More doping

Looks like there has been a series of police action in Belgium, raiding pro-cyclists houses and finding a new exciting untestable wonder drug, IGF-1.

From a cyclingnews news flash here:
"""
Spectacular, undetectable and perilous' is how this product is described by experts. Since EPO is detectable, IGF-1 is the ideal doping product, according to Dr. Chris Goossens, doping expert for the Flemish Community. It strengthens the muscles, improves recuperation and above all, cannot be detected. The fact that the user might be taking serious risks with his life doesn't seem to matter much, as according to the public prosecutor's office of Turnhout, the insulin-like growth hormone was one of the products found during their raid.

Growth hormone, and more specifically IGF-1, triggers the production of growth hormone in the body. Growth hormone makes us grow, but not only in length - feet, hands and muscles too. Growth hormone itself still is used as a doping product but might be detectable in the near future, via blood tests. However, IGF-1 can't be.
"""

There we go again, new undetectable drug found via police action, not the lab. Two or three Belgie riders have been implicated in the press, but no official confirmation yet.

Anyone still think athletes are clean because they are not testing positive?

This is where, again, the cycling folks are so far ahead of the baseball folks in understanding doping in their sports. The above is a quick lucid news account of doping in a major cycling website. The baseball press is still under the impression that there are a few truly evil apples like Barry Bonds, but everyone else is fine as no one tests positive for it.

My solution is for MLB, NBA, and NFL to join the WADA in force with good old capitalist dollars to help the drug testing catch up a bit. It is a sliding battle that the authorities will consistently lose, but one that the US major sports don't even know they are fighting. The fan base is getting increasingly disenchanted and will revolt at some point. The solution is not retroactive punishment of an athlete that no-one likes. It is designing a fair, comprehensive, well funded testing system that keeps the cheaters from multiplying. This will help the Olympics, cycling, running and US pro sports keep as clean as technology allows and restores faith in the sports.

Or just scrap the entire charade and let em run what they brung.

But don't sit there and fool yourself that Barry Bonds is the root of all evil and the other athletes are clean. Wait until elective Tommy John surgery becomes prevalent for aging pitchers looking to stay in the game, or effective 20/10 lasik comes into play. Woo hoo!


More rants on doping here and a bigun here