After a day that started so good with the win of Koldo Fernandez in the Circuito de Getxo, the news was released that Mikel Astarloza doped himself before the Tour de France. He was set on non-active by the team.
I'm deeply shocked and I'm going to take some time to think about what to do with this blog. I was kind of upset and discouraged after the news of Iñigo but I just can't describe what I'm feeling at the moment.
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Can't believe this.Thank you Mikel, right now cycling seems meaningless to me..
Yup I have the same feeling!
Wait a sec with your conclusions.
The Fundacion will support him because they think he is innocent. They do that because in internal controls they didn't find anything extraordinary. The team will thus help him in proving his innocence.
This is a reaction absolutely contrary to normal (and also to what they did with Landaluze) so there is some chance of rehabilitation.
There are actually a few strange things in this case:
- He was tested in the same week as Landaluze, but the result only came two weeks later, while it was the same substance (or even older, because they are talking about normal EPO while Landaluze used CERA)
- The team knew of the strange values of Landaluze. They didn't select him for either the Tour, the Spanish nationals or the Vuelta of Madrid (which would be a logical choice after just missing out the Tour). This is a proof that the internal controls work definately. And now they are saying they didn't find any strange values. Interesting at least.
Somehow I get a very big deja vu. Exactly on the day (and even on the hour, late afternoon) 2 years ago Mayo was suspended. It was a very strange case which lots of things which normally don't happen with dopingcases. I get a certain feeling...
Yeah ok, you're right Arnout, but Mayo hasn't ride since them and I'm just so sad cause I really liked Mikel, I met him 4 times and he was always such a nice guy and it would be so terrible if this news isn't true and it has ruined his life.
Actually I don't believe it. I just don't.
I mean, while being a huge fan of Mayo I knew he did use doping at some point in his career (though I didn't and still don't care). With Di Luca exactly the same and you don't have to be a mathematical wonder to figure out something about Rasmussen as well.
But Astarloza, just no. Not the slightest chance he did anything wrong. And my feelings almost never betray me.
I think this is just the occasional doping case which had to happen after the Tour. Number 11 in GC, stage win, but not a big rider for the public. It proves doping tests are "working" but having proved that, the top riders didn't use doping and the viewers can be happy.
UCI is corrupt as hell, that's all what I knew and now know even more. Meanwhile, they destroy the future for a rider, but that's just a victim for the bigger picture. Hate it.
I am sure that it was a scenario like this. The Landaluze case proved internal controls were working. And now this. It just is not fair.
I must say it was very hard to get the news about Mikel being positive. On the other hand it is good for the sport that cheaters are caught, get rid of the scum!
And Arnout, old pal from the iban mayo blog, I think you're way off! Your theories remind me of the stories told by crazy conspiracy theorists; dramatic, exiting, but of course, bullshit. Unless the B-sample (or something else) proves him innocent, theres in my opinion no reason to doubt. Your gut feeling is very much useless in the end of the day. Just because you're a super nice guy don't make you innocent.
And the fact that the the internal controls didn't catch him don't really prove anything. Here you have a sample that shows trace of EPO, thats the fact. Then you can't come later and say "well, uh, OUR test didn't detect anything, so he MUST be innocent". It would be the same as claiming that a guy who is caught driving his car way to fast is innocent because he usually drives according to law.
My guess is that Mikel has not managed to quit doping (cause let's face it, almost everybody doped just a few years ago), but has instead reduced the amount, using mostly so called "mini dosages" of EPO, cause you'll get caught for sure if you use EPO big time. You'll be able to get away with that most of the times, unless you're tested very shortly after injection, which has probably happened here...
Let's face the fact, don't fool yourself...
Totally agree with Bolsen3. We just have to face it. Thanks to Mikel and Inigo I no longer wears my Euskatel jersey with pride:(
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