DirtyWorks said:
This notion that there is some formulation exclusive to Froome is false. The problem with this thinking is you are ignoring the fact the federation does not process some positives. He can, theoretically, be on whatever he likes with ABP red flags flying and it's all good because the federation permits it.
There are no good answers. Two solid years of humiliating stage racing fields on a very light schedule and now? Merely elite on an even lighter schedule. The freight train sized hole in the ABP opens for grand tours, so let's wait and see.
Thanks for the grown-up response.
Roughly how many people are involved now? Are the federation(s) acting with the tacit approval of the UCI? Previous and current administrations? Presumably all the APMU specialists must be involved; including the chap who went rogue on Horner's passport? WADA? ASO?
That must be 10s of people, across several distinct organisations. In addition we have team management, current and former staff, riders (with opportunities to trade knowledge for reduced bans in case of JTL, Rogers), and entourage. Is 50 people total unreasonable?
Keeping the lid on all of that requires some pretty heroic assumptions. That's my main difficulty with the reflex response that doping is the simplest explanation.
[A close second is the absence of a solid hypothesis (not proof) connecting performances with doping. But that's another story.]