Saw this on cyclingnews.com today: Christian Henn, Sport Director at Team Gerolsteiner, said the following when interviewed about changes in anti-doping techniques, "Another method that we would be ready for is unannounced controls just before the start. That should happen at the Tour de France this year. We are waiting for the change."
How would these pre-stage controls alter the methods of any would-be dopers? Would they just be a spanner in the works for EPO micro-dosers or would they have any effect on riders using Fuentes style blood transfusions? Any ideas anyone?
Would there be a change in a haematacrit level after a transfusion?
No.
There are so many research blood products/drugs avaiable that no test can ever hope to detect for less than $100,000 per analysis, excluding the lawyer fees.
hCT is a big Red Herring as is the EPO urine tests.
Blood doping remains an drug EXEMPTION area as does asthma meds, thyroid meds, insulin/glucose, hGH and exogensous testosterone.
How would these pre-stage controls alter the methods of any would-be dopers? Would they just be a spanner in the works for EPO micro-dosers or would they have any effect on riders using Fuentes style blood transfusions? Any ideas anyone?
Obviously the authorities think that people are doping between the usual eight o'clock blood test and the start of the stage. I have posted this before, but Dr. Prentice Steffan, former U.S. Postal doctor, said that riders were transfusing during this time, allowing them to ride at a Hct higher than the 50% limit, and then dumping the blood after the stage. I take the change in the testing procedures as confirmation that Steffan was right.
You would need more blood to use this method than you would need for transfusions before the start and on rest days. It seems you would have to spend a lot of your Tour preparation in a blood deficient state. This might explain why Tour contenders don't race seriously before the Tour. Racing they do do may be timed so the even falls just before they are ready to extract more blood.
Obviously the authorities think that people are doping between the usual eight o'clock blood test and the start of the stage. I have posted this before, but Dr. Prentice Steffan, former U.S. Postal doctor, said that riders were transfusing during this time, allowing them to ride at a Hct higher than the 50% limit, and then dumping the blood after the stage. I take the change in the testing procedures as confirmation that Steffan was right.
You would need more blood to use this method than you would need for transfusions before the start and on rest days. It seems you would have to spend a lot of your Tour preparation in a blood deficient state. This might explain why Tour contenders don't race seriously before the Tour. Racing they do do may be timed so the even falls just before they are ready to extract more blood.
Or the doper can elect a bovine-based HBOCs stored at room temperature for an immediate boost. HOWEVER----Mauro Gianetti spent ten long days in the University of Lucerne ICU after his daring PFC transfusion in May 1999----the year of the miracle Lance Pharmstromng drug-free victory.
That's why I refer to Grand Tour Racing a Pharma Lotto outcome.
In 2005 Iban Basso blew chunks after looking strong. In 2006 Basso won by 9+ minutes.
2007 DiLuca (2004 Roche Pharma C.E.R.A. super test EPO seeker) smoked the field.
