An entire nation of spineless Frenchies hold their collective breath...

[Hugh 0ne]

...and hopes that for once this test turns out positive: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=3992009

[Hugh 0ne]

Big John, could you correct the typo in the title? TIA.

[Hugh 0ne]

I'm pretty sure they're hoping to jerk him off into a cup next.

[AtomicCEO]

I love that they say 80% of the French athletes who had their hair tested tested positive, but won't be sanctioned... and then they do it to Armstrong.

 

Methinks the French have a massive hardon for him.

[Dr. Sacrebleu]

I love that they say 80% of the French athletes who had their hair tested tested positive, but won't be sanctioned... and then they do it to Armstrong.

 

Methinks the French have a massive hardon for him.

Testing of hair samples is allowed under French law, but is not recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency or cycling's governing body UCI.

 

International doping controls are based on urine and blood tests.

 

"To date hair testing is not considered to be sufficiently reliable for sanctioning anti-doping violations by the vast majority of the experts that WADA consulted," WADA spokesman Frederic Donze told The Associated Press by e-mail. "However, hair testing can provide valuable information that can lead to target testing by anti-doping organizations, for example."

 

Looks like it would be no different for Armstrong. (Also looks like it's 20% positives, not 80, but whose counting.)

 

Does seem more like a PR stunt/shaming game than a serious attempt to catch cheats (especially since they say it is not that reliable, and obviously any positive test would be contested by team Lance)

I can't imagine that Lance would be doped up for this tour. It would defy logic to lose your whole legacy to win a very very improbable tour.

But you never know, athletes have never been known to use a lot of common sense when it comes to wanting to win.

 

As to why the French might be giving Lance more scrutiny than you think he deserves, let's remember that

1) there hasn't been a clean tour in 15 years, and all winner of any significance have tested positive/admitted/been heavily suspected of drug use

2) A heck of a lot of track and field athletes have tested positive in the last ten years (french included, you just don't hear so much about it because they don't win anything)

3) Armstrong raced at a time when drugs that were indetectible to any doping agencies were widely used

4) think about the emotions that people have regarding Barry Bonds when he broke Hank Aaron's record. Now think of how much stronger it would be if he were a foreign national breaking the most sacred record in the national passtime.

5) As soon as a new test comes out is the best time to catch cheats (see the study sited wherein 16% of french athletes tested positive for a previously thought untraceable drug)

6) IIRC correctly there were a lot of Marion Jones backers here who thought the french had it in for her and who thought the french had botched her positive drug test

Edited March 19, 2009 by Dr. Sacrebleu

[TimC]

Tell Germany to bring it. We're ready for them Huns this time!!! I haz built a bigger wall.

[AtomicCEO]

Looks like it would be no different for Armstrong. (Also looks like it's 20% positives, not 80, but whose counting.)

 

The story was updated after I posted. The original story had specific results of the French cycling team, not a grouping of all French athletes. Maybe they decided their info was inaccurate, but I was reacting to the story as written yesterday afternoon.