Cipo splits from CRock Racing

TheDarkLord

Well, yes. Their anti-doping stand/program is what gives them their primary publicity.

kennf

That's what I meant. Along with the argyle of course.

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Powerful Pete

Meh. So as long as you go telling everyone you are anti-doping and all that you are the new face of cycling? Pardon me if I, as a suspicious southern European, I am not completely swept off my feet by the charade. If their riders are holding their own in European races (as they appear to be doing), something tells me they are taking a bit more than bread and water, whatever they may be telling us.

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TheDarkLord

Yes, it is possible that they are still doping; but my point is that their publicity comes from their anti-doping stand. I guess the question is how the teams with a biological passport program are managing to dope (if they are doing it). The program is managed by an outside agency, right?

Now, the fact that they are holding their own in European races is interpreted by some that it is possible to race clean. Whether that is true or not depends on how clean the rest of the peloton is, or to turn the scales the other way around, whether the "clean" teams are also doped up.

padawan

Outside doesn't mean impartial or unbiased or even honest. The fact that they are paid big bucks to test does not negate the possibility that they aren't paid extra to hide certain results or at least report them quietly to the team management first. After all, the UCI which was directly responsible for keeping the sport clean has certainly been willing to turn a blind eye in the past. And I'm quite certain it went farther than that.

I'm not convinced that a certain amount of doping can't be caught by any biological passport. But I'm hopeful that it will help to weed out the major offenders (EPO, homologous/autologous blood doping).

But I do think Slipstream is trying hard to be one of those teams that cut out the major offenders.

Crankyfeet

As TDL said... they are billing themselves as a clean team. They would be taking a huge risk if they allowed/condoned doping, while maintaining a false public image of being squeaky clean. One positive test and their team would be kaput. The whole raison detre would be vanquished.

But I hear where you are coming from with regards performance. And even if they are 100% against doping... they still run the risk that one of their riders dopes unbeknownst to them and kills the whole anti-doping program by testing positive.

Eldrack

Depends who gets them. If the internal doping program catches them, the team has a chance. They can say it was an individual rider that acted against the team ethic and was caught by procedures set in place to catch people like that. If a UCI test catches one (ok, odds of this are next to none) then the team is screwed.

Powerful Pete

Why? All they have to say is that he was acting on his own... unbeknownst to the team... then they can continue to be 'clean' publicly and lambast the rider in question. Well, that is the way I would handle it...

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nns1400

Yeah, like the CIA...if you get caught we will deny all knowledge of you...

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earth_dweller

because people would wonder why the internal tests didn't catch him, and then start to wonder how many other riders are slipping through....

Powerful Pete

Fair enough. Still, they would deny it and come up with some reason (he had been training in Mexico, no really...)...

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TheDarkLord

They might. But their publicity is that they test often enough to ensure that they catch any wayward rider. So, if a rider pops hot, unless it turns out that he had taken some juice in the period between the last internal test and the official positive test, the team's credibility is shot for good.

kennf

Jeez, guys, their program deserves more than a "Meh":

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/100-clean-our-mission/

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