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Kudos to USADA's Travis Tygart - bust them dopers!

Paul HoughPaul Hough
in General Training Discussions

The longer I'm in the sport the more cynical I am becoming.  Doping is rampant in cycling and triathlon, but at least USADA is trying.  Read here about a master's cyclist seeking doping advice on an internet forum also frequented by runners and triathletes.  Note the posts further down by "travist" who vows to catch him.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/e...76753.html

The cyclist posted on 4 Nov 2015 and was busted -- as promised -- in an OOC on 5 Dec 2015.  Read the 4 year ban here:

http://www.lawinsport.com/sports-la...-violation

Yes, this is the same guy as the OP in the thread above.  Karma!!

 

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Paul, I think I'm coming around to your perspective. Last six months, I've been on a competitive hiatus. With no races staring at me, it has dawned on me that, at least in Ironman in my AG, it just takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch. So even if AG doping is rare (like 1-2%), that one guy takes home all the marbles. Given the truth that dopers are out there, and little is done to discover them in the AG ranks, it makes competition for top spots kind of a crap shoot. Better to play in the USAT world, where at least I'm not giving up my life for half the year to have a shot at the prize I value, which is making the national team to go to the ITU world's. Since the top 15 make it, as competitors fade away, it gets a lot easier, and even if five guys are doping, I'm still "doing well".

    You seem quite content in the half IM world. I'm beginning to enjoy the amount of training required to race there, compared to IM.

  • Paul HoughPaul Hough

    Al - you are right that it only takes one guy to ruin the game; especially when there is only one slot in your age group. However, I suspect the number of cheats is at least 5% although that number probably includes people who really don't have a chance with or without PEDs. It is a much, much easier to qualify for ITU worlds, partly because they offer more slots, and partly because everyone is so fixated on Kona they won't consider fabulous destination options overseas. Meanwhile, check out this previously suspended cyclist who was just convicted for selling EPO to cyclists and triathletes. Some of them were suspended but a lot more probably got away with it.



    http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...story.html

    FYI - the two Radcliffe brothers who bought from this guy both raced in Kona.  I sure hope they found his client list.  Meanwhile, I understand that more suspensions are forthcoming from the cycling OOC tests. 

     

  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    Read those threads. Wow.
  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    Paul,
    Thanks for posting this. Like WJ said, "Wow." It is truly amazing what people will do for a podium.
    Joe
  • Mark StahlkopfMark Stahlkopf
    Don't think that the "problem" is limited to cycling & triathlon. I'm still waiting for the NFL to publish the list of its biggest dopers.....I doubt that will ever happen.
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Agree.  The objective of pro sports is to have a semblance of an anti-doping program simply for appearance and cover.  But they don't want to test aggressively and lose players and marketing.  The vast majority of pro sports are affected; but what is changing is how it prevalent it is getting in the amateur ranks when there is nothing on the line but bragging rights. 
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