I think you are overestimating the benefits of cortisone, testosterone & amphetamine or underestimating the benefit that EPO & blood doping bestow.
i totally agree - amphetamine for example could stimulate a rider for a while but it would not actually improve him. Its use also had its downside, literally, when a rider would suffer the knock on from its usage the following day, (a bit like a hangover) so although it may benefit a rider in a one day race its use in stage racing was very much a double bladed sword, which may explain some of the swings between leaders in the post war period up to around 1970.
Heavy use of amphetamine's tends to lead to a darkness on the lower eyelids and upper cheeks - check out a few photos from the 50's and 60's.
Anquetil turned pro at 19 for La Perle but had 2 years National Service to do so didn't really race that much until 56. By 57 he'd won Paris-Nice, the Tour and his 5th GP des Nations. He'd go on to win the Giro two years later as well as 4 more Tours in a row from 61.
well legend has it that Anquetil, already a legend in his own lunch time, turned up for National Service with a crate of champagne, and after a discussion with his CO spent the next two years riding his bike for the army not ideal for sure but far better than say Coppi in a prison camp and less stressful than Simpson who some maintained, at the time, moved to Belgium to avoid National Service.
Plus what on earth has Pélissier got to do with this? He did come second in his first Tour but had to wait a few years to ride again as WW1 stopped play.
Pélissier was the first person to expose doping in cycling in the infamous convicts of the road article by Albert Londres of 1924 (although if you dont read French it is very oftern badly translated) so I think he is always relevant, history does tend to repeat itself. The 1924 Tour withdrawal was linked to the Paris Tours earlier that year (Paris tours was a Spring classic until 1951 (?)
Have you got a link to Ullrich's track career because I can't find anything about him as an amateur bar the Oslo WC in 93 and East German Points Race titles? Points race is ideally suited to a roadman's make-up so is unsurprising. I fhe was a Kilo rider or Match Sprinter it would be odd.
I tend to use memoire du cyclisme - and agree with you.
thanks for the photos people
thanks