http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2006-08-06-landis-retort_x.htm
The powers that be have poisoned the well of public opinion without a doubt. Virtually every sportwriter who has written on this and even editorial writers like the NY Times on Monday have mischaracterized what the T:E test showed (or proved). As Landis states in this article (and accompanying audio), there seems to be an agenda here by the UCI, as demonstrated by their immediate leaks to the press (compared to the Gatlin case in T&F, where nothing was made public for over 3 months).
As he also points out, any cyclist would have to be crazy to take T in the middle of a race, because it wouldn't work and if the cyclist won anything, he would be sure to get caught.
John Eustis, who comments on ESPN and is a former racer, is a rare voice of clarity on this, independently noting the things Landis complains about in USA Today, and that the whole business doesn't make any sense (and that in the past, many of these tests results were not upheld upon appeal). You can find video on espn.com.
Landis speaks out.
"http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JacobSullum/2006/08/02/coping_with_doping:_if_its_allowed,_its_not_cheating
Also, in the WSJ Marketplace section a piece by Cynthia Crossen titled, ""Using Drugs in Sports Used to Be Considered Just Part of the Game."" I couldn't find a link to it, but it's worth checking out."
I must say... for a person who claims they do not take or never have taken , Testosterone, he certainly knows alot about it.
Didn't Jacque have a lot to say about getting a little help during racing? Didn't he refuse many a dope controle? Still, we all worship him as one of the best time trialists and the first of the 5 time Tour winners.
And O.J. didn't do it, either.
...or say his highly paid team doctors (who've probably perfected the art of masking enhancement drugs).
don
Look, I don't condone doping, but to compare Floyd and O.J. is ridiculous. Murder and cheating are *not* the same.
"Floyd was trying to be his best, no matter what it was that he did in trying. The comparison is ludicrous.
""If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!"" We sure could use Johnny Cochran, though.
~CML"
The UCI has not followed protocol. This is a problem.
They totally have an agenda: To get rid of the cheaters and dopers that are destroying the otherwise beautiful sport of cycling.
"WADA Procedure
The above document covers all basis: the meaning of the T/E tests, limits, when to perform a IRMS test, signs of contamination, individual variation, longitudinal analysis, reporting procedure including exact details of what to report:
""Any result that will be used to support an Adverse Analytical Finding shall be confirmed and quantified.
Confirmation of elevated T/E values, concentration of testosterone, epitestosterone or any other steroid metabolite under consideration is to be performed in triplicate.
The confirmation of the identity of any steroid reported with abnormal properties must be made (refer to technical document TD2003IDCR).
Appropriate calibration (e.g. calibration curve, deuterated standards, quality control samples) is to be included in the protocol of the Confirmation Procedure.
Confirmed elevated concentration of steroids will be reported as such together with the value adjusted for the specific gravity of the urine Sample using the following formula:
Concentration1.020 ng/mL = (1.020 – 1) / (Specific gravity of the Sample– 1) • Concentration measured ng/mL""
Floyd and his camp have not been telling the truth.
"
"""CNN's guest physician Dr. Gupta admitted testosterone, when abused, is ""a substance not typically associated with quick bursts of energy, such as might be used in a particular stage of the Tour de France. So that part of the whole equation is a little bit odd,"" he remarked. It should also be noted that 30 year-old Landis was tested four times before and three times after his Stage 17 sample, all with negative results."""
Dr. Gupta's statement only pertains to T and its immediate effects on short-term performance (like a sprint). T's long-term effects when taken over time on aerobic performance (like what was really needed for Stage 17) are well documented:
Androgen Action in the Kidneys
Androgen receptors located in the kidneys are responsible for augmenting the stimulation of red blood cell production, or more specifically the process or erythropoiesis. They of course only play a supportive role; otherwise androgens would be essential to blood oxygen carrying capacity and life function, which they are not. Their role however remains significant. Men and women for example display notable variances in red blood cell content, with men carrying a much higher concentration of red blood cells in comparison. As follows, castration of the male testicles (eliminating testosterone production) will result in an approximate 10% drop of red cell mass, as well as a decrease in red blood cell diameter and life span. Women given therapeutic doses of testosterone similarly notice an increase in the concentration of hemoglobin of about 43g/l, and hematocrit increases by about 11%. Although not the key regulators of this process, we can see that androgens clearly influence the rate of erythropoiesis in humans.
The exact process of erythropoiesis appears somewhat complex, as do most body functions when under examination. Red blood cells begin as immature and physically undetermined stem cells, which reside in the bone marrow waiting to be called upon by the body for various blood and lymph system uses. In the case of red blood cells, the renal hormone erythropoietin is the signal that tells the bone marrow to form these cells from stem cells. They will develop first into a series of immature precursor cells, and ultimately adult red blood cells. The normal stimulus for the production and release of erythropoietin is hypoxia, or a lower than ideal supply of oxygen to the body tissues. High red blood cell concentrations alternately serve as a feedback mechanism, lowering the release of erythropoietin so that RBC concentrations to not get over elevated. Androgens are known to primarily act at the level of erythropoietin, enhancing the release of this hormone from renal tissue. It is also suggested however that androgens may affect the stem cell directly, perhaps by enhancing cell responsiveness to erythropoietin.
RBC Concentrations and Performance
If we would like to look at the performance enhancing effects of altering red blood cell concentrations, the most obvious group to focus on are endurance athletes. Blood oxygen carrying ability is inextricable to a person’s capacity for endurance exercise, so athletes in this area above others are aware of the methods and benefits of enhancing red blood cell concentrations. Endurance athletes for instance have made the practice of blood doping infamous. This procedure involves the removal and storage of blood cells, which are infused back into the body within one week of competition time. The athlete is given enough of a window (usually 5 to 6 weeks) to replenish the earlier withdrawn cells, so this infusion works to increase the overall concentration of red blood cells above what the body would produce normally.
A typical blood doping procedure as outlined can increase performance considerably. Figures using 750ml of packed red blood cells for example show a 26.5% increase in hematocrit (the ratio of the volume of packed red blood cells to the volume of whole blood) and an increase in the maximum oxygen uptake capacity of 12.8% after the procedure. In such a state it is easier for the body to transport oxygen to various tissues, enhancing aerobic capacity and endurance, and reducing submaximal heart rate and blood lactate buildup. Many have sworn by this method over the years, believing it to be the difference between winning and losing on many occasions. With the expected impro
Anquetil will be remembered not simply for the five Tour wins and his unique success in the Grand Prix des Nations. He will be remembered for his stand on the drugs issue that was beginning to concern professional cycling and which came to public attention with the death of the British rider, Tom Simpson, in the Tour de France of 1967. Anquetil never hid that he took drugs - a common practice at the time - and in a debate with a government minister on French television said that only a fool would imagine it was possible to ride Bordeaux-Paris on just water. Anquetil argued that professional riders were workers and had the same right to treat their pains as, say, a geography teacher. It was an argument many found increasingly hard to support as more riders were reported to have died or suffered health problems through drug-related incidents.
Perhaps if they were allowed all the drugs they want to use, one of two things would happen:
1) Fewer would die because it would all be above board and open, just like legalizing abortion made it safer.
2) They'd drop like flies and be the perfect anti-drug campaign.
...it can be hosted in the bronx (maybe invite the gimbles ride folks?). if you survive the race, you get points (if you don't, well...). take anything you want. heck, don't even bother wearing a helmet. points for knocking little old people over.
don
"http://www.procycling.com/news.aspx?ID=2423
> Francesco Moser, president of the International
> Association of Pro Riders (ACP) has told Italian TV that one
> solution to the doping issue would be to legalise the use
> of all products. “If all riders can be brought to the same
> level then we should stick with dope controls. If not, then
> for the professionals perhaps the solution is [total legal-
> isation],” he told RAI. Asked about the dangers this move
> could lead to, Moser responded: “In our world, there are a
> lot of dangers.” Check out the September issue of pro-
> cycling for further debate on the legalisation of doping
> products and nine other solutions proposed to deal
> with doping."
I agree with John in this one. It is an excellent idea to test the remaining B samples using the carbon isotope test for exogenous testosterone. If later samples in the race showed some exogenous T but just a ratio that is below threshole, we would knoe that he had only one sample with an illegal ratio because he metabolized the T he took. ON the other hand, if no exogenous T were to be seen the very next day, the only possible explanation would be that his sample was spiked.
Here is an excellent article in Velonews about the legal aspects of anti-doping rules:
http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10679.0.html
The integrity of the process is central to its effectiveness, to treating riders fairly, and to our confidence in the process. The article is very informative and makes some excellent points about the weakness of the current procedures.
The article does not bear directly on the merits of Floyd's case, about which we can only speculate endlessly until there is a resolution. If we ever want to stop speculating, we need confidence in the system. This article doesn't exact inspire great confidence in that system.
