State of the Peloton 2024

[Rob5091]

Today Geraint Thomas said in an interview that he fully supports anyone who has the legs to win should go for it on any given stage. He was referring to Tadej and murmurs within the peloton that some riders are unhappy with his winning ways.
He followed that by saying it's something he wouldn't do. Why not?

Velo gives their roundup on champs of the past and Pogi's present dominance - 'tis but fleeting!

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...ill-but-fortune-and-favor-can-prove-fleeting/

Pro racing, as somebody once said, is “not a popularity contest,” but it’s a business in which the participants are paid to win. But it helps everyone — audience, sponsors, promoters — if the champion is liked, or loved even.

 

[Rob5091]

Is it too early to cry WTF? with AG2R?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Another small fish popped?

Irish/australian rider Jesse ewart is currently provisionally suspended after getting popped for EPO on a sample taken on the day of his tour of Sharjah stage win in January.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791791501569081843

View: https://twitter.com/cycling_about/status/1791791501569081843?t=xo_h7osE3sQgL_LhYBgg_g&s=19

 

[Ripper]

Another small fish popped?

Irish/australian rider Jesse ewart is currently provisionally suspended after getting popped for EPO on a sample taken on the day of his tour of Sharjah stage win in January.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791791501569081843

View: https://twitter.com/cycling_about/status/1791791501569081843?t=xo_h7osE3sQgL_LhYBgg_g&s=19

Stay in school kids. Don't do drugs

 

[Cookster15]

Another small fish popped?

Irish/australian rider Jesse ewart is currently provisionally suspended after getting popped for EPO on a sample taken on the day of his tour of Sharjah stage win in January.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791791501569081843

View: https://twitter.com/cycling_about/status/1791791501569081843?t=xo_h7osE3sQgL_LhYBgg_g&s=19

Another small fish caught at an obscure team. I didn't think anyone was still silly enough to take EPO. Maybe the micro dose wasn't well timed or not so "micro"?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Another small fish caught at an obscure team. I didn't think anyone was still silly enough to take EPO. Maybe the micro dose wasn't well timed or not so "micro"?

Modern cyborgs were performance optimized in labs and they don't take any doping (in classical sense) at all! Some even live in remote properties in forests to keep this top secret! That's why there are no rumors surrounding top guys.

 

[Tim Cahill]

If they were thick enough to dope in Thailand of all places then they got off easy with a slap on the wrist from the UCI

 

[Rob5091]

Another small fish popped?

Irish/australian rider Jesse ewart is currently provisionally suspended after getting popped for EPO on a sample taken on the day of his tour of Sharjah stage win in January.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1791791501569081843

View: https://twitter.com/cycling_about/status/1791791501569081843?t=xo_h7osE3sQgL_LhYBgg_g&s=19

If this was back in January then it could get very legally messy as WADA's new high-tec all singing and dancing routine is not due to come into effect until June.
see for the back story about Aussie Bol -
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/athlet...anges-after-bol-disaster-20240418-p5fkrb.html

 

[awavey]

Lizzy Banks has written about her fight to clear her name, successfully,after UKAD had given her a positive test for Formoterol, it's a diuretic

https://lizzybanks.co.uk/

There's also an interview in the Daily Telegraph, which I won't link to due to their editorial stance against cyclists/cycling, which is paywalled anyway.

 

[Rob5091]

So make that France, Spain & the UK have all f*cked up doping tests. I await the Hessman case to see if Germany can make it 4!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/a...er-life-torn-apart-for-nothing-in-doping-case

Lizzy Banks has said she will end her professional cycling career after having her life “torn apart for nothing” in a 10-month case that concluded with her being found at “no fault or negligence” and without sanction for a positive doping test.

Only recourse, sue the [bleep]ers!

 

[Sciatic]

So make that France, Spain & the UK have all f*cked up doping tests. I await the Hessman case to see if Germany can make it 4!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/a...er-life-torn-apart-for-nothing-in-doping-case

Only recourse, sue the [bleep]ers!

How the hell do you know they f*caked up the tests? Banks and her husband spent tens of thousands of euros on legal fees and managed to get the violation rescinded because “we accepted your rationale for “ contamination.” For two separate drugs. [Mod deleted]

 

[Nick2413]

Just have to say, Alaphilippe looks like he’s given the middle finger to modern methods and is all in on the old school stuff. I’d love to know what’s in his finishing bottles (that he takes from km 0).

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racin...ider-reveals-nine-month-anti-doping-nightmare

"If UKAD cannot understand basic scientific concepts, it is simply not possible that UKAD should hold such a position of power over athletes' futures in anti-doping proceedings,"

In her own words at https://lizzybanks.co.uk/

 

[Axel Hangleck]

So make that France, Spain & the UK have all f*cked up doping tests. I await the Hessman case to see if Germany can make it 4!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/a...er-life-torn-apart-for-nothing-in-doping-case

Only recourse, sue the [bleep]ers!

You forgot the Swiss with the Flueckiger case; announced an AAF - that was eventually resolved........

 

[Rob5091]

You forgot the Swiss with the Flueckiger case; announced an AAF - that was eventually resolved........

Thanks for bringing that up.
The Swiss too know how to f*ck up testing -although this was 2022 and in MTB.
https://www.mtb-mag.com/en/mathias-fluckiger-claims-innocence/

To his knowledge, Mathias Flückiger has never ingested a prohibited substance. Apparently, however, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne found minimal amounts of Zeranol in the A-sample of June 5, 2022.

The Lausanne laboratory therefore pointed out in its doping control report on the A-sample that this could indicate the consumption of contaminated meat, especially since Zeranol is not known as a doping agent. The smallest amount found thus had no performance-enhancing effect anyway.

In order to prevent false prejudgements, WADA has issued an instruction for the anti-doping authorities on how to proceed in such cases (Stakeholder Notice regarding potential meat contamination cases of June 1, 2021). Unfortunately, Swiss Sport Integrity did not follow this instruction. According to this, the A-sample of Mathias Flückiger should only have been evaluated as an «atypical result», but not as a «positive result».

This assessment would have been urgently indicated, especially in view of the much more sensitive measuring methods of the Lausanne laboratory (compared to other laboratories). The amount apparently found in Mathias Flückiger’s A-sample is many times lower (0.3 ng/mL) than the threshold value for possible meat contamination (5 ng/mL). In addition, Flückiger gave two negative anti-doping samples a few days before and a few days after the June 5 test.

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/mtb/mathias-fluckiger-freed-from-doping-ban/

Flückiger may be allowed to return to competition, but the case is not over yet. There could still be appeals to re-instate the ban by the Swiss authorities.

Indeed, while Swiss Sport Integrity confirmed that Flückiger’s ban was lifted, the doping body’s announcement was far from celebratory.

“The Swiss Sports Disciplinary Chamber has lifted the provisional ban imposed by Swiss Sport Integrity in August for the time being,” SSI’s statement read. “Swiss Sport Integrity is still of the opinion that, due to the extensive investigations, there was an abnormal analysis result and the provisional ban was therefore absolutely necessary. Swiss Sport Integrity will review the decision and take the next steps based on it.”

Flückiger also acknowledged that he’s not yet in the clear. Speaking of the ban being lifted, he said “It is an intermediate success towards justice and truth. But unfortunately, the case is not yet closed. The constant uncertainty, the months of waiting, the unfounded accusations must finally come to an end.”

 

[Rob5091]

How about this for a flyer - tapentadol, slow release opiod on WADA's monitoring program this year. (somewhere between Tramadol & Morphine in potency). Long term pain relief for "junior style " racing? (add in 120g carbs per hour and the energy is there for "non-stop entertainment")
Sounds more plausible then motors to me.

 

[Rob5091]

Flückiger gets exonerated by the Swiss - Switzerland joins the current crop of countries banning people then saying, oops! we f'cked up!
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mathias-fluckiger-exonerated-in-doping-case-from-2022/

While the 35-year-old was allowed to continue competing, he was not fully cleared of any anti-doping rule violations until Friday.

The ruling opens the door for Flückiger to return to the Olympic Games after taking the silver medal behind Tom Pidcock in Tokyo.

Just so people don't think I'm on some agenda here, I'm just pointing out what a mess anti-doping is. I'm not making this stuff up. If people have to resort to their savings to get lawyers to prove that what they're being banned for is wrong then something's amiss. Also taking the legal route means waiting and waiting and waiting ... which is in effect the same as banning people.
If the authorities have a list of banned substances, then ban people without recourse to CAS and appeals and expensive lawyers and experts (Froome's salbutamol case is a good example). If the rules are followed correctly (as was not the case in Flückiger's instance) then there's no discussion.
A worrying piece of news is the unexplained extra 80,000 Euros paid to a testing lab in Germany by the Spanish anti-doping authorities. Why and who got it has not been explained.

 

[Forever The Best]

Pogacar on Grappa:

wow Pogacar 1 minute better than 2014 Quintana

https://twitter.com/x/status/1794377958813221090

View: https://x.com/faustocoppi60/status/1794377958813221090

 

[the delgados]

This might not be the best place or time to ask, but I'm wondering where to apply for the job of out of competition dopage control.
Imagine being in the coastal regions of Spain one day, and a village in Tuscany the next. You make friends with the riders and share jokes about formalities while apologizing for the inconvenience before spending the rest of your day getting hammered at a local bar. That seems like a job for me.
Hopefully someone here can direct me where to go. Otherwise, I apologize for the interruption.
Go Tadej!

 

[Rob5091]

This might not be the best place or time to ask, but I'm wondering where to apply for the job of out of competition dopage control.
Imagine being in the coastal regions of Spain one day, and a village in Tuscany the next. You make friends with the riders and share jokes about formalities while apologizing for the inconvenience before spending the rest of your day getting hammered at a local bar. That seems like a job for me.
Hopefully someone here can direct me where to go. Otherwise, I apologize for the interruption.
Go Tadej!

If you're in the USA then a Doping Control Officer is the job for you!
see https://www.usada.org/about/careers/
Otherwise it's your national anti-doping agency.
Edit - add - as it's a national job they'll be no swaning around Europe I'm afraid to say (apart from conferences, meetings and various junkets) and getting "hammered" would probably result in a "talk" with management! I recall also Texan Lance's reaction of getting a knock on the door and it was not very pleasant so knowing a martial art or getting a gun licence might be useful.

 

[Rob5091]

While getting up to speed on the ins and ous of Operation Ilex, there's this from February on Spain -
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/op...s-are-still-gaming-the-system-a-la-armstrong/

The report from the Civil Guard's Public Health and Doping Section of the Central Unit (UCO) suggests that riders in Spain know they have a window of time to allow their bodies to clear doping substances before the doping control officers can show up because they do not carry out testing at night or during weekends.
Privacy laws in Spain prohibit doping controls at athletes' homes between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. - a period long enough for some drugs to leave their system. The UCI has been able to a few night time tests due to strong suspicions of doping and after obtaining special permission from Spanish authorities.

"They have studies in which they know how long the substance lasts in their body and that means that, for example, doctors can 'prescribe' a substance at 11:01 p.m. so that, at 6:00 in the morning, there is no longer a trace in your body," an un-named anti-doping expert told Marca.
Another problem for doping controllers is a requirement for samples to be delivered for analysis within 48 hours of collection which is a major problem for some countries that have few accredited laboratories.

Which made me think, where do go all the teams go for altitude training and where's the latest hot spot for cyclists to move to ... hmmm?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

While getting up to speed on the ins and ous of Operation Ilex, there's this from February on Spain -
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/op...s-are-still-gaming-the-system-a-la-armstrong/


Which made me think, where do go all the teams go for altitude training and where's the latest hot spot for cyclists to move to ... hmmm?

Van Der pole was literally flying to and from Spain in between the classics

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Van Der pole was literally flying to and from Spain in between the classics

I think you'll find that most people on journeys from the Netherlands (or is it Belgium that he lives in: same applies) to southern Spain literally fly.

 

[V3R1T4S]

I think you'll find that most people on journeys from the Netherlands (or is it Belgium that he lives in: same applies) to southern Spain literally fly.

I'm glad you brought this up. VdP's 'quick' trips to Spain and 'short' altitude camps have always been suspicious to me. Reminds me of an unstoppable Dario Cologna flying back and forth from Sochi to his home in between races for a little top off en route to winning 2 golds at Sochi after a mediocre season (would have possibly won 3 if he didn't break his pole near the end of the 50k).

 

[Sciatic]

I'm glad you brought this up. VdP's 'quick' trips to Spain and 'short' altitude camps have always been suspicious to me. Reminds me of an unstoppable Dario Cologna flying back and forth from Sochi to his home in between races for a little top off en route to winning 2 golds at Sochi after a mediocre season (would have possibly won 3 if he didn't break his pole near the end of the 50k).

Although that kind of “topping off” would be blood bags init? Which isn’t detectable other than via the biopassport.