"This is a joke" - Controversy in Spain as presence of doping authorities see 130 out of 182 riders abandon local race
Cycling
The Interclubs Vinalopo organization in Spain organized an event this weekend in the town of Villena which caught a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. After learning of the presence of anti-doping authorities, there was a mass abandon streak throughout the whole peloton.
The incident is as chaotic as it is a stain in the image of cycling, a sport that in the past was perhaps permanently marked by the heavy use of doping substances. In the 90-kilometer race organized in Spain 182 riders took to the start but only 52 made it to the finish. 130 riders abandoned the race. Many claimed punctures or crashes which are said to have not been seen. For other riders who finished the race and then underwent doping tests this scenario is seen as a complete joke.
“The withdrawals are due to the doping control afterwards," Alvaro Marza, one of the participants, wrote on social media. "It is not a complicated mathematical explanation, but it is the harsh reality. I hope action is taken because this is a joke. By the way, I took the doping test three times. Hopefully I will get the results soon and I can announce them.” The event followed the recommended anti-doping procedures and the presence of CELAD (the Spanish anti-doping commission) led to this.
“We want to organize an event that revolves around clean and fair cycling. We are committed to the fight against doping and believe it is essential to maintain the integrity of the sport and protect the health of cyclists," race organizers said following the event. "Doping is cheating that gives cyclists an unfair advantage over those who compete fairly. Not only is it disrespectful to the sport and its values, but it can also have serious consequences for the health of the riders. Furthermore, we adhere to the strict anti-doping rules of the International Cycling Union (UCI). All participants in the event will be subject to random drug testing both before and after the competition.”
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I know times have changed (though amateur performances have not really) but then let me ask, what supplements do you feel like taking at this level because frankly, I’m already happy if I realise I didn’t forget to put water in my bottles. Seems like a lot of people who aren’t that good take this all far too seriously. My supplementation the last 30 years has been regular supermarket Mg tablets, a bit of whey or vegan protein since I’ve cut down on meat and very occasionally a supermarket iron tablet (once I tried a girls’ iron supplement the night before a marathon andpaid a hefty price) although lately with age I guess I might be entering an unknown area with something for the prostate. What else do these youngsters take now?
This may not be as big a story as it seems. This race seems to be an open race - everything from juniors to master 60+. They always seem to have a large DNF rate (click the link in the tweet). But, the drop-out rate from last Saturday was significantly higher, and that’s likely due to doping controls. At races I’ve been to where they test, they tell you at the start that you are obligated to check to see if your name is on the list at the finish.
How many amateur cyclists check the ingredients and possible contamination of all the legal supplements that they consume? I would worry that if my supplements are contaminated I would be banned and labelled a cheat for what? An amateur race that means nothing? Just for participation in an event for fun? Unless I could guarantee that my supplements are free of contamination I would not start a race where testing is a possibility. The burden of proof of innocence is a joke that we have seen played on too many pro cyclists already and what chance does an amateur have of clearing there name?
The reality, if there are no checks, its a free for all w.r.t doping
Unfortunately, it looks like the future is bright for The Enhanced Games
Wonder if they took Meldonium, Roxadustat, etc before the race. FYI, even growth hormone is now considered banned substance
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- Mistakes happen but it's a big one to throw your teammates under the bus ...bruins3011-03-2025
- Merlier doesn't need too much support, he's brilliant alone, a master in positioning.
maria2024202411-03-2025 - He would have to prove that if he won by a small margin, but as dominant as he was, there's no need to prove anything in my viewvappaxbipmv11-03-2025
- Anyone willing to report on how they split the work, balanced or was there a disproportionate from either or both of the favourites or the domestiques?Mistermaumau11-03-2025
- He does that to everyone. Makes wild assumptions and accusations without base for the sake of fighting. Constructs a straw man, attacks it with some ad hominem in there, and thinks it provokes stimulating debate. The guy isn’t worth your time.Evan11-03-2025
- Merlier with Bert leading him out against Milan and his whole sprint train will be such a fun competition. I think Merlier has an edge as he’s shown himself to be incredibly adaptable to the race situation, surf wheels, and improvise. For Milan, if his train nails it, he’s the best. If they don’t, Merlier takes the W. I still don’t get why Alpecin neglected Merlier in favor of Philipsen in ‘21. I recall MVDP even stating that Merlier was fastest in the peloton at that point.Evan11-03-2025
- I know, I was replying to him. I have never criticized him. I think he replied to the wrong person. I saw the long thread of argument in another article. I wasn't involved in any argument with him.
KerisVroom11-03-2025 - That was a reply to MrM not you.Cyclingsbestfan11-03-2025
- I see, I stand corrected. I thought Jonas never raced there, but I think it probably didn't register to me because he wasn't as famous back then.KerisVroom11-03-2025
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