we know they doped, but WHEN did they start
Nice interview.
I raced high level amateur (div 3 pro, which is like conti pro I guess) for a few years at the turn of the century. I stopped because I thought I did not have enough talent to make a living off the sport. After racing in europe, I definitely felt that there was a whole nother level of riding, and shortly after I stopped. I got way more out of the sport than I ever imagined, so in general I am not bitter.
The riders I looked up to racing in north america (saturn, navigators, Mercury, etc), I assumed to be clean because they were not that fast (compared to Europe), and it did not seem to make too much sense financially to dope. I still wonder if some of the known dopers actually doped while still a conti pro. Since most of my (higher level) racing was against these dom pros, I would like to know who doped while still a conti pro?
As an example Mike Barry beat me at a major race while racing for Saturn. I assumed that he was clean at the time. If I find out he was doping while at Saturn, AND that Navigators had a team wide doping program (we already know about O'Bee, and the effects of Russian training camp), I am owed a National champions jersey, and would have been cheated out of a World's spot. I would be ****ed if this was the case (like Frank Parisian), and I would be more vocal. Furthermore if all of Navigators was doped I am owed a few stages in 1.4 races internationally. However, I think it is more likely that they were clean at the time, and so I am less inclined to be vocal. Maybe I am naive, but I think it more likely that I am correct.
For me personally, I am not so much upset about the money (there is really very little to be made as a dom pro or as a journey man pro tour rider), it is about knowing for certain where I stand on a level playing field, and I knew I was cheated of that after my first race in Europe.
If someone knows FOR SURE with some first hand knowledge of who doped in NA in the early 2000 I would like to know. Not O'Bee et al. We know about them already. I am talking about the ones who have not been caught yet. PM me if you are not comfortable stating publicly.