Doping

What Froome did was perfectly acceptable to anyone but the tin foil hat brigade who can't believe that Sky don't dope.

I'm pretty sure the tin foil hat brigade have TUEs for the hats, though.

TUEs exist because, believe it or not, pro cyclists are human beings too, and get ill and require medicines that are banned to make them better.

What Froome did was perfectly acceptable to anyone but the tin foil hat brigade who can't believe that Sky don't dope.

The point is if riders are so ill they need medication that strong, that enhances performance even when sick, then they shouldn't be racing, they should resting and getting better that way. Various doctors have said yes that is the drug they prescribe for Froome's condition, but they would also advice 2 weeks rest, not cycling up and down mountains.

MPCC teams don't let their riders use TUEs. I don't think the UCI should let riders use TUEs. I don't think doctors should be prescribing drugs that require TUEs. I don't think Froome has done anything wrong, but I also think its an area that needs reviewing by WADA.

It's usually only prescribed for asthmatics with severe chest infections

Froome's asthmatic and had a severe chest infection.

The point is if riders are so ill they need medication that strong, that enhances performance even when sick, then they shouldn't be racing...I don't think the UCI should let riders use TUEs. I don't think doctors should be prescribing drugs that require TUEs. I don't think Froome has done anything wrong, but I also think its an area that needs reviewing by WADA.

WADA keep all medicines under review, and classify them as to how much you can take, whether you can use them in competition, and whether you need a TUE to use them at all. If you have specific concerns about this particular drug, I'm sure there's a way for you to send your views to WADA and have them dismissed as the ravings of an unqualified lunatic :-)

On the generality of TUEs, you might have a point if you want different codes for different athletes, but the WADA code applies to everybody, and it was only a few years ago that I needed a TUE for salbutamol in order to compete at my middlemarkers level in domestic TTs. Having no TUEs for in-competition use would have been in effect a ban on asthmatics participating in any sport which has signed up to the WADA code. Since insulin still requires a TUE, no TUEs means no diabetic athletes, which would be a bit of a blow to UCI Pro Continental team Novo Nordisk, which probably leaves your 'no TUEs' policy restricted to ProTour teams.

May be legal, but 40mg of prednisolone makes you feel like a bit of an animal. When I'm on it, I get about 4.5hrs sleep, never feel tired, and can get PBs despite carrying a lung full of lemon curd. Never tried them when not ill, but suspect they are quite "recreational".

“This is [usually] banned in competition for good reason – it is a potent stimulant and it is catabolic, not anabolic. It basically deregulates energy metabolism so that appetite is increased and more energy is burnt with much less fatigue.

The first is an anecdotal experience of a very good audac rider, the second a doctor's. If you follow the link to the cycling tips piece on it, they have three doctors commenting, including one from Irish cycling, all questioning why someone so ill should be competing. Rest is the main prescription for chest infection.

“Can anyone dope up for a whole stage race if they complain of a cough? The tablets have a much more potent systemic effect, that’s why they are banned,” he said. “Suggesting it is okay to race rather then recover in this situation would be medically unusual.”

Another quote from the piece.

So you have a particular problem with this drug. That's not an argument for a complete elimination of in-competition TUEs.

that is the drug they prescribe for Froome's condition, but they would also advice 2 weeks rest, not cycling

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Froome's asthmatic and had a severe chest infection.
Furry muff.

Exercise induced asthma according to him. Racing over mountains on a bike probably isn't just what the dr ordered for that with a severe chest infection.

How often do you think riders have mild infections of the kind that doesn't require strong, performance enhancing drugs?

It's a good job the team DS, riders and doctors are all so honest I guess.

#acyclingfanmakesforacynic

So you have a particular problem with this drug. That's not an argument for a complete elimination of in-competition TUEs.

Yes, sorry if I generalised it too much. I am aware that some banned products have negligible performance enhancing properties, and of course others are banned because they are masking agents. However corticosteroids give a very distinct performance boost, ill or not as the doctor says. It eliminates the cough and respiratory problems bought about by the infection but also gives greater energy and reduced fatigue. Which means Froome legally won a race using a drug that probably boosted his ability.

Let me make myself clear before the nergs come, I'm not accusing Froome of cheating, he didn't at all. However the Irish doctor talks of how his athletes would be required to take a 14 day break before being able to use a TUE like that one, that seems like utter sense to me, but not required by WADA or the UCI. Or team Sky for that matter. Not so Astana, or other members of the MPCC, even if they don't like it:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mpcc-advised-astana-on-nibali-wasp-sting

It was what my friend said about the drug that alarmed me, he was immediately dismayed that Froome should be allowed to race having ridden while using the drug. It just seems to me tighter restrictions should be in place for a drug so potent, otherwise the TUE system could be abused, and of course has been in the past.

Olympic and World Champion race walker Yelena Lashmanova 2 year ban after positive for really fucking scary experimental compound GW1516.

Apparently the 16th positive for athletes coached by the same coach, Viktor Chegin. Four so far this year.

Kimmage & Cookson are on Twitter discussing Sky's TUE if anyone's interested:

https://twitter.com/PaulKimmage/status/480762897849942016

Olympic and World Champion race walker Yelena Lashmanova 2 year ban after positive for really fucking scary experimental compound GW1516.

Apparently the 16th positive for athletes coached by the same coach, Viktor Chegin. Four so far this year.

Amazing, if I told some of my non cycling friends that race walkers dope they would laugh at me. Same goes if I suggest there might be something amiss in tennis, or god-forbid soccer.

Hey-ho.

http://m.cyclingnews.com/features/team-sky-no-medicine-for-regret

Michelle Cound has closed her Twitter account

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/all-tue-requests-will-now-pass-through-a-committee-says-uci

Michelle Cound has closed her Twitter account

doping thread?

It was over the TUE, so wasn't sure, so put it both...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/all-tue-requests-will-now-pass-through-a-committee-says-uci

From the comments section:

TMinetti1 hour ago
I've taken 40mg of prednisone many times for asthma/bronchitis (just starting my taper to 30mg today -- woo-hoo!). I also ride. Prednisone is not some milquetoast drug. It's rocket fuel. It gets me flying. If, say, my oh-my-god-i-am-about-to-redline-and-blow-completely-up heartrate is the low 170s normally, 40mg of prednisone will let me go into the high 170s or low 180s before blowing up. There's a reason why, on the rare occasion I am able to drop my friends on big climbs, they all yell "are you on steroids!" as I ride away.

If you just started on 40mg prednisone, you're too sick to risk or impaired to race. If the prednisone has worked and opened up your breathing, and you're about to start tapering, you should not be allowed to race because you have an insanely unfair advantage. I'm not kidding. The stuff is rocket fuel.

As one lungilly impaired person to another, I feel for Froome. Ashtma and chest infections (both of which are dear, dear friends of mine that visit regularly) s-u-c-k. However, no pro should be allowed to race on prednisone. It's not fair. at all.

Seems pretty dubious anyone should be racing on the stuff then.

I remember a case where a pro golfer that was allergic to grass (right?) got insane amounts of pressure over the anti-inflammatories he took because they could be construed as performance enhancing, and that's golf FFS.

The whole Zorzoli ignoring protocol element just makes it look even worse, if having a sly tug at your inhaler right before attacking didn't already look quite theatrical.

Whatever happened to that mystery pill that fell out of someone's jersey during Paris Roubaix? (or LBL?)

someone probably took it and now can't remember what happened

Seems pretty dubious anyone should be racing on the stuff then.

I remember a case where a pro golfer that was allergic to grass (right?) got insane amounts of pressure over the anti-inflammatories he took because they could be construed as performance enhancing, and that's golf FFS.

The whole Zorzoli ignoring protocol element just makes it look even worse, if having a sly tug at your inhaler right before attacking didn't already look quite theatrical.

Anecdotal. Science please.

Whatever happened to that mystery pill that fell out of someone's jersey during Paris Roubaix? (or LBL?)

widely regarded to have been a 'viral' publicity stunt for a vets practice or something