Xes - Message Board

Jean Dubois

Just heard the news about the A sample and have had a look at some of the other threads. Possibly a little bit of hope, but right now I feel physically sick! It makes it almost impossible to look relatives and non cycling friends in the face. How does everyone else feel?

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"What goes around comes around !!"

Jacques Dupont

Yes disappointed very disappointed indeed. Some of my friends said at the time that they were very skeptical of his spectacular recovery but I, together with 90 percent of the cycling community, just wanted to believe it could happen. From reading L'Equipe there seems to be no hope for Landis as all we are getting from him are lame excuses and I do now remember being slightly worried when after his stage win he said "I have nothing to say on the subject" or words to that effect when he was questioned about the pre-tour doping scandel. Although I can't imagine how he thought he could get away with it. It could be sometime before the sample B results are made known.

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"WHEN THE GOING GETS WEIRD,THE WEIRD TURN PRO"

bikeriderfrance

hi there i wonder how many mums and dads want their children to ride a bike these days bon courage

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NE PAS MACHER SES MOTS

Jean Dubois

Never having been a serious soccer fan I didn't understand "gutted" until last night. Couldn't even watch the news! This morning, there he is, big colour pic on the front page of the Grauniad.
Just when you think the sports getting off the ground, ToB stage in Central London, TdF next year etc etc. What would you think if you were Ken Livingstone?? Potentially a massive PR disaster and your dead right, it's the impact on parents, together with sponsors and occasional supporters.
Even if anyone buys in to all this techno crap about T/E ratios and the like, even if he is eventually innocent(ish), the damage is done.

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"What goes around comes around !!"

bikeriderfrance

hit here ...well like you, i am a bit depressed, we saw a great tour, banished the cheats, then this.. the B test will be posotive, even FL says so.. where do we go from here.. one wonders... what gets me a bit is that there are lots of talk that virtually 100% of spanish footballers have been through DR DOOM, but where are they, how have they not been exposed.. i do think that cycling is now a easy "pinch", a bit of muck scraping,, it is just not conceivable that cycling is the only sport with this problem.. i wonder if at sundays race what the " onlookers " have in their minds,, " "what are they on ?????" bon courage.

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NE PAS MACHER SES MOTS

Jean Dubois

Just seen UK Tv news and Justin Gatlin(Sp?) the athlete has announced he was positive for testosterone in April. Apparently he's anti dope and says he completely baffled how it could have occurred.
I picked up somewhere that 75% of all sportsmen / women found positive for testosterone were subsequently cleared by the Sports Arbitration Council. Of the 25% who weren't, they were mainly body builders and/or American footballers.
What with all the debate about which bits of the ratio were high and which bits low, I guess we'll never know till the fat lady sings.

Good luck for Sunday, I'm giving it a go in the Vets National RR Champs.

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"What goes around comes around !!"

John Knees

Well said BRF - and a belated good-luck wish for the RR champs.

Quite a lot of discussion here, including people panning the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbfivelive/F2148575
also
http://freefloydlandis.blogspot.com/

I'm sick of "This drug-ridden sport" headlines in the Mail, to the extent that I'm thinking of ditching it for a proper newspaper - after suggesting that all their sanctimonious journalists offer themselves for a caffeine test. Now that WOULD be salutary.

Santé.

Fat John.

Jacques Dupont

Testosterone content has a tendency to fall in samples as time goes by and a couple of weeks can make a difference and this is probably why some athletes are cleared by sample B.
Notice how LA after having done everything in his power to stop FL winning the tour is now flying to his side to downcry the techniques of the Châtenay-Malabry lab: the one which found him positive in the 1999 tour.
I am unfortunately pessimistic about eventually beating the drug cheats and cleaning up sport in general. Also notice that riders spend more and more time training and less and less time racing. This is because when under preparation they're positive and can't race. Mini doses of EPO which don't show up are all the rage as well. The only way out seems to be systematic longitudinal testing, the banning of training courses for example in Mexico instead of riding the tour of Switzerland and the demand for this must come from the organisers and the sponsors themselves sick of their images being fucked up. The problem is indeed well-rooted and some deep digging will be needed to solve it.

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"WHEN THE GOING GETS WEIRD,THE WEIRD TURN PRO"

Jacques Dupont

Or then again you could play football or tennis where nobody ever takes anything or only very very rarely. Football hey that's bigger than the world itself or global warming or the melting icecaps or the drying rain forests.
Better not say anything on that score someone might bump me off!!!!

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"WHEN THE GOING GETS WEIRD,THE WEIRD TURN PRO"

ellno#1

Just watch out for the men in pinstriped suits carrying violin cases JD.
Have any of you European persons read "Hetchins" rant on "ES", I agree with him, medicines of any description should not be allowed. Hay fever sprays, legal or not, I've seen a few of riders using Asthma puffers, I'm told this gives a non Asthmatic an advantage. Maybe bullchips, but you never know, as far as the footballers is concerned, two of AC Milan Players (retired and only early fourties) dropped dead while out shopping with their family's, only a year or two ago, this is the upshot of taking these substances when your young and bulletproof. Puts too much strain on the vital organs and hay presto, dodgy ticker, failed liver/kidneys you name it.
I agree, very dissapointing, especially when family and friends who don't ride give you that look, makes you want to run and hide, well, you know what's meant.

John Knees

I expect all have seen the outcome of the court case resulting from the Rhyll C.C. "accident".

Apalling!

John.

Jean Dubois

It doesn't get any better does it? If I read it correctly last night, the driver was fined 180 quid for 3 sub standard tyres. Apparently having little or no tread didn't contribute to the carnage (in the magistrates opinion) because it would have made no difference on black ice!
Quite apart from the fact that no one can possibly know whether the ice had a layer of water on it at the time of the accident, I would have thought that as the car should not have been on the road in the first place the driver was at least guilty of serious contributory negligence.
It calls into question the Police Officers assertion, following the tragedy, that this was a pure accident. I guess he'd checked the car and knew that bald tyres were permissable in extenuating circumstances. He'll, if it was a he, probably be made Chief Constable!
The irony of all this is that N Wales Police are probably the most severe on speeding offences in the country. I know this to my cost having picked up a 60 pound fine for 35 in a 30 limit. It's a fair cop! But, something here just doesn't add up!
I can only hope that this is a problem at the level of the Magistrates and that other charges may follow or that the N Wales Police together with th CPSA will appeal against the ludricrous penalty and press for a custodial sentence.

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"What goes around comes around !!"

limerickman

Just by way of update : the person who caused the death of four riders from the Rhyl CC was convicted yesterday in court.

His sentence : penalty points on his licence.

This is sentence merely adds insult to terrible injury

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

John Knees

[QUOTE=Jean Dubois]........It calls into question the Police Officers assertion, following the tragedy, that this was a pure accident. I guess he'd checked the car and knew that bald tyres were permissable in extenuating circumstances."

Yes, I remember this guy standing at the scene soon after the accident and making his judgement, effectively prejudicing the outcome of any court case. Sadly I didn't have the wit to stick a tape in the recorder or I could be more specific.

I spent the greater part of my working life "on the road" as a sales rep., and was always aware that if I lost control of my car or van it was my responsibility, no-one else's. Cars do not "lose control"(!) or "go out of control" - the driver loses control. "accident"? Pah!

John.