The hunt for Liquigas is on ...

[Climbing]

Maybe they don't like italians.
You know... the world cup... Zidane headshot...Mafia...Spaghetti.
Maybe they fear a 2006 Basso comeback ruining their winning chance at the TdF!!!
Just joking! I hope they keep this checking everywhere, everytime on every team. I hope that's the case.

 

[rhubroma]

Maybe they don't like italians.
You know... the world cup... Zidane headshot...Mafia...Spaghetti.
Maybe they fear a 2006 Basso comeback ruining their winning chance at the TdF!!!
Just joking! I hope they keep this checking everywhere, everytime on every team. I hope that's the case.

Or that they haven't had a Tour champion since Hinault, when was it, in 85!

What winning chance?

 

[gree0232]

Or that they haven't had a Tour champion since Hinault, when was it, in 85!

What winning chance?

Yep, this is exactly the same type of activity that broke the Festina scandal. Customs are a good way of finding doping products as they are brought in. But there are a few of things to bear in mind:

1. The Astana van was searched last year.

2. Liquigas this year - so far.

3. It was Raimondas Rumsas's wife Edita that was caught with performance enhancing drugs.

4. It was Dario Frigo's wife Susanna that was with PED's as well.

I think any team would be pretty stupid to have PED's in large conspicuous vehicles with team logos all over them. It is pretty clear that riders still using drugs are moving the drugs through other sources.

So, if we want the customs to be more effective, we could build a database of riders and assosiates, and when one crosses the border they pop up in the data base and they are subsequently searched.

I suppose that could push smuggling onto mules over the Alps ala Hannibal, but this is at least one step that can be made better to clean up the sport.