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Jan Ullrich insists cycling is now doping free

Expressed enthusiasm for new wave of German riders

Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France winner, believes that mass doping is a thing of the past. Speaking to the German publication, Bild, he said that “the black time of cycling is behind us.”

Ullrich was one of the riders who came under suspicion in 2006 when Operacion Puerto uncovered the work of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and he has since admitted blood doping.

“I hope the riders have learned from our mistakes now,” he said. “I want to believe that and I want to believe in the innocence of the riders."

When André Cardoso’s positive test just prior to the Tour was pointed out to him, Ullrich said: “That’s a pity, but this is one of 200 professionals in the peloton. There is always a black sheep, which apparently still has not got it.”

Ullrich also expressed enthusiasm for Marcel Kittel’s success after his countryman took five stages in this year’s race.

"It is very fortunate for German cycling to have someone like Kittel, who unfortunately is in a Belgian team instead of a German one. Anyway, he has awakened a new enthusiasm for cycling in Germany."

The Tour de France returned to free-to-air TV in Germany in 2015 after being dropped in 2011 due to a succession of doping scandals involving German riders that resulted in ratings plummeting.

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Paul J | 7 years ago
1 like

That'd be the Marcel Kittel:

  • who used to lie on a bed watching his blood being removed and put through some homeopathic UV treatment, before being re-infused
  • who was given an anti-doping sanction by his federation for this
  • who took this all the way to CAS/TAS
  • who CAS let off on the technicality that the WADA rules at that time required the banned
    blood manipulation to be /effective/, and there was no scientific evidence that UV treatment was
  • because of whom WADA went and updated the WADA anti-doping code

Now that was a young Marcel Kittel, 19 or so, I guess vulnerable to going along with whatever his coaching staff said was needed. However, it's the same Marcel Kittel who only a few years ago, aged 24 or 25 or so, said in an interview he had /never/ seen anything /like/ doping happen. That means Kittel doesn't think that watching your blood being taken out, treated, and then re-infused is anything like doping - and we can reasonably assume he'd be fine with autologous blood infusions.

The clean new generation!

Avatar
rtop | 7 years ago
0 likes

drosco - what you're watching now is a peleton microdosing epo and taking cortigosteroids continually out of competition. this leads to different style of racing compared to previous era when certain riders would take massive dose of epo for a certain stage.

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davel replied to rtop | 7 years ago
1 like

rtop wrote:

 take massive dose of epo for a certain stage.

plus a blood transfusion.

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Leviathan replied to rtop | 7 years ago
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rtop wrote:

drosco - what you're watching now is a peleton microdosing epo and taking cortigosteroids continually out of competition. this leads to different style of racing compared to previous era when certain riders would take massive dose of epo for a certain stage.

Sorry but this no reversion to tactics of old. There were still massive breakaway in the pre 80s. The waiting game we see today is because of team tactics and power meters. USPS did more than just take drugs, they invented defensive team tactics that Sky now use.  Even tempo climbing that protects the leader and doesn't over react; marking GC contenders. Team Radio.

Technology and tactics are the reason it all comes down to a uphill sprint at the end.

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Cozz | 7 years ago
0 likes

Pro cyclists are screened enough.   If the anti-doping regime doesn't find anything then that's good enough and is the end of it.  Even if there is a bit of doping going undetected I don't care - they are tested and punished far more severely than other athletes and they sacrifice far more for far less remuneration and fame.The constant bloody speculation and witch hunt by the press and social media "experts" does nothing for the sport.

 

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drosco | 7 years ago
5 likes

To me, Grand Tours don't look like they used to. The days of riders putting a couple of minutes into each other on the final climb are over. All the team leaders are much of a muchness and everyone looks like they're suffering. If not drug free, it's a world away from the days of too good to be true performances.

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john1967 | 7 years ago
1 like

Its not a question of belief. Quite clearley there is doping as we saw recently with trek rider Andre Segafredo.I still cant understand how that got swept under the carpet.All hell would have broken loose if he was a sky rider.

Avatar
davel replied to john1967 | 7 years ago
0 likes
john1967 wrote:

Its not a question of belief. Quite clearley there is doping as we saw recently with trek rider Andre Segafredo.I still cant understand how that got swept under the carpet.

Presumably cos he owns the team  3

Avatar
brooksby | 7 years ago
1 like

If you believe that there's no doping in cycling, then I've got a bridge I can sell you 

Avatar
alansmurphy | 7 years ago
2 likes

The headline doesn't represent what he says, one is probably lying right, the other is bollocks!

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