Tour de France

RE: Ronan Pensec: Here Comes the 2008 Tour

Bill Jones — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:14:35 GMT

I just cant get excited this year. The tour is dead. Long live the tour.

RE: Rob Klingensmith: Aftermath

Blue Bianchi — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:01:19 GMT

Rob, how about a wrap-up post? Would love to know what you're thinking now that the Tour is in the history books.

RE: Ronan Pensec: We Need a Revolution...

Syllybee — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:49:27 GMT

With regard to Vino's supposed blood doping, I would like to know what type of tests the French lab used to determine that he indeed receive a "DONOR's blood". Simply saying there were 2 different types of red cells does not justify saying he blood doped.
To answer the question about needing a lot of equipment~not really. But I would worry about the technique!
And, for that matter, why is the French lab still doing the testing while they themselves are under investigation?
Testing of any type should be performed by a state-of-the art lab that IS NOT INVOLVED/partakes in the Tour!
I am a former hematology med tech and currently am employed as a research specialist.
I would love to be part of this lab!
Syllybee

RE: Ronan Pensec: We Need a Revolution...

George — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:14:08 GMT

uh, that's DAM, Matt....

RE: Ronan Pensec: We Need a Revolution...

Matt — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:49:07 GMT

I don't mean to be a wet blanket here, but I am just trying to look at the facts as we know them and apply to the real cycling world. Vino's B samples haven't yet been confirmed, but for this comment lets say that they will. So with that assumption...WHY would Vino cheat on Cyclings BIGGEST STAGE, KNOWING FULL WELL that he will be tested (time trial win)...and if caught, will lose EVERYTHING he's worked for his entire career! (remember that Astana had just announced they were ready to renew the team contract for ANOTHER 10 years, and Vino would most probably have moved up to Team Manager). So..he threw ALL THAT AWAY along with the team...(I don't See Astana being invited to the NEXT TDF, do you?) So WHY would he cheat? The ONLY answer I can come up with is that he didn't think he would get caught. And to follow that thread of thought, why would he think that? The ONLY answer I can come up with for that one is that he's done it before and NOT been caught. And to further this thought, if HE has done it before and not been caught, then WHO ELSE is cheating and not getting caught? Vino is (was) at the PINNACLE of pro cycling! He was the MAN TO BEAT coming into the race this year. If HE has been cheating, then MAYBE there is a LOT of water behind the **** of doping. I'm not sure how to burst the **** either. Obviously the cheaters are 1 or 2 steps ahead of the 'good guys' trying to catch them. And until SOMEONE comes forth with CURRENT PRACTICES of cheating and breaks the ****, we may never know the depths of the doping waters! Surely there's NO INCENTIVE to come forward if you are getting away with it! I truly HOPE AND PRAY this isn't the case, that doping is going on in a very SMALL scale in the Peleton, but I'm afraid that I might just be wearing the same blinders that the REST of the sports world is wearing!

RE: Ronan Pensec: We Need a Revolution...

avivA — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:13:21 GMT

Thank you for your positive spin on the situation. That's a great point, that out of 250 tests only 2 came back positive. Unfortunately, people assume that since 2 were caught, there must be many more who doped but weren't caught. (And maybe there were, too, we can never know...)

For me the most annoying thing is the conventional media coverage. For the last two weeks, the L.A. Times has had only a tiny corner of a page, buried deep in the Sports section, with a photo and summary of the day's Tour stage. This morning, a large color photo of Rasmussen appeared on the newspaper's front page, with a full story taking up most of the Sports section's front page too. Suddenly, when something scandalous breaks out, they're interested in cycling!

RE: Ronan Pensec: We Need a Revolution...

so sad — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:02:11 GMT

Hi Ronan,
I have a question about the logistics involved with doping. How could Vino get a blood transfusion before a leg of the race ? I mean, doesn't it involve a lot of equipment, people, etc. ? When would he have got the time and space to do it unnoticed ? ... or does it imply that the whole team was involved ???
I feel bad for Kloden who had to quit with the rest of the team.

RE: Ronan Pensec: And the Winner Is...

norm — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:51:36 GMT

I appreciate your commentary. I is so sad to feel that not only is the use of PEDs & blood out there, but that so many of the peloton probably have felt they had little choice. I am glad that is changing. Obviously many people are complicit with the blood transfusions--the blood had to come from somewhere, had to be (I hope!) properly tested and stored and although the actual administration is fairly easy, it is full of risks, from mild allergic reactions to full on shock & death. That Vino went this course is very very disheartening, since he did show so many admirable qualities. Now I wonder, is intravenous rehydration (with a plain dextrose or saline solution) permissible and used post race, as it is for marathon runners?

Your idea of team training is a good one, although might not be easily done (note how Chris Horner often mentions his reluctance to spend any more time away from his family). I wonder, though, if there can't be an absolute ban on any outside-the-team or outside the UCI "medical" advisement.

RE: Ronan Pensec: And the Winner Is...

kathi — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:31:17 GMT

It seems to me that with the world's addiction rate of over 10% and people who excel in life often being ADHD, that the possibilitiy of this smal group of elite riders may have serious mental health problems that we are ignoring. And more importantly, telling them they are bad people, cheaters, and we are not giving them the mental health help they need.
The ability to perform at the top is the rare athlete, and yet, we somehow believe that everyone can do it and more importantly, judge our worthiness by it. Our society has continued to ignore mental health issues and the notion of addiction. You can bet that when someone with an addiction problem wins using drugs, they will do it again. And simply having stringent rules to follow will be impossible for the addicted. For the athlete without an addiction problem, they will stop because they can control this behavior.
Why are we continuing to ridicule people instead of helping them? I have always had great admiration for the commentators but when those who are addicted are called cheaters and ridiculed for a mental/physical illness, I am disappointed. Everyone loves Sally Field who came out years ago helping to further mental illness when she disclosed she had bipolar or manic depression. For years, medicine thought that schizophrenia was caused by controlling mothers. And there are still many professionals who believe someone who is depressed should simply be able to "get over it". We know there are physiological reasons for these problems, just as in diabetes, and heart disease. Please, lets help these talented athletes get back on their feet with their own power through the use of the many ways to get help for addiciton problems, a definate physiological problem.
Blessings to all of you who understand addiction and prayers to you who don't.

RE: Rob Klingensmith: Alexandre Who?

kathi — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:29:58 GMT