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So when did Lance start doping?

May 6, 2009
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I'm starting this thread because I was thinking about Stephen Swart's comments that in 1995, Lance wanted to start using EPO, along with his teammates so they could be more successful, and IIRC he started working with Dr Ferrari. So in 1993 and 1994 where he had a more then solid start as a professional by winning a stage at the Tour, winning the 1993 Worlds, so was he actually racing clean(ish), or was he charging, but on a small-time scale and come 1995, he took it to the next level in terms of doping?
 
May 14, 2010
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My guess is that prior to oxygen-vector drugs and HGH, a medical program probably looked similar to whatever they were doing in the Merckx era. And I don't think there's any reason to believe that Lance wasn't on the full program.
 
Nov 24, 2010
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Would it be logical to consider 1990, same as Strock And Kaiter? The difference being his symptoms did not arise till 1997.

cheers
 
Oct 20, 2010
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BroDeal said:
As a teenage triathlete.

Yes probably,

According to him he was making a decent amount of money. Even buying a sports car during High School. Coming from a single parent home, being a kid with a little bit of talent I could see a guy like Lance taking a couple short cuts to survive.
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Probably a couple of years before this photo was taken.

Lance.jpg
 
Aug 17, 2009
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craig1985 said:
I'm starting this thread because I was thinking about Stephen Swart's comments that in 1995, Lance wanted to start using EPO, along with his teammates so they could be more successful, and IIRC he started working with Dr Ferrari. So in 1993 and 1994 where he had a more then solid start as a professional by winning a stage at the Tour, winning the 1993 Worlds, so was he actually racing clean(ish), or was he charging, but on a small-time scale and come 1995, he took it to the next level in terms of doping?

Yeah when Swart said.

That cancer was rampant due to the GH. The GH made the cancer cells grow very quickly and it spread very quickly. That is why he came back from it because it grew so quickly it was not as strongly established and weaker in cell structure.

Listen to this ****.. trying to sound like i understand cell structure.. You get the point.. Some doctor will come on here and explain it better.

Point is he was dirty when he won worlds in 93.
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Most pro's get into it after their first year when they realise they can't cut it with the best. However, some like Ullrich were bred on them before this. Armstrong could have been one of these. Sorry but I'm with Lemond in that there are no miracles in cycling.
 

Dr. Maserati

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Jun 19, 2009
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craig1985 said:
I'm starting this thread because I was thinking about Stephen Swart's comments that in 1995, Lance wanted to start using EPO, along with his teammates so they could be more successful, and IIRC he started working with Dr Ferrari. So in 1993 and 1994 where he had a more then solid start as a professional by winning a stage at the Tour, winning the 1993 Worlds, so was he actually racing clean(ish), or was he charging, but on a small-time scale and come 1995, he took it to the next level in terms of doping?
Actually the Swart comments were in relation to setting up a teamwide programme.
The SI article shows LA was likely using testosterone in 93.

I think LA was already using EPO by then (1995) because I don't see why someone would pay a big percentage of their wages to Ferrari unless they had already experimented with it.


Dallas_ said:
Would it be logical to consider 1990, same as Strock And Kaiter? The difference being his symptoms did not arise till 1997.

cheers
Yes - I think this was the start, especially when you have Chris Carmichael willing to give 17 year old kids 'extract of cortisone'.
 
Jul 14, 2009
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I would think he started during his Subaru Montgomery stint. He was with Eddie and a bunch of other riders that had little problems here and there.
 

Polish

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Mar 11, 2009
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Race Radio said:
Likely.

In 1988 he looked normal, in 1989 he looked like a bull. The change was obvious.

Some Doctors refer to that as "final stage puberty" lol.


That said, he lost much of that bulk after cancer.
 
Mar 17, 2009
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craig1985 said:
I'm starting this thread because I was thinking about Stephen Swart's comments that in 1995, Lance wanted to start using EPO, along with his teammates so they could be more successful, and IIRC he started working with Dr Ferrari. So in 1993 and 1994 where he had a more then solid start as a professional by winning a stage at the Tour, winning the 1993 Worlds, so was he actually racing clean(ish), or was he charging, but on a small-time scale and come 1995, he took it to the next level in terms of doping?

Lance came up under Eddie B. and Chris Carmichael in the US National program.
Eddie B. oversaw blood doping of members of 1984 olympic team. Carmichael has settled out of court with former members of the US Junior National team he doped.

There never was a Lance without doping, because there was no elite cycling without doping.
Period.
 
Oct 11, 2010
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BergMann said:
Lance came up under Eddie B. and Chris Carmichael in the US National program.
Eddie B. oversaw blood doping of members of 1984 olympic team. Carmichael has settled out of court with former members of the US Junior National team he doped.
There never was a Lance without doping, because there was no elite cycling without doping.
Period.

Got a link? Sounds interesting..
 
BergMann said:
Lance came up under Eddie B. and Chris Carmichael in the US National program.
Eddie B. oversaw blood doping of members of 1984 olympic team. Carmichael has settled out of court with former members of the US Junior National team he doped.

There never was a Lance without doping, because there was no elite cycling without doping.
Period.

What he said.

But, profiling, he probably was experimenting with stuff in his early teens...

This was a kid that soaked tennis balls in gasoline, lit them and launched them into the neighborhood with a tennis racket. He didn't stick within normal boundaries - ever. If he was so willing to cross legal and ethical boundaries with his flaming tennis balls, why would he try some hot stuff during triathlon? He was probably laughing to himself at all the mama's boys he was racing against.

What? No doping in triathlon you say? Just because athletics, swimming and cycling have long legacies doesn't mean that the combination sport would be tainted. Besides, no athlete from these other pursuits ever crossed over into the sissy sport.

His joy-riding was taken to a new level of self-reinforcement as soon as it started to make him dough and enough recognition to pick up chicks "hotter than donut grease". Eki spitting on Simeoni was merely a reflection of what Lance had been doing in his head to anyone since Papa Gunderson left.

Lance is smooth, smart and shrewd. He realizes that he can go only so far with his overt intimidation (though even his twitter feed underscores how difficult it is to keep himself reined in), that others will follow his lead, and pick up where he leaves off.

He gravitated to a sport that rewarded the behavior - in fact, arguably the sport that provides the greatest direct performance benefit from doping.

Unless someone stopped him, why would he?

Dave.
 

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