Pro Tour Team Anti-Doping
July 31st, 2007 |From the new and improved comments section:
I also am allowing myself to have high hopes that Slipstream can pull it off — winning without selling its soul. I’d like for there to be at least one team I can feel good about my kids looking up to.
Cycling4all’s Kristian Deibjerg has done an analysis on all 20 of the Pro Tour teams in regards to their anti-doping programs. Points were scored for intra-team drug testing, team funding of anti-doping research and teams stating an interest in being a member of a new “ethical club” league. Points were deducted for team members and staff having prior involvement in doping, team members having involvement with suspicious doctors and the violation of ‘code of conduct” rules. How did the Pro Tour teams stack up? From best score to worst:
8 Bouygues Telecom, FRA
8 AG2R Prévoyance, FRA
7 Credit Agricole, FRA
7 Française des Jeux, FRA
7 Team CSC, DEN
6 T-Mobile, GER
6 Predictor - Lotto, BEL
5 Cofidis, FRA
5 Unibet, SWE
4 Gerolsteiner, GER
4 Rabobank, NED
4 Quick Step, BEL
4 Milram, ITA
4 Saunier Duval, SPA
3 Astana, SWI
2 Liquigas, SWI
1 Discovery Channel, USA
0 Caisse d’Epargne, SPA
-2 Lampre, ITA
-2 Euskaltel - Euskadi, SPA
It’s clear the the French have taken the anti-doping campaign seriously. With one exception, the Cofidis team that ended up pulling out of the Tour after one of their riders got busted, all the French Pro Tour teams are grouped at the top.
The Spanish and the Italian teams clearly have some work to do, as does the sole USA representative.
It would be interesting to see how the Slipstream team would rate but I would tend to believe that they would be right up there towards the top. As a matter of fact, based upon my research of the team, it’s staff and riders, I would expect a rating of between 9 and 11.
In the mean time, if you want to feel good about supporting a Pro Tour cycling team, cheer for a French squad.
12 Responses to “Pro Tour Team Anti-Doping”
…except Cofidis.
I already made that caveat.
bigger question:
Why are there two additional PT teams from France vs. any other country? (particularly when each and every one of them suck)
No, you didn’t.
In the mean time, if you want to feel good about supporting a Pro Tour cycling team, cheer for a French squad.
Yea, I think I did.
With one exception, the Cofidis team that ended up pulling out of the Tour after one of their riders got busted, all the French Pro Tour teams are grouped at the top.
particularly when each and every one of them suck
I would rather see clean and sucky teams in the Pro Tour than dirty fast teams.
How many stage wins did Gerolsteiner get in the Tour this year?
Good point that the Frenchie teams are pretty reputable, and sometimes they do win (eg FdJ and Credit Agricole in this Tour). But a top drawer American team with a clean rep will have more resonance here in the States. I certainly couldn’t direct my kids toward Discovery with a very clear conscience.
I would rather see clean and sucky teams in the Pro Tour than dirty fast teams.
That’s interesting. Previously, I’ve understood your stance to be moderately dope-sympathizer - or at least you apparently feel you can identify with the pressures that the pros feel w.r.t. results and the ‘need’ to dope.
The only thing I’ve really seen you speak out against, is things like ibelievetyler and the ‘Floyd Fairness Fund’.
Obviously you’re entitled to think what you want, and change such at any time, I’m just amused by your opine…
Yes, I am sympathetic with riders who are drawn into the world of doping. I am not at all sympathetic to team managers, doctors and staff who “help” these riders with their doping programs.
And I have nothing but antipathy to those riders who get busted for doping and claim total and complete innocence and blame their positive test on some sort of wild grand conspiracy.
David Millar – sympathetic figure and now an anti-doping advocate
Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton – piece of dung
i’m going to follow this formula for the local teams!
results soon!
(but i am allowing points to be affected by hearsay, person feelings, grudes, and upgrade points).
oops, i meant “personal feelings”.
…but that just means i am currently leading the SCTY competition!
I’m guessing Bruyneel was lumped in with the old school DSs who encouraged and/or turned a blind eye to various forms of doping. Which raises the question, who are the new-school DSs that are prepared to be vigilant against doping and dopers?
I also have a pet theory that the testosterone hits that have tripped up a number of riders are not the doping agent, but rather a by product of a doping agent or process that is not widely known or specifically tested for yet. In other words, the riders aren’t taking testosterone, which doctors I’ve talked to agree would be of little benefit for riders in the middle of a tour, but are taking something else that the current testing protocols don’t measure directly.