Another master guy was suspended from the sport of bike racing last week for doping. Michael Buckley, of Reno, Nevada was suspended after testing positive for anabolic steroids. He had both anastrozole, LGD-4033, and ostarine in his system, whatever those are. He is out for 4 years. So, this is the 2nd doping story in the past week or so concerning master bike racers.
Bob Roll did a couple of his BobkeTV segments on these stories. The one on Michael is below. In his video posts, Bob is sticking with the theme that there is no reason for a master to cheat doping. He doesn’t outright say it, but he implies that there is a certain justification if you are getting paid money, ie, a professional, to dope, but your are supposed to be having “fun” racing when you are a master.
I like the stance that Bob is taking on the stupidity of the actions. But I have to disagree with the logic that getting paid money differentiates professionals and masters in the doping problem.
Bob should know as well as anyone out there that most of us don’t race bicycles for the money. The environment has changed a bunch recently, with the current professionals thinking they are above the rest of the non-paid cyclists, but deep down, they all know they are just one paycheck from racing for Cliff Bar primes. And most of the guys I know, would do just that, race for peanuts, because it isn’t the paycheck that rewards them, it is the lifestyle.
So Bob is implying that master riders that are serious, don’t have the same desire to win, etc. as a professional is just plain dumb. And they do follow by example. When all the professionals do something, then the masses follow. And masters bike racers tend to have more available funds to spend on getting faster. Better bikes, more use coaches, plus, now we’re finding out, using drugs. I think pretty much straight across the spectrum, that guys will dope for their own various reasons, and most of the time it doesn’t have much to do with the money. I know a ton of masters that are way more passionate about the sport that nearly all the “professionals” I know.
This whole masters doping thing isn’t a surprise to me. I see these guys throughout the country and am amazed that they feel comfortable looking like doped bike racers. 50 years old, a body fat of 4% and veins on their muscle bound legs that look like vines. It just isn’t normal.
I wonder how this guy got popped? Someone must have narc’d on him. He was caught in an out of competition test last December. That is super weird.
I don’t think that some guys getting caught are going to discourage other masters from staying on their “program”. I’m sure that they feel much better in real life and are trying to avoid the inevitable gravity of aging. So, in reality, they have a better justification to dope, it is a two-fold deal. Go fast on a bike and pretend you are younger.
I think it is a losing proposition, but people are people. But let’s not try to say that one guy has more of a reason to cheat than the next. The guy on Wall Street that is stealing millions of dollars should be thought of worse than the guy stealing a Colt 45 down at the convenience store. Let not try to glorify illogical thinking.
Tucker likes to sunbathe in the afternoon.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/endurance-training/competitive-cat-1-masters-cyclist-supplement-questions-1476753.html
I agree with Bobke, it’s only O.K. if it’s your livelihood. WTF?
Jay-Thanks for posting that link. I was looking for it, but couldn’t figure find it. Crazy huh?
That website is insane!
Came here to post that, saw it, done.
not sure if we are watching the same video – Bob literally said “This is not a justification….and let me be perfectly clear I do not condone doping at any level for any reason but when its your livelihood its more understandable but its still cheating” never does he say its ok…
I’m forwarding that post to Travis T. We’re gonna OOC the FUCK out of the top masters natz guys on the run-up to nationals this year. Mark my words. People’s gonna get popped.
You’re welcome Steve. Crazy to say the least.
Please, please let that be the real Travis T that just posted in that forum.
Bob Roll should be arrested for fraud. He has had not had a opinion worth sharing for years. He basically licked Lance’s taint on request. His last few years racing the MTB circuit was a farce. He has more rolls then a bakery. He should go away and not come back.
Roll is a farce. His ‘pro’ arrogance is so on display. He tries to backpedal, but clearly its “understandable” to dope, if you get paid.
Steve, you running single digit bf & have some veins poppin? Me thinks so, so don’t go throwing the what’s he on card. You can be old, lean & clean!
Will doping with Colt 45 give you a pedal stroke as smooth as Billy Dee Williams?
The power of Colt 45 – but why take chances?
Man, that link is some disheartening crap. I’ll never be anywhere near elite level, but that kind of stuff is really pathetic and disappointing to read.
On a somewhat different note, a serious question if anyone can enlighten:
If a master’s cyclist has a medical condition that requires particular medications, and those medication are on “the list,” what happens? I have no idea what those substances would be, but riders in their 50s+ may have medical ailments/conditions that require legitimate medication. Has anyone run into this? Is there any kind of waiver or protocol? For example, the WADA list mentions diuretics (apparently used as a masking agent), but there are very common blood pressure meds, such as lisinopril, that use a diuretic effect to stabilize blood pressure. So if a rider says “I take this med for my health, and because I am not a professional it’s not worth the risk to get off them,” what happens? Just curious…
You can file for a TUE (therapeutic use exemption), but I very seriously doubt they’ll grant such TUEs for testosterone, diuretics, etc. Vaughters couldn’t even get cortisone for the bee-sting on his eyelid during the TDF!
Ken:
Yes, there is a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) that riders with legitimate medical issues can often get. They do require documentation, must be requested and approved in advance, and one hopes they are not given out friviously.
Randy and Krakatoa,
Thanks for the insight!
If you require T or whatever to live a “normal” life then by all means take it.
It’s a quality of life issue. Just don’t race bikes… it’s really pretty simple
Just as a follow, I found my way via the USAC website to the WADA site, where you can enter the name of the prescript – the aforementioned blood-pressure diuretic passes with no issue, and things like corticosteroids (found in everyday ointments of different kinds) appear OK as well. Steve’s post got me thinking about all this for the first time. The WADA site makes it easy to check to be sure you’re not violating rules without knowing it.
GSK Performance lab said skeleton Froome was at 10% body fat. What a joke.
Where’s a picture of Tucker today?
I have yet to hear of a single athlete get a TUE for Testosterone.
This is a really depressing (but important) thread…no country for cute dogs.
And of course, all of his posts here…
https://www.isarms.com/forums/search.php?searchid=110725
If “Low T” were considered as a TUE “candidate condition”, you’d have tons of ‘roid abusers filing for them. Why? Because after abusing it, it’s not uncommon to see the body stop producing it naturally. The body says “why bother? He’s obviously got enough of his own”
What kind of snake is that in the background in the garden picture behind Tucker ?
Steve, I thought the headline + the Colt 45 would lead to an article about how a few of us use beer as a “performance enhancing substance…”
Mr Tilford & Bolas (since my post was ignored the first time)
In your entry it says about Bob that “He doesn’t outright say it, but he implies that there is a certain justification if you are getting paid money” however in the video Bob clearly says “This is not a justification….and let me be perfectly clear I do not condone doping at any level for any reason but when its your livelihood its more understandable but its still cheating” so I am wondering where you arrive to your conclusion that Bob thinks its OK to dope if your professional? It seems obvious the distinction Bob is making is that for professional athletes there is much at stake including their livelihood as this his how they earn a living. However for masters racers as there is no money at all and its strictly ego driven…do you not think its more ridiculous for a masters racer to dope? that is the basic premise here …that as a society we can at least understand the reasoning behind doping at elite levels but that at a masters race or your local beer league softball game it seems a bit much….but at end of the day it seems you both agree that doping is wrong at all levels…
That website posted above is fucking crazy.