The overlooked cheater: The Blood Doper

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It was a while ago but what I am more interested in was whether the possible dates where he doped coincided with significantly improved performance.

Back in 2012? or around the time USADA was going to haul him in, Lance still had many supporters on sherdog saying that it was a disgraceful witchhunt. I guess Americans love to believe in their heroes who tell that 'anything' is possible.

he was clean in the giro, did nothing.

100% he doped for the 2009 tour, finished 3rd, and definately had a blood bag the day before the crucial ventoux stage where he cemented his podium.

the trouble with bio passport cases is they take a while. USADA could move forward with just his 2009 blood data. it wasnt really unti they had 2010 data as well that they get the whole picture and move forward with the case.

but 100% he doped for the 2009 Tour de France

 

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Obviously it's being done cause it helps with performance/cardio, no one's disputing that. I simply don't think it should be against the rules to store your own blood and then reinject it if nothing's being added to it. The testosterone example isn't the same because you can't remove your own T and store it for later use, you have to take a foreign substance to achieve the same goal.

bear in mind that things arent prohibited just for being performance enhancing. they can also be prohibited for being a risk to the athletes health.

Blood doping poses a huge huge risk to the athletes health. Theres a phrase in cycling for when a rider is unwell and has a shitty day (like a contender for the race gets dropped and finishes 20 minutes down), they call it "a bad bag". Meaning the rider reinfused a blood bag that maybe hadnt been stored right, and made them ill.. At best, it can make you ill, at worst, it can end up like Riccardo Ricco in hospital with his internal organs shutting down.

Blood doping is very very risky if not done right. It can in extreme circumstances be fatal.