130 amateurs abandon Spanish race....
 

Don't think this was mentioned here yet?
I confess, I found it hilarious. :)


https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/...o6t9hRNpjqO2t4

All I’m hearing is Monty Python: “Run Away!!!”


Lolz.

EPO remains pretty damn expensive for an amateur rider, so I wonder what all these riders are on these days. Maybe going to too many "anti-aging" clinics?

Yup on the anti-aging drugs (HGH, test, etc.). When it was announced that masters race winners would be drug tested at the state championship road race a few years back, many of the "usual suspects" no-showed. Since dark roast coffee wasn't prohibited, I was happy to enjoy the race... :)

Greg

Meh. All the riders who chose steak instead of chicken at the pre-race banquet bailed to avoid the drug test.....smart move after Contrador's experience.

I don't care who you are, that's funny.

Well Mr clean39t I will raise your ‘run away ‘ with ‘nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition ‘

I've got some friends who are taking testosterone for supposedly low levels (TRT, they call it, Testosterone Replacement Therapy). They're not doing it for cycling performance, but it's a real thing and doesn't seem uncommon. They report more energy and better performance in the bedroom. I am not among them. Yet, anyway.

Do the improvements persist when they move their trainer from the bedroom to another room? (sorry)

Dr Feelgood:

OMG LOL!!:banana:

In the 90s, I had to race against David LeDuc for about four years. He would lap the crit field, solo off the front, and then sit up to make it look closer. It was a poorly kept secret that he was doping. There were no doping controls at the smaller races, even with a Pro/1/2 field. I guess he cleaned out before nationals. I beat him at states one year, but I was riding out of my mind that day, and he seemed off. He didn't get busted until ten years ago.

Good one Charlie!

I've always wanted to put very big, very yellow Dope Control stickers on my trailer and park it at a race. It'd be interesting to see who suddenly doesn't start.

USADA came to a couple crits in the area, definitely not national level crits. A few riders never showed (some of them quit racing for a year or two, until USADA ran out of money for these small time crits). Others didn't race quite as well as expected.

There's one rider that I think is on a test replacement kind of thing, and it seems he likes the benefits of it, and also doesn't care one iota how he finishes at races. So he finishes at the back, he doesn't go bananas during the races, just pack fodder. He likes the riding and he likes the benefits of test replacement. I can understand. A friend's dad was on test replacement and my friend said it really helped improve quality of life for him. So I get it. It's just not legal for racing.