Another +ve

[Chuffy]

Vandevelde is performing unusually well.
Didn't he used to be a teammate of LA?

Wonder if he's 1 in 10?

God I hope not. Slipstream are one of the new-gen teams and if they're at it then we can all go home....

...and if it turns out that Millar knew then I'll be first in the queue with a length of lead pipe and billiard ball in a sock...

 

[Tetedelacourse]

I've just been reading the Pantani biography (Rendell, not Ronchi). Very good, but very depressing. It was interesting to read that even with minimal notice of testing (a few tens of minutes) riders could re-hydrate and lower their haematocrit level to below 50%. As has been said many times, the cheats (plus their doctors and support staff) will always be one step ahead, so who knows what they're up to these days....

Yep it's an eye-opener that book. Worth reading for those of you who don't understand about non-negatives and the complexities involved in outing the cheats.

 

[Noodley]

That was my point earlier but I suppose the only hope is that 2 of the targetted 10 have been caught so maybe the pre-testing has worked.

2 of the targetted 10-20...

 

[mondobongo]

Just how big of an iceberg is there?? Two positives in a week is not good even if you try to spin it that the testing is working. As far as the average joe reading the news is concerned its business as usual at the Tour. Its bad for Barloworld who had,had a lot of positive press since breaking into the big time with their inclusion in last years tour.

The scary question is have the big teams got this dialled in now and know how to beat the system??

 

[andy_wrx]

How many of the 10-20 are Boilermen from S-D I wonder...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Interestingly 2 other Barloworld riders dropped out during today's stage. Could be coincidence, could be that they just felt extra demoralized after their teammate's departure, or it could be that they were avoiding the possibility of getting tested too...

 

[andrew_s]

Coincidence - a leg injury and a broken collarbone, according to bikeradar.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Coincidence - a leg injury and a broken collarbone, according to bikeradar.

That usually does it!

 

[Renard]

To be expected. Doping is rife in all professional sports IMO. Cycling is the leader in taking anti-doping measures.

 

[Greenbank]

Oh dear Ricco.

Slowly becoming a farce again, which is a shame.

 

[Haitch]

Are you saying Ricco has been caught doping? If so, why can't I find the news on the web?

 

[Haitch]

Answering own question:

Ricco the latest to fail EPO test

Ricco's positive test is the third to hit this year's Tour de France
Italian Ricardo Ricco is the latest cyclist to test positive for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO).

 

[Chris James]

Another on the targetted list then. Dumb feckers.

 

[4F]

Ffs

 

[chris42]

Cycling news is reporting an un named team is complaning no French riders are being tested!