Where to Draw the Line

While realizing I’m relatively new to the sport, I can’t help but think of doping every time I think of professional racing. Don’t get me wrong--it’s not like I spend my day pondering the life of a professional cyclist and what it might be like to line up for any of the one-day classics or major stage races. That’s not what I mean. What I do mean is, how much of a difference does doping actually make?

With all the hoopla in the media lately about this one confessing and that one confessing (see previous post titled I Got Your Confession Right Here to read about how I really feel regarding Bjarne Riis and his recent admission), how can I not ask myself such questions? Does a needle in the ass or chewing a few lemon-flavored Starburst filled with testosterone really make that much of a difference? What exactly does it feel like when climbing a mountain when your blood is filled with juice? Is it that much easier? Or is the pain the same yet your average speed climbs a few miles per hour?

Obviously, I’ve got lots of questions, so can we get our hands on a former professional to take a ride with us one of these days so he can elaborate on all of the above?

And what about the professional women racers? Are they on the juice too? If so, can you imagine a soigneur rubbing down one of the girls and asking if they want a bit of synthetic testosterone for the following day’s competition? "Put a little hair on your chest for the big race?"

Further, not to give Bjarne Riis any more credit than he deserves, but during his confession, he did state that if a racer lacks the talent, all the drugs in the world aren’t going to help. While I have zero experience with doping, I’d have to agree with Mr. Riis on that one as it seems intuitive.

For example, think of the Tour de France. Roughly a hundred and eighty racers come together for the biggest bicycle race in the world. Maybe twenty of them actually have a shot at winning based granted half of those twenty aren’t sacked based on doping allegations. These twenty represent the cream of the crop, the best of the best from around the world.

How many of them are doping? All of them? If they are, the winner is still the best of the best considering the playing field across those top twenty was equal in terms of equipment, dope, nutrition, etc. What it comes down to is talent, right? The point being, Riis has a point.

I still want to know if the premier sprinters are doping. I’ve read that the sprinters will pop a huge caffeine pill not far from the finish, but that’s only what I’ve read. I know I’ve said it before, but take a guy like Robbie McEwen. Dude can sprint at 45 MPH but put him in the mountains and he hangs all the way in the back. My inclination is to say he’s not a doper. Does a racer need testosterone to sprint? Or just to hang with the peloton during those long flat stages?

As a final word on doping (not really final, but you know what I mean), I was speaking with Mr. Picco yesterday morning before the botched group ride when he offered me a can of Red Bull. To me, as much as I enjoy a can of the delicious nectar, drinking eight ounces of pure caffeine/sugar before a ride is the equivalent of doping. I’m sure that sounds somewhat ridiculous, but getting hopped up on a serious caffeine rush would cause me to ride a bit harder than I normally would. Again, there’s a lot of gray area there, but it is what it is. At least in my head.