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

[Lexman]

“Basically the crash happened and then they all got up and the soigneur pushed the rider [in question] away. I’d already spotted the vial, as had others. It was actually pointed out to the soigneur who sort of shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘nothing to do with me’."

“It will absolutely be possible to pinpoint who the vial belongs to. I have 34 in-sequence photographs from about 15ft away, pin sharp. In one of them you can actually see the vial falling from the rider’s pocket."

when will the pictures be published in The Telegraph, The Sun or any other high standard newspaper...

it might have been Vino's one in case of an ultime return ...

 

[Lexman]

ok to identify the rider let's do this exercice this evening :
who fell in PR 2014? or for those who have to sleep, who didn't fall in P-R...

 

[Benotti69]

ok to identify the rider let's do this exercice this evening :
who fell in PR 2014? or for those who have to sleep, who didn't fall in P-R...

My guess is it is from the Hayden Roulston crash. 82km to go. About 4 riders came down.

 

[pastronef]

ok to identify the rider let's do this exercice this evening :
who fell in PR 2014? or for those who have to sleep, who didn't fall in P-R...

the reports says it was not a fall on the cobbles, it was on tarmac. so, who fell on tarmac half way through the race?
there was this big fall when a Trek rider jumped from the sidewalk and brought down a few riders, but it was not half way, it was after the Arenberg

 

[Symphony]

What does anyone else think the words might be after TEST PRODUCT, To me it looks like it could be TOP SECRET, with the last letter pulled away. Any thoughts?

 

[SundayRider]

What does anyone else think the words might be after TEST PRODUCT, To me it looks like it could be TOP SECRET, with the last letter pulled away. Any thoughts?

Must be something that gets into your system very quickly and has an immediate effect. Kind of goes against what Tyler said TSR though doesn't it - taking labels off EPO/Testosterone etc making sure any doping waste was always covered up by general household waste in the trash etc. If those tablets had 'caffiene' or 'electrolytes' written on them it probably wouldn't have even been a story.

 

[SundayRider]

Also whoever said lots of things have 'test product' written on them, well maybe for things like make up and skin creams however you can't really 'test' a pill or tablet can you?!

 

[ScienceIsCool]

If this was all an innocent misunderstanding (glucose pills, anti-inflammatory pills, etc) you'd think by now that someone from the rider's team would have spoken up. Something along the lines of "Oh, yeah. Those are Luigi's. We issued him a vial of acetaminophen prior to the race due to sinus pain. We look forward to having them independently tested".

<awkward silence>

John Swanson

 

[SundayRider]

If this was all an innocent misunderstanding (glucose pills, anti-inflammatory pills, etc) you'd think by now that someone from the rider's team would have spoken up. Something along the lines of "Oh, yeah. Those are Luigi's. We issued him a vial of acetaminophen prior to the race due to sinus pain. We look forward to having them independently tested".

<awkward silence>

John Swanson

Good point - especially as the guy who found them, claims to have photos of them actually falling out of the riders jersey pocket. No reason that he would make that. If they were just painkillers, caffiene or whatver then they surely would have done this. Also those types of products would not say 'test product'.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Well, the other option is that this is all a prank. A hoax. In which case, all the teams are looking at each other, shrugging, wondering what the hell is happening. Considering that the source has been publicly identified and has never attempted anonymity, I think this is probably the less likely option. I think both are possible though.

John Swanson

 

[Lexman]

i'm wondering if the guy who took the sample started taking pictures once he swa what was happening or was already taking pictures when the riders passed by and circumstances made him take these shots...

 

[SundayRider]

i'm wondering if the guy who took the sample started taking pictures once he swa what was happening or was already taking pictures when the riders passed by and circumstances made him take these shots...

I read it as he was taking pictures as they approached and it was just a coincidence. Could be wrong though.

 

[JimmyFingers]

This is my new favourite thread

 

[doperhopper]

The likelihood is surely it's a 'finishing bottle'`like the ones Phinney talks about in this interview:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...etting-the-pill-culture-out-of-the-sport.aspx

So a cocktail of caffeine, glucose, sodium and possibly tramadol, stuff to give you a late boost in the race and at the moment all legal. I suppose the word 'test' might hint at some next-gen drug so far unknown, or not yet completed clinical trials, but that is fanciful. Also with most doping taking place out of competition, I curious if anyone has any theories, if it does turn out to be a PED, what the substance could be? Late race presumably we're talking a stimulant, like La Bomba, rather than a conditioning drug.

the mighty "pot belge" is back?

 

[SundayRider]

This is my new favourite thread

any particular reason for that ?

 

[86TDFWinner]

i'm wondering if the guy who took the sample started taking pictures once he swa what was happening or was already taking pictures when the riders passed by and circumstances made him take these shots...

It's on the front page of Yahoo here in the states(as of a few minutes ago), he apparently called someone about what he found:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...ls-on-road-following-Paris-Roubaix-crash.html

 

[JimmyFingers]

any particular reason for that ?

Just enjoying the wild conjecture really.

Most likely a plant by the spectators, or something legal and innocent. If you're going to dope mid-race you're not going to do it riding along with TV cameras and spectators around from a clear vial with a label like that, you're going to have it stuffed inside sone food and have it handed to you in a musette, or dissolved in a drink. I'm also sceptical of cycling over pave and Tarmac in a large field of riders and being who to pull a vial out, unscrew it, extract a pill and take it, screw it back up, slip it back in the pocket all while thundering along at 40kph
Plus.

If that is what they are doing no wonder they crash all the effing time.

 

[Benotti69]

Just enjoying the wild conjecture really.

Most likely a plant by the spectators, or something legal and innocent. If you're going to dope mid-race you're not going to do it riding along with TV cameras and spectators around from a clear vial with a label like that, you're going to have it stuffed inside sone food and have it handed to you in a musette, or dissolved in a drink. I'm also sceptical of cycling over pave and Tarmac in a large field of riders and being who to pull a vial out, unscrew it, extract a pill and take it, screw it back up, slip it back in the pocket all while thundering along at 40kph
Plus.

If that is what they are doing no wonder they crash all the effing time.

They have been pulling pills out of containers from their jersey pockets forever in this sport!

 

[red_flanders]

Just enjoying the wild conjecture really.

Most likely a plant by the spectators, or something legal and innocent. If you're going to dope mid-race you're not going to do it riding along with TV cameras and spectators around from a clear vial with a label like that, you're going to have it stuffed inside sone food and have it handed to you in a musette, or dissolved in a drink. I'm also sceptical of cycling over pave and Tarmac in a large field of riders and being who to pull a vial out, unscrew it, extract a pill and take it, screw it back up, slip it back in the pocket all while thundering along at 40kph
Plus.

If that is what they are doing no wonder they crash all the effing time.

Try giving Voet's book a read. They were doing a hell of a lot more than pulling pills out of their shorts.

Not to say that's what's going on now, not at all. But what has been done in these races is far beyond what you would imagine is safe or in any way reasonable.

Clearly they could be doing it, no problem. As has been stated by recent revelations by riders as well.

That vial looked more like something you'd dissolve in a bidon, not a vial of pills. Anyway, whatever it was, yep, they can do it and have done it. Guys used to give themselves injections on the bike.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Yes but there has also been more sophisticated ways of doing it too, but I'll concede the point.

I'll still interested in what people thnk the riders might be taking illegally mid-race that they could safely get away with that would enhance performance.

 

[Benotti69]

Try giving Voet's book a read. They were doing a hell of a lot more than pulling pills out of their shorts.

Not to say that's what's going on now, not at all. But what has been done in these races is far beyond what you would imagine is safe or in any way reasonable.

Clearly they could be doing it, no problem. As has been stated by recent revelations by riders as well.

That vial looked more like something you'd dissolve in a bidon, not a vial of pills. Anyway, whatever it was, yep, they can do it and have done it. Guys used to give themselves injections on the bike.

IIRC Kimmage wrote about guys injecting in the peloton in Rough Ride.

 

[Benotti69]

Yes but there has also been more sophisticated ways of doing it too, but I'll concede the point.

I'll still interested in what people thnk the riders might be taking illegally mid-race that they could safely get away with that would enhance performance.

It might not be illegal, like tramadol is not yet banned. It may be painkillers which will have effect 20mins after taking them.

The vial could have fallen out of a soigneurs pocket if they are pills for finish bottles.

 

[Hawkwood]

The guy who found the vial runs a medical company, he also appears to be looking for sponsorship for the rides he's doing, he went to the Telegraph and got loads of publicity, join the dots...

 

[Benotti69]

The guy who found the vial runs a medical company, he also appears to be looking for sponsorship for the rides he's doing, he went to the Telegraph and got loads of publicity, join the dots...

......amgen will give the guy millions$$$$$$$$$

 

[Hawkwood]

......amgen will give the guy millions$$$$$$$$$

I still think he's a bit thick bringing this vial back into the UK, he may well have ended up having to bend over for HM Revenue and Customs to do an `inspection'.