Unrepentant

[jimmypop]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/zirbel-breaks-armstrongs-record-at-tour-of-gruene-tt

This guy sounds like a stand-up dude.

 

[ilillillli]

We were never able to find definitive evidence of what caused the positive so it's an uphill battle.

This makes "I ate a stanky steak" look absolutely artful.

 

[scribe]

Uphill battles are known for their doping contamination.

 

[ilillillli]

Additionally, the "I didn't really bother training or anything" bit isn't really doing him any favors.

 

[BroDeal]

We were never able to find definitive evidence of what caused the positive so it's an uphill battle.

I'll take a wild shot and guess that the positive was caused by the dope he was taking. Nah, that is too simple. What's a doping case without unexplained positives, Nazi frogmen, and bitter--bitter I tell you--ex-pros.

 

[ergmonkey]

When are you haters gonna recognize that Zirbel is just a super-talent. The guy's got a freakishly large heart. He has VO2 Max numbers that are through the roof. He has awesome pedaling efficiency. He speaks English as his first language. What more proof of cleanliness do you need?

 

[D-Queued]

When are you haters gonna recognize that Zirbel is just a super-talent. The guy's got a freakishly large heart. He has VO2 Max numbers that are through the roof. He has awesome pedaling efficiency. He speaks English as his first language. What more proof of cleanliness do you need?

Is he some sort of miracle or something?

Dave.

 

[zwiebel2004]

If you have WKO and want to take a look at some of Zirbels power numbers from a few years ago here you go

http://www.fascatcoaching.com/powerfiles.html

FTP of 450 watts. Remember though that he is 190 pounds.

 

[JPM London]

He might be lying through his teeth, but on the other hand... If indeed you didn't know where it came from, that's the sort of comment I'd expect - he's not trying to include Nazi frogmen (although, that would be a fresh, nice addition) or Colombian sweets and so on.

Anyway, don't really care. I just enjoyed this comment:

"I broke the course record, which was encouraging. Some Austin local legend held it before me, but he obviously isn't in the same class as me."

 

[Jukebox]

He might be lying through his teeth, but on the other hand... If indeed you didn't know where it came from, that's the sort of comment I'd expect - he's not trying to include Nazi frogmen (although, that would be a fresh, nice addition) or Colombian sweets and so on.

Anyway, don't really care. I just enjoyed this comment:

Yeah, that was an awesome comment, a good laugh to start the day.

 

[steevo]

So can others who are "banned for life" race in non-USAC races. Can they race ACA, OBRA, ABR? You could do a full season and still be "banned"

 

[BotanyBay]

If you have WKO and want to take a look at some of Zirbels power numbers from a few years ago here you go

http://www.fascatcoaching.com/powerfiles.html

FTP of 450 watts. Remember though that he is 190 pounds.

Yes, it is quite impressive what doping will do to make one's statistical numbers look "elite".

 

[BotanyBay]

So can others who are "banned for life" race in non-USAC races. Can they race ACA, OBRA, ABR? You could do a full season and still be "banned"

Hamilton got *****-slapped for doing Mt Washington. They told him no bike racing means "No bike racing". It had nothing to do with WADA, UCI or USAC. The sanction wasn't like that of a USCF suspension for breaking the center line rule 10 times in a row. It was a "DO NOT RACE YOUR BIKE FOR 2 YEARS" kind of suspension. After being reminded, he agreed to actually stop.

 

[acoggan]

If you have WKO and want to take a look at some of Zirbels power numbers from a few years ago here you go

http://www.fascatcoaching.com/powerfiles.html

FTP of 450 watts. Remember though that he is 190 pounds.

FWIW, Zirbel was a collegiate conference champion runner (at 5000 and 10000 m) back in 2000, i.e., before he became a cyclist. I don't know his exact PB times, but they were ~15 and ~31 min, respectively. For him to be able to maintain 5.2 W/kg for 1 h after a few years of cycling therefore doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[BotanyBay]

FWIW, Zirbel was a collegiate conference champion runner (at 5000 and 10000 m) back in 2000, i.e., before he became a cyclist. I don't know his exact PB times, but they were ~15 and 30-31 min, respectively. For him to be able to maintain 5.2 W/kg for 1 h after a few years of cycling therefore doesn't surprise me at all.

Assuming he ran clean too. Steroid positives have a tendency to call your entire athletic history into question (and rightly so).

 

[acoggan]

Assuming he ran clean too. Steroid positives have a tendency to call your entire athletic history into question (and rightly so).

Conversely, he may have been clean as a runner, but still used DHEA in 2009. My point was simply that given his running background there is nothing about his power data that even provides a hint in one direction or the other.

(BTW, neither the US Food and Drug Administration nor the US Drug Enforcement Agency consider DHEA to be an anabolic steroid, which is why you can buy it over-the-counter at your local grocery. It is, however, a banned substance according to WADA, which is why Zirbel and other athletes have been "popped" for it.)

 

[131313]

This makes "I ate a stanky steak" look absolutely artful.

Hence the reason Contador's handlers came up with that story.

Do you really think it's reasonable to save samples of everything you ate or drank 60 days ago laying around?

 

[jimmypop]

Uphill battles are known for their doping contamination.

Nice one!

 

[scribe]

Nice one!

thx. I don't get much feedback on my work around here. Nice to know a few hit home.

 

[Altitude]

When are you haters gonna recognize that Zirbel is just a super-talent. The guy's got a freakishly large heart. He has VO2 Max numbers that are through the roof. He has awesome pedaling efficiency. He speaks English as his first language. What more proof of cleanliness do you need?

That's what I'm saying. His pedaling efficiency is insane

 

[delbified]

Hamilton got *****-slapped for doing Mt Washington. They told him no bike racing means "No bike racing". It had nothing to do with WADA, UCI or USAC. The sanction wasn't like that of a USCF suspension for breaking the center line rule 10 times in a row. It was a "DO NOT RACE YOUR BIKE FOR 2 YEARS" kind of suspension. After being reminded, he agreed to actually stop.

with respect, this sounds like a bunch of crap. those sanctioning bodies only have jurisdiction over events that they sanction. they have no right to tell anyone what to do in events outside of their influence. only a court of law has that sort of authority.

 

[jimmypop]

From a PM I received from a forum member:

I know Zirbel. He is a stand up dude. And usually, innocent people are unrepentant. Thanks for your post.

Forgive me for being a cynic.

 

[JRTinMA]

From a PM I received from a forum member:



Forgive me for being a cynic.

The problem with the PMs premise is almost all guilty ones are unrepentant.

 

[issoisso]

The problem with the PMs premise is almost all guilty ones are unrepentant.

Another problem is that no matter how well you know someone you still can't say anything about whether they're clean.

99% of times when someone admits to drug use, their family and other close ones are the people most shocked as they were completely sure the guy was clean.

 

[ergmonkey]

Wow, somebody knows him and says he's a really great guy?

Well, then, why don't we roll out all of the favorite "doping just doesn't add up here" lines for Zirbel?

-This substance wouldn't help a cyclist, it's for bodybuilders

-Why did he pass all of his other doping tests?

-The quantity of the drug was so small that it wouldn't have mattered

-Surely there are some over-the-counter supplements which contain trace amounts of this drug

-Why would a guy with such a promising future risk it all for a drug of such questionable value?

-Why would such an educated guy risk his health by doping?

See, clearly, doping does not make sense here. No way Zirbel ever would have doped. And you don't even need the unassailable testimony of an interested witness to prove that.