I didn’t listen to the whole 48 minutes, but the radio show exploration “On Point : Testosterone” covers interesting ground. (Thanks, Ken.)
In the wake of Floyd Landis’s fall, I was curious about two things. First, why did Floyd pass the other tests given during the Tour? Second, why testoterone, which I had understood to be effective over periods of time, but not an instantaneous boost. The answer, I’m told, is in recovery. The radio show mentions that, but doesn’t get into detail. Ken shared a link I don’t have now where someone in the know described putting a testoterone patch on your scrotum for six hours to get the recovery benefit without triggering the doping tests. If that was the method… oops.
The whole thing is disappointing, and cycling is more fragile than baseball in the United States. I don’t agree with Ken when he writes:
I know the sport will survive just as it has moved beyond previous doping scandals like Festina.
Maybe in Europe, but not here in the United States — not enough people cared to begin with. How is OLN (I mean, Versus) going to recoup their investment in broadcasting the Tour (and other bicycle races) over the next few years?