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Women and doping

Sep 23, 2009
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I don't think this has been covered elsewhere, apologies if it has.

I was just thinking about the WOrld Championships and thinking of all the questionable competitiors in the mens field, and thinking, why is there never any controversial (i.e. dopers) women?

Do women not dope? Or are they just better at it than men?
 
Aug 13, 2009
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There is no doping in Womans cycling

tammy-thomas.jpg
 
Mar 18, 2009
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gavster said:
I don't think this has been covered elsewhere, apologies if it has.

I was just thinking about the WOrld Championships and thinking of all the questionable competitiors in the mens field, and thinking, why is there never any controversial (i.e. dopers) women?

Do women not dope? Or are they just better at it than men?

The doping cases are quite a few as well. Just not nearly as publicised.
 
Jul 16, 2009
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not no doping- less doping (recall a italian track girl last week getting 2 year ban?)

lessons to be learned, when the money isnt as big, the managers arnt usually ex pros- ex dopers.
. But womens racing is growing massively and it also needs to be weary.
 
Aug 13, 2009
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the truth. said:
But womens racing is growing massively and it also needs to be weary.

Wary. Sorry for the correction but big difference in the meanings.

Anyway as for women doping, are there any female specific doping regimes that could be explained away by "it's that time of the month" or "damn, I'm pregnant"?
 
Jul 24, 2009
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There have been notable cases in women's cycling, but the media's lacklustre coverage of the women's scene means they don't attract the same publicity.

Actually, I believe the women's Giro was the first Grand Tour in either sport to have it's winner disqualified for doping; Zinaida Stahurskaia in 2001, who tested positive for a diuretic. Stahurskaia served a paltry suspension of four months. She tested positive again in 2003, for ephedrine, and was banned for two months (seriously). She tested positive for stanozol in the summer of 2005 and was banned for two years. In 2006 she was found to have been a member of a drug-trafficking ring. She was actually trying to make a comeback this year, but was sadly killed in a collision with a jeep training for the Lithuanian road nationals.

Other notable cyclists to have tested positive in recent years include Svetlana Bubnenkova (EPO), while arguably the best ever female rider Fabiana Luperini once tested positive for nandrolone and was also prevented from starting a race once due to failing a blood test (not necessarily a positive for anything, but highly suspicious). Rosalisa La Pomparda was ejected from a Giro for a similar reason. The 2007 road world champion Marta Bastianelli was one of the highest-profile of recent cases, as she tested positive for a stimulant while still in the rainbow jersey in 2008; her initial ban of one year was recently extended to two years (after she actually appealed to have it reduced). This year has also seen Annalisa Cucinotta suspended after testing positive in the Cali round of the track World Cup at the end of last year.

Possibly the most famous case of recent times was Geneviève Jeanson, a Canadian rider who excelled on the road. After lots of rumours, then a positive test which she disputed, she eventually spilled the beans a couple of years ago, saying that she had been using EPO since the age of 15/16 under the guidance of her trainer and her father.

There are probably a load of major cases I have left out/forgotten, but the ones above are just the ones that leap to memory (as well as Tammy Thomas, the woman in the photo posted above). Doping is definitely a serious problem in the women's side of things, but to what extent in comparison to the men's is hard to know. There aren't the same financial incentives to dope in the women's peloton as in the men's (many top-class riders still work or study part-time), although a good living can be made from a successful career. I'm not sure the testing in women's elite racing is as extensive as in men's, and there's nothing of the sort of the biological passport. Whether they are ahead of the game (there's already a whole raft written on this board about undetectable blood transfusions and PEDs which I expect you are already familiar with), or there is less cheating, or both of those existing to an extent, who really knows?
 
Jul 9, 2009
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Amber Neben tested positive as did Paola Pezzo for a steroid a while back. i think Jeannie Longo tested postive once or twice but can't remember the substance.
 
May 13, 2009
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mercycle said:
Wary. Sorry for the correction but big difference in the meanings.

Anyway as for women doping, are there any female specific doping regimes that could be explained away by "it's that time of the month" or "damn, I'm pregnant"?

Interesting point. There have been rumors in the 1970s and early 1980s about female athletes from eastern block countries. The rumor went that some woman athletes intentionally got pregnant some time before an important event, they got some benefits from changed body physiology due to pregnancy then aborted to be in peak form.

I don't know if anything like that was ever documented or whether it was a vicious smear by their competition. It is not clear to me whether you would actually get benefits. Also, to time the pregnancy with respect to big events is not trivial either.

Anyone has heard more about that?

ETA: This is what snopes has to say about it: Undetermined
 
Jul 24, 2009
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mountaindew said:
Amber Neben tested positive as did Paola Pezzo for a steroid a while back.
Ah yes. There was some dispute over whether Neben should be sanctioned for it wasn't there?

Anyway, it all goes to underline the basic point - there are plenty of prominent women with questions hanging over them, if perhaps not quite as many as there are men.
 
Different profile from mens cycling - but many of the same problems.

I am sure some people will be asking the same questions about Armstrong in the W ITT today as has been asked about Cancellara on many occasions in this forum.

This isn't about guilt or not - it's more about the fact the question is asked. There are all the same rumours and noise around the women athletes and to me that makes it an issue for the sport the same as the men.

We hear less about it
 
Cobblestones said:
Interesting point. There have been rumors in the 1970s and early 1980s about female athletes from eastern block countries. The rumor went that some woman athletes intentionally got pregnant some time before an important event, they got some benefits from changed body physiology due to pregnancy then aborted to be in peak form.

It's been known to help racehorses. Though mostly as the male horses tend to simply follow the mare who is in foal all the way around the course
 
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do they even need to test the women, its fairly obvious...

the pretty ones are clean, the ugly ones are doping.. end of argument..

2h2ghn8.jpg

CLEAN

Kristin%202.jpg

LESS CLEAN

thomas.jpg

DOPING
 
Cobblestones said:
Interesting point. There have been rumors in the 1970s and early 1980s about female athletes from eastern block countries. The rumor went that some woman athletes intentionally got pregnant some time before an important event, they got some benefits from changed body physiology due to pregnancy then aborted to be in peak form.

I don't know if anything like that was ever documented or whether it was a vicious smear by their competition. It is not clear to me whether you would actually get benefits. Also, to time the pregnancy with respect to big events is not trivial either.

Anyone has heard more about that?

ETA: This is what snopes has to say about it: Undetermined

Actually, heard about it long time ago. Not only did they get pregnant, they would be draw blood when they were 4 month pregnant, then they would induce miscarriage. Then they would be blood doped prior to competition. Apparently blood of a woman 4 months in to pregnancy is rich with hormones and etc. Any doctors here to confirm that?
 
May 15, 2009
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BikeCentric said:
Agreed, women's cycling is little league, so it's like Cat 4 Men's doping; no one really cares because it's laughable.

Its profile may be a lot lower than men's cycling but it's hardly 'laughable'.
 
Sep 24, 2009
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woah.

BikeCentric said:
Agreed, women's cycling is little league, so it's like Cat 4 Men's doping; no one really cares because it's laughable.

As a new professional woman cyclist- It really really irritates me to see what bikecentric wrote. Seriously. If the media and the world (ESPECIALLY other male cyclists) gave women's cycling an ounce of the coverage that men's racing gets, MAYBEMAYBE, people would be more informed of women who test positive.

As far as American Women's cycling goes- American women are competing and doing very well at an international level like no time before.

I hope BikeCentric can take his own words and figure out why it is attitudes like that that keep women's cycling at bay. Start attending bigger races and see if our races are laughable. Instead of laughing about it- try to help your local women learn how to race-- it is easy to get fit if you work hard, but is difficult to learn and implement the tactics of racing.

Besides-- you're probably a cat 5 yourself, or some master trying to relive his glory days by upgrading to a 2... now that's laughable.

Thank you to all who support women's racing!!:D
 
Jul 31, 2009
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dimspace said:
do they even need to test the women, its fairly obvious...

the pretty ones are clean, the ugly ones are doping.. end of argument..

2h2ghn8.jpg

CLEAN
Having seen some her other pics in the Babes on Bikes thread I've been seriously thinking that she's riding enhanced, but I think the enhancements may actually hurt her on the climbs by adding weight to the upper body. Helps with the endorsements though. :D

Why do people keep bringing Floyd Landis into this discussion? I know he was doped and all but I fail to see the connection with women's cycling.
 
kbonita said:
As a new professional woman cyclist- It really really irritates me to see what bikecentric wrote. Seriously. If the media and the world (ESPECIALLY other male cyclists) gave women's cycling an ounce of the coverage that men's racing gets, MAYBEMAYBE, people would be more informed of women who test positive.

As far as American Women's cycling goes- American women are competing and doing very well at an international level like no time before.

I hope BikeCentric can take his own words and figure out why it is attitudes like that that keep women's cycling at bay. Start attending bigger races and see if our races are laughable. Instead of laughing about it- try to help your local women learn how to race-- it is easy to get fit if you work hard, but is difficult to learn and implement the tactics of racing.

Besides-- you're probably a cat 5 yourself, or some master trying to relive his glory days by upgrading to a 2... now that's laughable.

Thank you to all who support women's racing!!:D

Sorry but you missed my point, partly my own fault because I did not word my statement very clearly. I meant that DOPING in women's racing is laughable, not that women's racing is itself laughable. But I also stand by my statement that it's a very small-time sport (at the pro level), which is why the doping is laughable, because you don't have nearly the financial or fame incentive that the pro men have. Therefore the doping becomes almost entirely ego-driven, which IMHO is laughable, the same as amateur men doping.

But congrats on "living the dream" temporarily, maybe someday you will even earn a salary out of your contract instead of just getting a free bike and a kit. You may also want to give some thought now as to how you will pay the bills when your "pro career" ends.
 
Jul 5, 2009
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Some of the best racing I've ever watched has been women's pro. The speed may not be quite as high and the raw aggression isn't there, but it can be very tactical and fun to watch. I've known a number of women pros too, so being able to cheer them on is also a lot of fun and on a more personal level.

It sure would be nice if the woman's side of the sport got more of the attention and respect (and money) that it deserves.

John Swanson
http://www.bikephysics.com
 
May 13, 2009
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ScienceIsCool said:
Some of the best racing I've ever watched has been women's pro. The speed may not be quite as high and the raw aggression isn't there, but it can be very tactical and fun to watch. I've known a number of women pros too, so being able to cheer them on is also a lot of fun and on a more personal level.

It sure would be nice if the woman's side of the sport got more of the attention and respect (and money) that it deserves.

John Swanson
http://www.bikephysics.com

There's no reason why women's cycling should be less exciting to watch than men's just because the speed is a bit lower. I've watched a few races. A pity that there's so little TV coverage.
 
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Cobblestones said:
There's no reason why women's cycling should be less exciting to watch than men's just because the speed is a bit lower. I've watched a few races. A pity that there's so little TV coverage.

worlds, olympics and track.. thats about it..

fortunately for us brits, nicole cook and vicky pendleton kick **** in all of those.. :D
 

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