Astana Solves the Drug Problem

Hi there Lafferty!

B. Lafferty said:

ROTFL!

"The riders must guarantee that they do not use any forbidden substances or
medicines, and that they have contact to no other doctors other than the
team doctors. If a rider is suspected of doping, a urine test can be made. "

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/oct06/oct28news2

Gotta ask if the A team will have a policy for allowing riders' doctors
for varous chronic conditions (asthma and bi-polar disorder, for
example) to be appointed "team doctors" -- OR will the WADA be busting
down the doors of Nurse Practioner's Offices all over Europe?

Robert Leone [email hidden]

"B. Lafferty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

"and that they have contact to no other doctors other than the team
doctors."

Well quite right. You wouldn't want sloppy strangers doping your boys. You
might get caught that way. Ooops, best hop on the bus, I think that might be
UCI test Doctor I saw out the corner of my eye ...

K-Paws said:

"B. Lafferty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

"and that they have contact to no other doctors other than the team
doctors."

Well quite right. You wouldn't want sloppy strangers doping your boys. You
might get caught that way. Ooops, best hop on the bus, I think that might be
UCI test Doctor I saw out the corner of my eye ...

Then comes the question of how good are those team doctors anyway? Oh,
sure, they may have plenty of practice on road rash, collarbone
fractures and heat exhaustion, but how are they on those ills and
maladies that aren't common to all cyclists? I recall Lance went to
non-team oncologists when he was diagnosed with cancer. Pantani could
have used a good shrink (If we herded a buncha protour team docs into a
locked room ["a briefing on WADA DNA sampling methods" would bring them
in] and asked them for a show of hands as to who's even HEARD of
''cognitive therapy" I betcha it would be less than half).

Just for the sake of argument, assume the team docs aren't in charge of
the team doping -- then whose rustling up the pills and shots? A
coworker who looks a little reedy lifts weights a lot (does a lot of
things with small boats whenever the Coast Guard reactivates him, which
is quite often), says odd people keep offering to sell him "something
to bulk you up" in the locker rooms, I think he's on his third gym now.
He's also noticed the number of times this happens has goine down since
he also started doing spinning and yoga classes at the gym. That or the
word among the dealers is that he's a no-sell.

I've read an account, in a biography of Gen. George S. Patton, that
back in the Stockholm Olympics a certain Modern Pentathlon competitor
(George S. Patton) was given a dose of morphine by his own coaching
staff during the 10K XC run as a performance enhancer. Nowadays, most
of us would go with the non steroidal anti-inflamatory over the counter
drug of choice and wash it down with something that packed
electrolytes, or a box of raisins and a packet of peanuts, or an
"energy bar.". Performance enhancement knowledge has gotten a lot
better among the general population now than it was among coaching
staff then -- but that may be an effect of the much more wide-spread
athleticism of the general population or Gatorade's ad budget and
PowerBar wrappings.

The questions still remains -- what about a cyclist who's already
seeing a doctor for some other medical problem? Any way to deputize
their "medical team" as A Docs?

Robert Leone