Tag: Doping
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Zwift’s Anti – Doping Policy: Is it open to Cheating?
A group from Teesside University in Middlesbrough, UK, has published a review in which it claims Zwift fails to meet the purpose of its anti-doping policy. The review, published in the International Journal of Esports concludes that Zwift is failing to ensure Safety, Fairness and Integrity. I recommend you read the whole review, but their…
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The First E-Racing World Championships Will Be Held On Zwift This December
Nearly a year ago the UCI and Zwift announce that a virtual racing world championships would be held in 2020. Today, the two organizations revealed more details, including that the competition will take place on December 8-9, 2020. “It’s with great pleasure that we are able to confirm the dates and plans for the first…
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The 27 Best Cycling Documentaries You Should Watch
COVID-19 is keeping a lot of us indoors. The boredom of indoor training in addition to every bike race being cancelled is a real downer, especially during what is normally one of the best times of the year to be a cycling fan. Despite there being no spring classics, you can brighten your Zwifting or…
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Andy Schleck: 2010 Tour de France is ‘bullsh**t’
In a television documentary with Sporza in Belgium, Andy Schleck called being retrospectively awarded the yellow jersey in the 2010 Tour de France following Alberto Contador’s doping results ‘bullshit’. Schleck finished the 2010 Tour second, 39 seconds back on Contador, but was eventually awarded the title in 2012 after Contador was sanctioned for a failed…
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Two Riders Caught Taking EPO at GFNY
Colombian Felipe Mendez and Argentinian Gabriel Raff tested positive for EPO at the Campagnolo GFNY World Championship event in an out-of-competition control. Race organizers say that both riders were among several randomly selected athletes out of a testing pool of 60 which contained riders with a chance of placing in the top 10 overall or…
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Lance Armstrong ‘wouldn’t change a thing’
Lance Armstrong has no regrets when it comes to using illegal performance-enhancing drugs that ultimately led to him being stripped of seven Tour de France titles. In an NBC Sports Network special with Mike Tirico that will air Wednesday, Armstrong explained he “wouldn’t change a thing” about what happened: “I wouldn’t change the way I…
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How to Beat the Biological Passport
There’s a well-known survey in sports, the Goldman Dilemma. Bob Goldman began asking elite athletes in the 1980s whether they would take a drug that guaranteed them a gold medal but would also kill them within five years. More than half of the athletes asked said yes. The biological passport, which tracks blood and urine…
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The UCI has Banned Tramadol
Professional cyclists taking the painkiller tramadol will now face disqualification from races, fines and potentially suspension by the UCI. According to the World Anit-Doping Agency (WADA), tramadol is frequently used by riders. Some use the medication to treat pain, but others use the drug to improve their performance on the bike. A trial titled “Tramadol…
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90-Year-Old US Cyclist Fails Doping Test
The old ‘contaminated meat’ excuse once again rears its head, in the most hilarious way possible. How do you win a sprint competition by yourself? Actually, here’s a better question. How do you lose it? Well, apparently by getting disqualified. Carl Grove, a 90-year-old cyclist from Indiana, has been stripped of his age-group title and…
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Banning Power Meters at the Tour de France is the Exact Opposite of What’s Needed
When ASO announced its 2019 route for the Tour de France last week Tour de France Race Director Christian Prudhomme made an interesting statement in his closing remarks as well as to reporters (via CyclingNews.com): “Power meters are very useful in training but when riders use them in a race it means they know exactly…
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Phil Gaimon’s New Book Reignites Motor Doping Debate
Motor doping is back in the news and all over the cycling boards this week thanks to an accusation Phil Gaimon makes in his 3rd book. Draft Animals: Living the Pro Cycling Dream (Once in a While) has been out since October but it seems the juiciest tid-bit in there is finally starting to circulate.…
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FranceTV Sport Reports That The UCI’s Motor Detectors Don’t Work
I’ve covered mechanical doping in the past, but this video from FranceTV Sport throws some new fuel on the fire. Turns out the UCI’s motor detectors don’t work. That’s not entirely surprising, considering the detectors consist of the iPad’s magnet connected to an app from the App Store. The App is apparently notorious for producing…
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That EPO Study Everyone is Talking About is Junk
By now, you’ve seen the headlines: “Study Shows Doping Drug EPO Gives No Edge to Serious Cyclists” (AP, via ESPN) “Blood Doping Doesn’t Work – For Amateurs, Anyway” (AFP) “Lance Armstrong’s drug of choice, EPO, ‘doesn’t work’, scientists claim” (The Telegraph) The study driving this news cycle was published in the British Journal of Clinical…
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The First Confirmed Case of Mechanical Doping In Pro Cycling Is Upon Us
Nearly 5 years ago I saw the following video. It seemed pretty damn tinfoil-hat like at the time. The video showed how mechanic doping might be accomplished. Asked the question, do any professional cyclists use a bicycle with an electric motor? And then showed the suspiciously great performances of Fabian Cancellara in the Tour of…