What are these mysterious pills found on the roadside at Paris-Roubaix?

Dear Wiggo · Jun 1, 2014

Ugh. I saw this story when it broke but did not pay much attention. Storm in a teacup imo.

Just saw a tweet history and followed and W.T.F!?

A company that sells medical (vet) software found a vial of pills?

Anyone else see this as a sleight of hand to get some publicity?

https://twitter.com/BrianCooksonUCI/status/456435056228057089

A person found it, so why aren't they tweeting from a personal account?

This would have generated $100,000s if not more of publicity for their company, surely?

M Sport · Jun 1, 2014

Dear Wiggo said:
A person found it, so why aren't they tweeting from a personal account?

If you look back on old tweets it appears they are quite active in cycling sponsorship of some sort (not sure on what level). The tweet is consistent with prior use of the account. Why have two accounts if you are a cyclist and business owner that's involved in cycling?

Granville57 · Jun 1, 2014

Dear Wiggo said:
A company that sells medical (vet) software found a vial of pills?

Anyone else see this as a sleight of hand to get some publicity?

Quite possibly, but the other side of that coin is: Would they risk the reputation of that company by inventing a scam like this? If it were just a lone prankster out to stir up trouble it would be one thing, but to tie his company directly to the charade would be idiotic. So why do it?

That being said, Mike Brampton doesn't convince me when saying that getting the pills tested himself was somehow beyond his means. As stated, he is in the business of veterinarian medicine. Am I expected to believe that he is not associated with anyone who could've tested those pills, and that doing so would've somehow broken the bank for him?

Also, M Sport is correct in pointing out that the Thames Medical twitter account was laden with cycling references long before this story broke, so I don't see anything inconsistent there.

Granville57 · Jun 1, 2014

manafana said:
I will drop a vial by an athletics track and say same that some runner dropped it.

And would you associate your business with this act?
Would you reveal your identity in the process?
Would you have (supposedly) corroborating photos?

What would you gain by doing that, and what might you stand to lose?

Dear Wiggo · Jun 1, 2014

Granville57 said:
Quite possibly, but the other side of that coin is: Would they risk the reputation of that company by inventing a scam like this? If it were just a lone prankster out to stir up trouble it would be one thing, but to tie his company directly to the charade would be idiotic. So why do it?

That being said, Mike Brampton doesn't convince me when saying that getting the pills tested himself was somehow beyond his means. As stated, he is in the business of veterinarian medicine. Am I expected to believe that he is not associated with anyone who could've tested those pills, and that doing so would've somehow broken the bank for him?

Also, M Sport is correct in pointing out that the Thames Medical twitter account was laden with cycling references long before this story broke, so I don't see anything inconsistent there.

Tricky, indeed.

I guess I personally would not link a personal account with a business account - I'd keep them separate, no matter how small my business workforce was. Keep one professional for business purposes and one to interact with the general population, I guess.

Gerard Vroomen provides possibly the best example of what I consider the "way to do it".

But that's subjective, and you raise good points. I think my initial post was a knee jerk reaction of surprise that the account talking about it was a business, not a person.

Granville57 · Jun 10, 2014

So anyway...

Remember that vial?

Yeah, that was funny.

Dear Wiggo · Jun 10, 2014

Granville57 said:
So anyway...

Remember that vial?

Yeah, that was funny.

Those ampules inside the glass phial look similar to ones you you can put in inhalers. They break as you twist the inhaler shut, and then a big breath in to inhale the powder.

bewildered · Jun 10, 2014

Franklin said:
Sorry, but you clearly do not know pro cycling. "Finale tubes" filled with painkillers and Caffeine are age old and very much still in use (at all categories!). This is not illegal.

On the possibility of an experimental drug: If you take it during the race, what should it affect? Clearly it's short term boost, so not only are you looking at stimulants (notoriously easy to detect) but also at a rather a high dosage considering it needs to be effective at such short term.

But if it were stimulants I'm extremely sceptical about it being undetectable, even if it's "new and experimental" due to the nature of those drugs. And there's also no legal wiggle room there, that whole family of drugs is flat out banned.

I would not surprised it would be doping as this is still pro-cycling, but chances of this being nothing else than the usual "finale koker" are imho a lot bigger.

I know painkillers and caffeine are in widespread use. I said that in response to a post that said that people don't dope during races any more - I was being sarcastic. I have no idea what was in it but if it's labelled 'test product' I doubt it's something like painkillers or caffeine and more likely some new drug.

Granville57 · Jun 24, 2014

Just wondering, ya know, if anyone ever heard anything about this ever again?

It's been a couple of months, and these things shouldn't be rushed into, I understand that.

I can wait.

sniper · Jun 24, 2014

Granville57 said:
Just wondering, ya know, if anyone ever heard anything about this ever again?

It's been a couple of months, and these things shouldn't be rushed into, I understand that.

I can wait.

we know now that with zorzoli in charge of antidoping everything goes.
just give the guy a call before or during the race, and you´re all clear.

btw, i could be wrong, but i do think the vial hidden in wiggos pants had the similar size/shape as the thing found on the road (check fotos on first page of thread for comparison).

northstar · Jul 1, 2014

UCI report on the vial contents - Presence of ibuprofen, caffeine, theophylline and quinine in the white powder, no doping substances were detected.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) has received the report of the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses (LAD) with regards to the vial found by a spectator on the road of the latest Paris-Roubaix on April 13, 2014.

The report states that “it has been possible to highlight the presence of ibuprofen, caffeine, theophylline and quinine” in the white powder contained in this vial. It goes onto state that “None of those substances is part of the WADA prohibited list”, and concludes by saying that “no doping substance could be detected in the white powder transferred by the UCI”.

http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails2011.asp?id=MTAwNzM&MenuId=MTYzMDQ&LangId=1&BackLink=%2FTemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI8%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuI

JimmyFingers · Jul 1, 2014

As everyone with half a brain and no agenda have been saying all along

sniper · Jul 1, 2014

JimmyFingers said:
As everyone with half a brain and no agenda have been saying all along

agreed, good to have the agenda-less uci confirm that there was nothing dangerous in that vial.

Dear Wiggo · Jul 1, 2014

ibuprofen for - pain relief
caffeine for - a kick + fat metabolism
quinine for - cramps (?)
theophylline for - airways (asthma?)

Hawkwood · Jul 1, 2014

northstar said:
UCI report on the vial contents - Presence of ibuprofen, caffeine, theophylline and quinine in the white powder, no doping substances were detected.

[/URL]

From the BMJ `Adding theophylline to quinine may reduce the frequency of nocturnal leg cramps compared with quinine alone.'

Isn't caffeine found in some preparations of ibuprofen?

Hawkwood · Jul 1, 2014

Dear Wiggo said:
ibuprofen for - pain relief
caffeine for - a kick + fat metabolism
quinine for - cramps (?)
theophylline for - airways (asthma?)

From an article about whether adding caffeine to painkillers makes any difference:

`There was a small but statistically significant benefit with caffeine used at doses of 100 mg or more for all pain conditions and painkillers. About 5% to 10% more people achieve a good level of pain relief with the addition of caffeine.'

JimmyFingers · Jul 1, 2014

sniper said:
agreed, good to have the agenda-less uci confirm that there was nothing dangerous in that vial.

I can see you are delighted this has been cleared up. A finishing bottle, as predicted.

Hawkwood · Jul 1, 2014

JimmyFingers said:
I can see you are delighted this has been cleared up. A finishing bottle, as predicted.

For someone who suffers from cramp.

More Strides than Rides · Jul 1, 2014

Hawkwood said:
For someone who suffers from cramp.

Sooo, anyone riding a bicycle 260km over cobbles?

orbeas · Jul 1, 2014

White powder

There seems to be no indication as to the percentages of the drugs involved..

Hawkwood · Jul 1, 2014

More Strides than Rides said:
Sooo, anyone riding a bicycle 260km over cobbles?

Didn't someone ask Boonen following a win in Paris-Roubaix, "weren't you worried about him in the sprint?", and he replied "no I could see he was cramping up to his armpits!"

doperhopper · Jul 1, 2014

Dear Wiggo said:
ibuprofen for - pain relief
caffeine for - a kick + fat metabolism
quinine for - cramps (?)
theophylline for - airways (asthma?)

21st century Pot Belge

Pack Fodder · Jul 1, 2014

doperhopper said:
21st century Pot Belge

Theophlline is in the caffeine family, but yes, asthma and COPD.

Hawkwood · Jul 1, 2014

Pack Fodder said:
Theophlline is in the caffeine family, but yes, asthma and COPD.

Note my earlier post and its use with quinine to prevent cramping.

DirtyWorks · Jul 1, 2014

JimmyFingers said:
As everyone with half a brain and no agenda have been saying all along

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What are these mysterious pills found on the roadside at Paris-Roubaix?

Dear Wiggo

M Sport

Granville57

Granville57

Dear Wiggo

Granville57

Dear Wiggo

bewildered

Granville57

sniper

northstar

JimmyFingers

sniper

Dear Wiggo

Hawkwood

Hawkwood

JimmyFingers

Hawkwood

More Strides than Rides

orbeas

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Pack Fodder

Hawkwood

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