Doping

I was trying to work out what he would have taken before the last stage of the Dauphine, he had a minute and a half lead so some kind of recovery product? We know they had cortisone and testosterone at various points.

The whole affair does leave you thinking how much you can trust the current Sky riders unfortunately. Brailsford is clearly willing to step over that line.

Assuming you're talking about the mystical jiffy bag, it was being delivered for after, not before, the last stage of the Dauphine.

As to the contents, either Fluimucil, triamcinolone, or "dunno", depending on who you believe.

Ah my mistake, defo recovery then.

Cake, specifically coffee and walnut cake. Wiggo had to slip it past the Sky dieticians.

Imagine what the Daily Mail would have made of this had it been Wiggins.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42030913

You are aware BC never purchased any Fluimucil as per DCMS evidence from UKAD

If Sutton is admitting TUEs for triamcinolone injections were used, doesn't that breach the no needles policy?

No, because "injections of more than 50 mL per 6 hour period are prohibited" so it's a quantity thing. Sky/BC didn't have a no needles policy then?

If you have a TUE you can use a needle. The rule was put in place to stop recovery injections.

I thought there was a blanket 'no needles' policy. Maybe I imagined that.

He didn't take anything before the last stage of the Dauphine. The issue is whether he took something after the stage as, at the time, WADA rules on in competition covered the entire day of the last day of competition, so he couldn't take anything until midnight. That rule has subsequently changed to conclude once all post event anti-doping duties are met.

Sky haven't stepped over the line, as that would mean someone would've been charged. They've just gone right up to the line.

There is, but it doesn't preclude injection if you have a TUE.

TUEs are way better than I thought. Get me a doctor, stat!

That’s the problem. Joe bloggs wouldn’t get this medicine. When I was talking to an allergy specialist, they said that the medicine he was prescribed would basically never be prescribed, let alone just for that. One rule for one, another for others.

Like the UCI turning a blind eye to their own rules about the use of custom equipment to obtain records. Why even have rules?

Why even have rules?

Because people will pay to be allowed to break bend them.

David 'I died a little inside' Millar can fuck off though.

There's a loophole in the rules. They took advantage of it, all legally. Wiggo won, we all cheered, and now it is several years ago. I think the lesson is don't put athletes on pedestals and you too can avoid dying inside when they disappoint you.

Instead blame the authorities for allowing loopholes that teams and riders can exploit. That remains the most salient point in this entire affair.

Millar’s ‘died inside’ comment did make me lol.

Sport is weird morally, we expect excellence and a big part of being at the top of your game is exploiting every advantage given to you within the rules.

I think there's barely any difference morally between protein powders and banned substances (EPO and the like). It's all performance enhancing, I agree with @Jimmy_Fingers we should take them all off pedestals

When Sky recruited Sean Yates, Scott Sunderland and Brian Nygård before they even launched you knew that any anti-doping stance was compromised and purely PR puff.

I think there's barely any difference morally between protein powders and banned substances (EPO and the like).

Thought i'd logged into Bike Radar for a minute then

Does anyone else think that Froome was the source that led to the investigation? Or that Wiggins thinks it is?

By this I mean, where do you draw the line? People are always going push it

Dan Martin is not people.

where do you draw the line?

It's show biz, the line should be drawn at the revenue maximising point. Cultural changes in the audience cause that point to move over time, so if you're concerned about long term reputation rather than just money, you want to be ahead of the audience if you think they are likely to become more morally prescriptive.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/colombian-u23-champion-tests-positive-for-cera/