Dope, Believe the Hype?
The news is out that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has tested positive for high levels of testosterone following his amazing comeback ride in Stage 17. A control sample will either clear him of any allegations or further implicate him of cheating. While the reasons and results for doping are obvious to anyone–he pretty much lost the tour in Stage 16 and won it back the next day–the level of scrutiny in the sport over performance enhancing drugs offers equally compelling reasons why Landis would not dope. If you do drugs in cycling these days, it is extremely likely that you will be caught. The riders are tested constantly. Kudos to the sport for taking a hard line on drug use. American sports leagues could learn a lot from the Europeans.
One of the oft cited downsides of the aggressive doping controls is that it is easy to be caught up in what some would call a witch hunt. Rarely do riders admit to using performance enhancing drugs, which makes it difficult to tell who is lying and who is unjustly accused. Who can forget racer Tyler Hamilton, who has maintained his innocence for homogulous blood doping for the entire two years of his cycling ban? Now he faces a possible lifetime ban due to new evidence. Of course, the perpetual pleading not guilty should come as no surprise, as most murderers never admit that they killed someone, either. Everyone in jail is innocent, right?
It is worth noting that there has always been skepticism over the accuracy and reliability of some drug tests. Beyond this, many riders have naturally high levels of testosterone or red blood cells in their systems. All you have to do is train at altitude, or sleep in a hypoxic tent at night in order to get the same red blood cell boosting effect as taking the drug EPO. I recently heard that altitude tents are being considered for a ban. What is the UCI going to do next, make everyone train at sea level? The rules are becoming egalitarian, which should come to no surprise to us since the French are involved.
One possibility in cycling that I think many people overlook is foul play. I am talking about things like illegal gambling, publicity stunts, leveling the playing field and even acting on grudges. All you have to do is mention Tonya Harding and her goons that attacked Nancy Kerrigan in 1994, the French judge in the 2002 Winter Olympics who was pressured to vote for the Russians, or the recent match fixing scandal in Italy’s Serie A soccer league to realize that the same sorts of things could be occuring in cycling. Just look at Operacion Puerto, the recent doping scandal in Spain that has netted some of the top names in cycling. Why was it that a newspaper was able to leak confidential information on the investigation right before the Tour?
The worst part of it all is that the UCI Pro Tour Ethical Code prohibits a rider from racing when he or she is under investigation. You do not even have to test positive. Just the suspicion alone is enough to ruin your career. Hopefully, common sense will prevail and those whose actions risk ruining the sport–the riders who dope, those who are quick to accuse and those who are involved for ill gain–will be brought to justice. It will be nice when the day comes again when an athlete can win a race without the immediate cloud of suspicion hanging over him. Landis may turn out to be a doper after all, but as Flava Flav says, “Don’t believe the hype”…until the “B” sample results are in and (when those results are likely the same) Floyd has been given the opportunity to prove his innocence.
Great rundown for non-cycling types like myself. I always instinctively thought the same thing, without any knowledge of how the doping system works in international cycling. That’s why I’ve always thought the French were trying to railroad Armstrong with the allegations and innuendo. The corruption in European sports is on a scale that isn’t even breached in the US. The soccer scandal in Spain is something that would blow baseball or football up in this country, but it’s a bump in the road with some fines and demotions from A to B divisions (which is of some value and takes big revenue away).
Also, you think the fact that Americans have dominated the French’s favorite event has anything to do with the constant scrutiny?
I meant the soccer scandal in Italy
The suspicion in the French media is always, “the performance is too great for drugs not to be involved.” It’s as if they completely discount any extraordinary human achievement. I think they also hold science in too high of a regard. “Sie test is positif, zo he must be a cheat!” We are fearfully and wonderfully made and there is a lot about the human body that we still do not know or can explain. Rather than admit that science does not always have the answers, or that mistakes can be made, they just assume he is guilty. This has been the same soap box that Tyler Hamilton has been on with regard to the blood doping tests.
I do think that the Europeans, especially the French, are not happy to see another American dominate the Tour. Heck, a Frenchman hasn’t won his own country’s grand race since Bernard Hinault in 1985. However, I suspect that one reason Lance was not liked is the same reason some Americans don’t like him — he can be kind of a jerk sometimes. Landis, on the other hand, is a really likeable guy and they seemed to embrace him. How quickly the tables turn…and we think our tabloids are over zealous!
Frankly, I am really bummed about this entire situation, because I really like Landis as an athelete and as a person. The dude works hard and conducts himself like a true champion, but he also knows how to relax and be with people. Sport needs heros and I hate that Floyd’s reputation, even if he is cleared, will be tarnished forever. But if anyone can weather this then I think Floyd’s the man.
As for the anti-Americanism, both Lance and Floyd were on Larry King Live last night. They had the following to say:
Also, here’s a good article on some of the dopey things people have said or assumed since this story first broke.