Drugs in Cycling

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by SBOT
Does your knowledge of the history of drug use within the sport impact yoru enjoyment of cycling?

http://www.siglamag.com/features/angels.shtml

Nup. It's in my blood. 🙂

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by SBOT
Does your knowledge of the history of drug use within the sport impact yoru enjoyment of cycling?

To suggest cyclists take drugs is silly! 😕

To answer that question directly - no. No, it doesn't affect my personal enjoyment of cycling, because I do it for fun, and I don't take drugs to increase my performance.

It does however affect my perception on the professional side of the sport. I'd like to think and believe all the riders when they say they're not on drugs, but then I hear claims like that of Phillipe Gaumont, ex-Cofidis rider who says that over 90% of the riders are on drugs. I personally don't know enough to tell weather they are or not. But the fact that it's a possibilty is really disheartening.

I apply a simple, yet effective, rule to the drug issue. Until a cyclist tests positive I give them the benefit of the doubt. Thats it, no question. I dont believe press or a**hole journalists with a hidden agenda.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by steve007
I apply a simple, yet effective, rule to the drug issue. Until a cyclist tests positive I give them the benefit of the doubt. Thats it, no question. I dont believe press or a**hole journalists with a hidden agenda.

Agree. Like Richard Virenque said at the Festina trial...."If you don't test positive, you haven't doped."

I'm a newbie (to the board, and cycling) but I've found that this particular subject is the same with every group of athletes and fans, whether it's bodybuilding, cycling, baseball, or curling. There's always someone who wil claim that 90% of the pro's are drugged up.

All I can say for sure is that I would rather stick with "innocent until proven guilty" and let someone prove conclusively that person X is cheating.

Either way, (drugs or no) they'd all kick my butt, so they're fun to watch. 😄

--Nathan

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by SBOT
Does your knowledge of the history of drug use within the sport impact yoru enjoyment of cycling?

http://www.siglamag.com/features/angels.shtml

Nope. I love the sport, both watching and participating. Although it does sadden me to see the use of drugs in any sport.

Nope. Drugs are prevalent in other sports too. I don't like them and I wish they weren't a problem in cycling but they are not going to change how I feel/what I think about the sport.

It doesn't stop my personal enjoyment when I am cycling.
I have never used drugs to cycle competitively - when I was
competing.

It does influence my viewing of the pros on TV.
I am less inclined to believe what I see and the results that I see.
I feel that what we see is not down to who is the best rider -
it's down to who has the best chemist/doctor working for them.
And it kills me to have to say this.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by NathanJ
I'm a newbie (to the board, and cycling) but I've found that this particular subject is the same with every group of athletes and fans, whether it's bodybuilding, cycling, baseball, or curling. There's always someone who wil claim that 90% of the pro's are drugged up.

All I can say for sure is that I would rather stick with "innocent until proven guilty" and let someone prove conclusively that person X is cheating.

Either way, (drugs or no) they'd all kick my butt, so they're fun to watch. 😄

--Nathan

I think drugs are way more prevalent in bodybuilding where they don't scrutinize the athletes to nearly the degree that professional cycling does. All you have to do is look at that Natural Bodybuilding magazine and compare the bodybuilders in it to the ones in any other bodybuilding magazine on the rack. You'll see the difference right away. The natural bodybuilders are built up, but they pale in comparison to the other guys who are obviously juicing up. They are WAY bigger.

Arnold admits he used to do steroids under the supervision of a doctor when he was bodybuilding, but the dosages were much lower, maybe something like 30% higher testosterone than normal level. Now he says the dosages elevate this measure to more than 10 times the normal level.

That's another comparison. Compare the bodybuilders of 30 years ago with those today. They keep getting huger--especially the women. It's not all training. Most of it's drugs.