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Here's the problem - as an administrator or testing agency, when a positive test pops up, how do you determine between an intentional and unintentional usage scenario? It relies on a lot of anecdotal and circumstantial evidence to prove that it wasn't intentional, made worse by the fact that athletes know testing will occur, and the information about what is allowed or not is readily available.
I've lived with random and causal drug testing in my work career for over 20 years. Some genuine medications will appear as positives on drug tests, so everyone is encouraged to let their supervisor know that they are taking any form of medication. If you do that and test positive, you are in a good situation, but heaven help you if you only reveal afterwards that you were on something. Nowadays, even advising of medications prior to the actual test but after you've been notified that testing will take place is not good enough.
First of all you have to realise that doping control like Wada is set up to focus on doping filled sports like cycling. And we are not talking about they take some pills, no those sports have a history of team wide blood doping programs, blood transfusions in the teambus next to the road on a mountain, cyclist doing their own transfusions, to even cyclist getting serious animal products used as doping.
The big issue for WADA is that doping control systems tend to not be capable to catch the latest doping products.
If you look at cycling Armstrong never got caught by a test, nor did Ullrich, Rasmussen or Basso. Armstrong and Rasmussen got caught by "pressure" (others confessing, no explanation for being in europe instead of mexico), and Ullrich and Basso didn't test positive but their blood bags were found by a police raid. Every couple of years a new testing technology becomes available and topriders do get popped (Hamilton & Vinokourov for blood doping, Kohl for Cera, etc.). Both Kohl and Hamilton later admitted to have been doping for years and only got caught when the testing methods unexpectedly improved.
But typically the doping products that work really well are not detectable, which is why you see doping authorities 'score' with positive tests on items and 'volumes' which don't seem to make a substantial performance impact. Think of Landis and testosterone ratio, Contador and Clenbuterol, and Froome with Salbutamol (astma inhaler). In many cases these strange ratios and scores are actually considered a side-effect of extreme doping. In Contador's case it was said that the clenbuterol was in the blood bag that he used for blood doping. I also think taht doping authorities in cycling work with the mindset they all dope so it is better to catch them on a 'technicality' then not catch them at all. That is why you see WADA test for Tickle for something that doesn't seem to improve performance at all.
Basically when using WADA protocals you are taking an approach as if motocross is similar in doping culture as cycling is, and try to 'catch' riders even for items that dont seem to improve performance.
That is something that imo is not a good 'fit' for motocross, and imo the powers of MX should look into a doping control system that better fits MX. However, that doesnt mean WADA is a joke, imo they just do what they are hired for. You want something else as SX, order something different. In the meantime everybody just needs to follow WADA rules.
Also per Matthes and how shitty WADA responds to these athletes is unprofessional and par for the course with these authoritarian figures. He mentioned Clason and how a while back tlaking about Clades situation and how Cade then got backlash from WADA for him telling Steve how bush league they are. To me once again this is not black and white. How did Stew get 16 months and Broc faces 4 years? Get these clowns out of the sport.
The Shop
And the last part you mention is not correct, he was not busted via the biopasport (baseline). Also kind of hard to believe he would finish 3rd in the TDF as a guy near his 40's without dope.
I haven't lost 1 lb but it gets me jacked daily!
Thats why they want TUEs and TRT banned also in UFC/MMA. It's just an open door for cheating. TUEs are bullshit all in themselves.
in 4 weeks, A good trainer can have your blood pulled and make you look less manly than a 6 year old girl on a blood panel.
I’m not placing blame on WADA for this...it’s either the trainer or riders fault. WADA makes the rules pretty clear for all to learn before the season.
Pit Row
Don’t bag on the testers for finding what they were asked to look for.
The CODE is easily available and not that hard to comprehend, and should be the first place someone goes to understand this if they think its worth having an opinion on.
The Code categorizes some substances that are banned at all times and subject to surprise out of competition testing (hence selected riders having to give notice of their location at all times), and there is a separate category that is banned only during competition. I believe steroids are an example of the first group, and I am pretty sure Stew's ADD med was only an in-competition ban (if you want a clearer but not performance related, cannabis and alcohol are banned in competition).
I know some UFC fighters have proven this in the past and had their suspensions reduced.
And it is equally ridiculous that the AMA surrendered it power to any of them.
I would again say, the list is so long and ridiculous with substances found legally everywhere, you would need to have a legal/nutritional/chemical chaperone following you 24/7 to be able to pass theses tests 100% of the time. If they theoretically tested 100% of racers 100% of the time, the pro gates would be empty.
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