleton?

To anyone who follows Pro racing, it was quite apparent that Schumacher in the Tour was 'on something'. It has now been confirmed by the French lab. that he was taking the synthetic EPO derivative, surprise, surprise!!
Where does this leave us now?

I was very surprised at his time trialing over longer dstances at the 08 TDF which contractdicted the explosive power of a sprinter-his previous niche, and then watching him attack the first pyrenean climb dragging the bunch towards Kohl...confirmed for me he was a level up as a climber too, no longer sprinter off the back...and I would assume he and Kohl acted in isolation from each other based n their weird tactics..chasing Kohl down. I hope they ban schumy for life and ban him frm even sitting on a bicycle, being seen enar a race. He should sign some sort of offenders register so he cannot ever coach and get near to youth to corrupt them

 

[itisaboutthebike]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/oct08/oct22news

McQuaid's a schister - plain and simple. Ducking the issue as ever.

We'll never ever get a clean sport where he's involved.

He's in the back pocket of the team managers.

 

[Chuffy]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/oct08/oct22news

McQuaid's a schister - plain and simple. Ducking the issue as ever.

We'll never ever get a clean sport where he's involved.

He's in the back pocket of the team managers.

I think he's got a point when it comes to re-jigging the podium of last years race. I mean, where do you stop? But FFS, why not re-test so as to be better informed about who was sauced up last year? Assuming that the results can be kept secret, wouldn't that be a useful slice of information? It's as crap and spineless as the Giro organisers refusing to retest this years samples.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

What use would they be if they're kept secret?

 

[Chuffy]

What use would they be if they're kept secret?

Information, pure and simple. We know that a number of riders were targetted this year. Any retrospective information would form part of intelligence gathering for future targetting. Of course there is a risk that if the tests became public knowledge then a large can of worm would be opened, but that's a risk worth taking imo.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

I see your point. But, hmm, there's something unethical about that if you ask me. Knowing (and holding evidence that proves) that a rider cheated but not doing anything about it could be deemed irresponsible. Withholding the information just so you can "really" catch them in the future defies logic. If I worked at Chatenay-Malabry and knew that e.g. amigo di birillo was indeed more doped up than Pete Docherty, and as such prevented his peers from earnings then I'm not sure I could justifiably sit on the results whilst remaining objective.

Maybe I'm trying to apply a sense of morality and ethics into a world where neither apply any more. Trouble is though, til now its mainly been the riders who've acted unscrupulously, not the authorities.

 

[Chuffy]

Ok, but how were riders targetted this year? On what evidence? I can see your point about it seeming unethical to sit on results that prove that some riders in 07 were defrauded of places, winnings etc, but if you apply a de facto statute of limitations then that's just tough. I mean, we all know what I think about LA in 1999, but I wouldn't call for sanctions based on that evidence, the moment has passed. Heh, if the riders knew that the 07 samples had been retested, it would be interesting to see if any of the GC boys/stage + jersey runners up piped up to ask for the results to be made public. If I was clean and came second I reckon I would...

Retro-testing is already being touted as a future method of doping control. "We have your wee and if we find a test for HGH etc in three years time, you're screwed" and all that jazz. Why not apply that attitude now? I'd bet that there would be a lot of riders crapping themselves and that kind of pressure can only be good.

 

[Skip Madness]

I'd bet that there would be a lot of riders crapping themselves and that kind of pressure can only be good.

It doubt Greg LeMond agrees.