[gizzard]

Rumours doing the rounds suggest that the latest drugs scandal is set to dwarf the Festina affair. I can see some serious changes in the in the overall classification of the Giro over the coming days/weeks. This is only speculation however...

 

[cthomas]

Hope not, but I think you are correct

I was having flashbacks to '98. Almost expected to have a big drug raid right in the middle of the Giro.

 

[goose127]

How would this work?

If there is indeed a list of 200 riders who are on or have been on some kind of blood doping regimine, than this will pretty much set cycling back to the stone ages. There are few sports that have as much continual speculation of cheaters as cycling, this will only confirm it. Maybe this is what the sport needs to survive and get cleaned up.

However, what will the UCI do or other governing bodies if your name is on the list? Can they just suspend you for that? I would think it requires more direct evidence than being associated with Fuentes or your naming being in some documents. I think it will be very interesting to see what happens with what sounds like circumstantial evidence, even if that circumstantial evidence is damning.

 

[MikeBiker]

I would think that most of the alleged 200 cyclists aren't on major teams and are unknowns and include quite a few nonpros.

 

[Old_school_nik]

I thought it was 200 bags - at 2 or more per rider

so maybe top 75 riders or so? It hard to guess how many riders 200 blood bags represents when we don't know how their system works or how much blood is in each bag.

It sure looks like Jesus Manzano told it like it was though...

Nik

 

[Under ACrookedSky]

I would think that most of the alleged 200 cyclists aren't on major teams and are unknowns and include quite a few nonpros.

Actually the Spanish press is saying that because the cost was high to do this, it's mostly upper level riders. The only figure I have read is 40K - 60K euros per season, but it was not specified if that were per rider or per team. That seems low per team, but it seems high per rider.

 

[MikeBiker]

Actually the Spanish press is saying that because the cost was high to do this, it's mostly upper level riders. The only figure I have read is 40K - 60K euros per season, but it was not specified if that were per rider or per team. That seems low per team, but it seems high per rider.

That is expensive! 200 riders at 50K comes out to 10 million Euros a year. Not a bad income.

 

[dagger]

200 names weren't all cyclists

It was reported on 20minutes.es that some of the athletes at Fuentes clinic were also soccer players.