Posted by Mark on June 26, 2009 under doping | 
Lots of chatter about Greg’s presentation on the forums, I’ve finally got around to viewing this myself.
It’s harsh viewing, and Greg sometimes comes across as quite dishevelled – I guess that’s because things are tough for him right now.
My feeling though, is that this is a guy with a passion, who is tired of seeing his passion ruined by lies. I hope he finds peace, and that this fight he’s embroiled in doesn’t cause him to tip over the edge.
I totally believe in him.
Posted by Mark on January 4, 2008 under doping |
Having read quite a few books about EPO use in Cycling there are certain things in other news articles that catch my eye. Take, for instance, this sad tale about Scottish footballer Phil O’Donnell . He died of heart failure following a football match. He was only 35 years old.
Now I’m no doctor, but it still appears slightly strange to me for a healthy, fit, 35 year old chap to drop dead of heart failure. What makes this even more suspect is a further article talking about mysterious heart-related deaths in Scottish football.
The key paragraph from the article above is “Spanish international defender Antonio Puerta, 22, died earlier this season after collapsing while playing for Sevilla, and 16-year-old Walsall youth player Anton Reid collapsed and died during a training session in October”. Does this not reek of the deaths of young cyclists in the 90′s when EPO was becoming more prevalent?
I’m well aware the sport of cycling is still poisoned with drug use, but I’d put money on it’s fairly evident such popular sports as football have their issues too. Even Dr Fuentes claimed he had clients who were prominent footballers.
Posted by Mark on September 14, 2007 under doping |
According to CyclingNews, Jan Ullrich did pay Dr Fuentes money. Since they’d managed to link his DNA to some of the blood in the Operacion Puerto affair too, it looks pretty much like they’ve got everything they need to prove his guilt.
It never ceases to amaze me how these guys will keep on lying. It’s time for big changes, and coming clean with the truth, as well as the drugs, is the only way to set a precendence young riders will want to emulate. David Miller got it right. He made a mistake, admitted it, and now takes a very public and strong stance on drugs in cycling. That’s the kind of role model the older members of the peloton should be displaying.
I’m thoroughly disappointed at Ullrich, I was always a fan.
“Prosecutors in Bonn, Germany, have reviewed Jan Ullrich’s bank records and announced Thursday that the records show that the cyclist transferred 25,000 Euros from his bank in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, to an account of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes in early 2004″
Posted by Mark on July 26, 2007 under doping |
There’s a good article by David Harmon on RoadCyclingUK.com today.
I think a few more people need to pull no punches and start dishing out some harsh, honest truths.
Interestingly Ned Boulting from ITV came straight out with it in an interview with Rasmussen the other day too. You can hear Ned’s questioning in the ITV podcast. Good on you Ned!
Posted by Mark on July 25, 2007 under doping |
Well, it was only a matter of time before it all kicked off good and proper in Le Tour wasn’t it? Michael Rasmussen has been withdrawn from the 2007 Tour de France!
Completely unbelievable. I’m in utter shock about this years race.
Posted by Mark on July 24, 2007 under doping |
Bloody hell! Quite literally – Alexander Vinokourov has returned a positive test for blood doping in the ITT on Saturday!
Cycling News have just reported it
VeloNews has an article on Homologous blood doping.
I’m astounded these guys keep trying to get one past the testers. Surely this ‘old school’ technique would be the furthest from their minds? Saying that, I’m jumping to the conclusion he’s guilty. Pah, who am I kidding, of course he is.
Posted by Mark on July 3, 2007 under doping |
CyclingNews.com has this detailed admission from Jorg Jaksche’s interview with Der Spiegel. It makes for scary reading. Is any part of this sport clean? How do the clean riders cope with competing against this sort of manipulation?
Posted by Mark on under doping |
Paul Kimmage has a great interview with Greg Lemond in last weekend’s Sunday Times. Greg’s is a bit of a sad story, now it’s come to light of his child abuse, but at the same time he always comes across as so honest and open you can’t help but agree with whatever he says. I read an interview with him in Rouleur magazine this month too, which was also a great read.
One of the points Greg talks about in the Times interview is Floyd’s [Landis] doping case from The Tour last year. If the conversation Greg had with Landis is true – and frankly there is so much evidence (albeit rather circumstantial) to say that it is – then Landis is totally guilty of using testosterone last year.
That is an awful shame, as Landis’ stage 17 win to Morzine was nothing short of awesome – compounded by some hopeless team tactics from CSC and Illes Balears, admittedly, but awesome none the less.
Posted by Mark on June 16, 2007 under doping |
There we have it, the maximum two year ban for Basso’s ‘involvement’ in Operation Puerto…
Basso handed two-year doping ban
So does anybody actually believe he ‘thought about doping’ but didn’t actually act on it? His performance in the Giro last year (2006) was nothing short of stunning. I love this sport, but I am beginning to wonder how many performances I’ve witnessed that weren’t helped significantly with a wee bit of EPO or re-injection of blood.
Still, on the bright side, it’s only three weeks now till Le Tour starts in London 
