sideblog: It's Not About the Bike

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

It's Not About the Bike

You're right. It wasn't... G

8 comments:

A40 said...: live rong; 10 October 2012 at 19:45
WhitelinePsycho said...: Yeah, live wrong and prosper . . . for a while at least, total bummer for everyone who ever cared.; 10 October 2012 at 23:46
Unknown said...: Still a legend in my eyes, they were all doin the same....; 11 October 2012 at 16:50
Sideburn Magazine said...: Stevie, but the decades of denial and lies are the thing that are hard to take, especially as those around him were getting busted and he kept denying it. G; 11 October 2012 at 22:05
Unknown said...: yep i fully agree G, the whole sport it seems was rotten at that time.
and i hate cheating as much as anyone.
but he went from being on deaths door, to coming back and winning multiple tours.
thats a legendary feat even if you are pumped full of drugs!!.
at least now there is a tour winner who is clean, and british too boot,
lets hope it sets a new benchmark for the sport...; 12 October 2012 at 09:38
Steve said...: this blog is hardly the place to ask,but what where the 'enhancements'he took and what are the benefits.; 13 October 2012 at 12:04
Sideburn Magazine said...: Well, I'm glad you asked. Armstrong, and many, many others used EPO, testosterone and blood doping. EPO stimulates bone marrow to make more red blood cells, which in turn carries more oxygen in the bloodstream to allow muscles (and brain) to work harder.
Testosterone builds muscle mass and, more crucially, is supposed to aid recovery so a cyclist can work hard day after day (a 3-week tour can be won or lost by 8 seconds). Blood doping involves removing a quantity of blood in winter (for instance) when a rider has a higher level of red blood cells due to specific training, then injecting it after or before a hard day's stage. Very hard to detect, until the testers got wise to it and stating measuring red cell counts. Hence he got away with it for a long time.
G; 13 October 2012 at 12:29
Steve said...: Thank You G,that is a very comprehensive answer.That kind of knowledege and the skill to hide it for so long must have cost a penny or two.I never followed the sport,but have read just about everywhere,now the truth is out,the total dismay and sadness his fans now feel.What is real anymore?; 13 October 2012 at 23:45