Jay Sweet talks about doping.

[Mad Elephant Man]

Jay Sweet was an Australian sprinter who rode for the Big Mat-Auber team between 1998 and 2001
In an interview with Mike Tomalaris he has talked about he was offered drugs by a team doctor.
The interview is available on the Cycling Central website, http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/42160/Sweet-opens-up-on-doping-in-the-90's
This is part of a full interview to be aired later.

He was asked by a team doctor which races he wanted to win.
He answered every race he entered.
He was then offered EPO and cortisone.

Sweet also says he was injected with an illegal substance by an offical race doctor. This happened in a race in Spain in 2001, the doctor injected him and then told him it was cortisone.

When Sweet came close to winning races he claims he was told by the team that he could of won, meaning if he had doped he could have won.

The report claims Sweet was a victim of doping in cycling and it seems he was.

There seems to be a couple of errors in the report.
1. The report indicates Sweet arrived in Europe after the Festina scandal but he rode Paris-Nice in 1998 before the Festina scandal.
2. Sweet also seems to give his age as being a couple of years younger than he was.

There has also been a bit of discussion of the effectiveness of EPO on sprinter, it appears that Big Mat- Auber doctors thought it would help Sweet

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Sprinters doesn't dope. Well, Zabel did, but only once during a crit race in Bavaria.

 

[laziali]

Jay is 38, a top-bloke and quit the Euro scene coz of doping.He moved on long ago. He was a class above when racing in Australia as a junior. Quite a few other Aussies I know rode a few years in Europe and then returned largely anonymous coz they chose not to dope as well.

Riders that Lance and the Omerta crew cheated out of a full pro-career. The real victims of doping.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

IIRC, didn't one of Armstrong's books eulogise Sweet's unsuccessful efforts to remain in one tour?

 

[roundabout]

Bah, Big Mat team of the early 00's. There was Kintana, Garcia Casas, Jonker (?), but I optimistically thought that while doping wasn't discouraged, the team didn't dope riders through their doctors.

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

Jay Sweet says a race doctor gave him cortisone.

Was the doctor doing anything wrong if he also gave him a TUE?

 

[GotDropped]

I rode with Jay on the national team in 97. He was awesome. Better than anyone. In that era, if he couldn't make it drug free, unless you were a real freak, no-one could. I also experienced the injections that you weren't allowed to ask what they were. After a while I chose not to take them and said no. I went from winning races in europe to not being able to finish. That's the diference it makes. I waited 13 years and kept it to myself. A coward? Yes. But I had nothing to gain by telling my story. I've moved on. It's not my problem anymore. After the reasoned decision I contacted ASADA and told them everything I knew. There must be some very nervous people out there. People who have made careers out of their success as doped athletes. Current pros, coaches, directors. I decided to tell my story, because this must stop. Jays story is like many hundreds more. Doping ruined his career, and it ruined mine.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I rode with Jay on the national team in 97. He was awesome. Better than anyone. In that era, if he couldn't make it drug free, unless you were a real freak, no-one could. I also experienced the injections that you weren't allowed to ask what they were. After a while I chose not to take them and said no. I went from winning races in europe to not being able to finish. That's the diference it makes. I waited 13 years and kept it to myself. A coward? Yes. But I had nothing to gain by telling my story. I've moved on. It's not my problem anymore. After the reasoned decision I contacted ASADA and told them everything I knew. There must be some very nervous people out there. People who have made careers out of their success as doped athletes. Current pros, coaches, directors. I decided to tell my story, because this must stop. Jays story is like many hundreds more. Doping ruined his career, and it ruined mine.

Thank you for contributing - to ASADA and here. It must bring back some frustrating memories. Hope life is good enough for you now.

 

[Tinman]

Good on ya GotDropped. The ball has a fair bit more rolling do do so thanks for pushing it along. And if the info you provided does not come out in due course I hope you will consider going public, anonymously if desired. You guys as (ex) riders in the know are the only ones who seem to be able and willing to drive the change at this stage. Everyone else seems to have too much vested interest over-riding personal morals/ethics...

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

I rode with Jay on the national team in 97. He was awesome. Better than anyone. In that era, if he couldn't make it drug free, unless you were a real freak, no-one could. I also experienced the injections that you weren't allowed to ask what they were. After a while I chose not to take them and said no. I went from winning races in europe to not being able to finish. That's the diference it makes. I waited 13 years and kept it to myself. A coward? Yes. But I had nothing to gain by telling my story. I've moved on. It's not my problem anymore. After the reasoned decision I contacted ASADA and told them everything I knew. There must be some very nervous people out there. People who have made careers out of their success as doped athletes. Current pros, coaches, directors. I decided to tell my story, because this must stop. Jays story is like many hundreds more. Doping ruined his career, and it ruined mine.

Well done on telling your story to ASADA, the more who do likewise with there own Anti-doping Authority. You have done your bit, thank you.

 

[laziali]

Well done on telling your story to ASADA, the more who do likewise with there own Anti-doping Authority. You have done your bit, thank you.

Kudos for you, GotDropped. It's a more common story than people think. Hence my comment about Jay getting cheated too.

To save people hunting for it, here is 1997 National Team (ie Giant-AIS-ZVVZ) roster - both Jensie and Matty White got their start here. Didn't follow the same road as Jay and GotDropped, though, more's the pity

Rider Date of birth
Brett Dennis (AUS) October 21, 1971 (aged 25)
Paul Brosnan (AUS) October 23, 1973 (aged 23)
Nick Gates (AUS) March 10, 1972 (aged 24)
Slavomir Heger (CZE) March 03, 1971 (aged 25)
Jan Hruška (CZE) February 04, 1975 (aged 21)
Miroslav Kejval (CZE) July 11, 1973 (aged 23)
Tomáš Konečný (CZE) October 11, 1973 (aged 23)
Damian McDonald (AUS) May 12, 1972 (aged 24)
Peter Rogers (Cyclist) (AUS) October 24, 1974 (aged 22)
Paul Rowney (AUS) December 02, 1970 (aged 26)
Tomas Sedlacek (CZE) March 17, 1967 (aged 29)
Jay Sweet (AUS) August 11, 1972 (aged 24)
Jens Voigt (GER) September 17, 1971 (aged 25)
Matt White (AUS) February 22, 1974 (aged 22)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant-Australian_Institute_of_Sport#Team_roster_1997

 

[northstar]

I rode with Jay on the national team in 97. He was awesome. Better than anyone. In that era, if he couldn't make it drug free, unless you were a real freak, no-one could. I also experienced the injections that you weren't allowed to ask what they were. After a while I chose not to take them and said no. I went from winning races in europe to not being able to finish. That's the diference it makes. I waited 13 years and kept it to myself. A coward? Yes. But I had nothing to gain by telling my story. I've moved on. It's not my problem anymore. After the reasoned decision I contacted ASADA and told them everything I knew. There must be some very nervous people out there. People who have made careers out of their success as doped athletes. Current pros, coaches, directors. I decided to tell my story, because this must stop. Jays story is like many hundreds more. Doping ruined his career, and it ruined mine.

Your user name says it all. Not a doper = GotDropped. Change will happen when omerta is broken. Thanks for your contribution.

 

[ultimobici]

There has also been a bit of discussion of the effectiveness of EPO on sprinter, it appears that Big Mat- Auber doctors thought it would help Sweet

No discussion necessary. EPO & other blood manipulations made life harder for all types of rider. As the saying goes, "in order to finish first, first you must finish." A sprinter can't win if he's been dropped 50km from the finish.

 

[GotDropped]

No discussion necessary. EPO & other blood manipulations made life harder for all types of rider. As the saying goes, "in order to finish first, first you must finish." A sprinter can't win if he's been dropped 50km from the finish.

We all know that cycling, especially stage racing, has a lot to do with recovery. If you can finish stages, and not go into the red, you'll sprint much better in the flat stages to follow, than a fellow sprinter that has had to bury himself just to keep up.

 

[ultimobici]

We all know that cycling, especially stage racing, has a lot to do with recovery. If you can finish stages, and not go into the red, you'll sprint much better in the flat stages to follow, than a fellow sprinter that has had to bury himself just to keep up.

Exactly what I was driving at.

 

[Flux Capacity]

Us Aussies like to tell "coulda woulda shoulda" stories about blokes, especially footballers, who would've superstars had they only stuck it out, but isn't it true that Sweet was every bit as fast as McEwen, even faster?

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

No discussion necessary. EPO & other blood manipulations made life harder for all types of rider. As the saying goes, "in order to finish first, first you must finish." A sprinter can't win if he's been dropped 50km from the finish.

I agree with you entirely.

I was putting forth the comment Jay Sweet made in support of the view that EPO and blood doping helps sprinters and makes a real difference.

 

[sugarman]

Well done on telling your story to ASADA, the more who do likewise with there own Anti-doping Authority. You have done your bit, thank you.

+1, hope it leads to some good being done

 

[laziali]

Us Aussies like to tell "coulda woulda shoulda" stories about blokes, especially footballers, who would've superstars had they only stuck it out, but isn't it true that Sweet was every bit as fast as McEwen, even faster?

Yes. I raced with Jay (but not Robbie) and that was the general consensus at the time. You have to take my word for it that Jay was something special as a bike racer.

 

[Flux Capacity]

^ thanks

*filler for minimum characters*