Shout out to DA on the fondo tip

And I love Armstrong's reacting as if he actually assisted in the truth finding...his lawyers gave the commission a list of questions they could ask him and questions they could not ask him = way to be forthcoming and completely honest.  Shocked when I heard there would be no reduction in his ban.  Now if only the sheriff could catch up with Froome Dog and Conta-doper...oh please you don't really think those two are clean do you?

"Alberto Salazar's Program Under Scrutiny

Runners reportedly injected L-carnitine"                                                   

http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Alberto-Salazars-Runners-Injected-Experimental-PEDs.html

^ A little sensational as this isn't "technically" doping and he did this after checking in with USADA, but yeah it it's performance enhancing. Weird that running hasn't adopted a needles ban given its enormous unchecked EPO problem.

On a different note: Anyone else think Paolini winning Ghent-Wev is a complete and  utter joke? A 38 year old Armstrong era doper on a completely dodgy team. I thought it was weird last week when he was hammering up the Poggio and then having fuel left to crush a lead-out for Christoff. Trying to get his jollies off before this perhaps? Respect for his race tactics though.

@John i have no idea if he is clean or not, but watching the race I didn't think his ride was highly suspicious. He was off the back a couple of times and was slow to get back on - only really doing so when the pace up front dropped. Then he rode smartly and missed quite a few turns in the last 35Km. And he didn't really attack. He rolled through to the front and one of the Ettix riders looked round for his teammate, slowed and left a gap. Paolini looked behind - saw he had the gap and just put his head down. Tiredness and hesitation in the group ensured he stayed away. 

Also looking at his finishing positions over the last 6 seasons. His performance in the single day classics, especially MSR through Flanders are fairly consistent. His performance in tours though is deteriorating. That would be in line with ageing - where he can still put in a good performance on a given day - but he needs more recovery.

I don't know...the argument about 1 day rides vs 3 week tours as far as doping is concerned is ambiguous.  What is there to say then about 1 day riders in general?  That they don't dope since it's a one day race?  I think it might be easier to get your meds just right for one day vs. having to monitor and gauge for 3 weeks how much epo or testosterone to use.  A 3 week tour provides an easier optic....that guy just rode in the front group in the mtn's for 3 straight days and then won a TT.  There is also the ability to look at old vs. new blood cells during a 3 week tour.  Everyone knows that a riders hematocrit should go down after three weeks of racing & when it doesn't or it goes up = DOPE.  Am i supposed to think Tom Boonen was clean because he was young when he won many of those big races ?(yet he rode with Armstrong and Messeuew).  Dope is on the sport...and it always will be until they make it a criminal offense punishable by prison (a place no skinny man with shaved legs should ever go).

ian ellis said:

@John i have no idea if he is clean or not, but watching the race I didn't think his ride was highly suspicious.

Did you click the link? http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/paolini-mazzoleni-and-elisa-basso-face-trial-in-bergamo

No doubt he's always been a major talent, just a talent who cheats also. Makes for awesome spectating though doesn't it!

Here's a fun one.  A few years ago Joe Papp posted a picture that he claims proves Hilton Clarke of UHC Pro Cycling bought EPO from him.  It resurfaced yesterday thanks to Matt Cooke.  Now folks are posting it to the UHC Pro Cycling FB Page.  

Chess doping: http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/04/15/chess-grandmaster-hid-an-ipod-touch-in-the-bathroom-to-cheat-during-tournaments

Jeffrey White said:

Chess doping: http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/04/15/chess-grandmaster-hid-an-ipod-touch-in-the-bathroom-to-cheat-during-tournaments

Whoa

This guy has been suspiciously strong
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/belgian-federation-requests-two-year-doping-ban-for-greg-van-avermaet

Not suspiciously strong - given that he targets the spring classics and never actually won, although was on the podium though.

Doesn't mean he isn't guilty though. In fact knowing my luck he probably is.

All my favorite riders end up being guilty of something: Frank VdB, Museeuw, Garzelli, Brian Holm, De Luca, T. Dekker, Rebellin (who incidently came 5th in De Brabantse Pijl yesterday, and I think it is heartening to know that riders can come back from suspension and still perform so well aged 41), 

Ah come on guys , he didn't actually bring the prescription to the pharmacy 

Ian the reason those riders are favorites is because they finish on the podium and they finish on the podium cause they dope...they can't stop doping !!!!it's a vicious cycle !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH5TMCR8etc

Nah, they are my faves because the attack uphill on the big ring. There needs to be more of that.

Not good for the old patella tendons

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/us/workers-seeking-productivity-in-a-pill-are-abusing-adhd-drugs.html

#neverwouldhaveguessed

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/sports/baseball/persistence-of-a-steroid-bedevils-baseball.html

#lifetimebenefits

Hidden motors return

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/04/hidden-motors-for-road-bikes-exist-heres-how-they-work/

Funny thing about claiming "sick by virus," is that there's really no check.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/news/aru-to-pursue-legal-action-over-henderson-tweets_367770

twoyacks said:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-introduces-new-sanctions-against-motorised-doping

Ingenious:
 
"Gazzetta adds that the technology continues to develop and that since 2011, a system that sees motors linked to heart-rate monitors has been in vogue, with the motor kicking in once the riders goes above a certain heart-rate. The Italian newspaper also writes of another, Bluetooth system, that can be operated remotely."

Wow

I know right...I can just hear rider reactions now when they get caught, "I accept the punishment but I have no idea how the motor got into my bike".
I see a fairly easy way to monitor this as all teams have to use commercially available off the shelf parts.  Bike's for each rider need to be verified before the season...with a list of different wheels weight that will be used.  A commissar should simply be able to weigh a bike without bottles on it and compare that with a master list.  If a bike is  significantly heavier...you pull it and x-ray it .

Alberto Salazar is coming under scrutiny.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-32877702?SThisFB&fb_ref=Default

Love the lame excuses. 

Salazar should have seen this coming, the pressure has been mounting for a few years now.

lots of scrutiny.

https://www.propublica.org/article/former-team-members-accuse-coach-alberto-salazar-of-breaking-drug-rules

(should it bug me that the author of this piece failed to point out that a hero of his book "the sports gene" doped his entire athletic career?)