What kind of a program & substances/methods do you think it is? Could it be hematological? Steroidal? Hormonal? All of the above? None of the above?
The evidence of greatest performance enhancing in endurance sports is hands down
oxygen-vector doping. We saw that in the "wild 1990s" with introduction of EPO & the significant improvement in performance over the previous decades (Riis is on record stating that EPO use was "the normal preparation for a professional cyclist"). Testosterone, steroids & HGH were just side-dishes used to aid in recovery & injury rehab. Since no test existed for EPO it was full-throttle doping & the battle of the higher responders (e.g, Pantani, Riis, Ulrich, Indurain, etc)
The Armstrong era ushered in IC blood transfusions with the EPO test developed (EPO still use in OOC training blocks). Testosterone, steroids, GH still used as secondary PEDs for recovery & injury rehab. Still great performances from the higher responders with Armstrong dominated as the most successful O2-vector doper of that era (not much sophistication as Armstrong has said the biggest challenge was circumventing the 50% Hct safety limit). Aside from Postal's organized team doping program,
Operation Puerto was center stage and later implicated a lot of top riders.
Then comes the ABP era that we're currently in where "microdosing" is the buzzword. However, one very sophisticated blood doping program came into existence with
Operation Aderlass (Dr Mark Schmidt). Aderlass was able to circumvent the ABP by the following method: Just before arrival at the starting spot on the morning of the competition, an athlete would infuse the blood and immediately after competition, withdraw the same amount out before any testing. But Aderlass was broken up after a disgruntled athlete went to authorities, and not many cyclists were implicated (and certainly no big names)
Could there be another type Operation Aderlass programs specific to certain teams? Could a rider infuse the blood either in the hotel or on bus ride to the start line on the morning of the competition, and then be able to withdraw that same amount in the short window immediately after competition & before the testing? (Is there enough time that a rider could sneak into the team bus & withdrawal the blood before testing & podium presentations?).
Anyway...after all that, I like this guy's theory of motor/mechanical doping:
View: https://youtu.be/PQ-LzQ7rcCo?si=b08guWZSvmO2k20p