Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) capacity to test?

[maidenmole]

Has SAIDS been MIA lately? Haven’t seen them at races or no new sanctions. Asking because there’s a certain MTBer sweeping up titles and prize money of late that’s raised a few eyebrows. 

[corrie.kuilder]

Are you talking about a certain race that took place over the weekend....? 

[maidenmole]

“Of late” includes this weekend, last weekend, and a few months recently, mostly within the Gregorian concept of ‘this year’. 

[Thornman]

They do random out of comp testing. I got a visit in April/May. Got home after work and they were waiting here.

[BaGearA]

Now I'm dying to know ???? Local scene is very quiet( bar stage and these big one off's )  or I'm just living under a rock

[Vetseun]

26 minutes ago, Thornman said:

They do random out of comp testing. I got a visit in April/May. Got home after work and they were waiting here.

That is good to know. Keeping it fair.

 

[Sid the Sloth]

One of the very fast ladies I ride with had a surprise visit the other day too. 

[Vetseun]

24 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

Now I'm dying to know ???? Local scene is very quiet( bar stage and these big one off's )  or I'm just living under a rock

They should send them to Bloem. I suspect that the guy who came 17th in the NG Kerk Fauna Bloemfontein fun ride was doping on a serious level.

On a serious note.

Amateur doping is massive here. And Apparently even more so in Bethlehem.

Totally farked up imo. Doping to ride better in the platteland. You are a pathetic individual.

A friend of mine was at a function in Bethlehem where a few local cyclists were. She says that they were openly discussing  their  dopining regimes like a bunch of cheating pro riders.

She comes from a medical background and she says that what they are doing is irresponsible  and downright  dangerous. 

I always have and always will have the viewpoint that doping is cheating.  Irrespective of what level or what sport you participate in. 

[maidenmole]

Yea, so the anecdotal evidence of out-of-comp-random-arrive-unannounced-at-your-door-in-the-middle-of-the-night are plentiful (many local pro’s share this on their IG) BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT so part of the issue then is the disconnect between these sneaky tests and actual results that turn into sanctions. Tjoep still in the Karoo. 

[maidenmole]

Here’s another angle: the socials are commandeered by brands and sponsors that laud these “super human” feats (as one losing pro called it as she lamented with me around a fire at one particularly cold, misty, high latitude Ultra finish) that then leaves little space for others to call BS on the madness. 

[Comrade J]

They have never had the capacity or capability to do the testing.

We had requested them to do testing at various Provincial and  National championships, the response was, we will come the Federation must pay for each and every cyclist tested.

They never came.