I just cant understand how they think they wont get snapped - especially if you win.
even if the guy is a great cyclist - he is dumb as a post!

My understanding of the test is that they found a high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone (or vice versa), where the ratio is normally 1:1. So from that, they deduce that performance enhancers have been taked. They haven't determined a specific drug, so there's no way (yet) of knowing how long "it" took to affect him, assuming there was an "it".

So they're taking a symptom (or effect) and deducing a cause. It then falls on the cyclist to demonstrate another possible cause that could lead to that sympton... and apparently, he had clearance for a couple of medications.

If he did dope, he's just plain stupid... and don't forget that stupid and high-level athletes do sometimes go together. Witness head-butting an opponent, head-butting your horse, carrying a whizzinator on a plane... the list goes on.

It is interesting that it keeps popping up in the Tour de France. Perhaps there are some folks getting upset in the wrong way...

Apparently the yellow jersey winner gets 450,000 euro, it's 25,000 euro for green, same for spotted, 20,000 for white, then there's a 20,000 euro combativity prize and a best by team time of 50,000 (to be split). Then there are other small prizes like 8,000 for winning a day's stage and 350 euro for winning the yellow jersey for one day.
Sure, it adds up to a bit more, but this is one of the worst paying professional sporting events you can think of. Arguably a good thing. There's more money in the concourses following the Tour, true, but you've to be a very good and active rider if you want to win enough to last you a lifetime. </font>[/QUOTE]Like with most sports, the real money is in sponsorships. The better you do (and the better team you're on), the more money you get. Also, good performances have a large bearing on your financial viability when you retire - sponsorships, book deals, etc.

I think there is an overrepresentation of drug incidents in cycling, although I agree with Johnny that there are other sports that are similarly overrepresented, track and field being a major one. However, I think it's probably less surprising when you think about the nature of competitive road cycling. I think it is probably one of, if not the most difficult sport in terms of the toll on your body and the degree of fitness that is needed. I don't think it's that unusual that athletes in a sport requiring that level of strength, endurance, etc. find performance enhancing drugs more appealing than something like basketball or something where you play a match a week and a few hours of training a day. Like at the world cup - commentators were all, he played the FULL 90 minutes - like, whoopee ;)