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Cycling // Posts categorised as Cycling
Guest article: Prof Erik Boye on the bias in power in anti-doping
This is a guest post by Norweigian scientist Erik Boye, in which he raises concerns about the imbalance in power in antidoping and how it erodes confidence in the antidoping system
The Sun Yang-Mack Horton-FINA affair: Don’t stare too long at the Sun (sorry…)
Sun Yang is the villain of the piece, with two protests creating a dramatic backstory at the World Championships. He is emblamatic of a loss of confidence in the system, but if you looks at only at Sun, the deeper problem may disappear. Here's why
Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes – a brief overview
Sudden cardiac death is a spectre that looms over sport. When apparently healthy and fit athletes die during sport, it triggers questions and grief. The latest such case is that of Michael Goolaerts, a Belgian pro-cyclist who died during the 2018 Paris-Roubaix. This video provides an overview of the prevalence, possible causes, and challenges facing prevention.
Team Sky and Marginal Games
UKAD sent a scathing letter to British Cycling, outlining a series of improper and sub standard processes and governance issues in the aftermath of their Jiffy Bag Investigation. The letter shatters the illusion of Marginal gains by the most professional, well run team in cycling, while the inaction by UKAD despite all the problems reveals the impotence of anti-doping bodies.
Brief thoughts on Froome’s salbutamol result
So by now you’ve read the news – if you haven’t, or even if you have, read it here, because Daniel Benson has done a really good job of explaining the story and some of its implications, and he has added good insights into what may come next. Chris Froome, tested on 7 September, during […]
Concussion in cycling: A challenge for culture & policy change
Dramatic footage in the aftermath of a Tom Skujns crash in the Tour of California triggered some discussion around cycling's concussion protocols. Some thoughts on the tricky, if not impossible proposition of introducing a "recognize and remove" policy to cycling
The way, then the lack of will: A story of anti-doping and those who might save it
The history of antidoping can be divided into two overlapping phases. There was once a huge lack of a "way" - inadequate tools to catch doping, leaving antidoping two steps behind the cheats. Advances in science have narrowed this, creating a better "way". This has exposed a bigger problem - a lack of "will". This article describes this, and offers a conceptual solution.
Should doping be legalised? The Olympic drug debate
Should we legalise doping? Make it open to all, and avoid the controversy and scandal. A regular issue comes around for the Olympics. In this article, I address that question in a Q&A format.
Fixed it for you: The Matthew Syed dismissal of whistleblower fears
Matthew Syed recently wrote a piece dismissing the real fears of whistleblowers over retribution when they dare to speak up about doping in sport. He ignores an overwhelming body of evidence, dozens of examples that show why whistleblowers are the exception, not the norm. In this piece, I fix his original article for integrity.