62 year old busted for EPO

«1

Comments

  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    Just read this on Peleton's facebook profile. Makes me wonder what amateurs are taking, or if this could not have been induced by some medicine the man took?
    My London Road
  • ju5t1n
    ju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    I race. And I’ve often wondered whether there’s doping going on. It’s argued that the financial rewards are so low in amateur racing that it wouldn’t be a problem, but when you see what people spend on bikes and training it makes you wonder.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,467
    Quite apart from anything else, it's idiotic for health reasons at that age... Even if you are in top form and otherwise in great health, the risks of dropping dead at that age due to some amphetamine & epo-induced arrhythmia are much greater.
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    Only two years ban is what's idiotic.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • rickeverett
    rickeverett Posts: 988
    PEDs are definitely more prevalent in amateur level sport. Mainly because there's virtually zero testing.

    You wonder why, but its a self fulfilment problem these people have.
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    neeb wrote:
    it's idiotic for health reasons at that age...

    Except that in 'Merica ageing is seen as a disease and getting HRT and a whole load of other stuff (poe and phets) to remedy the effects of ageing is seen as perfectly normal...for those who can afford healthcare. Weren't a couple of idiotic fatty master dopers (to quote the title of a thread on another forum that shall have no name) popped for POE at the New York Granfondo?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    rickeverett wrote:
    PEDs are definitely more prevalent in amateur level sport. Mainly because there's virtually zero testing.

    If there's zero testing, how do you know they are definitely more prevalent?
  • Yosti
    Yosti Posts: 36
    What an i****
  • themekon
    themekon Posts: 197
    Be interesting to see the results if there was testing in sportives.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,273
    themekon wrote:
    Be interesting to see the results if there was testing in sportives.

    Yeah, but that would make no sense at all as there isn't a single piece of regulation against taking drugs in sportives. If there was, then imagine your neighbour busted for his salbutamol asthma inhaler and him rushing to his doctor to get a note so that his silver standard is not deleted from the board... it would just be ridiculous...

    If your question is whether someone actually takes performance enhancing drugs with the sole aim to do well in sportives, I am sure someone does... small numbers but the odd imbecile cannot be ruled out
    left the forum March 2023
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Is he on Strava?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • Strith
    Strith Posts: 541
    Maybe he meant to take the little blue pills.
    I wouldn't be surprised if there are a good few people doping at the amateur level though. Self fulfillment can drive people to all sorts.
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    madasahattersley wrote:
    At normal national B level or below you're looking at very very very few people in the UK, and at 2/3/4 level probably none.

    I think you're wrong there. The chances of seeing dopers at 2/3 level would be higher than you think. Cat 4 I disregard because anyone who desperately wants to get better would've already moved up from cat4. The likelihood of being caught are 0 to null in cats 2/3. When I say dopers I don't mean on the heavy stuff, but certainly on some sort of performance enhancing stimulant which is unsafe or illegal.

    It's not about the prize money...there's more to it than that, otherwise we wouldn't put ourselves through hell to win a few races a year. If there are people who quit racing after several years of hard work, then I'm sure there are people who are willing to look at doping as a last resort too.
  • buckles
    buckles Posts: 694
    Speculation.
    25% off your first MyProtein order: sign up via https://www.myprotein.com/referrals.lis ... EE-R29Y&li or use my referral code LEE-R29Y
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    madasahattersley wrote:
    It does get me riled that the dopers in the premier calendar peloton are known but nobody does anything about it out of fear, or just holding the omerta which in the UK is just pathetic.

    If you know who these people are (which is what you seem to be implying) and keep quiet, aren't you as guilty as anyone for enforcing omertà? I'm not getting at you, but that's what it means.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,802
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    themekon wrote:
    Be interesting to see the results if there was testing in sportives.

    Yeah, but that would make no sense at all as there isn't a single piece of regulation against taking drugs in sportives. If there was, then imagine your neighbour busted for his salbutamol asthma inhaler and him rushing to his doctor to get a note so that his silver standard is not deleted from the board... it would just be ridiculous...

    If your question is whether someone actually takes performance enhancing drugs with the sole aim to do well in sportives, I am sure someone does... small numbers but the odd imbecile cannot be ruled out

    If a sportive in the UK is promoted under BC regulations then I'm pretty sure all the anti-doping regulations for racing still apply .
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    themekon wrote:
    Be interesting to see the results if there was testing in sportives.

    Yeah, but that would make no sense at all as there isn't a single piece of regulation against taking drugs in sportives. If there was, then imagine your neighbour busted for his salbutamol asthma inhaler and him rushing to his doctor to get a note so that his silver standard is not deleted from the board... it would just be ridiculous...

    have to admit Im still not clued up on the whole how an asthma inhaler helps "dope" people, I just use it when I cant breath :? but Id always been told normal salbutamol inhaler use wouldnt be a problem, as youd need to take significantly more doses, like more than 16 puffs per day to fail a doping test for it.

    and a genuine asthma sufferer shouldnt be getting into that kind of state anyway, the salbutamol is a reliever medicine and if you are using it very frequently it means your not getting enough control of your symptons, they normally put you on brown preventor inhalers if you have to use your salbutamol inhaler more than once per day, so 16 times per day youd be in hospital on a nebuliser I think and the last thing youd be worrying about is riding a bike in a race.

    I accept that doesnt account for people abusing or using the medicines in the wrong way, but a genuine asthma sufferer shouldnt fail a doping test for salbutamol at least
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Anyone who thinks that regular 2/3/4 cat riders are on EPO probably doesn't fully understand that you can't just buy it off the shelf in Boots pharmacy.

    Getting hold of a class A drug is probably easier...
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    I have to confess that a couple of my Christmas rides have been enhanced by Brussels sprouts
  • ravenvrider
    ravenvrider Posts: 198
    Tailwind eh....or anti wheelsucker tactic
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    Imposter wrote:
    Anyone who thinks that regular 2/3/4 cat riders are on EPO probably doesn't fully understand that you can't just buy it off the shelf in Boots pharmacy.

    Getting hold of a class A drug is probably easier...

    Maybe not EPO but you know how many "over the counter" remedies contain banned substances in pro sport? Anything thats a cold or flu remedy is pretty much full of banned stimulants. If you put amateur 2/3/4 cat riders on dope tests most would fail for something innocuous like a cough sweet or vicks inhaler. EPO is a naturally occurring substance made in the body. The man in his 60s could have an underlying health issue that means he needs to take a prescribed drug that gives a higher EPO reading.

    Not all EPO is down to people putting it in themselves directly. it can be a side effect from lots of things. This is why it was hard to test for before the bio passports.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Yosti wrote:
    What an i****

    What? Old folks can't be idiots too? Being a fool, moron, doper, cheater, or something of that order is not restricted to any certain age group.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    SmoggySteve wrote:
    The man in his 60s could have an underlying health issue that means he needs to take a prescribed drug that gives a higher EPO reading.

    If the guy has a loss of kidney function that needed treatment with EPO, then that argument would probably have been used in his defence.
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    Imposter wrote:
    SmoggySteve wrote:
    The man in his 60s could have an underlying health issue that means he needs to take a prescribed drug that gives a higher EPO reading.

    If the guy has a loss of kidney function that needed treatment with EPO, then that argument would probably have been used in his defence.

    EPO is also naturally forming. we all have it in our bodies. His could be caused by a lot more than Kidney disease.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    SmoggySteve wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    SmoggySteve wrote:
    The man in his 60s could have an underlying health issue that means he needs to take a prescribed drug that gives a higher EPO reading.

    If the guy has a loss of kidney function that needed treatment with EPO, then that argument would probably have been used in his defence.

    EPO is also naturally forming. we all have it in our bodies. His could be caused by a lot more than Kidney disease.

    Not sure if you've fully understood. EPO is naturally forming, but it naturally forms in either the kidneys (mostly) or (to a lesser extent) the liver.
  • JackPozzi
    JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
    madasahattersley wrote:
    MajorMantra wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    It does get me riled that the dopers in the premier calendar peloton are known but nobody does anything about it out of fear, or just holding the omerta which in the UK is just pathetic.

    If you know who these people are (which is what you seem to be implying) and keep quiet, aren't you as guilty as anyone for enforcing omertà? I'm not getting at you, but that's what it means.

    I've not ridden a premier calendar yet, and there's only a couple of people around who I could say are 'probably' on the gear in the UK. A lot of people I talk to who race the perms know exactly who's on it and who isn't.

    The reason I don't out the people I think are on the gear is because while I'm almost certain I'm right there's no way I can let people know without tarring myself, being slanderous and making myself very very unpopular among a large group of people, and even if everyone did know it wouldn't stop said riders from doping and certainly wouldn't mean they'd get caught red handed - the enforcement in the UK scene just isn't there.

    Take Marcel Six for instance. Every man and his dog knew he was dirty but what could anyone do about it, until he was thick enough to get caught? If there was an anonymous hotline to flag up suspicious riders for testing then I'd use it.
    http://www.ukad.org.uk/what-we-do/report-doping/
  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    I understand what it is. and an elevated count does not necessarily mean kidney problems. Could have anemia or bowel problems. Funnily enough he is in his 60s where things like this start going wrong. Chrones disease where the bowels become inflamed could mean he is on a drug to control blood cell production. There can be lots of things can give a high EPO count.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,011
    No idea what they are measuring here, but at pro level the gold standard measures occurrence of EPO from non-human source.
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    awavey wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    themekon wrote:
    Be interesting to see the results if there was testing in sportives.

    Yeah, but that would make no sense at all as there isn't a single piece of regulation against taking drugs in sportives. If there was, then imagine your neighbour busted for his salbutamol asthma inhaler and him rushing to his doctor to get a note so that his silver standard is not deleted from the board... it would just be ridiculous...

    have to admit Im still not clued up on the whole how an asthma inhaler helps "dope" people, I just use it when I cant breath :? but Id always been told normal salbutamol inhaler use wouldnt be a problem, as youd need to take significantly more doses, like more than 16 puffs per day to fail a doping test for it.

    and a genuine asthma sufferer shouldnt be getting into that kind of state anyway, the salbutamol is a reliever medicine and if you are using it very frequently it means your not getting enough control of your symptons, they normally put you on brown preventor inhalers if you have to use your salbutamol inhaler more than once per day, so 16 times per day youd be in hospital on a nebuliser I think and the last thing youd be worrying about is riding a bike in a race.

    I accept that doesnt account for people abusing or using the medicines in the wrong way, but a genuine asthma sufferer shouldnt fail a doping test for salbutamol at least
    Following this thread, I have just checked my asthma medication, Salmeterol and flucticasone (Seretide) and to my surprise even this is not prohibited. See: www.ukad.org.uk/resources/document-down ... dications/
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,011
    Stedman wrote:
    Following this thread, I have just checked my asthma medication, Salmeterol and flucticasone (Seretide) and to my surprise even this is not prohibited. See: http://www.ukad.org.uk/resources/docume ... dications/

    That's because in a non-asthmatic they don't enhance performance (I have posted about corticosteroids (eg fluticasone) in the Pro Racing doping thread and beta agonists in (I think) Michael Rogers threads).

Categories