*9:39 a.m.: Publicly airing my suspicions of a wildly popular rider was bound to generate some controversy, and I am happy that some of my readers have taken the time to post lengthy counter-points. Please make sure that you read comments left on this post by two individuals (one of whom I know, one of whom I do not), both of whom probably know much more about cycling and doping than I do.
I am suspicious of many pros, and perhaps that makes me guilty of purporting a "guilty-until-proven-innocent" policy. While this may not be a moral stance, as one commenter suggests, I say that my attitude is a product of becoming a cyclist in a period in which one pro after another has been exposed as a doper. I was in France when Floyd Landis won the Tour in 2006. I was in Belgium when he was exposed as a suspected doper. I love my sport, but I now find it difficult to believe many of the performances I see on the road.
I am suspicious of many pros, and perhaps that makes me guilty of purporting a "guilty-until-proven-innocent" policy. While this may not be a moral stance, as one commenter suggests, I say that my attitude is a product of becoming a cyclist in a period in which one pro after another has been exposed as a doper. I was in France when Floyd Landis won the Tour in 2006. I was in Belgium when he was exposed as a suspected doper. I love my sport, but I now find it difficult to believe many of the performances I see on the road.
Sandwich?Magnus Backstedt retired last week
His timing is very odd
Towards the end of last week, two very suspicious events transpired in the world of professional bicycle racing.
First, we had a Belgian rider, Frederiek Nolf, turn up dead at the Tour of Qatar. In addition to casting a pall over the remaining two stages of the race, which was later won by Tom Boonen, another Belgian, the incident harks back to an era in which EPO was the norm. What makes me say this?
Well, at the risk of exposing myself to a libel suit, I can tell you that Nolf's death (of which an official cause has not yet been announced) is strikingly similar to the deaths of several other professional cyclists in the 90s. The trouble is that EPO, while doing wonders to boost a cyclist's blood's ability to transport oxygen, also thickens the blood. In fact, an athlete on EPO who does not wear a heart rate monitor at all time to ensure that their blood does not slow to a halt inside their veins, can die of a heart attack. It's a little bit like that time the oil turned to sludge inside Dante's engine block.
These types of sudden deaths usually occur in one's sleep, as, it appears, was the case with Nolf. So, although I have no evidence to support my theory, the circumstances lead me to think that EPO could have played a role: Nolf, an otherwise-healthy professional athelte winds up dead in his sleep. There are other circumstances in which a person can die in their sleep, but EPO is a known cause, and has been linked to similar deaths in other cyclists.
So, that sucks. If my suspicion is correct, it would mean the EPO is still present in the world of professional cycling, more so than some would like fans to think, and a young cyclists (Nolf was 21), is now dead, far ahead of his time. Doping among cyclists is not only disingenuous to fans, it is also a grave risk to the health of the athletes -- a fact that sometimes gets overlooked.
In a more minor note, we had former world cross country champion Christophe Dupouey commit suicide, also on Wednesday. Although this death appears to be more about ongoing depression than anything else, Dupouey had a role in the 2003 "pot belge" doping scandal. He was never convicted of doping, but if he was a mule, it wouldn't much of a stretch to imagine that he was doped as well. Anyhow, his death is tragic, but likely the result of not enough counseling, rather than too much EPO.
Moving on, we have last week's most shocking cycling news. Magnus Backstedt, riding with Garmin-Slipstream of late, retired. A big man, and a big star in his native Sweden. His stated reason for leaving is to spend more time with a development squad that he sponsors and runs in Sweden. Backstedt won the Paris-Roubaix in 2004, a stage of the Tour de France in 1998, and a stage in the 2003 Giro d'Italia.
Why I am including this news in a post about doping? Well, it's very odd that a rider, 34 years old, would announce his immediate retirement in February. To me, this arouses the suspicion that he failed one of his team's internal doping controls, and was shown the door. Garmin-Slipstream is known for being a clean team, and maintains a strict doping control program. In addition to adding some redundancy to the anti-doping program administered by the UCI, the team's internal program gives the team the ability to handle positive tests in a slightly quieter manner.
If Backstedt did indeed test positive for a banned substance in an internal, out-of-competition test, the team could ask him to leave without having to go through the embarrassment of a failed in-competition test, the results of which would be broadcast to the cycling media. They get rid of a suspicious rider, and they keep their clean image. Of course, this is just speculation.
However, it is possible to get answers, and nothing would make me happier than to prove that I'm wrong in this regard, and that Backstedt is complete clean. In order to request blood test results, accredited members of the media need only to file a formal request. Of course, I am an acredited member of the meida, and I am willing to file such a request.
BUT, I also need a licensed hemoatologist to analyze the results, and at present, I don't know any hemotologists. The team requires that a licensed professional be available to analyze the reults before they release them. If you are such a blood professional, or know one, please get in touch with me. If I'm wrong -- and nothing would make me happier -- than at least there's still an intersting story in how open this team is with sharing the blood values of their athletes. If I'm right...
As for Nolf, no matter the cause, his death is a great tragedy, but keep watching Velo News for the autopsy results...
8 comments:
Are you accusing my car of doping? I can assure you Andrew, that while my car's oil did in fact turn to the consistency of peanut butter that bitterly cold Saturday morning, effectually leaving it dead as a doornail in the driveway, it was not because the suby uses EPO or any other performance enhancing substance banned by WADA. We here at Big Sky enforce a strict no doping environment and do regular tests.
Dude. I am a regular reader of your blog, and I consider you a friend, so know that I say this with all due respect, but this post veers dangerously close to bad taste. Nolf's death may indeed be tragically EPO related, and time will tell. But having a go at Backstedt? That's a bit out of the blue, and blogosphere speculation travels quickly. He has missed big chunks of the last two seasons due to injury, he has a reputation among other professionals as being a clean rider, and he has never been accused of doping or failed a dope test. Period. This kind of guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality is behind the sort of witch hunts cooked up by the likes of Anne Gripper and is what leads to professional cyclists being hauled out of (in one case) their children's cremations to pee in a cup. Which is the greater moral wrong there?
Yes professional athletes dope, even golden boy Michael Phelps turns out to be a pothead (who cares?), and professional football players are a pretty juiced up--and un-sanctioned for it--lot themselves, by and large. Nobody seems to care, though. So why in cycling do we feel the need to eat our own?
Professional riders actually do retire pre-season with some regularity, and given the motivation it takes to deal with coming back from injury, yet one more time, I have no trouble understanding why a rider in the twilight of his career anyway, with other irons in the fire, like his family and development team, might call it quits.
And not for nothing but don't you imagine that Jonathan Vaughters would have the head of any of his riders publicly on a platter if they failed an internal control? I mean, that's the point of their team, right? Do some research on the careers of the ridrrs on that team who have been around the block and, except for Millar's very public suspension and comeback, they are all guys with silky-smooth reputations, many of whom (Pate) have chosen not to race in Europe because they didn't want to race dirty. So who are you and I to profess to care more, or know more, about the sport of cycling than people like Vaughters, Millar and Backstedt? The fact is, the guy has never been accused of anything and to speculate like that here is irresponsible.
-n
Dude,
Get your facts right before you start spouting about stuff you don't understand.
If you have been following what maggy has been through in the last few years you will know that this is a man who doesn't give up, is subject to a very stringet regieme whilst at Garmin, is still on the UCI where abouts register.
Last year whilst at his house the UCI dropped in for a out of competition test, which of course came back negative.
Maggy has been suffering since the giro and the bug which he picked up in there virtually destroyed the lining in the intestine leading to an inability to digest the carbs in his diet. This meant any training rides greater than hour would lead to fatigue. Having lurched from one illnes to another desparately trying to get fit for the Paris-R has pushed the guys body over the edge. Having to pull out of the Tour was down to this digestion problem and the phsycological effect of falling short of the time ruling was very difficult watch and to help him through when he got back. If you’d seen the stage and the interviews afterward it would have been obvious that this was a man who’d thrown the kitchen sink at making the time limit and not someone who’d ‘conveniently’ used it an excused to exit.
Also having spent a lot of time with him after the tour it was obvious that he was gutted about having to pack.
Yes I am a mate of his, but the evidence is obvious, but not in the wat you are thinking.
OK, but I'll want to see those test results...
My comment at 6:22 a.m. was meant in response only to Dante's post. AB
Andrew,
Thank you for posting my comments to your blog.
I am also very suspicious of some results achieved in elite level sport, including cycling. But I know for sure one guy who is clean as the driven snow. That will be Magnus.
It is right that you don't know me from Adam but I know Magnus very well and know he has the respect of the Peloton.
Regards
David Hart
You can find me on the web at www.service-course.com
Does Nof's father know something we don't?
"Nolf's father doesn't want autopsy on son"
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/feb09/feb09news2
Due to confidentiality laws that don't actually exist on the books, but sound good when delivered by PR schmucks, "My car's test results must remain under lock and key." If you don't like that, clearly you're just a nosy, over eager, speculative and sensationalist reporter trying to make the life of my dear little car, which has been thurst into the blinding light of the internets, even harder than it already is, braving the cold AK winter on a day to day basis. How dare you!
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