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This is what Froome just got nailed on. His Salbutamol (Albuterol) levels were reported to be double what would be needed for asthma symptoms.
The Shop
You confirmed my point.
It is, and has always been illegal to use PED’s in the sport
So now that Matthes and JT have confirmed an admittance of guilt from 2 riders.... WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE? ?
You're kidding, right?
I'm not defending the use of PEDs, I am defending the reputations of guys who were great on motocross bikes and obviously worked their asses off, and are now getting pulled into the gutter here. If guys are cheating, I hope they get caught, but to just make general accusations against anyone with ZERO evidence is irresponsible and ridiculous.
DC
Racer X
The challenge would be navigating the conflicts of interest, or finding a journalistic/investigative body that is not financially connected to the industry so as to prevent bias and, as I previously said, conflicts of interest resulting in a bias investigation.
I'm not sure how authentic an investigation could be if sponsorship/advertisement dollars are coming from parties that potentially do not want their skeletons being exposed.
Maybe an external body is required for a legitimate investigation if the entities within the MX/SX industry are uninterested or unwilling to expose information that could be damaging to certain individuals, sponsors, etc.
Edit: The casual and nonchalant attitude or JT/Matthes in regards to PED use within MX/SX was quite unsettling. Like some others have speculated, maybe they know more than they want to share, or perhaps either of them exposing others through journalism would result in their own complacency being ousted. Not saying this is what is happening, but they both seemed to dismiss the topic as not worthy of actual investigation because it occurred in the past.
PED’s will not get a rider like 722 on the podium. They will allow for faster recovery which allows him to get an extra practice day during the week or stay focused at the end of a 20 minute Main. In all Sports we are dealing with type “A” personality’s who would cut their pinky off for an advantage so saying PEDs don’t exist in the sport because of testing is short sided.
A bigger issue for me is purse money and entry fees teams and riders pay. I find it troubling that a rider needs to secure a bonus plan from personal sponsors to make good money. Any rider who is good enough to make a night show should be making a comfortable living with good healthcare. That’s an issue I would fix before wasting money on a testing procedure that only catches paperwork mistakes (Stew and Clason). My two cents. One more thing, while Jeff Alessi may not have ALL his facts in order, I believe much like Jose Cansaco in Baseball he does know a lot about what is going on inside the Semi’s and Motorhomes.
And when did the guys say this? Because no one told me, and Jason just told me on the phone he's never had anyone admit this. So which series, which years, which drugs?
I don't think rewriting the record book based on anecdotal/incomplete evidence is wise in any sport.
DC
Racer X
I'm not trying to be rude or accusatory, it just seems like passing the buck to say you hope they are caught when you seem to be uniquely positioned to catch them.
Edit: JT and Matthes admitted knowing about PED us on the Pulp show this Monday. Talked about it casually, said it happened in the past.
No longer can you buy EQ, Dianabol, Tren or anything else at the Vet supplies unless you find one really lax.
Now you know why alot of bodybuilders live in areas where they have a cow or some goats, chickens etc.
Access to Vet drugs. Problem is now it's all scheduled, same as Heroin, so its not so easy anymore.
What do you guys honestly expect to happen? Baseball, Cycling and any other major mainstream sports have SO MUCH more attention and resources on them. Reporters from all over the world, mainstream media coverage, etc. Our sport has none of that. What do you really think could be done, DC does some big exposé where he interviews people on the record and they name names (ohhh shocked!). It's a he said/she said scenario. That would do or prove NOTHING. Cycling keeps their sophisticated testing samples for years of further analysis. Even baseball had no such thing but it took government intervention and a Senate hearing for players to admit it under oath. I mean the biggest stars in "Americas Pastime" were getting yoked up beyond recognition year after year with millions of eyeballs on them and they finally decided to do something about it. Sorry but Motocross ain't getting no Senate hearing.
I'm not saying you guys are right or wrong, but stomping your feet and demanding that something be done is so far from reality. Did dudes use stuff back in the day? Probably. Is there any way to prove it today, not really. But we can convincingly say that no top rider has had an unfair advantage and used PEDs during the last 8-9 years since WADA/USADA became involved. Is that not enough for you guys??
We don't have the time or money to investigate the past. We can't hire scientists and investigators like crusading French news bureaus and sporting bodies did for a decade in France. We don't have the blood tests or urine samples from before USADA came along like they did for the Tour de France. And we don't have a mandate or subpoena power to challenge anyone's personal health records or anyone suing a rider like they went after Lance Armstrong. We have anecdotal tales and people suspicious of trainers and past champions, but no real basis other than "if it happened in these other sports, then it happened in our sport." And that's not enough for the monumental task that would entail.
But if we did, then we might as well test to see who was riding high in the seventies, on coke in the eighties, on ecstasy in the nineties... Or maybe tear down the motors of every bike after the Production Rule went into effect in the eighties, the suspension of every bike in the nineties, the noise level of every four-stroke since Doug Henry... And should we go back and do concussion testing on Jim Pomeroy? Jeff Stanton? Travis Pastrana? Mike Alessi?
We are doing what we can to build records and data, given the responsibility we now have, but we can't build on what don't have or didn't exist in the past.
DC
Racer X
One admitted Growth use on a podcast. That said, it's no different than someone saying they drove drunk all the time. Could be true, could be bullshit.
Without failed tests that have been swept under the rug and stuff like other sports, or people coming out saying they doctored the results and stuff as well, it's all just talk.
However, Even Fake nattys will never admit to use. Their whole livelyhood depends on the lie of selling bullshit supplements to look like them.
How do you sell Bullshit Brand Supps, by admitting you're doing 4 or 5 grams of gear per week?
Pit Row
I guess my own ignorance limits my understanding of what is realistic and what is achievable in reality in regards to investigations and finding facts.
If I came off as disrespectful I did not mean to, but thank you for responding.
If you cant last that long, you're just lazy and not riding enough.
And SXs are at like 60 degrees!
It could be as simple as reaching out to some past riders, and seeing what they have to say regarding the issue? The answers you get off the record may surprise you.
Recent events have shown that WADA protocols do not prove much of a deterrent - rather it leads the athlete towards a professionalized PED program.
I have the utmost respect for you, your passion for this sport, and your willingness to have a dialog with fans. What this seems to be is a story that absolutely no one in the industry has the appetite to investigate.
If not our journalists, then who?
"But if we did, then we might as well test to see who was riding high in the seventies, on coke in the eighties, on ecstasy in the nineties... Or maybe tear down the motors of every bike after the Production Rule went into effect in the eighties, the suspension of every bike in the nineties, the noise level of every four-stroke since Doug Henry... And should we go back and do concussion testing on Jim Pomeroy? Jeff Stanton? Travis Pastrana? Mike Alessi?"
We don't need any * asterisk's in the record books.
Steve on the other hand was very clear.....
And let me be clear. I am a Pulp junkie. I love the honesty and content that you both provide. The LAST thing I want to do I is get either of you in hot water for saying X or Y while other people keep their mouths shut. In this situation, Steve said he had riders admit use to him in the past..... that’s a huge deal to me.
Rider: "No"
Well ok then. There's nothing to go back and test and I have zero proof other than some conversations.
Think about the stories I've seen and heard about cheating with the production rule by different teams. Want to go back on that also?
Chill down bro, you're being ridiculous. There's no proof of anything. Any "investigation" leads to......nothing.
I know it’s not your responsibility or financial obligation to run down these stories, and I know you’re doing the absolute best you can to keep the sport clean. Hopefully my questions haven’t painted the picture that I feel you are to blame or not doing a good job.
Thank you for your replies. I wanted to confirm that it was in fact against the rules before you took rein, which you helped us out with on with an answer.
New York Times
Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
USA Today
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