# USA Cycling and Doping



## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

I know that all of the licensed racers on here got an email a while back about the new clean rider fees attached to your license (CAT3 and higher). The email stated if you have questions or suggestions please contact them. They talked about having increased local testing already from 6 test to 9 in the January. I sent an email asking if they could provide the events where the testing occurred. I was interested to know if they tested at 9 events in the US across disciplines or if it was all done at one location. In January, you have track racing, road racing starting, cross racing nearing the end of the season, and mountain bike racing. If we are paying for more testing, then I feel like it is a waste of money if all the testing is happening at one place because it is convenient and cheaper. No surprise, I got no response from them. 

I am also curious why they don't consider doing sham testing. Basically, you could collect samples and then have them destroyed without testing them. We would do this in the military at times and would get two or three people confess to taking drugs because they didn't know that nothing would actually be tested. The penalty was less if you confessed than if you just tested positive. In fact to save money, they would only test a few random samples out of the batch most of the time and never tested every sample for everything unless it was specifically directed by a commander. Just the collection of urine and the possibility of it being tested might be a deterrent for some people.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

"sham testing"
You don't want to know what I was thinking.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

I know that USADA knocked on some prominent racer's door in the past few months and he tested positive. So that's not an event, it's a rider's address. (They haven't had a press release on it but I assume they will soon enough.)

They tested two racers at the Chico Stage Race this past weekend. 

As far as sham testing goes, this really only works if there is a "we'll go easy on you if you confess" talk/interrogation after the test. The guy I saw tested just went to the portopotty and filled a cup before getting in his vehicle to go back to the hotel. I suppose that could happen with a phone call two weeks after the sample is collected though. "Hi, we found an irregularity in your sample. Before we go to the time and effort of a B sample analysis, which will settle this once and for all, is there anything you want to tell us?"

Also, this probably belongs in the doping forum. I'm going to go ahead and use my magical moderator powers to teleport it over there.


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## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

I would think that sham testing would make some people think twice about showing up to at least big events. Especially if they see someone using the porta potty before their race. That could be wishful thinking.

For my professional license (career,not cycling) if I get in trouble I have to reimburse the licensing board for the cost of the investigation (testing, man hours, investigators, ect). If I choose not to pay it, then I would not be allowed to gain a license again in the future or retain my license on probation depending on the offense. I have seen many people favor a lifetime ban, I think that this would be an alternative. Basically, if you really love the sport that much then you have to pay us back the cost of the testing, serve your suspension, and even pay a monitoring fee when you come back. I'm sure that most people would not bother, although with USAC sanctioning sportive events it would basically lead barely any group cycling. 

The thing I struggle with the most is basically what are we going to catch at the amateur level that really doesn’t matter to most of us. I personally don’t care if a guy in my field is taking adderol so that he can get through high school or college. I also don’t care if someone uses medical marijuana, as long as they are not intoxicated at the race. I know that people can abuse them and WADA says there are performance enhancing effects but most of us aren’t going pro. We like the challenge of racing, speed, competition and pushing our limits.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

On a recreational drug use note, a racer I know parties pretty hard. Think _Wolf of Wall Street_ partying.

He also holds a professional license. 

His take is that if USADA shows up at his door he will refuse to test and just take a suspension. Losing his bike racing license for 2-4 years with a refusal is nothing to when compared to the reputation damage from a positive test for (his penis drugs/cocaine/marijuana/opiates/whatever). And on that note, there is always a risk for a false positive.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

doctormike said:


> I personally don’t care if a guy in my field is taking adderol so that he can get through high school or college. I also don’t care if someone uses medical marijuana, as long as they are not intoxicated at the race. I know that people can abuse them and WADA says there are performance enhancing effects but most of us aren’t going pro. We like the challenge of racing, speed, competition and pushing our limits.


Those two are only prohibited in-competition. Their use out of competition is not considered doping under the WADA code.


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## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

I picked both of those because they are only banned in competition but the half life could cause a positive test. Adderall works best when taken daily, at the lowest effective dose. For people who actually need it, it has sedative effects. The body will adjust to a constant dose. Part of the problem I have working with individuals that use medication is that it is not used regularly and the side effects become intolerable. 

Similarly with THC, a chronic user can have metabolites high enough to cause a positive test up to a month after use. It is similar to someone that uses a rescue inhaler. The metabolites can remain in your system and led to a positive test. 

I am not sure how you would tenuate this down to the local level. There are specific rules about kits, bike weight, bicycle features (handlebar and saddle regulations) that we do not check at the local level except for in national events. I raced two weeks ago against a guy in a throwback world champion jersey and another guy in a BMC kit. The guy with the rainbow jersey was in the CAT 3 field and the pro 1/2/3 field. The only rule I have actually seen applied about equipment is when someone showed up in the CAT 5 race my first year with a TT bike. Although, I do recall a race where they let a woman race on a beach cruiser (but they made her take off the basket). There are no rules that allow this but it seems to be generally acceptable at the amateur level.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

doctormike said:


> I picked both of those because they are only banned in competition but the half life could cause a positive test. Adderall works best when taken daily, at the lowest effective dose. For people who actually need it, it has sedative effects. The body will adjust to a constant dose. Part of the problem I have working with individuals that use medication is that it is not used regularly and the side effects become intolerable.
> 
> Similarly with THC, a chronic user can have metabolites high enough to cause a positive test up to a month after use. It is similar to someone that uses a rescue inhaler. The metabolites can remain in your system and led to a positive test.
> 
> I am not sure how you would tenuate this down to the local level. There are specific rules about kits, bike weight, bicycle features (handlebar and saddle regulations) that we do not check at the local level except for in national events. I raced two weeks ago against a guy in a throwback world champion jersey and another guy in a BMC kit. The guy with the rainbow jersey was in the CAT 3 field and the pro 1/2/3 field. The only rule I have actually seen applied about equipment is when someone showed up in the CAT 5 race my first year with a TT bike. Although, I do recall a race where they let a woman race on a beach cruiser (but they made her take off the basket). There are no rules that allow this but it seems to be generally acceptable at the amateur level.


Anyone required to use such medication should know (it's made quite clear on the anti doping information sites) that:
- it's prohibited in competition
- they need to ensure they have not taken such medication too close to the competition period such that they will be well clear of metabolites/traces come competition period 
- seek professional medical advice on what such a period would be given the specific medication, term of use and dosage level
- if they cannot go without it for such a time period for medical reasons, then they should not race. It a condition of accepting their licence.

Another option is to apply for TUE, however it's highly unlikely for such medications.

As for enforcement, that's a different matter.


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## jspharmd (May 24, 2006)

I'm in agreement with doctormike regarding the PED he mentioned. I've raced against people that have tested positive and, for some reason, it didn't bother me. Maybe because I competed naturally in bodybuilding years ago, and my competition was likely using steroids. Plus, as mentioned, Adderall could be a life-changing/saving drug for those truly diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. I would suggest that those people seek a TUE with the assistance of their physician.



doctormike said:


> It is similar to someone that uses a rescue inhaler. The metabolites can remain in your system and led to a positive test.



Inhaled corticosteroids and albuterol (rescue inhaler) are not prohibited. In order to achieve a plasma concentration of albuterol sufficient to warrant a "postive" test, one would have to truly abuse the drug. The normally prescribed pre-treatment (2 puffs) will not produce a positive test. Also, I would argue that if you are chronically using a PRN medication, your Asthma is not well controlled and you are unlikely to be fit enough to be racing. So, someone who may have chronically inhaled enough to produce a positive serum sample, is 1) trying to use it as a PED, or 2) inappropriately using their rescue inhaler.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> I know that USADA knocked on some prominent racer's door in the past few months and he tested positive. So that's not an event, it's a rider's address. (They haven't had a press release on it but I assume they will soon enough.)


US Cycling Athlete, Buckley, Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation | U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)

_Michael Buckley, of Reno, Nev., an athlete in the sport of cycling, has tested positive for multiple prohibited substances and accepted a four-year sanction for his rule violation.

Buckley, 41, tested positive for the presence of an exogenous anabolic steroid which was confirmed by CIR (GC/C/IRMS) analysis, anastrozole, LGD-4033, and ostarine as the result of an out-of-competition sample collected on December 5, 2015. _

Buckley always had a little bit of acne and a fat head. 



*
anastrozole

lgd-4033

osterine

*
WTF is this stuff? I think the first two are post cycle therapy -- drugs that a guy would take to get his body's natural testosterone back up to operating speed after his nuts shut down from a season of juicing. That last one is some oral steroid.


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## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

CIR testing, that's some expensive stuff.

The test that caught Tom Danielson - VeloNews.com


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

deviousalex said:


> CIR testing, that's some expensive stuff.
> 
> The test that caught Tom Danielson - VeloNews.com


From what I understand, that CIR can be a standalone test for a targeted individual or a test that they run when the T:E ratio is off. If they are knocking on Buckley's door then he is being targeted for a specific reason.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)




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