Why not do a baseline CBC, blood chemistry profile and whatever else they need on all the athletes PRIOR to the race. You could then compare the random testing that occurs later in the stages.
Does this happen already? If not why?
And while I am at it, since when does a high testosterone level allow and athlete to come back from bonking like Floyd did and hammer the next days stage? High crit level maybe but testosterone???
“And while I am at it, since when does a high testosterone level allow and athlete to come back from bonking like Floyd did and hammer the next days stage? High crit level maybe but testosterone???”
Exactly where my thoughts are.
Because what happens in your body when you are well rested and fresh can be very different from what happens in your body after two weeks of grueling racing when you decide to go on a two hour breakaway.
The real problem is that they really don’t know what the stress of this sort of racing does to the human body.
All these athletes have that bloodwork done regularly. It’s like with Rutger Beke, the false EPO positive was a result of extreme stress, in his case racing an IM.
Also, peeps could dope before the race and then maintain the pre-race levels in their blood during the tour.
I think a lot of riders try to dope to the point where it is not detectable. It’s a big scientific game to beat the system. Best doctor wins?