The pre-tour tests include hematicrit(sp?). If higher than 50 they can’t start.
I believe you are correct about the training/doping scenario.
Read the article on Cylingnews.com with Boonen. I think he has the answer. In a nutshell he says he wants to punch the dopers in the mouth. the only thing that will stop this is if the clean riders make life unbearable for the dirty ones.
Do you really think there would be enough racers left to finish the tour if they tested everyone and let those stay and race who tested negative?
I would think most of the big teams would be gone. On top of that, the fallout would have every TdF sponsor pulling out all at once.
That would be one way to make sure the tour DOES NOT happen next year!
to quote my brother when he had to witness drug tests in the Navy, the same protocol applied: “you had to see the sausage in the cup”
.
testing hematocrit is easy (riders could do it themselves even), and an IV will solve (temporarily) any problem with a high hematocrit.
I’m just saying,
I would have written lifetime ban but you have to remember that this is Slowtwitch afterall. If I had written lifetime ban then I would have had to argue with people why I wouldn’t give people a second chance and we are all human after all and make mistakes, bla bla bla…So I thought it was easier to just say 10+ year ban as this would pretty much be the end of their athletic career.