Doping row continues

[Mike T]

Longterm catabolic steroids - like triamcinolone - cause muscle weakness, but the effect of a one off injection is what is of interest here - and I suspect traditional doctors basically don't know, and of course they don't know what they don't know. Steroids can cause euphoria which could help performance, and they also reduce inflammation from almost any cause, and cyclists will have muscle inflammation, and associated fluid retention, from all the training - this is my understanding of how steroids result in weight loss, and a consequent improvement in power to weight ratio.
The doctors working with the cycling teams will almost certainly know how effective steroid injections are, but they are not going to tell us.

[Stagger]

You look up a dictionary definition. "CHEAT: To act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage."

Think what you want but I'm disappointed that no Britain has won a tour clean.

[Derby Tup]

About as many clean cyclists have won grand tours as fat blokes have won fell races

[Stagger]

Ha ha ha I only know a few well feed fellrunners and your right they don't win races.

[brett]

Lance - I gave him the benefit - bastard!

I cannot believe Wiggins and Froome.... Wiggins has kids - fine example

I'm not surprised that supposed clean teams like 100% me are railing...

Me - it's just TT Landlord

And believe me I could do with some enhancer.

[brett]

Well, I don't know - just been looking at the cover of last years calendar

Ha ha ha I only know a few well feed fellrunners and your right they don't win races.

[Wheeze]

I inject patients with triamcinolone on a daily basis for a variety of soft tissue and joint problems. I have to warn them of the potential side effects. Weight loss and euphoria are not among them. 9 injections in 4 years seems perfectly within reason for a high performance athlete who may be troubled by joint or soft tissue problems or as an alternative to antihistamines that may cause drowsiness when used to treat asthma/hayfever. If an appropriate TUE was in place then that is above board.
Did the team doctor give evidence to this kangaroo court??

[Derby Tup]

Team doctor was too busy trying to buy a new lap-top

[Mike T]

I inject patients with triamcinolone on a daily basis for a variety of soft tissue and joint problems. I have to warn them of the potential side effects. Weight loss and euphoria are not among them. 9 injections in 4 years seems perfectly within reason for a high performance athlete who may be troubled by joint or soft tissue problems or as an alternative to antihistamines that may cause drowsiness when used to treat asthma/hayfever. If an appropriate TUE was in place then that is above board.
Did the team doctor give evidence to this kangaroo court??

" 2.0 Criteria for Granting a TUE
An Athlete may be granted a TUE if (and only if) he/she can show, by a balance of
probability, that each of the following conditions is met:
a. The Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method in question is needed to treat an acute or chronic medical condition, such that the Athlete would experience a significant impairment to health if the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method were to be withheld (ISTUE Article 4.1(a)).
b. The Therapeutic Use of the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method is highly unlikely to produce any additional enhancement of performance beyond what might be anticipated by a return to the Athlete’s normal state of health following the treatment of the acute or chronic medical condition (ISTUE Article 4.1(b)).
Although there may be some enhancement of individual performance as a result of the efficacy of the treatment, nevertheless, such enhancement must not exceed the level of performance of the Athlete prior to the onset of his/her medical condition.
c. There is no reasonable Therapeutic alternative to the Use of the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method (ISTUE Article 4.1(c))."

b is the really important point - and how beneficial triamcinolone is is moot.

I doubt your patients have significant muscle oedema and inflammation from training - as to psychological changes I agree there is no need to warn them "this may make you feel a lot better".

[Graham Breeze]

Racing cyclists have been taking stimulants since the wheel was invented - and arguably with some justification - so throughout the 50 years I have been interested in cycling.

I own or have read dozens of (auto) biographies on Kelly, Merckx, Coppi, Armstrong, Roche, Millar, Miller, Pantani,,...last week I reread Riis (Stages of Light and Dark) who won the Tour in 1996 and then went on to be a very successful Team Owner and Directeur Sportive.

I understand the psychology of denial (to survive) and cognitive dissonance - "I am a father and love my sport so I cannot be a drug cheat and so this needle in my arm isn't really there", etc.

But what has recently interested me is the attitudes of we who watch and comment.

Why Armstrong is still in the outer darkness (except in Austin, Texas of course) - although I understand why and have some sympathy with his position - but Virenque (whom I loathe) is forgiven, and now commentates for French TV, as is Pantani (whom I see as a tragic figure).

And of course Wiggins, the English national treasure, who obviously could not do anything bad; unlike that Scot, David Miller, who did - but now commentates on British TV.

Compare and contrast and then thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye..?