Doping In Pro Cycling:What it is and why it matters

Mike Moore

December 14, 2012

About Pro Cycling

Different disciplines Different kinds of races The Peloton, the Team and

the Individual Money & Culture Results Orientation

Doping in cycling

Long history in the sport

Not effective or safe

“Preparation” Directors, Doctors &

Trainers One day races Stage races Testing

Doping in cycling

Effectiveness

Three rules of competitive cycling

Effectiveness

EPO: adds red blood cells Raises performance by 5-15% Makes you able to climb faster

Testosterone: builds lean muscle and aids in recovery from hard efforts Enables significantly harder and longer training

Blood doping: adds more red blood cells and reduced perception of effort Immediate recovery and >4% added endurance

Examples

1996: Jonathan Vaughters, EPOed up, sets record for climb up Mt. Ventoux; never wins another mountain stage

1999: Lance Armstrong wins his first TdF by 7:37, a time difference of 1.3%; later testing reveals 6 positives for EPO

2001: Tyler Hamilton rides TdF clean and finishes 94th. In 2002 Giro, EPOed up, finishes 2nd.

2006: Floyd Landis, after blood doping, rides away from the field, setting stage for TdF “win”

And many many more….

Avoiding getting caught

Dodge the testers Dilution EPO Micro-dosing and intravenous injection Autologous blood doping Phony therapeutic use exemptions

All of these worked until the implementation of the Blood Passport and Whereabouts Controls

USADA vs. USPS

Originated in USPS Fraud investigation The charges:

Use/attempted use of banned substances Possession & Trafficking Conspiracy & Intimidation Aggravated Charges

From Aug. 1 1998 until the present Tons of evidence Not just Lance...

Why it matters

Trickles down to young & amateur athletes Techniques mastered in cycling are being

used in other sports Distorts and corrupts Not all cyclists doped – not a victimless crime

Just some of the victims

Since December….

Team Sky sackings Rabobank admits to organized team doping Numerous sponsors drop cycling Many other cyclists outed Oprah! Qui Tam lawsuit Operation Puerto trial

Questions?

Want to learn more?

Lance Armstrong’s War by Daniel CoyleThe Secret Race: Tyler Hamilton & Daniel CoyleUSADA.org: Reasoned Decision

mike_moore@earthlink.net