Perhaps I've missed something but are you just focusing on 1996? Because that would only be part of the story. Rember that Indurain won five consecutive TdFs and Riis one. In 1991, when Indurain worked with doctor Conconi, Indurain won his first TdF and Riis finished 107th overall. In 1992 Indurain won his second TdF at the hand of doctor Conconi and Riis did not start. In 1993 Riis joined the Gewiss team and also started working with Conconi, Indurain won again and Riis suddenly finished 5th overall. In 1994, both with the help of Conconi, Indurain won again and Riis finished 14th. In 1995 Indurain won his fifth TdF and Riis managed a podium place, finishing 3rd overall. Note that both riders worked with Conconi in 1993, 1994 and 1995, Riis did not make Indurain look like a tortoise and the latter did not show lacking ability to use the EPO provided by doctor Conconi, especially if we note that he also won the 1992 and 1993 Giro d'Italia.

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And if I ever meet an aardvark, I'm going to step on its damn protruding nasal implement until it couldn't suck up an insect if its life depended on it.

Well, perhaps the Lampre medical staff led by doctors Carlo Guardascione and Pietro Ronchi can bring him back at the top. Guardascione is currently under investigation in the "Mantova" case involving pharmacist Guido Nigrelli, as well as riders such as Simoni, Di Luca and Mazzoleni. Ronchi was already with Lampre under doctor Ibarguren at the time when Rumsas and Dierckxsens were caught.

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And if I ever meet an aardvark, I'm going to step on its damn protruding nasal implement until it couldn't suck up an insect if its life depended on it.

Regarding Boardman, indeed.
Rominger also, 2km/h faster than Indurain?

Timo,

Regarding Indurain's Giros, what about Berzin? He must have had 70% hema?

Berzin was with Team Gewiss and as such a client of doctor Conconi just like Indurain. Rominger was a client of doctor Ferrari.

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And if I ever meet an aardvark, I'm going to step on its damn protruding nasal implement until it couldn't suck up an insect if its life depended on it.

I got that he was his client.
The thing is that he beat him. How did that happen?

I wouldn't know. Perhaps Berzin build his form to peak in the Giro with Indurain still building up to peak in the Tour but that's just one of many possibilities.

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And if I ever meet an aardvark, I'm going to step on its damn protruding nasal implement until it couldn't suck up an insect if its life depended on it.

Can someone please define how this is bad for pro cycling other than saying 'this isn't good for cycling'? I hear/read it a lot lately but don't really know what to make of it.

Will races die? Mainstream TV coverage die? Streaming video on cyclingfans no longer? Pros make less money?

Discuss

I think the biggest problem is that real sponsors are getting rare, and this case will not help.

BMC, Astana, Katyusa are already not business sponsors.
Lampre, Omega Pharma (and others) are financing their cycling team mostly because of their leaders' like of cycling.

Maybe it's not a problem, I'm not sure.

Without some actual scientific data, such as VAM data or blood tests, everything you've said regarding Indurain to me is just speculation. I do not believe that a supposed link= truth or dirtiness. I've never seen anything about Indurain that showed that his climbing was at inhuman levels. He also wasn't a pure climber like people seem to make him out to be.

Personally, I think he was clean until 1994. When he and Luc LeBlanc took off and just annihilated everyone else I think it was a bit obvious that he had a tad more fitness than his previous victories. Again, he also had some of the highest lab tests ever recorded and his weight wasn't as high as people are throwing around here. His earlier performances don't stand out as crazy as those of the mid 90's-2000's

Fabian is full of shit though. He rode for CSC with all of these other dopers and worked under Cecchini as well, although maybe Checchini didn't push him to dope if we want to believe what TH said about the doc's ways.

...and then you say...

A link with Cecchini is prove yet a link with Conconi is speculation? Do you mind if I LOL'd?

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And if I ever meet an aardvark, I'm going to step on its damn protruding nasal implement until it couldn't suck up an insect if its life depended on it.

This is the big news http://road.cc/content/news/68847-anoth ... t-disaster" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By your own statement then if teams/cyclists were using more sophisticated methodology we would not know about it, due to the lag in testing capability?

Apparently the AFL teams in Aus are using this:-
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokine

I'd never even heard of it till then. I am sure there is much more than this being used.

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"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG

I don't know man...'89 and '90 Big Miq was up there, close but no cigar, and then 1991 he was at the top with large margin to 2nd. For Indurain, 1991 appears to be the watershed year.

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http://demarere.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow, that video on the last page from the '94 tour - those guys are nearly my size! (E.g. "Normal")



And agreed about the drug use in cycling being light years behind other sports!