WSJ: Blood Brothers (systematic doping in cycling)

[wtmusic]

"Nine days into the 2004 Tour de France, the U.S. Postal Service cycling team, led by Lance Armstrong, checked into a hotel near the village of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat.

It was July 12, one of two rest days on the Tour—the rare breaks that give riders a chance to rest and gird themselves for the punishing climbs and sprints that make this the most depleting event in professional cycling.

According to one of the U.S. Postal team's most prominent riders at the time, Floyd Landis, one room at the hotel had been set aside for a secret procedure. "

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575326753200584006.html

[Gregorian]

1. This is pretty discouraging.

I knew some of this, but had not wanted to fill in the rest of the blanks. I believe what Landis says. Knowing what I know about Lance, from people who have met him, I find it discouraging to see this darker side.

On a brighter note, I just have a gut feeling Andy Schleck is more like the kid next door.

We all hit that physical limit. I was hammered by a pro racer once, and again just yesterday. I just wonder how the guys who rode that 300 mile stage in the 1919 Tour would have faired against these guys today.