Why no drugs scandals this year?

[Globalti]

What's going on? Has the Omerta finally got control of the testing laboratories? Is everybody using the same Swiss doctor? Has every cyclist read The Death of Marco Pantani and understood the importance of that 50% haematocrit level? Or has the cycling world got together and agreed that all drugs stories must be supressed for the good of the sport?

Because I'm as sure as hell that the riders haven't stopped taking the drugs.

 

[ChrisKH]

That's the Tour de France equivalent of the p*n&t*r£ fairy. Now you've said it the shoot is going to hit the fan.

 

[gaz]

i follow lance on twitter, and he looks like he is getting tested left right and center

 

[Sysagent]

Biological Passport...

This thing has given the Pro-riders in effect a "ceiling" to which they have to constantly maintain their crit levels to (50% and lower), so all they are doing now is micro-dosing with their currently undetectable EPO, doing the usual autologous blood transfusions and whatever else they can get away with.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The UCI are also running the testing this year as opposed to the independent organisation ASO used last year. The UCI have a far more cosy relationship with the riders and teams.

 

[stumpy]

Maybe they have all decided to be good boy's this year and not take any?????

 

[pjm]

One for the conspiracy theorists: clearly Lance has been the biggest financial draw for the event since 2000 and has popularised cycling in the US etc, and so the organisers want the tour to have credibility when he is riding it. Not trying to start an 'is lance on drugs' thread, but perhaps a blind eye is turned to other riders' indiscretions to avoid a farce like 2006. It does seem a remarkable coincidence: before Lance's winning streak was the 1998 Festina affair and afterwards the 2006 Operacion Puerto tour, and then loads of drug scandals in 2007 and 2008; and now Lance is back, nothing again!

 

[yello]

Testing takes longer? More samples taken? Dunno, but keep in mind that we've had 'retropsective' positives so maybe the testing may go on for some time after the tour.

 

[Haitch]

G NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEW


Di Luca caught using EPO.

 

[rich p]

G NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEW


Di Luca caught using EPO.

Who would have predicted that

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/di-luca-positive-for-cera-in-giro

 

[Bigtwin]

Because they are all on it? Mention testing and there is a lot of staring at the ground and shuffling of cleats.

 

[Crompton]

Who would have predicted that

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/di-luca-positive-for-cera-in-giro

I have suspended him for two years from my Fantasy Giro team.

 

[simon_brooke]

That's the Tour de France equivalent of the p*n&t*r£ fairy. Now you've said it the shoot is going to hit the fan.

Dead right. According to the Eurosport commentators, Emanuele Sella and Daniello Di Luca, today.

 

[Will1985]

Sella was caught after last year's Giro, not this year... That was obvious because he dominated the mountains day after day, a bit like Schumacher's breaks in the Tour.

If Di Luca tested positive, then surely Menchov was on something too? Di Luca was suffering on some of those climbs while Menchov never looked like he was being troubled.

 

[rich p]

Sella was caught after last year's Giro, not this year... That was obvious because he dominated the mountains day after day, a bit like Schumacher's breaks in the Tour.

If Di Luca tested positive, then surely Menchov was on something too? Di Luca was suffering on some of those climbs while Menchov never looked like he was being troubled.

Isn't he already under investigation?