ergmonkey said:
I agree that it seems premature for Landis to be taking shots at JV in the press if he can't offer the sort of specificity he has offered regarding the USPS/Lance allegations.
However, ignoring the particular Landis allegations for a moment, I do think this incident with Matt White and Trent Lowe must, at the very least, make people question JV's now standard operating procedure of creating the ultimate "clean team" out of guys who spent formative years of their careers at big doping programs. Even if JV is 100% committed to the clean life, does he really believe that none of his chosen riders and staff will slip up? I am not suggesting simply "once a doper, always a doper;" rather, my point is simply that I expect JV to take an increasing amount of heat for his team composition as this story unfolds. Here's an incomplete list of the building blocks of Slipstream:
Current Riders and Management
Zabriskie (USPS; CSC)
CVV (USPS; CSC; Liberty Seguros)
Millar (Convicted Doper; Cofidis; Re-born at Suanier Duval)
Hesjedal (USPS, Phonak)
JV himself (USPS; as close as you can get to confessing to doping without actually confessing)
Former Riders
Hunter (Phonak)
Creed (USPS; confessed doper)
Failures at Slipstream
Lowe
White (as DS)
Zirbel (demonstrates failure in Slipstream's pre-signature research of riders)
This proves nothing; but there may well be some explaining to do if JV wants fans to continue to believe in Slipstream.
Fixed that for you.
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In direct conversation, JV was candid about knowing about reputations/rumors/evidence of past practices. He stated that he was very up front about this with the rider(s) in question.
Now, even if JV is scrupulous, the premise that old habits die hard is compelling.
One interesting
CT-based study of 2,500 patients at four hospitals over a 6 month period yielded a recidivism rate of 18%. Those most likely to have a recidivist episode included those who consumed both opiates and alcohol. (the ultimate recidivism statistics are likely much higher than the six-month period of this test).
"recidivism rates are not found to differ among subgroups based on language, race, and sex"
Note that this is the 'hospitalized' group. Those who presumably have the greatest experiential incentive to clean up. In this case, there is no financial benefit and compounding motivation for recidivism as there is in cycling.
This was not a study of cyclists, or athletes, and cannot be directly applied to professional cycling in more than an inferential basis.
Given that opiates (Pot Belge) are long favored among cyclists (it was the JD and beer), suggests that such a group of substance abusers may also be prone to a recidivist episode.
This does not take into account:
1. Pervasive culture within the sport
2. Prisoner's dilemma
3. Livelihood tied to performance
But, it would seem logical that at least some of the previous dopers on the team would have a high likelihood to go back to their old ways.
Dave.
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