Crapness of drugs testing

[thingswelike]

There's a lot of worrying things flying around at the moment. But for me it just goes to show how absolutely ineffectual drugs testing must be.

Over the past few years in particular we've heard of riders explaining how easy it is to escape tests. They seem to openly laugh at the efforts of WADA/etc.

Is it lack of money? Corruption? Too many legal rights for riders? Scientifically challenging?

You'd think with random out-of-competition tests, there would be positives flying all over the place (if we're to assume that 80% of the peleton are doped).

Thoughts?

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

Too many organizations police tbeir own sport and this have a massive economic interest in ensuring there are no scandals.

Drug testing thuis becomes a way in which the authorities can reassure the audience that competition is fair, whilst actively seeking to catch as few people as possible.

The ultimate version of this is the "doping by commitee" UCI Biopassport, where a group of shady figures running the sport get to decide who to sacrifice. Usually small fish, but always the recourse to punish someone higher up the food chain should they incur wrath. Golden Geese will be protected.

The sport of tennis is equally ridiculous.

 

[blackcat]

couple of tests are not used.

autologous blood tests are possible
a hgh test with a much longer window is available
an epo test with a much longer window is available, might be more sensitive to micro dose too

 

[Ferminal]

The problem with the tests is the thresholds required to trigger a positive, or the detection window being too small.

Mongol_Waaijer explained the bigger problem.

 

[santacruz]

Using EPO to get to 50% hematocrit is safe and should be legalized until they can actually get a good test going for EPO. Same for HGH. HGH is undetectable and works wonders for muscle growth, I'd be surprised if someone in the pro ranks hasn't been taking HGH for their entire career. Testosterone cream should also be legal for training but not during racing. I just don't want only the "sophisticated" dopers to be the winners, while everyone else who doesn't want to deal with the headache does some sissy super-lite doping that will never be detected and won't help them beat the real doped guys. But hey, a Cofidis rider won a mountain stage at the Giro today, that's a good sign!

 

[Kungfu Supercomputer]

Using EPO to get to 50% hematocrit is safe and should be legalized until they can actually get a good test going for EPO. Same for HGH. HGH is undetectable and works wonders for muscle growth, I'd be surprised if someone in the pro ranks hasn't been taking HGH for their entire career. Testosterone cream should also be legal for training but not during racing. I just don't want only the "sophisticated" dopers to be the winners, while everyone else who doesn't want to deal with the headache does some sissy super-lite doping that will never be detected and won't help them beat the real doped guys. But hey, a Cofidis rider won a mountain stage at the Giro today, that's a good sign!

I thought you were going into Roller Derby.