At what point do we start to question KB (and maybe GI) performance?
I think that they are great guys. KB may well be the GOAT. He is just in a class of his own at multiple distances. Trouble is that post Lance, everyone who is exceptional is suspect. From what I understand, micro dosing EPO is virtually undetectable, and what about the drugs we don’t even know about.
i am keeping a close eye…
ever cynical, me…
I am not a hater, I really, really want KB to be clean. I am also detecting a degree of hero worship that we also saw with LA (I am guilty). No matter how nice people are, or where they come from, or what hurdles (testicular cancer) they have crossed, we need to retain an element of critical thinking. We are right to be suspicious of the performances that KB is putting in, it’s not being cynical
We may not know about but bet the anti-dopers do. Just takes a little time to develop the test often with help from the drug companies making them -
But Lance was brought down by his massive ego. Never caught by drug test (actually maybe one), but his treatment of others was his undoing. My understanding of Micro dosing EPO is that it is so short term, even random testing is virtually irrelevent.
likewise, not a hater, just keeping an eye on things…
no fan of LA…never was…although i have enjoyed some of his more recent interviews…
He’s so far ahead of others and his size which should be a hindrance doesn’t seem to be. I watch him, bit if a fan and just hope he’s racing clean.
Lance could have got away with it if he’d stayed retired, am I right? It was his return to the Tour in 2009 which pushed Floyd Landis to tell ‘em everything wasn’t it?
FL wanted to get back on a team himself and he was seriously pissed seeing all the posters saying ‘hope rises again’ with Lance’s mutt sticking out of it etc etc
First of many dominos to fall. Soon all his ex team mates were queuing round the block to unburden themselves lol
yep, correct…
but i think he would have fallen anyway…he was not one to stay out of the limelight…
I have had those exact same thoughts several times.
Innocent until proven guilty, but he’s just crazy fast and looks like an age grouper from some angles ( I know there is more too faster than that )
The sport would take a big back step if he was dirty, I have no evidence at all that he is, and. Neither has anyone else, let’s hope it stays that way.
There are systems and checks in place, I know they are not perfect, but anyone cheating at the top level runs the risk of getting caught. This would massively hurt their reputation and livelihood. So my default assumption is that everyone is clean, and I just enjoy watching and following the top players on that basis.
kind of feel it’s not my place to question whether an athlete is using performance enhancing drugs, any more than I’d ask whether the bloke next door is paying his TV licence or granny has a bottle of sherry in her sock drawer.
I was a big Lance fan back in the day, had a US Postal jersey and everything. When he got busted, I was disappointed for him and for the other pros he cheated out of victories. But he was still an amazing cyclist and I didn’t un-enjoy having watched those epic battles with Ullrich and Pantani. Just kind of shrugged and tutted a little, moved on and got a Team Sky jersey instead…
I thought that was your business 
Is he really? He only beat Skipper by a handful of minutes at Sub 7. 3rd at Kona behind Sam Laidlow. Won 70.3 worlds but not by much. 6th at Bermuda.
Yes he’s very consistent and obviously has amazing recovery but he’s not streets ahead at any one race IMHO
maybe he has been using his inhaler a bit more than froome dog 
I agree. His best spell at short course was when Luis was injured and we saw a resurgent Luis this weekend. I think Yee and Wilde would very much fancy beating him, as KB’s swim isn’t ‘that good’ for short course racing. At long course he is doing very well obviously but not dominant he way Jan was.
At SC racing Bergen needs to do some more work before it catches Leeds up for its palmares. If Ali B can get and stay fit I think he challenges them at LC. (I may be biased here)
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines
Any adage that ends in a question mark can be answered with “No”.
End of thread 
I’d say isn’t this the most questionable thing? It’s easy to look at 3rd Kona, 1st 70.3 Worlds and 6th in a WTS race and say that’s not streets ahead, but they’re all within a month of each other. That’s the ‘not normal’ bit.
I’m like fruity and would hope he’s legit, and Iden. But can see why people are sceptical, it was similar for Bolt.
There’s a good crop of Norwegians across various sports like athletics atm so unless it’s endemic in their elite sport I think maybe they’ve hit a purple patch as we did with the likes of Coe, Ovett and Cram etc
Also, their Nordic skiers have had vo2 etc off the charts for years but because we don’t really follow it as much aren’t as aware of them. The current crop are possibly similarly as gifted but in sports we follow or as in athletics are more mainstream.
** appreciate there’s a bit more to sporting greatness than vo2 but it’s a useful starting place!
Edit, and they also make the most of sports science whether it’s effective or not, eg I know they’re working with Supersapiens around their glucose levels, whether this buys them much is tbd but they are trying it.
errm - he did beat them both in Tokyo to take Olympic Gold. seems people have forgotten that he is very good at SC racing when he focuses on it.
Not forgotten at all but Yee and Wilde have improved at that level. KB is clearly very good but I think Yee and Wilde are now better and Luis was better before being injured and looked very good at the weekend.
I have little faith in anti-doping as they don’t catch many. More of the recent big finds have been by law enforcement rather than anti-doping. Being caught by AD is seen as poor admin or panic doping amongst dopers. It isn’t in sports’ interest to catch really good athletes with high profiles. UKAD actions when Dwain Chambers was caught show their lack of interest IMO.
Nordic skiing is probably as bad as cycling for doping.