Tour de France washup
Being an insomniac I took to watching the Tour de France and started doing so the night Landis hit a wall and lost buckets of time. I checked in the next night and was, like every other viewer, impressed by his comeback. He produced one of the most memorable rides in Tour history when he stormed to victory in stage 17 by almost six minutes. Having cycled a bit myself, but only to work for fitness, I was impressed with the competitors as they went through the Alpine regions. Tough guys, I thought…way tougher than me.
Being impressed with the Landis come-back and the other mountain-ascending tough guys you can imagine my dissappointment this morning to read that Landis has failed a drug test taken on the very day of his comeback; the day he won stage 17 in such a determined manner. The day that clinched his Tour de France win.
Landis’ Phonak team has revealed that the 30-year-old tested positive for excess levels of testosterone after winning stage 17 of this year’s race.Landis’ defence is a bit too hopeful to me;
Landis says he “can’t be hopeful” about the B test but hopes to prove he has naturally high levels of testosterone.Sometimes I am so bloody gullible. When watching the race, drug enhancement never entered my mind and yet the Tour has been plagued with drug issues for years. I knew that but it didn’t click. The TV has stolen some of my life again. I should stick to web surfing and learning facts I never knew instead of watching TV and confirming facts I already know. Another fallen idol.
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Dunno.
This bloke had been tested a number of times during the race.
All stage winners are automatically tested so he knew it was coming.
The T hormone is a long term muscle enhancer, seems there is bugger
all benefit taking it mid race. There are far better options for that task.
Bet ya he walks.
Assuming he is guilty of whatever it is he has done wrong, what does testosterone do? How would it it benefit him? I take it you are are happy to watch AFL and Rugby players while they take ain killing injections yet any olympic athlete
cannot even take a sudafed for a cold without being labelled a drug cheat. The truth is that while drugs are
banned only the best athletes will get the best drugs. The others will be caught. Many people take over the
counter and prescription medications that athletes are forbidden. If you injured a muscle chances are the doctor
would prescribe steriods to assist your recovery. Atheletas instead have to slow their recovery down to comply
Dick Pounds way of doing things. If it wont hurt you and a doctor prescribes it you shuld be allowed to take it
whatever it is.
There is a bit of sense in what you say but with so much money at stake athletes will take drugs under the guise of fixing problems where no problem exist – the drugs then simply enhance their performance. This is called cheating.
The truth is that while drugs are banned only the best athletes will get the best drugs. is a fallacious arguement. The truth is if drugs weren’t banned then all athletes would be popping steroids and testosterone, making events like the Tour an advertisement for drug companies rather that what it should be – man pitted against man on a level playing field.
Landis didn’t just take a sudafed, he has returned a positive on testosterone which in these circumstances, as Rick (above)says, is a long term muscle enhancer. I also believe it’s a short term endurance enhancer. I could be wrong but he knows the rules and at this stage it looks like he has broken them.
Sorry Kev I can be a bit fuzzy on saturday nights. I think that the enhancement drugs will always be there and the best atheletes will get the best drugs and the others will get caught. Let people take any drug as long as it will not cause long term harm and is prescribed by a doctor. I just can’t see what is wrong with that. It would be a level playing field.
Err..bet ya he doesn’t walk.
Rumour the T is synthetic T.
If so, that’s finis.