I was riding yesterday and thinking about the "biological passport" and how it monitors "differences" in physiological parameters.

First, let me say this, new and mature blood tends to be slightly better at carrying and transferring oxygen than old blood cells.

What if a rider gave some blood to the Red Cross to support some earthquake victims 6 weeks before the tour then let mother nature bring his blood concentration back up (maybe moving to altitude after the giving). He would have the exact same HCT come race time as he would if he had done nothing but he would have a slightly better mix of old and new blood cells than if he just left things alone. I could see this as possibly offering a slight performance advantage. If that would be ok, would it be OK to "take" more than one unit (destroying it so it could not be reinfused), something the Red Cross won't do, solely for the purpose of enhancing the mix even more?

What do the rules say about this? Even if allowed, would it be a violation of the spirit of "doping"?

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks