Just a few, Tom. I'm going to sign one for the Browncoats giveaway thing, and I promised the publisher I'd drop a copy by a booth where people they know will be.
I'm doing my reading at 3 on Sunday.
'Potential'
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Just a few, Tom. I'm going to sign one for the Browncoats giveaway thing, and I promised the publisher I'd drop a copy by a booth where people they know will be.
I'm doing my reading at 3 on Sunday.
You're surprised by all this at this point, Dana?
You're surprised by all this at this point, Dana?
The fact that riders who know they'll be tested after winning a stage are still doping? Yeah. Plus, given that Vino will get a two-year ban, and he's something like 33, this will probably end his career.
Lindsey Lohan, I was not so surprised.
I'm confused. It seems to be related to a blood transfusion?
It said two distinctive types of red blood cells were found in the A sample and showed that Vinokourov received a blood transfusion from a compatible donor shortly before the time trial.
What's the issue?
Blood doping is the practice of illicitly boosting the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in the circulation in order to enhance athletic performance. Because they carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, more RBCs in the blood can improve an athlete’s aerobic capacity and stamina.
Plus, given that Vino will get a two-year ban, and he's something like 33, this will probably end his career.
He was talking retirement after this season anyway, so that's not as much of an issue -- in fact, I wonder if "this is my last chance to win" played a part in the stupid (I thought the same thing last year with Landis).
It seems to be related to a blood transfusion?
It's called "blood doping", and it used to be pretty much undetectable -- instead of shooting up with hormones or steroids, inject a lot of extra red blood cells to boost your oxygen-carrying capabilities. But then they started testing the actual cells, so nsm undetectable any more.
(Smart idiots dope with their own blood.)
Also, DAMN IT.
eta: I'm surprised that the whole team pulled out, since Klöden was a much more serious contender in the race than Vino at this point. On the one hand, it's totally Vino's team, so it might just be that. On the other, I wonder if they fessed up to organization-wide shenanigans. And of course cycling is really good at off-handedly saying, "oh, yeah, something huge happened last month sometime" so we may never get a proper announcement.
(Smart idiots dope with their own blood.)
I was just gonna ask why he didn't do this....
I was too! And was thinking maybe you can't store blood long enough to make your own back. But I guess no.
He was talking retirement after this season anyway
I hadn't realized he was that old until a few days ago. Poor Kloden, too.