Are the top guns having dope for Xmas dinner?

jerry3571

Just a small thing.
Not sure about this but I think the dope testing done for taking the blood levels of all the Pro riders is done over the new year. It all seems a bit strange but a lot of the top guns seem to have a bit of form in the traditional warm up events. In the Tour Down Under; Valverde, Evans, Armstrong, Greipel, Sanchez, Nibali (not Tour of Oz) and McEwan all seem to be going great guns.

The riders have to dope for this recorded blood test to get their levels recorded and set at a high level so they can ride the big events without looking suspicious (by not having exaggerated levels of hormone, red blood cells or whatever).
Is this the case because there is no point having this 'good form' at this time of year; doesn't make sense? No disrespect though to the Tour Down Under.

This means that riders must have had a liitle bit a extra sauce with the Xmas Turkey.

-Jerry

iainf72

If a top pro couldn't keep up in the TdU I'd be worried.

jerry3571

They aren't just keeping up and getting the miles in and topping up the tan though. All the top guns are really firing. The Aussies there have had a good Summer to get into some good condition and show their stuff and the top guys turn up and blow them away. I love to see the action but the Tuor of Oz is a small tin pot race. Nibali kicking butt too in some obscure place too. The top pros should have been well fed, doing a bit of running or walking trying to not get too fat and then ease themselves in and do a bit of Kangaroo spotting.
I am doing it the normal way and I'm about the size of a well wintered Jan Ullrich at present and I'm still doing my winter running.
I think my boobs are getting a bit bouncy too; yes, I am a bloke too. :shock:

-Jerry

jocksyboy

show ponies

i don't think there will be a huge drop off in form; and anyway none will be peaking in January. do they dope? can't answer that one :shock:

cougie

I dont reckon they're at peak form at the moment - sure they'd kick our asses - but they'll be stronger for their targeted events. Its hard to get that extra kilometer or two of speed.

RoadieBob

jerry3571 wrote:

Just a small thing.
Not sure about this but I think the dope testing done for taking the blood levels of all the Pro riders is done over the new year. It all seems a bit strange but a lot of the top guns seem to have a bit of form in the traditional warm up events. In the Tour Down Under; Valverde, Evans, Armstrong, Greipel, Sanchez, Nibali (not Tour of Oz) and McEwen all seem to be going great guns.

The riders have to dope for this recorded blood test to get their levels recorded and set at a high level so they can ride the big events without looking suspicious (by not having exaggerated levels of hormone, red blood cells or whatever).
Is this the case because there is no point having this 'good form' at this time of year; doesn't make sense? No disrespect though to the Tour Down Under.

This means that riders must have had a liitle bit a extra sauce with the Xmas Turkey.

-Jerry

I don't think it works exactly how you're suggesting - I believe the profiling is done over a period of time, by looking at the patterns in their values over a series of tests, rather than testing around new year, then comparing subsequent tests to that. There is an element of keeping blood values in check though I guess, but from my understanding that's done using methods such as diluting blood for tests, to disguise the extra blood from a transfusion etc. I'd like to see Menchov's values from the '09 Giro and TdF, as he won the former, but obviously forgot to pack his blood bags for le Tour.

jerry3571

I smell a rat. Cyclists don't do anything unless there is something in it for them. Unless the viewing figures are big enough to justify their big hitters digging deep to perform, to get the sponsors excited, then I can't see why they would be in form at this time of year.
It's a funny one.
-Jerry