Who is the most successful doper of all time now?

Outsider art by Loan

With Lance dethroned, who is the new GOAT? WHO?

wreckedmyklein

I guess it must be Eddie Merkx. I think it's generally recognised that he used various drugs and as the most successful cyclist of all time it seems a slam dunk.

bigmat

Merckx, clearly. I wouldn't equate "successful" with "worst" though, I think Lance will always retain that title.

blazing_saddles

Merckx, Coppi, both well ahead in the doping game.

tommasi

Messi or Maradona

Yellow Peril

Merckx, but there is a big difference between amphets and blood doping or EPO. If both were totally drugless Armstrong would have been obliterated by Merckx.

FJS

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Merckx, Coppi, both well ahead in the doping game.

That was all stimulants though, hardly career changing stuff. Nothing like the steroids of the 80s an blood doping since.

Besides, in Coppi's days there werent any banned substances, so no doping. He didnt do anything illegal.

It depends how the question is intended. Most successful rider to have doped, clearly Merckx. Rider to have most successfully built his career through doping and maintained his status as a successful rider, perhaps Indurain is not a bad choice. He's still not really recognised by the general public as a doper/cheat/liar etc.

nweststeyn

Outsider art by Loan wrote:

With Lance dethroned, who is the new GOAT? WHO?

mike6

FJS wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Merckx, Coppi, both well ahead in the doping game.

That was all stimulants though, hardly career changing stuff. Nothing like the steroids of the 80s an blood doping since.

Besides, in Coppi's days there werent any banned substances, so no doping. He didnt do anything illegal.

It depends how the question is intended. Most successful rider to have doped, clearly Merckx. Rider to have most successfully built his career through doping and maintained his status as a successful rider, perhaps Indurain is not a bad choice. He's still not really recognised by the general public as a doper/cheat/liar etc.

You also have to consider that stimulants were available over the counter, in France at least, until the 60s or 70s, so were not considered doping.

I would have to say Contador. He has been in so many dodgy teams and involved with so many dodgy individuals, had so many doubts and so much flack thrown at him, yet he has managed to come through "almost" unscathed. He seems to be made of teflon. (Other none stick products are also available).

deejay

Lance Armstrong is the most successful doper of all time.
He changed the face of cycle racing for all of us. (how many on this forum came because of him)
2nd most successful is Bjarne Riis who even Indurain couldn't keep up with. :roll:
Then pick anyone you like from that Telekom (T Mobile) team. The most successful company made out of Cycling Doping.

mike6 wrote:

You also have to consider that stimulants were available over the counter, in France at least, until the 60s or 70s, so were not considered doping.

FJS wrote:

That was all stimulants though, hardly career changing stuff. Nothing like the steroids of the 80s an blood doping since.

Many years ago I heard it said after the Simpson death "that when you joined the Pro Race Peloton you quickly learned to buy amphetamines so you could last the day.)
More or less a level playing field then. :!:

RichN95.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

deejay

RichN95 wrote:

Arnold Schwarzenegger

I don't think armstrong will be that successful to be a Governor though. :!:

Gazzaputt

Whoever the OP is he's a fcuking idiot.

Richmond Racer

Gazzaputt wrote:

Whoever the OP is he's a fcuking idiot.

^This

Outsider art by Loan

Gazzaputt wrote:

Whoever the OP is he's a fcuking idiot.

Before I kill myself, can you tell me why?

Flexisurfer

Linford Christie?

Banned for 2 years after failing drugs test then goes on to coach other athletes.

Armstrong is banned for life so can't compete and I doubt if he has the mettle for coaching, so therefore not as successful as as Christie, if of course you are talking about LA????

dougzz

Outsider art by Loan wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

Whoever the OP is he's a fcuking idiot.

Before I kill myself, can you tell me why?

You'll figure it out

tonyf34

Flexisurfer wrote:

Linford Christie?

Banned for 2 years after failing drugs test then goes on to coach other athletes.

Armstrong is banned for life so can't compete and I doubt if he has the mettle for coaching, so therefore not as successful as as Christie, if of course you are talking about LA????

You mean getting banned after he had already effectively retired and was arsing about in a non competition invite event, the comparisons aren't even remotely close. :roll:

k-dog

Carl Lewis for doing it over multiple Olympics.

Monty Dog

OT but its got to be Rapha Nadal, in fact most of ProTour tennis

Jez mon

Monty Dog wrote:

OT but its got to be Rapha Nadal, in fact most of ProTour tennis

Speaking of Tennis

"Saddened Federer says Armstrong's cheating hurt all sport"

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/01/2 ... 1C20130120

Most successful doper of all time, got to have an honourable mention for some of the 100m sprinters right?

Pross

Jeez, some people have even added their votes in the poll! Even if Wiggins is using drugs I'm not sure he would count as the most successful doper of all.

Bakunin

k-dog wrote:

Carl Lewis for doing it over multiple Olympics.

I would agree with this.

phreak

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... trial.html

Only the cyclists being investigated.