EPO Legal in Professional cycling?

Bob Roll discusses the idea of making EPO legal in Professional cycling.

[nickg]

Bob your a great man and a even better Tour de France host. I think they should legalize it because at the end of the day we the fans want to see guys going fast on the bike. And I feel like there would be less suffering on the longer tours like the Tour de France amongst the riders.

[sethkerman]

there should be two "leagues": one for those who wish to use EPOs and one for those who want to race clean

[jorgeeduardozamoraacosta]

If EPO is legalized, so the blood transfusions has to be legalized too.

[surfpile]

That's a tough one. I see why it continues. As long as people get away with it others feel they better do it or they will be bagging groceries for a living dreaming of what could have been. I totally get why it doesn't stop

[cruzanbum]

Who hasn't thought of that already, Bob?

[wojtek]

It does make sense in a certain situations, but cheating will never go away.
Consider car racing where major car makers test new parts in extreme environment.
If athletes will openly volunteer to devote their bodies for the sake of modern medicine, and help people in need in testing new drugs, I am all for it. Big names in pharmaceutics will come aboard as a major sponsors, overshadowing the current ones with their enormous wealth ;)

[kethvelo]

Athletics as a research lab, all participants must be therefore constantly supervised, but the lifestyle issue of a healthy body being able to achieve amazing results is the image portrayed, and putting common sense diet and bicycle technology to work is what any man and woman can do, thank God for gears ;;;

[patrickrichard]

Kind on an interesting twist on an old proposal; you measure the result of good genes (or EPO) instead of banning a substance.

However, it does not yield a level playing field because the riders would pretty much have to inject to have a chance to win. It's not like they would have a true choice.

[JS-tplb]

Yes they should along with captagon and hgh

[heatmisered]

That was why they did the <50% in the 90's right? No test for EPO therefore no way to control. Always a cat and mouse game but <50% kept is "safe". I've read JV counter with a guy like GH would of had an advantage if no EPO based on his naturally higher hct? As well, altitude training, tents, chambers are ok? Your thoughts?

[mnovo]

EPO does not level the playing field. Its only diversified.If I was a dirty DS and I tested 2 athletes with an outcome of the same output wattage, the option would be to chose the one with the lowest Hcrit. He would be the one who stood to gain. Let's not turn donkeys into race horses.

[PaulVangorp-fmuf]

It would be frustrating being caught loos it all and later all other after telling they where using too.

[CrazyTexaJay]

First of all we got to understand my EPO is EPO is a protein Plus carbohydrate hormone that stimulates oxygen in the body and that is done through your kidneys to stimulate more blood cells like red blood cells in the marrow of the bone best producing more oxygen to the blood that literally comes from your kidneys that's making more oxygen for the body what you have to understand I'm just giving you the highlights your body craves oxygen what Lance Armstrong had was cancer which was The Tell-Tale sign that he was producing way too much acid in the bloodstream because more acid weeds to the starvation of oxygen in the blood therefore when people take EPO not only is it helping cancer victims but it's also helping those that have cancer see Lance Armstrong had cancer under strict Medical supervision not only did it help his cycling but it also helped him to survive and not die of cancer I would say about this that EPO should be legalized and all 50 states for cancer patients not with people who do not have cancer but people that do and if they're into cycling it will greatly enhance their life that's what I say about it think about it then get back with me

[erniemccracken]

Hell no Bobke! Legalizing EPO will open up the flood gates for unclean racing. Most amateurs already use it to upgrade, they just leave the races when they see a USADA truck. Miami racers are commonly known for doing this.

[dannysplautre]

EPO....is already legalized as long as you don't go over the max limit

[avoycendeether]

Well, ok. How about this: what if we make EPO use mandatory? In order to race your bike professionally you are required to take EPO. Because, in reality, that is your proposal. What your really proposing is to eliminate the choice to race clean. This, I am opposed to.

[mark-dd]

1) You miss pronounce Bobke, Boobka. 2) EPO and other doping products make for a dangerous work place. Not a safe place for young riders. How old was Marco Pantani when he first doped?

[nightfly]

Does that mean Lance get his title back? As for EPO use does UCI get sued if somebody dies from the use of it. What about blood transfusion, will that be legal. That 50% magic number help some more than other. If you are going make it legal, make all form of doping legal and have a free for all. As a cycling fan I will stop watching the sport.

[longhaul]

A very naive idea. Ill thought out and dangerous. EPO kills when abused apart from the fact that new riders to the sport should not be forced to use drugs. How about you just lifetime ban them for any infringement?

[johndoe-rphz]

Baloney. Something better that hasn't shown up in the drug screen is most likely out there. And then? Everyone will chase that.