No question that Riis was using EPO, but in 89 he was a domestique for Fignon (and actually won a stage of the Giro) - the whole of the Renault team was riding like trojans to get rid of Mottet, Lemond and it was really attacking tour - anarchy every day. So his overall isn't really a reflection of his ability.
He was dom in 91, and it wasn't until he moved to the Ariostea Team (and would presumably also had the benefit of Italian medical 'assistance'), whose philosophy was of opportunistically using other teams efforts to hunt for victories, rather than riding for a nominated leader, that he got his chance to show what he could do.
From what I remember, he spent most of the 93 Tour (his breakthrough year) hanging on to the Mig's back wheel for as long as he could. Absolutely no question that he was doped - had the nickname Mr 60% in the peloton - referring to his haemcrit level, tho.
If anyone's interested Greg Lemond gave a couple of interviews, one to David Walsh, one to a web radio station in the States, which explain why EPO made such a difference to riders like Indurain, Riis and Armstrong, who should not have been able to generate the power to move their bodies up-hill as fast as they did in the 90s and 00s.
No question that Riis was using EPO, but in 89 he was a domestique for Fignon (and actually won a stage of the Giro) - the whole of the Renault team was riding like trojans to get rid of Mottet, Lemond and it was really attacking tour - anarchy every day. So his overall isn't really a reflection of his ability.
He was dom in 91, and it wasn't until he moved to the Ariostea Team (and would presumably also had the benefit of Italian medical 'assistance'), whose philosophy was of opportunistically using other teams efforts to hunt for victories, rather than riding for a nominated leader, that he got his chance to show what he could do.
From what I remember, he spent most of the 93 Tour (his breakthrough year) hanging on to the Mig's back wheel for as long as he could. Absolutely no question that he was doped - had the nickname Mr 60% in the peloton - referring to his haemcrit level, tho.
If anyone's interested Greg Lemond gave a couple of interviews, one to David Walsh, one to a web radio station in the States, which explain why EPO made such a difference to riders like Indurain, Riis and Armstrong, who should not have been able to generate the power to move their bodies up-hill as fast as they did in the 90s and 00s.