Blood doping...
...my facts are probably inaccurate, but I'll give it a ago...
I'm 99.9% certain blood doping has been banned from cycling. I believe it was widely performed during the mid-1980s (pre-EPO). A cyclist would have, say, a pint of blood drawn from them, and that pint would then be frozen. Let's say after a few days or weeks, the cyclist's blood volume returns to normal (I should know how long it takes...I am going to med school next year!).
A day or a few days before a big endurance event (such as the TDF, Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a Espana--all three-week tours), the frozen pint of blood will be transfused back into the cyclist (after they thaw it, of course). Therefore, he or she will have a higher level of hemoglobin (due to the increased blood volume) and, thus, have a higher blood-oxygen capacity...a great asset especially when tackling the Alps or Pyrenees.
Synthetic EPO came along next and became the doping product of choice up until 1998 when the high-powered Festina squad was caught smuggling EPO & other doping products into France right before the 1998 TDF. EPO, of course, increases hemoglobin levels, thus increasing blood oxygen capacity.
To catch EPO users and blood dopers (dopes really), officials measured hematocrit. Officials set the "natural" limit at 50 and so anyone with a crit above 50 would be disqualified for suspected doping. The problem with this method of testing is that there are individuals out there with natural crit levels above 50. Therefore, new tests were created to actually test for the presence of synthetic EPO.
The test has it's flaws, and not every sporting body has adopted the new EPO tests, but like Lance Armstrong said, no other sport has gone to the great lengths to combat doping...weightlifting, swimming, or track & field (track & field is a doping mess!) that cycling has. Of course there will always be doping, but I think cycling has done the best job (compared to other endurance sports) of limiting the # of cheaters in the peleton.
Speaking of Lance, he uses an "altitude" tent to raise his blood oxygen capacity. This tent lowers oxygen levels to simulate high altitude, thus resulting in higher hemoglobin levels. This method of raising crit levels is safer because nothing's being added to the body (i.e. - synthetic EPO, frozen blood). It's a more natural way of increasing your blood oxygen capacity. Lance also combines this with extensive training camps (more like reconnisance(sp?) missions) in the Alps & Pyrenees, and that is one of the reasons why he's been dominant in the mountains these past few years (there's also his incredible pedaling cadence, but that's another story).
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Now to answer some of Trek's questions...
I'm actually not a bike racer...I'm just a recreational rider like everyone else. I'm actually a middle-distance runner/volleyball player. However, cycling is my favorite spectator sport (besides football).
I became a fan of cycling in 1987. That summer, I was really bored, and so I decided to see what my dad was up to. He was watching the 1987 TDF, and I decided to join in. At first, I was a little bored...especially with the sprint finishes and all, but once they hit those mountains, I was hooked. I also enjoyed watching the time trials. It was quite an exciting tour with Stephen Roche winning by a very slim margin over Pedro Delgado.
I couldn't wait until 1988...Pedro pretty much dominated that tour (although he was involved in a pretty ugly doping controversy...I forget all the details).
And, of course, there was 1989 with the famous final ITT into Paris. LeMond defeating Fignon by a mere 8 seconds...that was downright spectacular!
As far as my favorite old-timers, Merckx has got to be right up there...anyone who not only wins the TDF 5 times, but wins all three jerseys (green, polka dot, and overall) in one Tour is a freakin' god! It's the equivalent of Eric Heiden(sp?) sweeping all five speedskating golds at the 1980 Winter Olympics!
(BTW, Eric Heiden was also a cyclist--although that's the case with a lot of speedskaters--and I must mention this being that this is SDN--Eric Heiden is also an orthopaedic surgeon...this man is a freak of nature!)
Other oldies? Coppi's quite a character (only man besides Armstrong to win both Alpe d'Huez & the overall), and I also like Ray Poulidor (most famous bridesmaid in TDF history).
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Let's see, what else?
Oh yeah, some more random questions for all you cycling fans out there...
1) What are your thoughts on Simoni as a threat for overall G.C. at the TDF 2002? Personally, I don't think he stands a chance against the time-trialing of Jan & Lance. Granted he got second place in the long time trial against Frigo during the Giro, but Frigo (doped or not) is no Jan or Lance.
2) Some people out there believe Indurain is a far better time-trialist than Armstrong. I don't think so. Ullrich, I believe is Indurain's equal...same built, very natural time-trialists (I love their position on a time-trial machine), and although they're not great climbers, they know how to dig deep and grind their way up hills. And in head-to-head battles between Armstrong & Ullrich, Armstrong has a slight edge. Therefore, I think Armstrong would more than hold his own against Indurain. Okay, Indurain would have the slight edge because he's a natural time-trialist, but Armstrong would do fine. What do you think?
3) Everyone thinks Sevilla is next in line to the throne, but I think Millar is the next great threat to the reign of Jan & Lance. Millar is already the third or forth best time-trialist in the world behind Botero, Armstrong & Ullrich...and he's still 24 years old! If he learns how to use that power in the mountains, he'll be a very serious contender for overall G.C. I'm just not convinced Sevilla can really improve his time-trialing skills to contend for the overall G.C. at the TDF...but then again, we didn't think Lance could climb either. Anyway, who do you think will be the next great cyclist?
Well, those are all my random thoughts at this very moment...I need a break!
-Sauce
