Stephen Roche 1987

[Franklin]

I thought he admitted to taking amphetamines and cortisone

That's also my understanding. However, would that + his injuries be enough to explain his highs and lows? I tend to think he left out big chunks of his doping history.

Before 1991 and big scale EPO usage it's hard to find among really big cycling stars somebody with so huge fluctuations in form.

In a good day he could beat Herrera on an uphill TT, yet on the Ventoux TT (TdF) on July 19, 1987, he finished 9:09 behind Jeff Bernard (7:30 behind Herrera) in 64th position out of 164 racers. One could find many examples of his staggering highs and lows.

Meh:

Even those following a full regimen can have a bad day. Now in Laurent's posituin there are a view decent explanations possible:

1.he just came back after a disastrous injury
2. he wasn't competing, so he let go
3. he was competing, heart the first few times and let go
4. Laurent was a contender in the ardennes classics, so he peaked horribly wrong

Keep in mind he needed 86, 87 and 88 before he truly returned, even though he did show glimmers of his class (winning the Fleche Wallonie). In 89 he had a superbe year, with a giro win and a 2nd place in the TdF. After that he faded towards a classic specialist.

And there are several very known riders who had extremely fluctuating years, especially in GT's. Without even looking into it, those three come up:

Kelly, Fignon, Roche all managed to win one or more GT's and swap that with years where they were shadows of themselves (GT wise).

 

[Gregga]

Even il 1991, Fignon was only 31 and was a TdF contender. Without EPO coming in the game, if think the 1991 TdF would have been Fignon vs Lemond once again (Mig/Bugno/Chiap' had EPO, Mottet and Leblanc took 7' in a break). But that's not really about Stephen Roche

 

[Basecase]

Roche interviewed on Irish radio today, discusses doping

http://www.2fm.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=1:3290394:4678:18-05-2012:

Roche interview starts at around the 1hr 29 min mark.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Conconi was the pioneer of not only EPO, but transfusion-based blood doping (which he'd been utilizing since 1980) and Conconi was the medical specialist for Roche's Carerra Jeans team at the time.

Do you have evidence for this? Linking him to all the Dutchies who died, to the Americans and the Spanish who blood doped, to Lasse Viren, to Joop Zoetemelk? This I'm loking forward to seeing.

 

[ultimobici]

Do you have evidence for this? Linking him to all the Dutchies who died, to the Americans and the Spanish who blood doped, to Lasse Viren, to Joop Zoetemelk? This I'm loking forward to seeing.

He can't.

Original quote edited to read logically.

Conconi was the pioneer of not only EPO, but transfusion-based blood doping (which he'd been utilizing since 1980) and Conconi was the medical specialist for Roche's Carerra Jeans in the 90's so had to be involved in 1987.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Some possibly useful info relating to Conconi's role in the introduction of EPO to the peloton: http://www.podiumcafe.com/2011/2/16...on-the-causes-of-doping-francesco-conconi-and

 

[fmk_RoI]

On the subject of Roche's own use of doping products, I have no doubt but that this subject will receive indepth coverage in the man's forthcoming autobiography. Any man who could complain about unzpped jerseys is bound to have lots to say on the subject of unregulated cortisone use in the 1980s.

 

[Le breton]

On the subject of Roche's own use of doping products, I have no doubt but that this subject will receive indepth coverage in the man's forthcoming autobiography. A(ny) man who could ...........

pound on Kimmage so as to help him sell his book A ROUGH RIDE is bound to reveal a more detailed and juicy account of doping in the 80's

 

[Benotti69]

pound on Kimmage so as to help him sell his book A ROUGH RIDE is bound to reveal a more detailed and juicy account of doping in the 80's

I bet it is accusing others of doping who are no longer associated with the sport and nothing to do with Roche!