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General Doping Thread.

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Dutch fed (KNWU) concealed EPO positive in 2011 allowing rider to retire without publicising his ban.

Edit: CN's report.
Technical director of the KNWU at the time, Thorwald Veneberg, confirmed the rider's account of the situation. "This assessment was made at the time by the then-director," he told Wielerflits. "He informed me about it at the time. It was an extremely difficult and sad period for the person involved. The rider had confidential consultations with the director on the matter. He decided – exceptionally – not to publish it because of personal circumstances and because the rider stopped cycling."
 
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Rules is rules. If KNWU didn't follow the rules and notify both UCI and WADA then that's a problem. If the rules required the rider's name to be made public, even if only on a list buried on the KNWU website such as used the the UCI, then the KNWU should have followed the rules and made the name public, even if only on a list buried on the KNWU website. Secret suspensions undermine anti-doping, no matter how underwhelming the rider in question's profile and how little traction news of his suspension at the time would have gained. The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
 
Yes and that was Robbie Cano's defense for his first, 80 game MLB claiming it was a supplement from his home country. Today he got a 1 year ban for Stanizlol or some other bargain basement roid that every gym rat could dodge a positive. He's 38 and kissing $24 meeeeelion US dollars away on next year's contract. Hope he banked something in his career up to this date.
That dough is enough to fund 3 Pro Tour teams in this economy by the way.

We were discussing Cano's new positive on a baseball forum, and someone contrasted it to cycling. The poster pointed out that LA hired Ferrari to help him not simply dope, but--and this is where doctors really earn their pay, or not--avoid testing positive. Making one wonder why Cano, with all his wealth, didn't pay someone to advise him, who surely, at a minimum, would have told him, don't take stanzolol, it remains in the body for a long time and is easily identified on routine screening. It was probably popular with MLB players in the 90s and early 00s, but when MLB finally got serious, or semi-serious, about doping, most of them stopped taking it, or at least have avoided getting caught. There have been a few positives for it in recent years, but all pitchers--who believe it helps their endurance, go deeper into games--and Cano is the first big name.

But the penalties for getting caught are more severe in cycling. Cano is getting suspended for one year, about half the minimum for a cyclist, but this is his second offense. If it had been his first, it would have been half a season. That explains some of the other positives. They are young players, not making that much, and whatever they lose in salary, they more than get back in a larger contract if their performance is boosted. That doesn't apply to Cano, who had three more years on his contract, and you would think would be retiring after that. So this is an unusually dumb move. He presumably thought he could take it safely in the offseason.

That's HoF gone though I think.
Oh, for sure. His comp now is Manny Ramirez, a much better hitter than Cano, who would have been a certain HOFer, and also got caught twice.
 
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Oh, for sure. His comp now is Manny Ramirez, a much better hitter than Cano, who would have been a certain HOFer, and also got caught twice.

I still feel a little sorry for these guys (not just because Manny helped break the curse!) but at the time Manny was caught I'm pretty sure they were being tested twice a year and the dates were basically known (one was spring training, can't remember when the other was). I know it was a case of a few getting caught with loads slipping the net, hence while I feel a little sorry for them, but get caught under that testing regime and it's hard to feel much sympathy.
 
We were discussing Cano's new positive on a baseball forum, and someone contrasted it to cycling. The poster pointed out that LA hired Ferrari to help him not simply dope, but--and this is where doctors really earn their pay, or not--avoid testing positive. Making one wonder why Cano, with all his wealth, didn't pay someone to advise him, who surely, at a minimum, would have told him, don't take stanzolol, it remains in the body for a long time and is easily identified on routine screening. It was probably popular with MLB players in the 90s and early 00s, but when MLB finally got serious, or semi-serious, about doping, most of them stopped taking it, or at least have avoided getting caught. There have been a few positives for it in recent years, but all pitchers--who believe it helps their endurance, go deeper into games--and Cano is the first big name.

But the penalties for getting caught are more severe in cycling. Cano is getting suspended for one year, about half the minimum for a cyclist, but this is his second offense. If it had been his first, it would have been half a season. That explains some of the other positives. They are young players, not making that much, and whatever they lose in salary, they more than get back in a larger contract if their performance is boosted. That doesn't apply to Cano, who had three more years on his contract, and you would think would be retiring after that. So this is an unusually dumb move. He presumably thought he could take it safely in the offseason.


Oh, for sure. His comp now is Manny Ramirez, a much better hitter than Cano, who would have been a certain HOFer, and also got caught twice.
IMO Cano's outcome is a lifetime ban as you noted since he's older and toxic now. 3 more years is $75mil plus lost endorsements so it's more on the extreme side compared to cycling. Generally though; MLB slaps a wrist because they need their stars like the NFL who levy ridiculously light suspensions for chronic PED abuse. Re: Cano's drug of choice, stanozolol; the LOL at the end of the drug supports your comment about having better doping strategy. That's a old school gym drug and he should be able to do better. When he played for the Mariners everyone was waiting for a shoe to drop....
 
3 more years is $75mil plus lost endorsements

He's only losing one year and $24 million. I doubt he has any endorsements to lose, I assume that if he had any in the past, they would have been terminated when he tested positive the first time. People here may be thinking in terms of cycling, where if a rider tests positive, he's immediately fired by his team. MLB players aren't, my understanding is that they can't be, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Also, by the terms of the deal that traded him to the Mets from the Mariners, Seattle paid almost $4 million of his salary. I don't think they get that money back.
 
He's only losing one year and $24 million. I doubt he has any endorsements to lose, I assume that if he had any in the past, they would have been terminated when he tested positive the first time. People here may be thinking in terms of cycling, where if a rider tests positive, he's immediately fired by his team. MLB players aren't, my understanding is that they can't be, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Also, by the terms of the deal that traded him to the Mets from the Mariners, Seattle paid almost $4 million of his salary. I don't think they get that money back.
Unless Cano's contract had something specific about another PED test. Unless his final year is guaranteed he still has to pass a physical and be in playing shape, doesn't he? Mind you; no need to shed a tear for him but the scale of penalty on pure dollars is breathtaking. It'd take me a few weeks to make that much. Somewhere above 6,000 of them....
 
Mind you; no need to shed a tear for him but the scale of penalty on pure dollars is breathtaking.

He lost $12 million in salary from the first suspension, too. And at that time, he seems to have been making $3 million/year in endorsements. If he lost all those, that would be another $9 million till now. So $45 million lost because of two positives. All when he had a guaranteed contract, and didn't have to worry about the (financial) repercussions of a decline in performance.
 
He lost $12 million in salary from the first suspension, too. And at that time, he seems to have been making $3 million/year in endorsements. If he lost all those, that would be another $9 million till now. So $45 million lost because of two positives. All when he had a guaranteed contract, and didn't have to worry about the (financial) repercussions of a decline in performance.
Well lucky for him he can sit on the bench for 2 years and pocket $48mil. That is definitely less harsh than a cycling 4-year ban with no pay.
 
Here is a link to a series of radio programmes in the UK about the Russian doping. About 15 mins per episode, not sure of any restrictions for non UK people.


Ah yes, the old 'look at the Russians and their doping' stories again. More propaganda by the BBC. Can't wait for more reports from NYT and ARD.
 
Emil Hekele

The reigning champion of the republic in cyclocross Emil Hekele from the January race in Jičín. Analysis of control sample B confirmed its positive doping finding. The sample contained two banned substances, oxandrolone and clenbuterol - anabolic androgenic steroids. The forty-three-year-old rider is threatened with a several-year ban on activities, the doping conscious rider denies.

The native of Loštice underwent an out-of-competition anti-doping test with a positive result in September. Hekele is now awaiting the convening of the Disciplinary Committee of the Czech Cycling Association and the Anti-Doping Committee. "We will deal with the case as soon as possible," said the chairman of DK ČSC David Průša.

https://www.czechcyclingfederation.com/cyklokrosar-hekele-
dopoval/
25. 11. 2020 / The incumbent Czech cyclocross champion Emil Hekele rejects accusations of doping. It thus responds to the positive result of the laboratory analysis of samples A and B of the doping control. "The banned substances oxandrolone and clenbuterol must have entered my body without my knowledge, and I am 100% convinced of that. Most likely, it had to take place at a four-day national team meeting in Bělá pod Bezdězem, "says Emil Hekele, a 43-year-old native of Loštice, Moravia.

According to him, it could be contamination during eating, or a bad intention to damage it purposefully. The out-of-competition anti-doping control took place on September 9 at the very end of a four-day representative meeting of cyclocross riders. "Although we had meals at the first joint national training camp as members of the team, it was directed by the cyclocross national team, but in a regular restaurant," mentions Hekele.

As he adds about his own chefs, who would prepare the menu directly for the representatives and guarantee the safety and origin of the food, such as at the hockey or football team, Czech cyclocross riders can only dream. "And so it cannot be ruled out or confirmed that the food was completely safe and the meat could not be contaminated. The four-day training camp is also long enough for anyone to purposefully give me something to drink and deliberately get any substance into my body without my knowledge, ”describes Hekele.

The anti-doping laboratory has not been operating in the Czech Republic for many years, so the samples had to be processed at the Institute for Doping Analysis in Kreische near Dresden, Germany. "A prohibited substance / metabolite was found in the urine sample: oxandrolone, clenbuterol - anabolic androgenic steroids. The analysis of Sample B, performed on 24 November 2020, also confirmed the positive laboratory finding of Sample A. In accordance with Article 7.1.8 of the Directive on the Control and Punishment of Doping in Sport in the Czech Republic, specifically Article 2.1 of the Directive The presence of a Prohibited Substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample, “Petra Volková, Director of the Anti-Doping Committee of the Czech Republic (ADV ČR), sent Emil Hekele by email today. The ADV CR informs the relevant national federation, international federation and WADA about this fact.

"I have a really clear conscience, which is why I continue to train hard and I am ready to defend myself in the disciplinary committee, although now, as I found out the rules, I know that if any prohibited substance appears in the urine sample and in any amount for doping, even though it happened without my knowledge. The general public, ignorant of the situation in Czech cyclocross, can hardly understand the interconnectedness of individual interest groups and the effort to eliminate me in this way. It never occurred to me, but now I find it very difficult, almost impossible, to get the truth and clear my name. It is technically impossible to obtain over time any contaminated food that a person unknowingly ate, or to analyze the drinks to which the substance could be deliberately delivered without my knowledge, "said Hekele. This year, Emil Hekele was tested for the fourth time overall.

"I know I'm straightforward. I have been talking openly about the situation in Czech cyclocross for a long time, because I really like cyclocross. Unfortunately, my previous criticism of the situation in domestic cyclocross has been confirmed in recent years, "says Hekele. As he recalls from the time of the five-time world champion Zdeněk Štybar, who went abroad, the Czech cyclocross is, with a few exceptions, invisible at the international level in all categories.

According to Hekele, it was an even bigger shock for some officials and club representatives when he won the championship title in Jičín at the age of 42 out of modest conditions. He defeated the younger competitors, defeated the large divisions. As he recalls, he is from a generation that has been willing to sacrifice more hard work for the sport than young racers.

"And some coaches still can't understand that, they are not looking for a mistake in themselves. However, I would not blame the riders themselves, it is mainly about insufficient work with youth at the section level and there is insufficiently financially supported representation. It is mainly about non-reimbursement of the costs of world cups. It is also astonishing that many former quality riders do not return their experience, but rather left completely away from cyclocross and all cycling. This is definitely a shame and especially a big question to think about why this is so. Nobody will tell you officially, it's a public secret that the environment of our cyclocross is not healthy and in the first place are not cyclists, but the economic interest of specific people, who benefit significantly from sponsorship money, "describes Hekele.

https://www.facebook.com/emiliohekele/posts/2894101484156884

 
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Michael Phelps:

“I don’t know if I’ve ever competed in a clean field…I absolutely guarantee I’ve been tested more than anyone else.”


Dominated fields loaded with dopers while competing clean…claimed to be the most tested athlete ever…Who does that remind me of?
 
Michael Phelps:




Dominated fields loaded with dopers while competing clean…claimed to be the most tested athlete ever…Who does that remind me of?

There's always that one genetic freak right.
 
Chinese distance swimmer Sun Yang, who was suspended eight years by CAS following an incident when he smashed a blood vial, has won an appeal to have his case returned to CAS. The link implies that the retrial is based on public anti-Chinese statements by the head of the original CAS panel.

 
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do riders have an opportunity to beat biological passports when they're young? ie would it be possible to dope gradually from a young age so that doping shows up as 'normal' in your biological passport
 
Virtual cycling company Zwift has banned two riders for fiddling with data they uploaded to the service, and which helped them to do better in races.
...
Zwift conducted a forensic analysis that revealed all power measures had increased by the same amount. As riders’ intensity varies, that wasn’t feasible, and Zwift rejected data corruption as a possibility.
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Even with their digital doping, the riders only placed fourth and sixth.
sorry if this is old news
 
So apparently Hirschi was fired from Sunweb for unspecified shady behaviour

Let the speculation begin!
 
Whatever it was, he apparently refused to answer the team's questions about it, "even when asked specific questions"

He hasn't sued the team for breach of contract which is surprising, and the team say they're not allowed to talk about it which is also surprising. The only possible justification for that I can think of is that Cancellara was so desperate for the reason to not get out that he negotiated the latter in return for the former.
 

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