Originally Posted by
robertorolfo
I'm not an expert on the sport or on the scene, but your outlook on general human nature seems a bit naive. People don't need to be getting paid to dope. They are just as likely, if not more likely, to dope in order to get paid in the first place. Did you see that recent interview with Armstrong on NBC? He admitted that he would have done it all over again, because of the prospect of going back to Texas as a failed, no-name cyclist was just too much for him to bear. It was a fascinating and telling moment. How many of these guys are facing similar choices? How many are already in obscurity, and desperate for a way out?
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The thing that folks do not seem to be acknowledging in my posts is the scope is narrowed for the 20-30 year old group. I am responding to the scope of this post - Amateurs. In that group you have all the best in the world - for their age, who even doped are not good enough to be pro. And you have a group that know they are not going to be pros, because of choice, or because of ability. The latter group is generally getting better (age) and the former declining (age).
All 40+ racers are amateurs. The most serious/best performers in the 20-30s are not. So besides the easier of legitimate access to PEDs a 40, 50 etc. has, you have all competitors in that age group in there. Ex-pros, world champions all types. When they were 20-30s they were pros too. And if they were doping then, they were doping as pros - so out of scope of this thread as is Armstrong / other pros.
There were/are several top cyclists that made the choice to step out of being a pro. Choosing not to compete at that level and then doping so you can, is something I don't see. Instead they train when they can around work, school and go race. If they took cycling as seriously as the other things in life - they'd be pros, and there might be more reason to dope.
Originally Posted by
robertorolfo
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Lastly, on TUE's, just look at some of the big names that had no issues getting them. Froome and his "asthma." Simone Biles and her ADD. The Williams sisters and whatever ailments they claim to have. Finding a crooked doctor is just as easy as finding a crooked athlete...
I think the TUE thing is just a loop hole they should dump. Even juniors get TUEs and they are an advantage. Cycling is a sport where some competitors are not even allowed the same equipment in a race against older ones, so we pretty much build in unfairness part of it. The "everyone is doing it" is how it is done. From sticky bottles, to equipment changes, to drafting cars - and doping. I don't see that as unusual. Other sports I've officiated, you have the rules/laws and then you have what everyone does. That is typically what is considered fair, not what the rules are. You just don't want to get too much advantage, or win too much and everyone will be happy.