back woods wrote:
Cooper. wrote:In cycling, they did a really good job of calling the dopers out on the carpet when they got caught, this is why it seems like they have more dopers than other sports...they acknowledge its happening. T&F is starting to do the same thing, which is a good thing.
The thing is, does this actually discourage doping? Probably not, cyclists still dope, some of them get caught, some of them don't. Think about how many of the GC riders get tested more than twice a year...not that many. I would have to assume the same happens in t&f. I'm sure Farah and Rupp get tested all the time, just like Armstrong did. Think about all of the mid-pack elite runners though - they probably rarely get tested, and they have more motivation to dope than anyone, and no huge risk of getting caught. Let's say they are tested twice in a year, if they simply dope enough to never get past a suspicious level, then what's the motivation to not push the envelope? There's a pretty good chance they'll get away with it. Especially when a claim like "I ate tainted beef" is an acceptable excuse.
100% clean sport is a pipe dream. You can hope for a cleaner sport, but to completely eradicate doping is a fantasy. I've accepted it, so when I see results like "suspicious" or "likely doping", it doesn't change my opinion much at all.
This seems basically on the mark. Cycling is one of the few sports that really has tried to do something about doping. Compare the NFL or European football. Obviously everyone is taking all manner of things, and no one cares at all. There is too much money in play. It's only in the cheap sports, like cycling and running where anyone tries to do anything at all. Running is harder to police than cycling because a runner can basically train on his own.
All the testing and controls have affected cycling. Guys like the Schlecks and Cadel Evans disappeared. Post beef Contador struggles to finish third or fourth (and he's probably the most naturally talented cyclist of his generation). They go slower than Armstrong and US Postal did. It hasn't killed it - look at Sky go - but it seems to have helped with the more egregious stuff.
Wow, Cooper. Pretty much every GC cyclist is tested more than 2x a year. There are amateur cyclists in the US that gest tested that much. The top GC guys are tested every single day at TdF and certainly more than 2x out of competition.
Back woods, Frank Schleck and Cadel are gone because they got old and retired. Andy had a series of injuries that forced him no longer to be able to ride.