Tyler Hamilton DOPING?????? Say it isn't so, Joe!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/3675726.stm


Hamilton 'fails' blood tests
Olympic time trial champion

Tyler Hamilton faces a ban for doping after reportedly failing blood tests in Athens and last week's Tour of Spain.

The 33-year-old American was found guilty of blood doping after winning the Vuelta's eighth stage, a time-trial, on 11 September.

Hamilton pulled out of the Tour on 16 September, citing stomach problems.

A previous 'A' test carried out in Athens on 19 August also reportedly showed up blood cell irregularities.

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Tyler told his Directeur Sportif "Be calm, because this will work out in my favour and I'm telling you that sincerely, because there's absolutely nothing in this."

I'd like to believe him, really, really believe him, but we heard the same thing from David Millar and the late Marco Pantani, and Millar's banned and Il Pirati is feeding the worms...

This and a dumb-ass in the WH, too...how much can one farm-boy be expected to stand?

Cycling is (was) the one sport left worth following, imo.

Now I'm relegated to cyclist, not cycle sport fan.

:argh:

....Floyd, George, the guys and gals who ride in the dirt...
There's still plenty of REAL athletes out there!

I don't want to get too into discussing Lance and doping/steroid use. Its just too inflamed a discussion - like Cuba threads. (FYI Lance has to take steroidal testosterone almost daily, due to his cancer. Unlike the others, Lance can keep his levels at optimum, which helps speed/optimize recovery. Still, Lance has to push the pedals and is a master strategist.)

Almost the whole race with a bunged-up collarbone. how could one NOT admire that much grit?

When he dropped out this year because he "hurt" his back, i was worried that he had fractured something. Was glad to find out that wasn't it.

Then when he won the TT in Athens for his dog Tugboat, how could you not dig the guy?

Some things that Lance does that sets him at the front of the peloton...
While Ullrich was doing the traditional "winter training" of beer and brats, Lance started riding the Alps. February is when his "season" begins, shitty weather, snow, rain, mountains.

I think guys like Tyler and Lance must be able to "Zen out" or something, to ignore the pain.

And Lance is the master strategist. He knows the road up Ventoux like I know that mile of gravel leading into Ash Grove.

I'm kind of in shock over this news about Tyler. I hope it's bullshit, but then we said the same thing about Pantani and Millar...

.... is quite capable of producing normal testosterone levels. If he is taking supplemental testosterone, that is technically illegal in my totally unofficial opinion.

People need to accept the FACT that most pro athletes use performance enhancing drugs, and nothing is ever going to put that toothpaste back in the tube.

He had to "go to the bank and make a deposit" in order to have kids. Maybe the treatment killed off the testosterone-producing regions as well.

Until the UCI declares Armstrong a Doper, I'm taking him at his word, and all the "National Enquirer"-style books of un-coraborated bullshit in the world won't change that.

.... let's say his remaining testicle is not functional for the production of testosterone.

How much supplementation does he get? A man of his age produces half the test of a 20 year old, so what blood levels does his supplementation go for - those of a 40 something man or or a 20 something man? The fact is the measure of free test in the blood is not easy medically, so I find it hard to understand why he is allowed to use supplementation at all.

My whole point is this - I could care less what he is taking. I belive most professional athletes and probably most olympic athletes are cheating if you consider using any performane-enhancing drugs to be cheating.

There are ways to beat the tests just as there are ways to beat piss test for pot. There are new drugs being formulated all the time. These people have million dollar careers on the line and anyone who thinks they are going to pass up any advantage they can get is nutso.

I know it just pisses everyone off to no end - "it's not fair". But like many other areas of modern life you either adapt or you perish. These people are simply doing the rational thing, they KNOW they are competing against other athletes who ARE using PE drugs.

These drugs are not going away, as far as Im'm concerned they should forget about regulating their use because it is a false security.

Is it YOURS?

Is it just SO hard to acknowledge that Lance Armstrong just may actually BE "Superman"?

When the UCI bans him, I'll apologise. Until then, excuse me for not sharing your cynicism.

... no problem with Lance Armstrong, I think he's an amazing athlete, you are missing my point.

The willy-nilly banning of this and that drug/hormone in athletes is useless and counterproductive. That is the point which I obviously failed to make :)

I understand now....

It's been a "Blonde Day"
:-)

I'm not ready to accept "Everybody Does It" as a reason to end testing of Athletes, though...Guess that comes from hearing that line of reasoning from my kid....:7