What is the physiological limit?

[Escarabajo]

Does this chart seem to show that maybe Indurain was clean in his first three victories and then had to dope to keep up the winning?

Or does it instead show that anything after Lemond (and above 6) was juiced?

Interesting chart in any case!

It was discussed in another thread because of the same reasons you noticed. Several conclusions:

- First three years it was the beginning of the EPO era and in consequence riders went a little more conservative on doses we concluded. Some were afraid of other athletes dying in their sleep.
- A lot of people thought from the beginning that Indurain was a very good talent, so for them it was no surprise. But for others it was always suspicious that a guy of his size would climb so well. On his benefit he followed wheels only most of the time, so he did not have to use as much power as the pure climbers.
- He was a client of Conconi and therefore puts a dark cloud over his performances. Especially those time trials where he anniquilated everybody.
- Towards the end some riders became more educated about the usage of EPO and their limits. So it became for him almost impossible to hold all these newcomers trying to get to his throne. EPO usage became widespread and more aggressive. That's how we get nick names like "Mr. 60%". Festina had a rule of not going over 55%.

I don't remember what the name of that thread was. It was just recent. If I find it I'll post it.

 

[JPM London]

- He was a client of Conconi and therefore puts a dark cloud over his performances. Especially those time trials where he anniquilated everybody.

That's how we get nick names like "Mr. 60%". Festina had a rule of not going over 55%.

I didn't know he had a connection with Conconi... What is the link?

This thing has probably been discussed many times, but: The 60% thing is widely understood to be Riis, but isn't it in fact more likely someone like Chiapucci who actually reached 60% at some point? I think Riis also in his admissions three years ago says that he never measured that high anyway...

 

[DarkWing]

I think the real Mr 60 was Berzin - I think the higest value recorded on Riis was about 57 (from memory)

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I think the real Mr 60 was Berzin - I think the higest value recorded on Riis was about 57 (from memory)

Riis is "Mr 60%" - Jef D'hondt the soigneur said that Riis's at one point had a hematocrit of 64%.

 

[JPM London]

Riis is "Mr 60%" - Jef D'hondt the soigneur said that Riis's at one point had a hematocrit of 64%.

And Riis himself said at his press conference that D'Hondt was full of it and that he had never been near that high.

As far as I understand D'Hondt claims that Riis asked him for doping products and that sometimes Riis was so doped he could hardly walk or use his hands. Riis denied all this saying instead that D'Hondt had tried to fool Riis to take the first injection, which Riis had then emptied in the washbasin and that he had never had any side effects from the stuff "apart from going really fast". I'm not saying that D'Hondt is lying, but just that Riis' version is different. To me Riis' comments at his press conference seemed quite sincere...

 

[Dr. Maserati]

And Riis himself said at his press conference that D'Hondt was full of it and that he had never been near that high.

As far as I understand D'Hondt claims that Riis asked him for doping products and that sometimes Riis was so doped he could hardly walk or use his hands. Riis denied all this saying instead that D'Hondt had tried to fool Riis to take the first injection, which Riis had then emptied in the washbasin and that he had never had any side effects from the stuff "apart from going really fast". I'm not saying that D'Hondt is lying, but just that Riis' version is different. To me Riis' comments at his press conference seemed quite sincere...

No - Riis immediatley denied D'Hondt's allegation that he had doped.

The cracks started to appear a month later when T-Mobile suspended their Doctors and then finally Bert Dietzadmitted using EPO during his Telecom career. This was confirmed by Christian Henn this was followed by the confessions of Zabel and Aldag.

Finally in May 2007 Riis admitted:"I have doped. I have taken EPO."

 

[JPM London]

No - Riis immediatley denied D'Hondt's allegation that he had doped.

The cracks started to appear a month later when T-Mobile suspended their Doctors and then finally Bert Dietzadmitted using EPO during his Telecom career. This was confirmed by Christian Henn this was followed by the confessions of Zabel and Aldag.

Finally in May 2007 Riis admitted:"I have doped. I have taken EPO."

I agree and never contradicted any of that. What I noted was what Riis said at the press conference which lasted for well over an hour and where he did indeed say plenty more than those 7 words...