Every major cyclist throughout history has doped. It's simply humanly impossible to physically survive the sport otherwise. You either make peace with it, or you don't follow the sport. I guess that's the point I'm at.
lol if you think the running world isn't full of doping (it just doesn't attract nearly the scrutiny, money or testing) - and it's not just individual events that make cycling so brutal, it's the relentless schedule of races on top of each other.
I'm talking the really grueling running events...not the Olympic style races. The guys running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. Ulrich completing back to back to back to back 150 mile Badwater ultramarathons in some of the highest temps on earth, with crazy elevation gain (19000 cumulative elevation gain). Essentially 26 marathons in 10 days, in some of the toughest possible conditions where runners actually run on the white line to keep their feet from burning:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badwater_Ultramarathon
These events make the TDF look like a bike cruise, and they are completed by non-dopers. Could they go faster by doping? Absolutely. I'm not arguing otherwise. But, is doping necessary to survive? No. Cycling would be a far more interesting sport without the doping.
Also lost his 2011 Giro title, which is nearly as important.
Because of the length of this case, his 2 year ban will end this summer - he'll miss the Giro and TdF, but he can ride the Vuelta (and will be a huge favorite to win that).
Every major cyclist throughout history has doped. It's simply humanly impossible to physically survive the sport otherwise. You either make peace with it, or you don't follow the sport. I guess that's the point I'm at.
LeMond?
Part of the doping is driven by money, just wondering how much money is involved with these ultra marathon type events. Seems that most of the 'cheats' are either driven by money (winning the TDF is a big pay day) or the Olympics (which is really money, winning gold medals means money).
Of course there always is the story of amateur cyclists that are competing for a $100 prize doping as well. Fairly rare but it does happen.
Also lost his 2011 Giro title, which is nearly as important.
Because of the length of this case, his 2 year ban will end this summer - he'll miss the Giro and TdF, but he can ride the Vuelta (and will be a huge favorite to win that).
Every major cyclist throughout history has doped. It's simply humanly impossible to physically survive the sport otherwise. You either make peace with it, or you don't follow the sport. I guess that's the point I'm at.
Cycling, in the form the sport is now, would not be recognizable if it was "clean". Always has been that way. Fans say one thing, but want another.