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Archive for the 'Cycling' category

Repost: Doping with the amphetamines

May 23 2011 Published by bikemonkey under BikeMonkey, Cycling, Doping

Sports doping is in the news again this week. Some 60 Minutes program accusing Lance Armstrong, yet again, of being a doper who just didn't get caught. Prof-like Substance has a few thoughts on the matter under a title which questions whether pro cycling can survive if Lance is proven to have doped. Are you kidding? Doping has been with cycling since forever.

I put this up at the original DrugMonkey blog on 8/21/2007.

We'll start off our discussions on sports doping with the classic psychomotor stimulants, the amphetamines. You know, good old "speed". A class of drugs primarily considered indirect dopamine agonists because they bind to the dopamine transporter with good affinity (dopamine reuptake inhibitor) and also act to facilitate dopamine release from the terminal. As with similar compounds they also tend to have some affinity for other monoaminergic transporters and will thus modulate norepinephrine and serotonin. Nevertheless, the major action usually under discussion is to increase dopamine levels in the synapse. Continue Reading »

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Remember "Redneck"?

May 20 2011 Published by bikemonkey under BikeMonkey, Cycling

No, not these kind.

This one.

He's tearing up the Tour of California!

With five kilometers to go to the third KOM, the gap had increased a bit with a lead of one minute and 10 seconds on the chasers, still led by Team RadioShack. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) of Team Garmin-Cervelo launched an attack on a small climb that interrupted the decent and was quickly joined by Paul Martens (GER) of Rabobank Cycling Team, but Hesjedal continued to do most of the work on the front. On the third KOM, Anthony crossed the line first, and the fourth KOM was captured by Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) of Team Spidertech Powered by C10.

As the race continued, three riders from Team RadioShack kept pace at the front of the peloton. Horner and Leipheimer leapt off the front to chase Hesjedal, leaving Schleck and David Zabriskie (USA) of Team Garmin-Cervelo behind. They were able to catch him, but Horner proved to be too strong for both and he established a gap between himself and Leipheimer and Hesjedal, a decisive move that put Horner in the lead with three kilometers to go until the finish.

YEAH! Go HORNER!!!!

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Bike to Work Week PSA: The quick release is not complicated technology folks

May 16 2011 Published by bikemonkey under BikeMonkey, Cycling

I had to stop some commuter last week and fix her front quick release for her. Nothing that scares the crap out of me more than seeing someone with the lever in the wrong position, poised for a nice little whoopsie. I've seen the aftermath of what happens when a front wheel drops off and it is not. at. all. pretty.

This should make the essential point:

If that still wasn't clear, read this.

This is Bike-to-Work Week (and if you can only make one, Friday is Bike-to-Work Day) in the US. Let's do it, folks!

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It ain't about "deserve"

Dec 13 2010 Published by drugmonkey under Conduct of Science, Cycling, Mentoring

GMP has a, well, spirited post up lamenting the seeming fact that awards in science breed their own success. Creating an "Accolade Magnet". Meaning that once some investigator is blessed with "Promising Young Investigator Eleventy!!!11!!!!" of Society for the Hopping of Bunnies, she then goes on to win accolades from her University, another three or four societies, segue into the Mid-Career Investigator (Eleventy!!11!!) awards, etc.

What aggravates me is that I know this person well and I have never been dazzled by their techical brilliance or originality. However, AM is the nicest and most pleasant person you are ever likely to meet (on the outside of course). Always upbeat, with a megawatt smile as though you just made their day just by showing up, perpetually supportive of students even when they act as procrastinating asshats, just being an annoyingly calm, collected, friendly person. I, personally, want nothing more than to punch that fake smile off AM's face.

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Dopes

Jul 13 2010 Published by bikemonkey under Cycling, Doping

Are we going to get to the bottom of the doping scene in US professional cycling? The FDA is on the case...

George Hincapie (BMC) and Tyler Hamilton are among the riders who have been asked to cooperate with the federal investigation into doping practices in American cycling at large and the US Postal Service team in particular, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The criminal investigation, led by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) special agent Jeff Novitzky, is focused principally around Floyd Landis’ recent allegations of systematic doping practices at the US Postal Service team.

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An interesting twist in the Landis confession

May 20 2010 Published by drugmonkeyguest under Cycling, Doping

BikeMonkey Guest PostESPN is reporting that Floyd Landis, previously a world-level professional cyclist, is now admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs for "most of his career".
You will perhaps recall that the Landis case has appeared on the DM blog a time or two before.

In a brief fan's overview for those too lazy to Google, steadily improving journeyman* / domestique Floyd Landis started to show some real prospects as a Big Tour winner with some big performances as a super-domestique in 2004, and an initial foray as team captain in 2005. Landis was showing excellent signs of class in the early 2006 Tour but the usual Tour deal-breaker of a few great performances from competitors and one bad day had Floyd on the ropes. Stage 17 saw Floyd come out and just slay the competition with an all day break to put himself back in the race he would eventually win. It was a great stage to watch. A desperate attack in the early going which was surely doomed to failure. (This is a common rhythm for the bigger bike race stages- one man is usually unable to hold off the peloton until the finish if the teams are determined to catch him.) Yet Landis did. Despite the fact that the main General Classification teams knew he was riding back into and possibly away with the entire race. They couldn't catch him. Floyd just kept hammering away the kilometers, obviously suffering like a dog and continuing to pour on the power. It was amazing.

He tested positive for testosterone doping in samples collected after that fateful race day. Given that this is a substance to be found in humans anyway, the conviction hinged on analysis of the ratio of carbon isotopes in the detectable testosterone. This ratio analysis indicated the presence of exogenous testosterone- i.e., that not manufactured naturally by Landis' body.
Allegedly, anyway. Landis fought tooth and nail to overturn the conviction. The reporting from ESPN gives us a little clue as to why a now-admitted long-term doper would have fought so hard in that particular conviction.
He didn't do it.

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Cheaters are morally depraved, problem solved. Dusts hands.

May 03 2010 Published by drugmonkeyguest under Cycling, Doping, Scientific Misconduct

"I am not a victim. It was my decision to dope. I can assure you, I have never told by a boss to dope, but I have also never experienced a rider being asked why he suddenly became so fast,"

BikeMonkey Guest PostThe latest pro-cycling cheater is one Thomas Frei, recently of the BMC team. He was caught using EPO, unceremoniously dropped from his team and spoke to the press. His comments are refreshingly honest.

"Of course I would have gone on doping. The money tempts you, it is the same for everyone," said Frei in an interview with Swiss website NZZ.ch.

Ahh, the fight for glory, right?

As for himself, he said that he started his pro career clean. "Then came the hard stage races, and I learned that infusions were used for recovery. Everything was legal, but I still didn't want any of it. But at some point it started [for me], because everybody does it. The doctor gives you the first shot, and then it isn't long until you give yourself the first illegal shot."

There's the rub. It ain't physiologically possible to do that job, even just the job of domestique, on pasta. They all know that. We all know that. The circumstances are ripe for doping just to survive. Just to have a paycheck. Just to have a team slot for the next season.
There couldn't possibly be a lesson for science careers in here anywhere.

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"The Redneck"

Jan 05 2010 Published by drugmonkeyguest under Cycling

BikeMonkey Guest PostPalMD came up with a reflection on just what bothered him about the recent debacle in which a beloved and bucolic icon who practically defines "Minnesotan" (not to mention upper-Midwesterner) appeared to be an antiSemitic idiot. PalMD was previously a fan of Garrison Keillor and felt included in the folksy community of Prairie Home Companion and Lake Wobegon. Keillor's blatherings were, from appearances, received as a chest push and door slam accompanied by "Wait, not you Jewboy!".
This let me crystallize my discomfort with another cultural icon, albeit one considerably less famous than Garrison Keillor.

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Skin Tone as a Tool of Intimidation

Sep 18 2009 Published by drugmonkeyguest under Cycling

"Uh, dude? The sunscreen goes on the part that sticks out, not under your clothes."

BikeMonkey Guest PostLet me tell you about a recent observation from a member of a very large and productive GlamourPub research group. "Gee, BigPIDude sure is looking pale these days, isn't he?". And he was. Translucent. Let's be honest here. When you have a big group headed by one domineering PI with lots of people who are there essentially for their careers (as techs or doctoral level resident scientists) they get a little nervous about the PI's health. As well they should. This business doesn't always come with a succession plan for taking over an established research group.
But this guy is hale and hearty, comparatively speaking. Gets out and exercises fairly frequently. Still likes to compete in the physical games at the company picnic. And dude's parents lived to a ripe old age. So what gives? Someone else pointed out that he's obsessed with sunscreen- lathers up copiously before venturing out into the sun. They thought it was because he has some sort of anti-skin-cancer obsession.
I think otherwise.

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