blood doping

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The only "consistent" doping pre-'89 had to have been limited to stimulants.And steroids/testosterone.

recovery on 1000 mile weeksOn steroids and testosterone (200mg/week nandrolone and 150 sustanon250; double dosage the first three weeks): I trained and raced 12 weeks straight with limited rest; my crit was 44 when I started and 49.7 by week nine; my performance increased unimpeded; I gained six pounds; aside from a jacked up crit, my blood work was normal/healthy. When I came off on week 12, my performance increased for another four weeks due mostly to the loss of water retention and the lingering dope still in my system.

Off steroids and testosterone, starting around week six of hard training and racing, my crit would normally drop three to four points; I'd lose five to six pounds; I'd rest for two weeks and sometimes have another good two weeks of racing left.

I think when you train with steroids/testosterone, over the course of several years, you become very strong and very fast. That was my experience. It won't turn you into a climber, but if your body mass index isn't that of a climber, nothing really will. Indurain and his like are the exception imo due to their huge VO2m/cardiac output.

When training blocks last 15 weeks and you keep getting better and better, then recover with anti-e's and do it again three or four times a year, by the time you reach your third block of training, you're light years ahead of where you started. Now go nine or 12 blocks of training into the future.

It's definitely powerful. EPO and transfusions stacked on top... it's just got to be insane. Steroids and testosterone are in the cyclists's tool box because they work. If they didn't, WADA would stop testing for them because no one would use them.

And steroids/testosterone.

Yeah, I guess I should have said stimulants, testo/steroids, narcotics. But not much actual blood manipulation.

Wasn't Gert Thuenisse's nickname "testo"?

Yes, absolutely. Here is a quote from TiMan who actually used drugs and posted experiences in the doping forum: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t271814.html. "I took 175 mg of testosterone per week by injection for one season.The ability to recover after repeated hard days was unreal. This dose of testosterone put my testosterone level above 1000ng/dl...about twice what a normal male puts out. This is what the test does....it helps you recover. You can also get down below 6% body fat without loosing any muscle mass. On the down side test, and all steroids, will make you hold water weight and I was holding about 5 pounds I think. The water, however, is mainly intramuscular and it helps with strength a lot."
Great thread you posted, thanks.