Crapola!!!....P.E.D's in Cycling

[biker jk]

Wilco came sixth on that stage putting 6.16 w per kg for the last 9 min. 401w / 65 kgs. Wilco actually held over 6w per kg for 17m30 on that last climb ( from Strava ).
1m 13s behind Froome.
You will have to do the maths to get a rough idea what Froome did.

Here's Dr Michele Ferrari's take on what Froome did. The last sentence is instructive. Froome's performance was Alien-like.

Ruta del Sol 2015
By: Michele Ferrari
Published: 28 Feb 2015

After a good time trial (Froome lost 8" in eight kilometers of racing), the 3rd stage saw Alberto Contador attack right at the start of the climb Alto de Hazallanas, 8km from the finish.
Chris Froome, slightly distanced in the previous descent, was not able to respond promptly enough and Alberto rapidly gained thirty seconds on his pursuers, led by the Sky Team riders, with Froome in their wake.
Alberto was pedaling well, managed to retain the advantage; only in the last few kilometers Chris, left alone to chase, was able to recover ten seconds on the Spanish.
Contador climbed the 8 Km at 9% at 1800m/h (6.20 w/kg), with Froome not far at 1777 m/h (6.13 w/kg). All the other rivals were much further back.

The next day, on the ramps at 15-18% of the Alto de Allanadas, theoretically favorable to the lighter Iberian climber, Froome accelerated on the pedals: Contador tried to follow him, but after a few meters he gave up on holding to his rear wheel.
In the last 6'40" of the race the Englishman gave 29" to the Spanish: the VAM was a stratospheric 2059 m/h (6.86 w/kg), with Alberto climbing at 1938 m/h (6.46 w/kg).
Contador repeated the excellent performance of the previous day, but Froome expressed a performance that was 6.2% higher than the Spanish, which is huge considering the level and the maximal effort of the two protagonists, who were obviously first and second at the finish line, with the other riders far behind.
It's as if, after providing roughly equivalent performances in the time trial and climbs up till then, Froome had found in the legs a bonus of 25-30 watts in the last 2 km of the 4th stage compared to Contador...

http://www.53x12.com/do/show?page=indepth.view&id=154

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Do we really need to give scum like Ferrari more oxygen and publicity?

[biker jk]

Do we really need to give scum like Ferrari more oxygen and publicity?

What on earth do you mean? He only provides "training plans".

Seriously, I agree he is vile but his analysis of power outputs on climbs is probably pretty good I would imagine.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Do we really need to give scum like Ferrari more oxygen and publicity?

What on earth do you mean? He only provides "training plans".

Seriously, I agree he is vile but his analysis of power outputs on climbs is probably pretty good I would imagine.

His estimates convey a false sense of precision. It only takes air movement that is not noticeable to the senses for the climbing power estimates base on VAM or ascent speed and gradient to be wrong by 5%.

Besides, such estimates are not particularly relevant to this thread.

[elantra]

Van Avermart has been requested to appear in relation to the investigation of Dr. Chris Mertens, who is under investigation for providing ozone therapy - via cyclingnews.

Meanwhile former BMC rider Ballan has had his suspension for for the use of ozone therapy,reduced by five months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Not going to help him for 2015 as he will struggle to find a team when he returns in August.

Ozone? Anybody care to dish out the 30 second synopsis?

As a word, Ozone has a nice ring to it (there are at least 2 classy resort hotels in Australia called "the Ozone Hotel")

In an analogous fashion, the word ozone has been used to make quackery sound a bit more sexy for the treatment of various health maladies over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone

Footnote * the use of PED's in sport does not yet have the same problem as the use of PED's (to improve academic performance) at student institutions.
The use of PED's at Schools and Universities is (in contradistinction to Sport) a rapidly expanding problem, partly because it can be given a "legitimacy" with the application of a medical diagnosis and prescription.

[Nikolai]

what is it with Eastern Europeans, that they can be so dull headed to think they won't get caught

It's pretty dull-headed to think doping is an Eastern European problem.

Yes, excuse me. It would have been more PC to say
"Since doping in cycling hit global front pages, why are the two Eastern European teams the only ones to have got caught, en masse?"

I thought by now even dull-headed people should have realised that just because someone hasn't been caught doping, doesn't mean he isn't doping.

[Strydz]

what is it with Eastern Europeans, that they can be so dull headed to think they won't get caught

It's pretty dull-headed to think doping is an Eastern European problem.

Yes, excuse me. It would have been more PC to say
"Since doping in cycling hit global front pages, why are the two Eastern European teams the only ones to have got caught, en masse?"

And I think anyone with half a brain understands the implications of the ISSUL audit regarding the management of Astana.

You are kidding right? http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/Clea ... nglish.pdf Have a read of that and tell me it's a Eastern European problem, also this is a nice list of riders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_do ... cling#2014 Just because others haven't been caught or dare I say not been revealed by the UCI doesn't mean its not happening across the board in pro cycling. Do you honestly think Sky hired Geert Leinders as just a "doctor"? Also why do Etixx have Jose Ibarguren on staff? Medical advice I guess Just a side note on him, he was brought onboard in 2011 and that happens to be the same year Phil Gilbert went crazy and won the 3 Ardennes classics plus a swag of other races/stages....

[biker jk]

CIRC Report published. Conclusion: While the situation has improved, doping continues today.

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer ... report.pdf

[biker jk]

7% power to weight improvement! Time to ban TUEs.

Corticoids and the abuse of the TUE system

It seems that corticoids are still being used and abused, often masked by requests for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) to UCI Medical staff, with one rider telling the CIRC commission that he believed 90% of TUEs were used for performance-enhancing purposes. TUE abuse is also an issue in women's cycling, with the report saying that some riders turn up at race with "extensive folders of TUE- related documentation."

One doctor stated that it was impossible to lose the weight that some riders achieve without assistance, and that the TUE is taken advantage of to enable this practice. He stated that riders use corticoids to "lean out" i.e. to lose weight quickly, and keep it off, without losing power. By way of example he explained that to lose 4kg in 4 weeks by using corticoids would provide a 7% power/weight improvement.

He added that when used in large quantities and in conjunction with other substances, they supported performance gains. Another doctor stated that some quite recent big wins on the UCI WorldTour were as a result, in part, of some members of the team all using corticoids to get their weight down to support the individual who won (who also used the same weight-loss technique). It was reported that this had been a planned approach by that group's management.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/circ-su ... -tue-abuse

[elantra]

7% power to weight improvement! Time to ban TUEs.

Corticoids and the abuse of the TUE system

It seems that corticoids are still being used and abused, often masked by requests for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) to UCI Medical staff, with one rider telling the CIRC commission that he believed 90% of TUEs were used for performance-enhancing purposes. TUE abuse is also an issue in women's cycling, with the report saying that some riders turn up at race with "extensive folders of TUE- related documentation."

One doctor stated that it was impossible to lose the weight that some riders achieve without assistance, and that the TUE is taken advantage of to enable this practice. He stated that riders use corticoids to "lean out" i.e. to lose weight quickly, and keep it off, without losing power. By way of example he explained that to lose 4kg in 4 weeks by using corticoids would provide a 7% power/weight improvement.

He added that when used in large quantities and in conjunction with other substances, they supported performance gains. Another doctor stated that some quite recent big wins on the UCI WorldTour were as a result, in part, of some members of the team all using corticoids to get their weight down to support the individual who won (who also used the same weight-loss technique). It was reported that this had been a planned approach by that group's management.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/circ-su ... -tue-abuse

Wouldn't that be lovely (Time to ban TUE's), with "one rider telling the CIRC that he believed 90 percent of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) were used for performance-enhancing purposes."

But that will be a hard one to nail because those doing it AND their medical doctor co-conspirators will play the "medical diagnosis" card.
Obviously though the criteria for TUE's must be made tighter, and presumably some substances that are currently allowable in this category must be excluded.

[biker jk]

Ag2r-La-Mondiale rider tests positive for EPO. A few days after the CIRC report quoted a rider suggesting 90% of the current peloton is doping. If pack fodder like Mondory are doping then surely the GC contenders are doing likewise.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lavenu- ... st-for-epo

[elantra]

From the SBS Cycling Central website, http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ne ... -on-doping, they have linked to an article put out in the Online media https://theconversation.com/au

You can find this article via "The Conversation" website, but it is more instructive to look at it via SBS Cycling Central and go to SBS Cycling Central facebook page to see the feedback and discussion.

[herzog]

The free-for-all argument has been made before.

The issue with this approach is that it will no longer be sport. It will be a test of the best pharmacists, rather than the best cyclists.

There will be an arms race of new sports drugs. Some cyclists will experiment with new substances not yet approved or tested on humans. Anything to get an advantage. There will be fatalities.

[Mulger bill]

The free-for-all argument has been made before.

The issue with this approach is that it will no longer be sport. It will be a test of the best pharmacists, rather than the best cyclists.

There will be an arms race of new sports drugs. Some cyclists will experiment with new substances not yet approved or tested on humans. Anything to get an advantage. There will be fatalities.

Can not agree more. Lets not go down this path. Please

It should always be more about the well being of the riders than "cheating".

[CKinnard]

You are kidding right? http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/Clea ... nglish.pdf Have a read of that and tell me it's a Eastern European problem, also this is a nice list of riders http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_do ... cling#2014 Just because others haven't been caught or dare I say not been revealed by the UCI doesn't mean its not happening across the board in pro cycling. Do you honestly think Sky hired Geert Leinders as just a "doctor"? Also why do Etixx have Jose Ibarguren on staff? Medical advice I guess Just a side note on him, he was brought onboard in 2011 and that happens to be the same year Phil Gilbert went crazy and won the 3 Ardennes classics plus a swag of other races/stages....

18 of the 21 provisionally suspended riders in the UCI list are either from emerging or Eastern European nations.
2 are from Italy, and 1 is from Spain, these being part of the economically challenged PIGS group.
One can understand individuals in economically challenged nations cheating unsubtley enough to get caught.
But exposed mass abuse within teams is another level altogether.

The Wiki list is primarily individuals most recently, or from the Armstrong era and prior.

And everyone apart from the most naive knows doping was the norm prior.

[Strydz]

18 of the 21 provisionally suspended riders in the UCI list are either from emerging or Eastern European nations.
2 are from Italy, and 1 is from Spain, these being part of the economically challenged PIGS group.
One can understand individuals in economically challenged nations cheating unsubtley enough to get caught.
But exposed mass abuse within teams is another level altogether.

The Wiki list is primarily individuals most recently, or from the Armstrong era and prior.

And everyone apart from the most naive knows doping was the norm prior.

Offredo, Di Griegorio, Mondory, Houannard, Georges (french) Tiernen-Locke (english), Barredo (spanish), Santambrogio, Rabbontini (italian)
Those do not look like emerging nations to me. Why does Etixx have Jose Ibarguren on staff? Do you really believe Bjarne Riis has gone from running dirty teams to suddenly clean? Why is it that on a form riders have to sign that only 5% of them ticked the box allowing there tests to be retroactively tested? If this is the new clean generation then wouldn't they be happy to have there supposedly clean samples tested in the future?
Just because the doping isn't as heavy as the 90's and 2000's doesn't mean the peloton is any cleaner

[CKinnard]

Offredo, Di Griegorio, Mondory, Houannard, Georges (french) Tiernen-Locke (english), Barredo (spanish), Santambrogio, Rabbontini (italian)
Those do not look like emerging nations to me. Why does Etixx have Jose Ibarguren on staff? Do you really believe Bjarne Riis has gone from running dirty teams to suddenly clean? Why is it that on a form riders have to sign that only 5% of them ticked the box allowing there tests to be retroactively tested? If this is the new clean generation then wouldn't they be happy to have there supposedly clean samples tested in the future?
Just because the doping isn't as heavy as the 90's and 2000's doesn't mean the peloton is any cleaner

Those names are not on the UCI list. By Matt White's ban for EPO, hGH, and testosterone in 2012, by your argument, doping is as widespread in OGE as it is in Astana and Katusha.

You're welcome to believe Astana and Katusha are no worse than any other team....or every other team cheats as transparently and brazenly.

[biker jk]

Looks like no Tdf title defence for Nibali.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/repor ... vel-squad/

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Looks like no Tdf title defence for Nibali.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/repor ... vel-squad/

I wouldn't be so sure.

Even if the report is true, it leaves a hole in the number of WT teams and means the grand tours organisers will just add an extra wildcard team to the start list. Who might that be?

What I don't understand is if they are deemed unfit to hold a WT licence due to doping issues, how can they be deemed fit for a pro-conti licence?

The bigger challenge will be who to sack, since there are much lower limits of size of the roster at pro-conti level.

[Strydz]

Looks like no Tdf title defence for Nibali.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/03/repor ... vel-squad/

I wouldn't be so sure.

Even if the report is true, it leaves a hole in the number of WT teams and means the grand tours organisers will just add an extra wildcard team to the start list. Who might that be?

What I don't understand is if they are deemed unfit to hold a WT licence due to doping issues, how can they be deemed fit for a pro-conti licence?

The bigger challenge will be who to sack, since there are much lower limits of size of the roster at pro-conti level.

If they were busted down to Continental level then it doesn't matter if the RCS or ASO wanted to invite Astana, Conti teams are not eligible to enter WT races so its either Pro Conti or bust if they are demoted. I don't think Astana gets kicked out at this stage anyway but if they did then riders like Nibali would leave as there are teams out there that could take him on, Katusha need a GC contender, Quickstep has a spot free aswell and they do ride Specialised who sponsors Nibbles I personally think if Vino gets shown the door then the UCI will relent and let Astana race on this season.

[Nikolai]

I personally think if Vino gets shown the door then the UCI will relent and let Astana race on this season.

Shown the door by whom?

At any rate, the so called clash between UCI (i.e. Cookson) and Vino is a red herring. They can install Cookson's uncle as Astana's chief and nothing will change.

[Strydz]

I personally think if Vino gets shown the door then the UCI will relent and let Astana race on this season.

Shown the door by whom?

At any rate, the so called clash between UCI (i.e. Cookson) and Vino is a red herring. They can install Cookson's uncle as Astana's chief and nothing will change.

I don't think anything will change if Vino was out but it's the way it looks that concers the UCI, they don't care about having a clean sport but they like the perception by the average punter of a clean sport

[biker jk]

Belgian Federation request two-year doping ban for Greg Van Avermaet.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/belgian ... n-avermaet

[biker jk]

On the day that it's announced that Astana gets to keep its licence, rumours circulate about Fabio Aru doping. Has someone hacked Greg Henderson's Twitter account?

@Greghenderson1:
2015-04-23 21:17:53 UTC
Sad to see @FABARO1 "sick". Mate make sure next time u come back to our sport "healthy". Aka. Clean! #biopassport! Or don't come back!

[ldrcycles]

Wow that's a brave move to be so clear about it. Hopefully it doesn't blow up in his face.