Does the bio passport work? This is actually a question suitable for a doctorate thesis. So instead I’ll keep it concise, have a look at this statement from the UCI: “Once a rider is included in the biological passport program, it will become impossible for him to escape detection if he uses blood or steroid … Read more
It’s hard to know where to begin with the Landis emails. So I’ll take a look at the UCI, since most people are concentrating on Landis, the emails and the others named in them.For me, the UCI is part of the problem here. Whereas a governing body should aim to be beyond reproach, many get … Read more
Velonation have a good piece on a potential agreement with some of the big pharmaceutical companies regarding the use of a “marker molecule”. Basically this is an extra ingredient to a pharmaceutical product that will show up in a blood or urine sample from an athlete. So whilst some of the actual doping products are … Read more
The phrase “swan song” is a reference to an ancient belief that the Swan is completely mute during its lifetime until the moment just before it dies, when it sings one beautiful song. Swans are not actually mute during life – they produce snorts, shrill noises, grunts, and hisses – and they do not sing … Read more
They were denied passports There’s a good interview over at NY Velocity with Michael Ashenden. Ashenden’s an Australian physiologist with an expertise in blood doping, and an advisor to the UCI. The interview assesses where the “Bio Passport” scheme is today, essentially it is a source of information and a tool but it is not … Read more
The cheat’s latest weapon: dihydrogen monoxide Too much doping news at the moment, I’ll try to stay away from it a bit. But you can never escape it in the world of cycling and this story is worth mentioning. The previous day he had given himself a micro-dosage of EPO for the first time in … Read more
Alexander Vinokourov’s win on Sunday has left some scratching their heads, and some were even shaking them. This includes the media following the race. The post-race press conference in Liège was dominated by Vino’s past, journalists kept asking about his suspension, his attitude to doping and other related topics. They see me rollin’, they hatin’ … Read more
BMC Racing’s Andy Rihs is probably the wealthiest man in pro cycling, so much so that he can pay for a cycling team in the way you or I might subscribe to a magazine. But for all his billions and business sense, he must be finding his expenditure in cycling isn’t bringing the dividends he’d … Read more
It’s hard to keep up. According to cyclingnews.com, BMC’s Thomas Frei has been busted for EPO, or at least he’s returned a positive A-sample. So an update to yesterday’s Trentino stage result is needed, since the Swiss rider was ninth yesterday. Is it me or is this race looking like a farce? Or is the … Read more