tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6479678344451550699.post1015855880053616316..comments2019-01-12T22:37:46.676-06:00Comments on The Tour de France for the Rest of Us: STAGE 14 - SHAKE UP IN THE PYRENEESIndybikehiker@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15563000617922396164noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6479678344451550699.post-6804986127249620112007-07-23T12:19:00.000-05:002007-07-23T12:19:00.000-05:00If I recall correctly, O'Reilly's claims were non-...If I recall correctly, O'Reilly's claims were non-specific and were not corroborated, like others who have made claims that Armstrong doped.<BR/><BR/>But Mr. Whitney Richards' story regarding Rasmussen asking him in 2002 to transport a box supposedly containing cycling shoes from America to Italy (only to discover that the box was full of banned performance-enhancing substances) is at least corroborated by a physiologist and has the specificity level that might be more in the realm of "evidence." Too bad Richards didn't preserve and turn over the Biopure products to authorities.<BR/><BR/>I think if that level of information were even now available regarding Armstrong, you would have to call for an investigation and accountability.<BR/><BR/>Just so you'll know, I am not defending Armstrong. Oh, how I hope he rode clean; but, realistically, I doubt he always did. We know he was likely the most frequently drug-tested athlete out there. And, other than one disputed, years-old vial of blood from a stage during his first Tour de France win that was tested just last year, all his blood tests have been negative for banned substances.<BR/><BR/>The problem is, some of these athletes appear to be using substances and products and procedures that are effectively masked in current testing methods.<BR/><BR/>Honestly, I really WANT to believe these guys are clean. The sport NEEDS them to be clean. But when you have specific violations amounting to strategic test-avoidance and corroborated testimony of doping hanging out there, how can the Yellow Jersey of Michael Rasmussen be taken seriously? That's where I'm having trouble.Indybikehiker@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15563000617922396164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6479678344451550699.post-58619064303577429692007-07-23T08:44:00.000-05:002007-07-23T08:44:00.000-05:00Claims by a former physiotherapist with the US Pos...Claims by a former physiotherapist with the US Postal team, Irishwoman Emma O'Reilly, that Armstrong succumbed to using the banned blood booster EPO, threaten to take the shine off the American's reputation. O'Reilly worked with Armstrong for 3 years from 1998 and was in almost constant contact with his close-knit team... Is this evidence ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6479678344451550699.post-69766380323012463412007-07-23T07:27:00.000-05:002007-07-23T07:27:00.000-05:00In fact, Rasmussen was not available on two occasi...In fact, Rasmussen was not available on two occasions that UCI wanted to test him in May and June of 2007. That, in addition to not turning in his travel itinerary for the specific purpose of out-of-competetion drug testing, prompted the Danish cycling officials to sack him. In addition, the corroborated story in VeloNews of Rasmussen purchasing and trying to have a friend transport Biopure bovine blood product from America into Italy in 2002 implicates him as one who has cheated. I think his actions on both accounts deserves more accounting and investigation than for him just to say, in the first case, that it was simply an "administrative error," and, in the second case, that "I cannot confirm that." If this occurred with Lance Armstrong, the European press and cycling officials would have eaten him for lunch. For me, at least, he's no longer legitimate.Indybikehiker@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15563000617922396164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6479678344451550699.post-68978094276003654612007-07-22T19:31:00.000-05:002007-07-22T19:31:00.000-05:00what implications? all that happened is he didn't ...what implications? all that happened is he didn't tell the whole world where he was on time. at no point did they want to test him during those times. He just wasn't available should they have wanted to test him. the 10's of other times he was tested he was clean.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com