Sergio Henao

[DirtyWorks]

I thought the news reports said that SKY themselves thought the results were odd, not whichever agency took / analysed it. If that is the case then you cannot legitimately draw the conclusion above. .

If that were true, the explanation and the story is quite simple as you just laid out. But, we didn't get that. We got Henao's rep pre-empting the Sky PR and a bunch of half-delivered facts about an old test.

everyone seems to have jumped to the conclusion that Henao is doping and that there is a UCI cover up.

Because that's never happened to a big-budget team in cycling?

Seems like another rider in not-positive but not racing limbo.

 

[thehog]

scrap that theory.

@franmillar
As per the statement the tests in questions are CADF ABP blood tests. (1)
this was the first time our altitude native athletes were tested as part of the ABP at home in Colombia. (2)
Thought that was clear in the statement, happy to clarify though, after this weekend I am not keen to engage much more. (3)

I'm glad she cleared up what was already clear!

Much clearer now

 

[hfer07]

I can think of one Colombian rider who went home for a very long time pre tdf, didn't do the prep races which everyone thought meant he wouldn't be 100%at the tour, and did quite well.

......and his native home & training site is about 800 mts higher in altitude than Rionegro

 

[Ferminal]

lol first OoC blood test in Colombia?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Well that's not as bas as my first thought (which was that the 'new test' was the first time they got OOC tested in Colombia)

It certainly makes sense why some of the Colombians go back home for long periods of time even mid season.

yeah like betancurt. look at how hecomes back to europe flying every time

 

[Netserk]

yeah like betancurt. look at how hecomes back to europe flying every time

Great counter-argument Ryo. Well done

 

[King Boonen]

lol first OoC blood test in Colombia?

No necessarily, the ABP tests are different tests to OOC blood and urine tests. Whether they are done at the same time I don't know but it's perfectly possible the Columbians have been tested several times while at home.

It's also perfectly possible that they have never been tested there...

 

[Ferminal]

Basically any OoC blood test does contribute to the passport. Only reason I can imagine it wouldn't is if it were at the NADO level and they didn't submit the data.

Edit: I guess it's moot anyway, just another example that the passport is dead quiet during the crucial low periods.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Fran's clarification is rather troubling. Between Uran (until 2014), Henao and Henao this was the first OOC test of blood parameters at altitude ?

That's really not good for the reputation of the blood passport.


As for the JTL treatment comment, I really would not expect anything for at least the 8 weeks mentioned in the original statement. Let the study run its course, then we will know one way or the other,

 

[MartinGT]

I'm glad she cleared up what was already clear!

Much clearer now

So she is keen to clarify, but not to engage?

Poor Fran, must have had a hard time clarifying the clear statement.

 

[King Boonen]

Basically any OoC blood test does contribute to the passport. Only reason I can imagine it wouldn't is if it were at the NADO level and they didn't submit the data.

Edit: I guess it's moot anyway, just another example that the passport is dead quiet during the crucial low periods.

Are you sure about this? I'm guessing they do all of the required tests for the ABP but I thought it was only updated from unique tests outwith the OOC regime (although typing that out now it doesn't really make sense...)


But yes, the ABP will only work with regular testing and this appears not to be the case.

 

[thehog]

So she is keen to clarify, but not to engage?

Poor Fran, must have had a hard time clarifying the clear statement.

It reminds me of the infamous Chevy Chase press conference in Spies like Us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLsDvGlIDh0

The art of saying nothing at all.

 

[martinvickers]

It's hard to look at things objectively and not come to a conclusion along these lines.
It seemed almost unique at the time.

Bad, bad news all around imo. The resurgence of Colombian cycling has added colour and excitement to the drab formulated stuff favoured by much of Europe.
If they start to struggle.......

From an entirely personal point of view, that, if it were the case, would be deeply depressing.

 

[Netserk]

From an entirely personal point of view, that, if it were the case, would be deeply depressing.

Hardly surprising in the world of cycling, no?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I think people would be surprised to know hardly any riders get tested out of competition simply because it´s not needed with the bloodpassport anymore unless a rider has suspicious values.

 

[Netserk]

I think people would be surprised to know hardly any riders get tested out of competition simply because it´s not needed with the bloodpassport anymore unless a rider has suspicious values.

Could you elaborate on that?

 

[hrotha]

I think people would be surprised to know hardly any riders get tested out of competition simply because it´s not needed with the bloodpassport anymore unless a rider has suspicious values.

On the contrary, the BP requires constant testing to be even remotely effective.

 

[Almeisan]

Ryo wrong as usual lol.

Isn't this guy just a sockpuppet throwing out misinformation?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I think people would be surprised to know hardly any riders get tested out of competition simply because it´s not needed with the bloodpassport anymore unless a rider has suspicious values.

I would be very interested in your explanation for this claim, given it's my belief that the complete opposite is true.

If you spend 50 days racing, and 310 days training, surely the ability to dope unhindered while training and race "clean" would make a complete and utter mockery of anti-doping efforts and render the BP a farcical ruse?

It's my belief this is what is happening more so these days. Race "clean" and train harder than you ever did with the appropriate interventions designed to get the most bang for your training buck.

Given it is the riders who decide when they will be tested each day (via whereabouts), the potential for glow time avoidance for testing, plus the three strikes rule means OOC doping is pretty much a sure thing with massive payoffs and almost no downside.

 

[Benotti69]

I think people would be surprised to know hardly any riders get tested out of competition simply because it´s not needed with the bloodpassport anymore unless a rider has suspicious values.

Riders hardly get tested because UCI is not interested in finding doping, just like every other professional sporting body.

 

[thehog]

On the contrary, the BP requires constant testing to be even remotely effective.

Constant is the wrong word.

It needs "consistent" and "specific" date related testing to be effective.

High frequency testing won't show a lot. But specific testing at key points during a given year does.

The surprise element is also very important. Such as in Heano's case. He did not expect to be tested. But was. Or more to the point Sky didn't think he would be tested in Columbia.

And now they baseline for the given rider is "off". Hence they explanation of "altitude natives".

Yes "altitude natives"; what will they think of next?

 

[peloton]

Constant is the wrong word.

It needs "consistent" and "specific" date related testing to be effective.

High frequency testing won't show a lot. But specific testing at key points during a given year does.

With so few BP cases in the past 6 years, it doesn't seem to be working very well.

 

[thehog]

With so few BP cases in the past 6 years, it doesn't seem to be working very well.

That is agreed. In fact the number of tests has been reduced. In some parts to fund GCP.

The teams and riders all know the "probability" of OOC passport testing.

 

[martinvickers]

Hardly surprising in the world of cycling, no?

It wouldn't be a shock, no, but it would be very depressing. Still, I'm hardly gonna 'hang a man' on the basis of that hypothesis alone. It's not pin the tail on the donkey.

 

[King Boonen]

I would be very interested in your explanation for this claim, given it's my belief that the complete opposite is true.

If you spend 50 days racing, and 310 days training, surely the ability to dope unhindered while training and race "clean" would make a complete and utter mockery of anti-doping efforts and render the BP a farcical ruse?

It's my belief this is what is happening more so these days. Race "clean" and train harder than you ever did with the appropriate interventions designed to get the most bang for your training buck.

Given it is the riders who decide when they will be tested each day (via whereabouts), the potential for glow time avoidance for testing, plus the three strikes rule means OOC doping is pretty much a sure thing with massive payoffs and almost no downside.

The facts in this post are correct (I also tend to agree with the opinion) although there is one slight point, they are also required to outline where and when regular training and other activities take place. I do not know if this means they can be tested at these locations but I'm assuming they can be, the specified one hour window is where they must be able to be found. I suppose if you specify a time after 6am the testers could attempt to find you at a training location earlier, then turn up at the scheduled location if they were unable to locate you. You also have to say where you will be overnight, although I'm not sure if they are allowed to test you after 11pm or before 6 am.


Whereabouts rules are here:

http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/W...ting/WADA_Whereabouts_IntroductoryNote_EN.pdf

What Ryo said is flat out wrong. The ABP only works if testing is regular and over an extended period, otherwise you end up with problems exactly like the one we are seeing now with Henao. Testing only during racing is likely to produce variable results, it is this variation along with variation during training and resting that is required to see if blood doping is occurring.