Newsflash....
The first positive result for doping in The Tour this year. I really, truly hoped it wouldn't happen.
Manuel Beltran, one of Lance's former Team Discovery domestiques was suspended from Team Liquigas today pending testing of his "B" sample. His "A" sample, taken at stage 1 last Saturday, tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance. If the "B" sample also tests positive he will be released (read "fired") immediately from his team and sent packing. Don't these guys realize that the organizers are taking this seriously? It appears that most, if not all, of the teams and the other riders are also taking it seriously. Full story here.
I suspect that someday Lance will write a book that tells how he did it. I mean, let's get serious, a substantial number of the world's very best riders were doping just to keep up with him, and he was clean? Personally, I find that kinda hard to fathom. Oh well.... Maybe they didn't train as hard as he did.
Don't think for even an instant that I'd like for that to occur. I wouldn't. I love cycling. I love the grand tours and the classics. I love a cat. 5 USAC race and a 24 hour mtb race. There's nothing more exciting than a good cyclocross race. Nothing! It's such a beautiful sport and the prolonged effort required to win, or even finish, isn't found in any other sport that I'm aware of. It's amazing what these athletes can accomplish through training and sheer determination. I just don't think I can take anymore let downs from the Gods of the sport.
Ride safe.
Peace out, yo!
The first positive result for doping in The Tour this year. I really, truly hoped it wouldn't happen.
Manuel Beltran, one of Lance's former Team Discovery domestiques was suspended from Team Liquigas today pending testing of his "B" sample. His "A" sample, taken at stage 1 last Saturday, tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance. If the "B" sample also tests positive he will be released (read "fired") immediately from his team and sent packing. Don't these guys realize that the organizers are taking this seriously? It appears that most, if not all, of the teams and the other riders are also taking it seriously. Full story here.
I suspect that someday Lance will write a book that tells how he did it. I mean, let's get serious, a substantial number of the world's very best riders were doping just to keep up with him, and he was clean? Personally, I find that kinda hard to fathom. Oh well.... Maybe they didn't train as hard as he did.
Don't think for even an instant that I'd like for that to occur. I wouldn't. I love cycling. I love the grand tours and the classics. I love a cat. 5 USAC race and a 24 hour mtb race. There's nothing more exciting than a good cyclocross race. Nothing! It's such a beautiful sport and the prolonged effort required to win, or even finish, isn't found in any other sport that I'm aware of. It's amazing what these athletes can accomplish through training and sheer determination. I just don't think I can take anymore let downs from the Gods of the sport.
Ride safe.
Peace out, yo!
posted by bluecolnago at 3:12 PM
10 Comments:
No disrespect, blue, but when I saw the news this afternoon I actually laughed out loud. I thought, "What an idiot!" Of course, maybe he doesn't pay attention at rider/team meetings. You know, folks make it through school without knowing how to read, so I suppose......
Anyway, the really sad thing is how the mainstream media has ponced on this and is calling the Tour an event "plagued with doping". That's not going to help any!
Blue, remind me sometime to tell you my theory on how Lancypants did it. Later!
Blueness - It sure is hard to keep a positive attitude about the big boys, but I certainly understand wanting to do anything and everything to just get by in the Pro ranks. There are a lot of very fine lines in the performance enhancement games.
John
It's too bad but once sponsoring and media get involved and you're being slipped hundreds of thousands of dollars, you (they) tend to lose your (their) brains....its all about $$$$ at that level.
It's too bad, but it happens in most sports...even equestrian. That's why I got out, the things they put some of those horses through was just horrible and inhumane.
Luckily and no ill will here, a bike is a bike, it's all about the rider!!! You'd like to think most have ethics......
Keep the sport pure Blue, you guys ROCK!!
Have a fun time at Clear Lake!!
I hate to say it but I expect this now. Even in the new era of "we are all going to ride clean, right?" I just think the stakes are too big not to happen.
I also hate to say I am in your camp about Armstrong. I appreciate what he has done for cancer awareness and bringing road cycling back to America, but there is no way he accomplished what he did (in an era riddled with doping) without an advantage. The gap just could not be that big. I am not even sure I believe that Indurain wasn't on the juice either. All speculation on my part of course.
Regardless, have a great weekend; hope you get some riding in!
Blue - I fully expected someone to get busted doping. This is the 4th former Lance teammate to get busted. Let's hope he is the last for this Tour.
g-ted....
just dumb. stoopid.
yes, the mainstream media has a tendancy to report on things they know nothing about sometimes. that's why we have redemske in omaha, to keep em honest! :)
gravelo....
i think i'll be in boone over labor day. we'll talk then, buddy!
john....
i hear ya! nice race today! i "think i may have gotten a good pic of your finish. haven't looked yet.
lily....
when i get into one of my more reflective moods i start to think it's not about the sport at all, just the money. the sponsor money. not the athletes, but the product being sold.
oldman....
is lance even pushing cancer awareness anymore? i hear ya on indurain. who knows who did what? i read somewhere that "back in the day" it wasn't uncommon for the old boys to snort a line of coke or something like that. wayyyyyy before "our" time.
chris....
that's exactly what jackal said to me... another of lance's former team mates got busted. weird, eh?
Personally, I'm glad he got busted. I'm glad when anybody gets busted -- because that means they're gone. How many members of the starting lineups of your favorite baseball/football/basketball/hockey team are doping? Basso gone for two years? Good. Shawne Merriman (Chargers) busted for steroids? He played in the Pro Bowl last year.
That, friends, is crap. The two-year suspension and constant testing is why cycling is great -- the sport is actually ridding itself of dopers. No American sport, save Track and Field maybe, can say that.
i agree with you, bryan. i'm glad to see the attempted clean-up in cycling. as for all the other sports you mentioned, typically "american" sports.... they'll never be clean. we lack the passion as a society to make that happen. like lily said, there's too much money involved and we're ok with that.
congrats on your great results this weekend! woohoo!
you never know about Lance ... will we ever know for sure? however it would be pretty hard for him to come out with the Nike commercial - "what am I on? i'm on my bike busting my ass 6 hours a day" - and then get busted. how horrible would that make you look if you then got busted after saying that? however, i know, how much did he get paid to make that commercial?
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