# Motoman



## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

Tyler's book talked about a guy who they hired to ride around France with their blood bags and supplies. 

Here he is with Sean Yates










And Jensie and Frank


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

His name is Phillippe according to the latest Coyle/Hamilton book.

Doc, how did you get those pictures? Off the Shack's website or are you some kind of insider?


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

I wonder what's in the backpack?


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Looks like he may have carved himself a nice little niche. From gardener to founder of DominEPOs Delivery Service


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

One with his best customer


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Doctor Falsetti said:


> Tyler's book talked about a guy who they hired to ride around France with their blood bags and supplies.
> 
> Here he is with Sean Yates
> 
> ...


Uh oh.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Dirty!


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

Wait! The guy who rode around France delivering PEDs to USPS in their hour of need photographed with Sean Yates, Sporting Director of Team Sky, aka the clean team? Say it ain't so!!


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## Solopc (Sep 9, 2008)

Just finished reading about Motoman... Crazy stuff, especially the transcript of the phone calls between him and Coyle. Guess we shouldn't be surprised that Motoman sells Trek/Livesteong gear in his shop.


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## fontarin (Mar 28, 2009)

Also saw a pic of a Sky team car outside his shop somewhere.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

When is that pic of the Sky car outside the shop from? Can not remember seeing that logotype before.


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## nate (Jun 20, 2004)

MG537 said:


> His name is Phillippe according to the latest Coyle/Hamilton book.
> 
> Doc, how did you get those pictures? Off the Shack's website or are you some kind of insider?


They've been all over Twitter if you follow the right people.


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

kbwh said:


> When is that pic of the Sky car outside the shop from? Can not remember seeing that logotype before.


I was going to say the same. It's not the Jaguar they use either so it must have been in the team's first year

I dont actually think Sky are clean but Tedinator, really? You think that if you were arranging some illicit doping activities you'd pull up in a branded team car wearing team clothing? Some people on this forum would find prostitutes in a convent.


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

Chris-X said:


> The sisters seem to be righteous but do you remember Sinead O'Connor tearing the photo of the Pope to bits on SNL and getting a lot of crap for it? Turns out she was right.


Yep, in terms of metaphors for conspiracies in unlikely places I could probably have done better than the Roman Catholic Church.


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## steel515 (Sep 6, 2004)

so this guy still has a job for next year?


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

This is a little history for Sean Yates:

_After the team's collapse in 2001, Yates helped set up the Australian iteamNova, but left after funds ran out. After six months out of cycling, he joined Team CSC-Tiscali before moving to Discovery in 2005 at the invitation of Lance Armstrong. In June 2007, Yates was manager of Team Discovery a USA team, and in 2008 went on to manage riders on the Astana cycling team. In 2009 he was signed up as director of the newly formed Team Sky, a British based team intent on providing Britain's first Tour De France winner._

This is from an interview with Steffen Prentice:

_STEFFEN: 

It's this way and only this way that we will really be able to combat doping. I'll explain something I've been told relating to certain teams in the 2005 Tour and you'll understand where this sport has gone... 

L'EQUIPE: 

Who told you? 

STEFFEN: 

Someone in the heart of a team that I can't name. Before going to the start of the Tour, the riders of certain teams, during their training camps, took EPO (which disappears from the urine within three days, even 12 hours when small doses are used) and took their hematocrits up to around 60. Then a doctor withdraws their blood, saving it in special containers, to lower their blood parameters into the accepted range (50) so that they pass without difficulty the medical controls before the Tour. Then, as the teams well know, during the race the vampires (2) can arrive any day but always between 7 and 8 in the morning. After that time, there is no more testing and the riders were able to reinject their own blood. They were racing the stage with an enormous advantage- their hemotrocrit in the 55 to 58 range during the race- then in the evening at the hotel, someone again withdraws their blood so that they sleep without risk (3) and, especially, they escape the possible tests the next morning. 

L'EQUIPE: 

This practice was used every evening during the three weeks of the Tour? 

STEFFEN: 

No, just for important stages in the mountains or maybe for a time trial. It's so simple to do and there's no risk of being caught unless the police intervene. The blood was shuttled by motorcycle in a refrigerated compartment.
_

So yeah, Sean is just dropping by in his team Sky car to look up and old friend. Nothing to see here folks. Move along.


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## cyclesport45 (Dec 10, 2007)

That's a lovely mental image; wake up in the morning, have your blood put back in, go race like a frigging motorcycle, go to hotel, have your blood removed so you don't DIE from too thick blood. Repeat for three weeks. . .

Eventually, there will be a screwup and someone will die.


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## moskowe (Mar 14, 2011)

Ask Riccardo what he thinks about unmonitored blood transfusions...


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

The Tedinator said:


> So yeah, Sean is just dropping by in his team Sky car to look up and old friend. Nothing to see here folks. Move along.


Much more likely, he's pulling up in the team Sky car, in his Team Sky uniform, to hand over some blood... obviously

As it goes, I don't know if anyone has read "Sky's the Limit" as I'm not sure if it's even printed in other countries but it does provide some interesting insight into the team's approach to doping. Whilst there's a lot of conspiracy rubbish (my favourite was that the thin blue line of the uniform represents the thin line between doping and riding clean) there are a fair few direct quotes that do imply that there's something a little more systematic going on. Maybe not USPS levels (hence the lower power outputs) but there are a couple of direct quotes from Brailsford implying that the team is racing within the rules (in terms of the blood passport) but not saying directly that they're not doping. He does also refer to meeting with the UCI to determine exactly what blood values are acceptable and which aren't. 

Who knows. The Lance effect certainly boosted cycling's profile in the US, it's certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that the UCI would be keen to boost the UK market size and interest with the odd blind eye. I'd be laughing at myself for conspiracy-mongering if it wasn't for the fact there's some previous here.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

Gotta say, the pic of Jens with motoman stings a bit. You always knew "they all doped" but when you see them uncovered and out in the open like this and youre finally able to connect the dots, it still hurts ya as a fan.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

roddjbrown said:


> Who knows. The Lance effect certainly boosted cycling's profile in the US, it's certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that the UCI would be keen to boost the UK market size and interest with the odd blind eye. I'd be laughing at myself for conspiracy-mongering if it wasn't for the fact there's some previous here.


Conspiracy aside, it's clear that the recent British successes have sparked pretty much the same spurt in cycling interest there, as Armstrong's success did here.

BBC News - Rise of the Mamils (middle-aged men in lycra)


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## rydbyk (Feb 17, 2010)

RkFast said:


> Gotta say, the pic of Jens with motoman stings a bit. You always knew "they all doped" but when you see them uncovered and out in the open like this and youre finally able to connect the dots, it still hurts ya as a fan.


Agreed. But, after some on his latest performances...it is clear to me he has some good stuff runnin' thru his veins


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

LOL @ taking blood out after the race and putting it back just prior to the races. 

Brilliant! 



I never would have considered such barbarism as I have an aversion to needles. Medically, it's vasovegal syncope triggered by venipuncture -- which means I'm a total wuss who is likely to pass out when I get shots. IMO, having blood dawn is worse than getting waterboarded, so naturally I assume that it's torture for everyone else. When I hear that riders had needles in and out of their veins on a regular basis I cringe. This explains why I have such a hard time believing that anyone would voluntarily do this to themselves. 


This thread has given me another revelation. Dr Falsetti's "insider" information all comes from following twitter. LOL.


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> This thread has given me another revelation. Dr Falsetti's "insider" information all comes from following twitter. LOL.


Really? I wrote here about Philippe and his special motorcycle months ago, long before the book came out. Maybe you could share with us where on Twitter I got that? 

Thanks:thumbsup:


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Local Hero said:


> LOL @ taking blood out after the race and putting it back just prior to the races.
> 
> Brilliant!
> 
> ...


http://forums.roadbikereview.com/3979881-post182.html


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Incredible detective work, den. You're like some sort of angry internet forum elephant who never forgets.

Rereading that thread it is clear that Dr Falsey knew nothing more about Philippe than his first name, the city Nice, and that he rode the bloodmobile. Now we are finding out more and more, like the guy's identity beyond his first name.

Falsetti: Why is it that you often write as if you know more than you post? Well, we know why you do it. It's to make it seem like you know more than you actually know, as if to add authority to what you've written. But do you realize that when you repeat every rumor you hear and make cryptic predictions without elaborating or explaining, it makes it seem like you're blowing smoke? At least that's how it looks to me. Just as I have an aversion to needles, I have an aversion to BS artists. That's why I challenge you. 

Falsetti, where did you hear about Philippe? 

If you had insider information, why didn't you know his full identity or that he runs a bike shop?


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

mpre53 said:


> Conspiracy aside, it's clear that the recent British successes have sparked pretty much the same spurt in cycling interest there, as Armstrong's success did here.
> 
> BBC News - Rise of the Mamils (middle-aged men in lycra)


I'm all for it, they make great domestiques when I'm coming back from a long ride. 

I'm sure in 5 years time I'll be sat there telling everyone the doping didn't matter because of the boost to cycling in my country


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

Local Hero said:


> Incredible detective work, den. You're like some sort of angry internet forum elephant who never forgets.
> 
> Rereading that thread it is clear that Dr Falsey knew nothing more about Philippe than his first name, the city Nice, and that he rode the bloodmobile. Now we are finding out more and more, like the guy's identity beyond his first name.
> 
> ...


It's starting to look like you're more obsessed with DF than anyone is obsessed with Lance.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Was that the most boring thing you could think to write?


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

Local Hero said:


> Was that the most boring thing you could think to write?


If I struck a nerve, I'm sorry.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

RkFast said:


> _*Gotta say, the pic of Jens with motoman stings a bit.*_ You always knew "they all doped" but when you see them uncovered and out in the open like this and youre finally able to connect the dots, it still hurts ya as a fan.



Yeah, I totally agree.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Fireform said:


> If I struck a nerve, I'm sorry.



But an interesting observation, none-the-less.


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> Incredible detective work, den. You're like some sort of angry internet forum elephant who never forgets.
> 
> Rereading that thread it is clear that Dr Falsey knew nothing more about Philippe than his first name, the city Nice, and that he rode the bloodmobile. Now we are finding out more and more, like the guy's identity beyond his first name.
> 
> ...



Looks like I have a stalker.


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## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

I just want to point out that nowhere did I say Sean Yates was at Stars and Bikes "delivering blood". In this day and age, no one would be that stupid (well, maybe Pat McQuaid might).

I just connect the dots. 2005, Sean Yates is a DS on a dirty, dirty, team (USPS). Phillipe is the mule, bringing EPO to Lance and co. on a motorcycle with refrigerated panniers. I might be wrong, but with the state of pro cycling today, if I was Sean Yates, I might just avoid the very appearance of inpropriety. Just my opinion, YMMV. 

Reading Hamilton's book, refreshing my own memories of those Postal years, and the eerily similar situation to this years TdF......well, please forgive me if I cast a skeptical eye at team Sky. I really don't intend to rain on any Sky fan's parade. Wiggins, Cav, and Froome have really energized cycling in the mother country. Only time will tell if it is real, or is another punch to the gut of cycling fans everwhere.


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

The Tedinator said:


> I just want to point out that nowhere did I say Sean Yates was at Stars and Bikes "delivering blood". In this day and age, no one would be that stupid (well, maybe Pat McQuaid might).
> 
> I just connect the dots. 2005, Sean Yates is a DS on a dirty, dirty, team (USPS). Phillipe is the mule, bringing EPO to Lance and co. on a motorcycle with refrigerated panniers. I might be wrong, but with the state of pro cycling today, if I was Sean Yates, I might just avoid the very appearance of inpropriety. Just my opinion, YMMV.
> 
> Reading Hamilton's book, refreshing my own memories of those Postal years, and the eerily similar situation to this years TdF......well, please forgive me if I cast a skeptical eye at team Sky. I really don't intend to rain on any Sky fan's parade. Wiggins, Cav, and Froome have really energized cycling in the mother country. Only time will tell if it is real, or is another punch to the gut of cycling fans everwhere.


It seems like a logical trail to follow. Nothing wrong with that in my mind.


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

The Tedinator said:


> I just want to point out that nowhere did I say Sean Yates was at Stars and Bikes "delivering blood". In this day and age, no one would be that stupid (well, maybe Pat McQuaid might).
> 
> I just connect the dots. 2005, Sean Yates is a DS on a dirty, dirty, team (USPS). Phillipe is the mule, bringing EPO to Lance and co. on a motorcycle with refrigerated panniers. I might be wrong, but with the state of pro cycling today, if I was Sean Yates, I might just avoid the very appearance of inpropriety. Just my opinion, YMMV.
> 
> Reading Hamilton's book, refreshing my own memories of those Postal years, and the eerily similar situation to this years TdF......well, please forgive me if I cast a skeptical eye at team Sky. I really don't intend to rain on any Sky fan's parade. Wiggins, Cav, and Froome have really energized cycling in the mother country. Only time will tell if it is real, or is another punch to the gut of cycling fans everwhere.


I actually doubt that Yates was doing anything recent with Motoman. Sean lives nearby and likely has known him for a long time. In fact I think he introduced him to Lance many years ago. At the time he just did odd jobs for him, gardening etc. 

Motoman will have some interesting visits the next couple weeks. This is not going away


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

*Moderators Note*

Back on point everyone.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Doctor Falsetti said:


> Looks like I have a stalker.


Calling you out is stalking? 


Well played.

I'd just like to know how you knew about Motoman. I think it is interesting that you knew, albeit only sketchy details. Did you hear it from someone who talked to someone who read an advanced copy of the book?


Doctor Falsetti said:


> Motoman will have some interesting visits the next couple weeks. This is not going away


Again with the cryptic predictions...

Care to elaborate?


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

With regard to putting in and taking out blood 3-4 times during a tour, wouldn't you have to be EXACTLY right to avoid a suspect biological passport? 

Then again, I suppose that if they microdosed EPO they can microdose blood. And a crit test takes 2 minutes and a fingerprick so they could fine-tune the levels. 


And doesn't a blood draw cause the body's natural EPO to skyrocket, thereby skewing the ratio of new to old RBCs? Hot damn. This really is a science. No wonder Ferrari got paid so much!


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> Calling you out is stalking?
> 
> 
> Well played.
> ...


You did not "call me out". You embarrassed yourself. Let it go, it is not my fault your hero is in trouble

Not that it matters but I heard about him years ago from multiple people, including one of his former customers.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Doctor Falsetti said:


> You did not "call me out". You embarrassed yourself. Let it go, it is not my fault your hero is in trouble


Now you've said that I should be embarrassed, called me a stalker and said that Armstrong is my hero. 

....

Rather than defend myself or bicker with you, I'll readily admit to all of your insults if you can elaborate and quit the vague, non-answers. 


Can you explain what you meant when you said that Motoman will have some interesting visits over the next few weeks? 


Are we talking about door-to-door salesmen visits? Or the IRS? The Feds? Dr. Falsetti and Chris-X dressed like Batman and Robin? 





> Not that it matters but I heard about him years ago from multiple people,


Of course it matters. 

Who?



> including one of his former customers.


I hope you're not protecting a doper!


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## Doctor Falsetti (Sep 24, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> Now you've said that I should be embarrassed, called me a stalker and said that Armstrong is my hero.
> 
> ....
> 
> ...


Last few months have been hard for you eh? 

Not my fault your boy is in trouble.


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

Doctor Falsetti said:


> Last few months have been hard for you eh?
> 
> Not my fault your boy is in trouble.


This is just sad.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Funnily I was in that shop a couple of days ago. Aside from a few signed jerseys & skinsuits hanging from the front of the counter and a tricked out Madone in the stand the most pokey unfriendly shop I have ever been in.

As an aside, my friend & I rode the Madone the day before and he had an interesting chat with a local french rider (one of those annoyingly quick 60-something guys!). And he came out with this gem. "The record is held by Rominger at 31' 31" but Armstrong went a minute faster." Nice take on it IMO!


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## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

The Tedinator said:


> I just want to point out that nowhere did I say Sean Yates was at Stars and Bikes "delivering blood". In this day and age, no one would be that stupid (well, maybe Pat McQuaid might).
> 
> I just connect the dots. 2005, Sean Yates is a DS on a dirty, dirty, team (USPS). Phillipe is the mule, bringing EPO to Lance and co. on a motorcycle with refrigerated panniers. I might be wrong, but with the state of pro cycling today, if I was Sean Yates, I might just avoid the very appearance of inpropriety. Just my opinion, YMMV.
> 
> Reading Hamilton's book, refreshing my own memories of those Postal years, and the eerily similar situation to this years TdF......well, please forgive me if I cast a skeptical eye at team Sky. I really don't intend to rain on any Sky fan's parade. Wiggins, Cav, and Froome have really energized cycling in the mother country. Only time will tell if it is real, or is another punch to the gut of cycling fans everwhere.


Agreed, but it was your "say it ain't so" comment regarding Yates meeting the USPS moto delivery man as though it was some evidence of something that prompted my response. I'm suspicious (if not as much as some) of many in the peloton but when people imply certain things are evidence that are nothing of the sort I feel an obligation to point it out. My favourite is the "swim coach", as though that is suspicious. For what it's worth, Kerrison was a rowing coach for far longer than he was a swimming coach and frankly there are many sports that experts in physiological preparation cross disciplines - endurance physiology is essentially the same for many events. But when it's Sky, people like to act as though his hiring is in itself suspicious when frankly all they did was hire someone. I don't imagine the swimming forums were full of people winking about the "rowing coach" when he moved to swimming.

I think we're on the same page in terms of views on Sky and the more I read the less I like the situation - particularly as there's an inevitable knock on effect to the track cycling team who have achieved (hopefully clean) an incredible amount over the past 8 years and that cloud of suspicion would ruin it.


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