View of PEDs in Cycling from Outside the Sport

I was reading some non-cycling related sports news - odd I know. I cam across this comment in an article about Usain Bolt and PEDs in sprint competitions:

"Though nobody will ever talk about it on the record, PEDs have become an integral part of sprinting. It's pretty much like cycling: There's just an unspoken "everybody does it" concession."

This bothered me. I guess it is how others view cycling, but I think the sport is working hard to get rid of PEDs. But Cycling as a sport has a lot of work to do to clean up.

11 months ago John.. 3 comments 0 recs |

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Not really that concerned about the throw-away remark about cycling

The article, however, was interesting.

by Holdenmate on Jul 13, 2011 6:43 AM EDT reply actions

Actually, that's how I view every professional sport

perhaps I’m overly cynical, but I think the main reason we hear about this in cycling is because of a relatively rigorous testing regime. The only reason we found out about steroids in baseball is because of Congressional interest. Anyone here believe that PEDs aren’t rampant in the NFL? And I’ve never even heard of testing in the NBA or NHL.

Also, I seem to recall, when Operation Puerto went down, that it came out that, in addition to cyclists, a number of football (meaning soccer for us Yanks) and tennis players were implicated, but only the case against cyclists was pursued.

by Le Comte on Jul 13, 2011 3:37 PM EDT reply actions

I don't disagree

I guess what struck me was how the comment assumed with no needed argument that cycling was a sport with rampant doping more than others.

My view is that cycling is probably cleaner than most other sports because the testing procedures are more thorough. I don’t doubt that if cycling did not have strict controls doping would be more widespread.

My assumption is that athletes in other sports widely use PEDs. I don’t doubt that some professional cyclists still use PEDs, but that it is not nearly as widespread as it once was.

by John.. on Jul 13, 2011 4:40 PM EDT reply actions