Doping story on Slate

Interesting read, compares pro baseball to cycling:

http://www.slate.com/id/2110902/

http://www.slate.com/id/2110902/
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Good story.

Here is one thing I might consider. Make each athlete send in a sample once every week or so. They draw it themselves in a vial sent to them by the agency so the time can be confirmed. Then randomly test vials for drugs and dna. When testing is going to be done announce in advance that some riders have tested positive. For those who come forward and admit they have cheated there will only be a one year suspension. If they don’t come forward, there will be a two year suspension.(this will get some who are worried but who are not tested). Also, vials will be randomly dna tested. If ever a vial is submitted with another persons fluids that would result in a life time ban. Winners (or top three) of big events like the TDF, Olympics, Kona, etc would have all of their submissions tested for the last year before the results certified.

Such a testing regimen would be affordable and probably effective for a wide variety of sports.

Frank

Why can’t they just pee into a few bottles when they are clean and freeze them? Then send the clean ones in when requested? Seems like an easy cheat if they could do that. I don’t know. Just asking.

-Robert

No, I believe there could be a way of knowing when the sample was collected. For instance, age degrades cells at a certain rate. Freezing degrades them completely. If a submitted sample didn’t meet the appropriate criteria it would not be acceptable. There is a mechanism. Maybe, they have to go to collection sites regularly.

If they have to give regularly but these are only tested irregularly they cannot be secure they will not be caught because they cannot know if their sample was tested. Now if they are not tested they know they are home free.

Frank

Maybe they should just shoot the bastards. :slight_smile: Only the guilty ones of course. Er, well, close is good enough.

-Robert