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tehpwarp t1_irk3442 wrote

Are cyclists clean nowadays? I remember at one stage the top 20 odd guys in the world were all suspected of doping.

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belokas t1_irkbm8h wrote

Doping is still present in cycling but it's become extremely difficult to escape the antidoping agency in the last 5-10 years especially for the top pro cyclists, and those who get caught or miss a test are heavily sanctioned. Pro cyclists are absolutely the most controlled athletes in the world right now. The amateur and lower level though are probably where the most illegal activities happen, but anyway you can only know the ones who get caught. The impression, as someone who regularly follows the sport, is that it's a lot less convenient today for the top pro riders than it was 15-20 years ago, at the top of the EPO and nandrolone "pandemic". Incidentally, one of the effects is probably the huge leap in technological advancements we have witnessed in the last 10 years in cycling, both on equipment and training methods. Teams and cyclists are investing a lot into anything that can improve their performances other than doping. Obviously it's impossible to say it's not existent anymore, but the system that made doping so prevalent between the 90s and 2010s probably doesn't exist anymore, and those who still choose to rely on illegal substances or methods are doing it on their own. Here's a list of all the doping cases ever in cycling so you can get the idea.

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the_arcadian00 t1_irk71si wrote

Probably a lot cleaner than your average NFL player. Also, as a part of the certification process for the record, Ganna had to submit to doping controls / checks immediately after this event.

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pinthetestonthe t1_irknacs wrote

Athletes are not clean in any sport. Especially not the ones with world records.

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Crrussh t1_irm091e wrote

You’re getting downvoted but it’s true. If you think your favorite team/athlete isn’t cheating in some way, you’re wrong.

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apawst8 t1_irok90q wrote

Yep. And that's why all the talk about who has the "real" HR record is stupid. Bonds does, with 11 more than Judge.

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PeterSagansLaundry t1_irsy047 wrote

That would support quite the opposite, that neither has the HR record.

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apawst8 t1_irszeuu wrote

The point is that everyone cheats. Focusing on one person for cheating is asinine.

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PeterSagansLaundry t1_irto97a wrote

"Everyone does it" is not an excuse. It makes the Bonds situation worse, not better.

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designer_of_drugs t1_irqj9zd wrote

As a pharma guy, I can keep keep you ahead of the doping agencies most of the time. They always catch up, but we’re very good at figuring out new molecules to tickle receptors or otherwise affect physiology. If you’re willing to accept some risk of a) compounds without widespread testing b) possibly being caught eventually, I can give you an edge.

I think a lot of top athletes are willing to take those risks to be competitive and would be shocked if there wasn’t a lot of doping still going on.

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jorge1209 t1_irk6o7g wrote

They haven't been since the invention of the wheel. However in addition to the drugs the equipment keeps getting better, and the records are in part limited by somewhat arbitrary limitations on the forms the bicycle can take. A recumbent 1hr record is much longer.

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