Tour De France

[Tonji]

Certainly in the past 10 or 20 years, the top performers seemed to be the ones who had the cleverest doctors & the best drugs.

The problem in cleaning up a sport that has such a long drug taking history, is that those involved in running the sport are ex pros, who themselves were heavily involved in drugs themselves.

[Sark79]

If Landis is guilty, he was committing career suicide.  It is like jumping into a swimming pool with thousands of crocodiles.  You are going to get eaten, it is unavoidable.  He must have known he was going to be caught because he is tested so often during the Tour. 

He isn't stupid, this makes me think perhaps he is telling the truth.

[Tonji]

If Landis is guilty, he was committing career suicide.  It is like jumping into a swimming pool with thousands of crocodiles.  You are going to get eaten, it is unavoidable.  He must have known he was going to be caught because he is tested so often during the Tour. 

He isn't stupid, this makes me think perhaps he is telling the truth.

who knows what the truth is, but its possible he's guilty, remember he was in the shadows of Armstrong for years, his chance was this year, ambition can make you do stupid things, add in the fact the pressure & stress the riders are put under by teams & sponsors, & well this makes anything possible.

I hope for his sake he's innocent, but I'm so disillusioned with cycling that I'm far from caring at the moment.

[Sark79]

I thought the same about Tyler Hamilton.  I think he was telling the truth as well.  Am I right in saying Hamilton's ban was longer David Miller's was?

[Wardonkey]

I am firmly of the belief that in the types of sports where power or endurance play more of a part than skill drug taking is the norm and 'clean' athletes are rare.

The mistake that leads to a positive test is not the drug taking itself but rather a technical error in the timing of the doping or in the use of a masking agent.

It is a great shame, and there is little that can be done.

I used to be an athletics fan but I can't watch it anymore, the cynic in me is always suspicious of any outstanding performance.

[Tonji]

I thought the same about Tyler Hamilton.  I think he was telling the truth as well.  Am I right in saying Hamilton's ban was longer David Miller's was?

not sure Sark. Hamilton was a big hope, but I don't know the full story of his ban. Did you see any of the interviews with Miller on TV? He came across as being a lot more humble & sorry for his past actions.

[Sark79]

I saw one interview with Miller. But, I can't help but think he only admitted his drug crimes because he was forced into it. He would still be a happy world champion now had he not been caught. I can't see him owning up to taking drugs unless he really had to like he did

[Watertight]

let's hope landis is innocent. Discovery channel were preparing to offer him a huge contract for next year to replace lance , be a bit of a let down for Landis. I believe that the majority of riders in the Tour are just naturally talented and believe that the strict testing of riders has helped to create a cleaner tour. Look at how many riders were caught before the tour riders like Basso .
Cycling has gone from a sport that was plagued with drugs and doping into the forerunner of drugs testing in sport. If football took the same approach as cycling would Rio have missed his drugs test ? You didn't see Landis getting time to go for a shower after winning stage 17 he was lead straight to the caravan to give a urine sample , My only hope is that other sports take on this military esque drugs testing procedure.

[leighton_87]

I recently went to a drugs in sport conference lead by the people in charge of cleaning up english sport.  On that they said a survey was done at a recent olymipics and the athletes were all asked just one question, If you could take a drug that would guarantee you would win the gold medal and you could never be caught but you would definitly die before you are 30 would you take it?  Over two thirds said yes.  That to me was a scarey statistic and shows how far these people are willing to go.