Doping

Yes, how convenient that is.

The statute of limitations means most will get away scot free though.

Although the athletes can be identified ? Spanish authorities have been historically reluctant to pop their athletes, so it will be interesting what happens with 'AC' and rumoured Spanish tennis and football players

Who's going to pursue a case? WADA aren't going to spend money identifying athletes that they can't then bring a case against. Their budget is small enough as it is, without wasting some of it on identifying potential cheats from ten years ago, many of whom have probably retired now.

It's good that the legal precedent has been set in Spain, but I think that's the only positive (excuse the pun) outcome from this. As @hippy rightly says, the timing of this case is remarkably convenient, given the ten year statute of limitation milestone was passed a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, Oscar Sevilla, a rider named in Puerto but who escaped any sanctions, wins the opening stage of the Tour of Colombia. I assumed it was a uphill prologue, but no, it was the reverse, a downhill 11 km TT.

It irked me watching him win that stage knowing his history, but as we learned from Juan Pablo Villegas, the Vuelta a Colombia is always sketchy.

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/06/interview-why-phil-gaimon-believes-danielson-wasnt-doping/

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dr-bonar-whistleblower-says-doping-is-endemic-in-cycling/

Dan Stevens: During the three-month period in which he was taking the products, Stevens said he noticed "huge effects" and spoke of a "15 to 20 per cent performance gain". He added: "I saw an increase of probably 60 or 70 watts at my threshold power, which is massive."

Must be pretty gutting to be taking EPO, HGH and Thyroxin and still be a very average racer.

Also speculating on what the pro's could be taking and how endemic doping could be in amateur racing. Not downplaying the possibility of continuing extensive doping at all levels of cycling but; man buys drugs from man on internet, gets caught, appears before parliamentary committee. Not exactly expert witness standard is it.

Not downplaying the possibility of continuing extensive doping at all levels of cycling but; man buys drugs from man on internet, gets caught, appears before parliamentary committee. Not exactly expert witness standard is it.

What I thought also. It's generated some doping endemic in cycling headlines and is keeping the tinfoil hat brigade happy though.

Russia anti doping lolz = no Olympics for you

https://wada-main-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/files/2016.06.15_russia_testing_update_final.pdf

Russia anti doping lolz

That reads more like a catalogue of Russia's failure to have even the most basic rule of law. If I were Russian, I'd have much bigger things to worry about than whether a national representative team could compete in international sporting competitions.

It's a joke that we're still even considering the possibility of Russia being in the Olympics. And staying in the Euros. And holding the World Cup. You'd almost think they had some unnatural power over sporting bodies.

I blame all those 80s action movies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/36541301

53x20

scummy scumbag

Simon Yates gets a 4 month sanction.

http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/uci-statement-simon-yates/

If only his lawyers were as good as froomes. Don't see why SY can't get a retroactive TUE.

Hey ho. He's taken it like a man, put his hands up and been honest.

Fair play to him. Good for him.

So he's had his name dragged through the mud for what?

His team doctor making an error.
I hope orica are paying him some good compensation!!

If only his lawyers were as good as froomes

Eh?

In the sense of froome and his prednisone at romanide. (a light joke)

I can't understand how UCI can't see the sense in this situation and not ban him from what is a clerical error.

But Froome did absolutely nothing wrong. He had a TUE for the substance he took.

Yates has done something wrong, he failed to declare a product he'd taken that was banned. He may have taken that substance through negligence on the part of the team doctor, but it remains his responsibility for that substance getting into his system.

I think a four month ban is relatively lenient.

Yeah it was a joke about froome. I know he did nothing wrong.

Yes, in the end, it's Yates who is at fault, and he's stood up and accepted that. Which I think itsvery good of him and I respect that a lot. Other athletes could learn a lot from him. For a young guy, he's had some good council an acted proper.

So he's had his name dragged through the mud for what?

For breaking the WADA code. Specifically, for failing the intelligence test by taking medication given to him by his doctor without even bothering to check what it was. Velonews quoting Yates:

"Unbeknown to me, this substance was in the medication prescribed to treat my asthma during the race"

If I moved to Australia and told my new doctor I'd been taking asthma medication for the last 20 years, it would not be altogether surprising if he prescribed Bricanyl, the antipodeans seem to love that shit. On the other hand, even if there wasn't a question of of doping control, I'd be pretty pissed off if he didn't ask me what I'd been taking hitherto and then explain at length his reasons for wanting to switch me to a different drug. In the absence of a deliberate attempt to use terbutaline as a performance enhancer, the case seems to show a casual disregard for the patient's interest on the part of the doctor, and an alarming lack of curiosity on the part of the patient.

More trouble in athletics, top coach Jama Aden arrested and EPO found in his room.

and an alarming lack of curiosity on the part of the patient.

See, I d0n't agree with that. Well, I do, but here's why it's not particularly alarming or surprising - pro sportspeople live in a bubble of 24/7 support. Their time is organised for them, what they eat, their sponsored clothing and gear, when they get their massages, supplements... on and on. I can believe that they might be very into a few of these areas - ensuring they have the exact kit they want, for example - but an inhaler? I imagine for a lot of them they just assume the doctor will get it right for them.

Suspect there could be an amusing explanation coming.