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Astana wait for testing...
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 17-07-2009 18:30
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There have been some posts about the 50 minute wait some doping testers had when they sat down and drank coffee.
Just read an article stateing that the wait was in the morning before a mountain stage, and the testers arrived just after 6 AM when the riders were still asleep... and were asked to wait until 7 to not interfere with the riders sleeping on an important day.
Now I know the rule is "when the testers say jump, you jump"... but I do wonder about the timing. Do you think it's reasonable to have early morning or late night testing in the middle of a race? Could they come in at 3 AM the day before Ventoux?
Just wondering what others thought. |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 17-07-2009 18:50
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It's the first time testing at this hour is being done.
And it's being done at this hour because countless former pros have warned the UCI time and time again that riders dope around that time of day, and the body has already diluted most products by the time the stage starts, which is why barely anyone ever tests positive.
This is a good thing (testing at that hour). More than that, it's a necessity. The only way to properly catch cheaters.
However it must be done immediately, since if it isn't, the riders can take a saline solution in a matter of seconds to dilute their blood values and normalize their blood values. |
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| Phanekim |
Posted on 17-07-2009 18:57
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*thumbs up* |
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| kadel |
Posted on 17-07-2009 19:07
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Why did they accept the wait? wtf. |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 17-07-2009 19:16
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issoisso wrote:
It's the first time testing at this hour is being done.
And it's being done at this hour because countless former pros have warned the UCI time and time again that riders dope around that time of day, and the body has already diluted most products by the time the stage starts, which is why barely anyone ever tests positive.
This is a good thing (testing at that hour). More than that, it's a necessity. The only way to properly catch cheaters.
However it must be done immediately, since if it isn't, the riders can take a saline solution in a matter of seconds to dilute their blood values and normalize their blood values.
My only question is doesn't it kind of screw up the fairness of the race?
I mean if everyone normally sleeps until 8... and on a key mountain stage the favorite is woken up for testing at 6AM... doesn't that in fact give the other teams an advantage?
Seems like all the teams should be done at the same time... disrupt everyone evenly.
Again... not claiming to be an expert on any of this... but I know when my son wakes me up at 6 rather then 7 I am dying at work that day due to an hour of lost sleep. |
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| kadel |
Posted on 17-07-2009 19:26
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nobody is forcing them to race the tour de france. They race it by choice, they have to accept tests at any time. |
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| KurtinSC |
Posted on 17-07-2009 20:09
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kadel wrote:
nobody is forcing them to race the tour de france. They race it by choice, they have to accept tests at any time.
While I don't disagree... I'd hate to be on the team tested first thing in the morning the day of Venoux (if they had a GC contender).
The other thing Lance (and other riders) said was that as soon as the testers knocked on their doors, they immediately did the tests. His quote was along the lines of saying that he's asleep at 6 AM, if they don't come get him, how was he supposed to know?
I'd like to know more about what happened. Did Bruyneel or someone say "Hey, it's 6 AM... you mind drinking some java and giving our guys a bit more sleep since today is the only mountain top finish in the Pyrennees?"... and the testers said "okay"? Or did the Astana guys say, "Let us go get our guys" and it took nearly an hour.
I think if it was the latter, it would definitely be more worthy of a penalty then the former. |
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| Ste117 |
Posted on 17-07-2009 23:26
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I disagree I understand why they have to do early tests but you shouldn't be allowed to deprive some riders a couple of hours of sleep, it's unfair. |
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| kadel |
Posted on 17-07-2009 23:59
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KurtinSC wrote:
kadel wrote:
nobody is forcing them to race the tour de france. They race it by choice, they have to accept tests at any time.
While I don't disagree... I'd hate to be on the team tested first thing in the morning the day of Venoux (if they had a GC contender).
The other thing Lance (and other riders) said was that as soon as the testers knocked on their doors, they immediately did the tests. His quote was along the lines of saying that he's asleep at 6 AM, if they don't come get him, how was he supposed to know?
I'd like to know more about what happened. Did Bruyneel or someone say "Hey, it's 6 AM... you mind drinking some java and giving our guys a bit more sleep since today is the only mountain top finish in the Pyrennees?"... and the testers said "okay"? Or did the Astana guys say, "Let us go get our guys" and it took nearly an hour.
I think if it was the latter, it would definitely be more worthy of a penalty then the former.
I think both situations would be bad. Team management could say, 'hey come on let them sleep one more hour', wake up any riders doping and getting them ready for the test so that they would not get caught. |
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| spudde |
Posted on 19-07-2009 17:31
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Please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the testers have come knocking to the doors of any other teams at 6AM. The fact is they are riding 21 stages in 23 days, doped up or not the riders should be allowed to sleep. If these kinds of tests are going to be done, they should make them randomly to all teams and it should be known that this kind of testing can also happen. I don't think anyone anticipated that the testers decide to wake them up at that kind of hour. If one can't understand why Astana riders are angry about this, be sure to start an antiAstana group. |
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