Doping and the Tour de France

[Jaco-fiets]

Just watched the 1st episode in the series. Loved the part where Anquitil has a glass of milk and the presenter says: the crowds cheer their heroes on unaware that it is actually amphetamines that fuel the riders engins"

[Kranswurm]

You should also look at the context of the times:

- Cocaine was widely used. socially acceptable and legal at the turn of the 19th century

- Amphetamine was widely given to and used in the 2nd WW by pilots and other soldiers to keep awake / energised, they had no idea of the psychotic or other side effects.

 

In short....copius amounts of speed up to and including the 60's

[T-Bob]

The dope made for some great racing that much cant be denied. Havent seen a massive successful break away for sometime ala Landis

 

 

Considering there wasn't really a person in the top 10 that day that wasn't doped up that was one of the great attacks and breakaways in tour history. For me Landis was never really a likeable 'hero' but the attack was a brilliant piece of tour riding.

[Lucky Luke.]

In short....copius amounts of speed up to and including the 60's

 

Yep, until the year simpson died on Ventoux, and a silent "oh ****!" went around the pelaton. Testing was introduced and the average speed of the race nosedived by several km/h in the following years.

 

[rudi-h]

Watched the 100 year history of the TDF and I realised that doping is as much part of the tour as is the bikes they ride and the rest.......

 

Winning the TDF (and keeping the title) is about getting away with "doping" as much as it is to stay healthy and on your bike. I think in general you would have to be very gullible to actually believe that any top 5 finisher has gone completely free in the past 1 or even 2 decades....

 

So my point is that maybe we should enjoy the TDF for what it is. It isn't perfect and there is a lot you can get upset about but I guess the most important thing is that the playing field seems level for all the team leaders in terms of doping at least (meaning the best man should still win)...... Doping has been part of the TDF for 50 years and will most likely be part for the next decade at least so enjoy it for what it is or don't watch it at all......

 

I used to be the tours biggest fan in the late 90's to around 2003 when I realised what was going on. Since then I didn't enjoy it and always complained.

 

This year I will treat it like an entertainment sports soap cuz that's probably what it is.

 

The TDF is to me, without a doubt the most exciting sporting event on the annual calender (not only cycling). Yes it is sad that here has been so many frauds over the past decades, but there is nothing like watching a tight battle on a mountaintop finish, and if I'd "boycott" watching the sport because of a bunch of idiots, i'd only spite myself.

 

The tour is such a magnificent event and it will always be. The fight against doping is stronger than ever, so I sincerely hope that we will see a clean victory in 2013!

Edited June 26, 2013 by rudi-h

[Kranswurm]

Yep, until the year simpson died on Ventoux, and a silent "oh ****!" went around the pelaton. Testing was introduced and the average speed of the race nosedived by several km/h in the following years.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-77axBdYmE

 

They showed it on TV the other day

 

The stuff was freely available on the streets

Cape Town was awash with Black Bombers in the late 60s and even thru the 70s to the early 80s

[Butterbean]

That's some heavy stuff right there...

 

Can't wait for the tour! Who cares if someone is doping! Talent and ability are only a small facet of competing at the highest levels anyway...

[Jaco-fiets]

Somebody will find a way to blame Lance for the doping in those days as well. Luke, you are one of he more intellectual guys on the hub pls create a link........................

[T-Bob]

Somebody will find a way to blame Lance for the doping in those days as well. Luke, you are one of he more intellectual guys on the hub pls create a link........................

 

Look, by now you know it's allllllllllllllll lances fault.

[Garfield2010]

 

 

 

Considering there wasn't really a person in the top 10 that day that wasn't doped up that was one of the great attacks and breakaways in tour history. For me Landis was never really a likeable 'hero' but the attack was a brilliant piece of tour riding.

 

That break by Landis has some incredible facts behind it. His support car threw ice water over him all the way. Thats where the whole science of keeping core temps down started. The very same giy who helped landis joined radioshack later and made lance and them swallow thermometers

[Daideron]

Watching that Tour documentary was eye opening. In a way it looked like a modern day MTB race with guys hammering along dirt roads and stopping at those feed tables.

But I feel stupid saying I am a seasoned cyclist when those early tours saw the guys doing a stage of 470km in 18hours! And they had old basic bikes and their own spares on their backs! A stage from Briancon to Geneva in one day?!

[rock]

That break by Landis has some incredible facts behind it. His support car threw ice water over him all the way. Thats where the whole science of keeping core temps down started. The very same giy who helped landis joined radioshack later and made lance and them swallow thermometers

 

really need to see those stage high lights again......on the web somewhere?

[E1A104]

Somebody will find a way to blame Lance for the doping in those days as well. Luke, you are one of he more intellectual guys on the hub pls create a link........................

 

c'mon guys, we all know that la did not dope, it's all a lie and fabrication.

['Dale]

Just watched the 1st episode in the series. Loved the part where Anquitil has a glass of milk and the presenter says: the crowds cheer their heroes on unaware that it is actually amphetamines that fuel the riders engins"

 

Remember that.

It was a good doccie - I watched both.

[T-Bob]

Good article from Robert Miller:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-silence-wont-stop-the-doping-stories

 

also I see Pantani's family are getting upset because they are going to suggest stripping him of more of his wins when the French publish their report on the 18th - the day the tour hits d'huez twice in the 100th edition.

 

There's loyalty and then there is trying to defend Pantani from drug allegations!

[Squier]

Looking at average speeds and just the general way of riding in the Tour makes you want to believe that it has become much cleaner. Whether doping will ever be completely eradicated we'll probably never know.

 

For instance, in 2011 Pierre Roland won the Alp d'Huez stage. I read somewhere that with that winning time he would've placed 43rd in the year that Lance won it in the early 2000s (can't recall the exact year). Much to my dismay you just don't see the Lance type attacks where a rider attacks and solos up the mountain where he even rips the breakaway up the road to shreds. The last time we saw that was Contador's last win in the Giro in 2011. Since his return he has not been the same.

 

Look, I loved those attacks. And there's a part in me that thought, let them dope, it makes for better TV. Then my son was born. No parent would want their kid to fill his body with different kinds of drugs just to pedal a bike.