Phonak just confirmed it!

[El Loto]

I say this to everyone on the forum: You didn't really think he was clean, did you?

And for those who believed, I feel for you. I really do. This has got to be heartbreaking.

Is this the same HelmutRoole that unqestionably said:

"I'm not a fan of individual riders, but you've got to be a fan of Landis' performance.

What a fighter."

And

"Let's call today Floyd Day.

Happy Floyd Day, y'all."

You weren't very skeptical then. I think we all believed. I know I'll admit to that

 

[bikeguy2000]

...

 

[cyclingheroes]

...

I just chatted with Peter Kohl he comments a crit on DSF tv here (in about 45 minutes). He is very enthousiastic about commenting today... well we have a race here but there was something else today. Poor guy (it isn't an easy job and Peter is a fan of cycling since he was akid and he doesn't know where this all ends).

 

[helmutRoole2]

I wish I hadn't become my workplaces offical tour update guy.

Oh gawd.

That is terrible.

 

[youngda9]

I'm crushed (If it turns out to be true). The article said "A positive "A" sample is only the first step in the process and does not constitute proof of any rider's use of performance-enhancing substances." Innocent until proven guilty as far as I am concerned. I really hope Floyd isn't a cheater...this eats away at me.

I wouldn't think Floyd is the type to do this. He has steadily improved over the years and his performance hasn't surprised me, especially considering all of the other tours he's won this year...apparently he never tested positive the rest of the year. And now he tests positive at the end of one stage of the tour....I find that VERY peculiar.

How many times did he get tested during the year? How many times during the tour? What is the methodology/protocol for this?

Let's see how this plays out. Could the cortisone have caused it? Could their be a testing error? Perhaps Floyd is just more man than everyone else

Say it ain't so.

 

[Erzulis Boat]

How many times must it be stated that the Peloton dopes?

Everybody that knows cycling has been saying this since the 1980's.

THEY ALL DOPE.....heroes and lackeys alike.

How many of you "posters" actually ride a bike?

 

[Tonto]

Ah, you really don't mean that. It's just the culture of pro sports. When you submerse yourself in a culture you find yourself doing things you never thought you'd do, like stacking prisoners in naked human pyramids or handling rattlesnakes in some backcountry church.

I say this to everyone on the forum: You didn't really think he was clean, did you?

And for those who believed, I feel for you. I really do. This has got to be heartbreaking.

I know that deep down inside I didn't believe. I haven't believed in professional cycling as a clean sport since I was an idealistic kid. The problem with watching this sport though, is that when something really outstanding happens, like Stage17 this year, you suspend your disbelief and brush your cynicism aside and you really try to believe this is for real. Yet again we've been kicked in the nuts by professional cycling.
Already on this board, people are questioning the testing process or spinning this as somehow positive news for Lance Armstrong. I'm not attacking them, and they may have perfectly valid points. But the waters will be muddied again and we'll miss the big point. That really we're as much to blame for these scandals as anyone else involved in cycling. The sport is still watched by massive numbers both on the road and on tv. Within in hours of the Operacion Puerto scandal exploding, we were all on here discussing the Tour like all that had happened was Jean-Marie Leblanc had got a speeding ticket in his red Skoda.
Unless we walk away from this sport and vote with our feet, nothing will change. Problem, is I'll be tuning into the Vuelta in a few weeks time and wondering if Carlos Sastre can win it.

 

[cyclingheroes]

How many times must it be stated that the Peloton dopes?

Everybody that knows cycling has been saying this since the 1980's.

THEY ALL DOPE.....heroes and lackeys alike.

How many of you "posters" actually ride a bike?

1960's and still...
i'm shocked (again and again and again)

 

[tcklyde]

Ahh, just what the sport needed: confirmation that cycling is corrupt to the core.

The only question now is whether Landis will just be a cheater or whether he will be a cheater and a liar.

Here's to hoping he quits the charade and names names.

They all dope. They all cheat.

 

[Greymattar]

That's the problem, it's not "Innocent until proven guilty" anymore. It has to be guilty until proven innocent.

Cycling has been so dirty for so long that until they can prove that they have cleaned up their act, you have to assume everyone is guilty, and that sucks.

And at this point it's so bad that even if Landis comes up with some sort of explianation and ends up holding on to the Yellow Jersey most people will continue to think of him as a cheater. Is that fair, nope, but it certianly wasn't fair for all the cyclists before Landis to get away with cheating. So when you associate yourself with a sport, you take the good and the bad.

 

[bikeguy2000]

From Mennonite to maillot jaune to...

 

[cyclingheroes]

1959: French customs find pills ment for Charley Gaul. Tour de France doctor demand doping tests

1960: Tour doctor Pierre Dumas see how Italian national champion Gastone
Nenzini is taking hormones

Shall i continue...?

 

[goldsbar]

It's always been my belief that most of these guys are on something and the ones that got kicked out of this tour were just the unlucky ones (but still deserved it!). Armstrong, Ulrich, etc. - no doubt in my mind. I was naive enough to believe, however, that this tour was relatively clean and thought many of the riders were scared straight. Guess not. I really hope this isn't true but that was quite a miraculous recovery. On the other hand, what would testosterone do for you in one race? I thought it was more of a training tool leading to faster recovery. I don't think it's something like EPO or blood transfussions that will let you hammer the whole field. My knowleadge is admittedly small, though.

 

[MikefrMd]

To me its all about trust and the lack of it.

I hope Lloyd turns out to be clean because if not he has betrayed everyone....the little girl next to him on the podium...his wife...Eddie Merckx who was there to congradulate him and on and on.

I know why they cheat...it's money and fame, but I would think you would rather be a clean 2nd tear rider the a disgraced champion.

Very sad day if this turns out true

 

[youngda9]

That's the problem, it's not "Innocent until proven guilty" anymore. It has to be guilty until proven innocent.

That's the problem, it's hard to prove something that didn't happen. There will always be doubt, and that's sad.

I ask again, how many times was Floyd tested this year? How many times during the Tour?

Don't they test the top 3 guys after each stage, along with a random sampling or something? What is the protocol for this?

Foyd: 2nd stage 7, 3rd stage 11, 4th stage 15, 1st stage 17, 3rd stage 19. There is 4 top 3 tour finishes and 5 top 5 tour finishes this year. Surely he had to be tested multiple times this tour. Perhaps he took something after bonking in 16 that allowed him to tear up stage 17?

 

[rt1965]

Why not just legalize doping? Then, instead of watching the interview of the team's chef and learning all about caloric intake and caloric output, and how many plates of pasta a rider eats for breakfast, we can watch the interview with the team pharmacist and learn all about how they calculate just the right amount for a big dosage of epi!

 

[Andrija]

Don't they test the top 3 guys after each stage, along with a random sampling or something?

Top 2

 

[helmutRoole2]

I just talked to my wife on the phone. Poor thing. She was in tears. I told her, like I always do, that they're all doping, and she said, "I know. I just wish he hadn't got caught."

 

[cyclingheroes]

To me its all about trust and the lack of it.

I hope Lloyd turns out to be clean because if not he has betrayed everyone....the little girl next to him on the podium...his wife...Eddie Merckx who was there to congradulate him and on and on.

I know why they cheat...it's money and fame, but I would think you would rather be a clean 2nd tear rider the a disgraced champion.

Very sad day if this turns out true

He betrayed Merckx ? Are you kidding?

1969: Lucien Maigre was accused of giving Merckx doping substances. Years later it came out that Merckx took cortisone (is that how it's called in English?). He was tested positive at one day races in 1973 and 1977. In 1969 he was banned from the Giro but it never came out why (Giro)...

 

[Andrija]

Why not just legalize doping? Then, instead of watching the interview of the team's chef and learning all about caloric intake and caloric output, and how many plates of pasta a rider eats for breakfast, we can watch the interview with the team pharmacist and learn all about how they calculate just the right amount for a big dosage of epi!

And learn for our own purposes