Are we naive about professional cycling?

gbh

I don't want to say everyone is at it, but I just have a feeling that in older days such as the 70's and 80's when testing wasn't as up to date, there might have been a culture of a nod and a wink about cycling. Every cyclist and every team probably had their magic secret formulas for getting their man back in the saddle the next day fighting fit after a hard day in the Alps or Pyrannees the day before. In the last 20 years the majority of Tour winners have come under suspicion and strong suspicion of either doping during the race or in other races. Is today then any worse than 20 years ago?

Quigs Snr

I expect it is a little worse these days, but it has always been around, the likes of Merckx and Anqutiel have all as good as said so over the years. The difference being that these days the drugs really do make you faster. Back in the day, the mostly just made you THINK you were faster !

crashoveroid

Just to let you know doping has been around since the late 40s it been there so long that its became the norm so nearly 60 years later and they are trying to clean the sport. thats Some task

Wibbs

By all accounts it was endemic back in the day, but as Quigs Snr points out they were taking stimulants, amphetamines and caffeine, they gave the rider more of a psychological boost more than anything and to ward of mental fatigue. There's a hell of a lot to be said for a mental boost but in fact often they might have the effect of slowing you down or affecting your performance. They screwed with the heart and a few died from them Tom Simpson being one.

Now of course they can turn a so so rider into a very good rider as the physical boost gains can be huge. Big difference.

Sandwich

I dont feel I am. Of course we can never be sure, but i would be pretty confident that about a quarter of the riders are clear of drugs. None of them making it very far up the leader board unfortunately but competing nonetheless. Or maybe im just a romantic.