Cycling and drugs. That combination has been demonized beyond the norms when compared to any other professional sport - and every professional sport has drugs involved - somewhere. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, soccer, tennis, cricket, (the list goes on) all use drugs that are classified as “performance enhancing,” and thus, illegal.

Cycling however seems to be covered by main stream media more than any other professional sport. The sport of cycling is “tried and convicted” like no other. The press has made a sport of their own by vilifying even the most benign cases of positive dope testing cases in cycling. The press seems to salivate at the potential drama that unfolds at the news of any cyclist testing positive. Given the recent and not so recent incidents it has become an ongoing saga for the sport, and fodder for the press. Unfortunately, each story is another nail in the coffin that holds whatever is left of cyclings integrity. But is it fair?

Does every anti-doping test that comes back positive deserve the same level of drama and scrutiny? Sure, there do need to be limits placed on what is legal and what is not – in every sport. The reason we have a list of banned substances in the first place is to safe guard the health of the athlete and also the health of the youth that are taking part and developing their skills and talents in sports. The message sent to young and naive athletes must be that success can and will be achieved through commitment, dedication, desire and plain old hard work. The message that taking a short cut towards achieving success is not fair, healthy or even safe must also be sent to our youth. Substances that are unquestionably harmful and definitely do enhance performance like testosterone, EPO and amphetamines (among others of course) have profound dangers which can ultimately lead to death. Due to the detrimental effects of these types of drugs, there does need to be a message sent to athletes at every level, past and future, that these substances will not be allowed. It needs to be clear that they are banned from use and, if caught using these substances, there will be a high price to pay for doing so.

Other sports conduct ant-doping tests but with a much different set of rules. Last week in the United States a baseball player tested positive for testosterone. His penalty? He will miss 10 games and forfeit his pay for those 10 games. This story was barley a blip on ESPN News and there was not one mention in most of the daily newspapers that circulate in the major cities of the United States - let alone international coverage.

If that was a cyclist, can you imagine?

The press would have a heyday of reporting the infraction and the rider would be suspended for 2 years, at best. His career would be threatened, his name forever linked with “cheating.” The financial ramifications would be devastating to the cyclist. A 10 game suspension for a ball payer with a multi million-dollar contract is nothing more than a “shame on you.”

Don’t get me wrong. I do not believe that “doping” is OK or should be played down in any way. But cycling is getting a disproportionate bad wrap compared to other big money sports and while in some cases, the penalties for cheating are most definitely legitimate, too often a rider is “positive” for a substance that has very little if any at all effects on performance.

For example, Fuyu Li of Radio Shack just tested positive for Clenbuterol, which is prescribed to treat asthma. The reason Clenbuterol is on the banned substance list is because it is classified as non-steroidal beta 2. That means that it has effects similar to, or the same as epinephrine. Exogenous epinephrine is banned. Clenbuterol has been publicized off-label as a weight loss drug. However, there are currently absolutely ZERO case studies that conclude that Clenbuterol will help an asthmatic cyclist perform any better than a cyclist who has no asthma at all. The weight loss may of course help that “watts per kilo” or strength to weight ratio, but again, that would be “off-label” use and while that may improve performance, Clenbuterol is prescribed for asthma sufferers. Clenbuterol merely allows an athlete with asthma to be able to breathe like any other normal athlete who is not affected by the debilitating (and in some cases deadly) effects of asthma.

Yet here we are. Fuyu took Clenbuterol (there is little doubt that he did) for his asthma so he could simply function like a normal human being. Was he “cheating?” That is like asking, “Is a cyclist who happens to be diabetic and produces no insulin and must take exogenous insulin not just to compete, but to live, is he is cheating?”
Cases like Fuyu’s bring to mind other cases of athletes who are severely allergic to bee stings. If a rider who has this life threatening condition is stung, the remedy is the administration of epinephrine – but since exogenous epinephrine is banned, that athlete who needs to take epinephrine will not be able to compete. Such an athlete has no choice once stung by a bee – they must drop out of competition if they are stung. Does that make sense? Of course not, but it is a result of the conundrum caused by the necessity of taking exogenous substances that happen to be banned by athletes who face life threatening circumstances.

The whole point is that the UCI, WADA, the IOC and every national governing body is much too reactive and impractical in their approach to catching the real “cheaters.” Yes, EPO, testosterone, amphetamines and genetic engineering all are without question, cheating. But taking a substance (OK – “drug”) that some athletes need to take because without it, they can not even function normally and then labeling the athlete that uses that substance as a cheater is just a knee jerk, over the top reaction that does nothing positive for the sport of cycling or any other sport, other than garner bad press, drive away sponsors and fans which ultimately, will of course debilitate the sport.

Fuyu Li will now face a life of scrutiny and hardship at home because of his positive test. In China, Fuyu had the opportunity to become a Provincial Coach and perhaps a National Coach and in China, that can mean a quality of life that would otherwise be impossible to achieve for an athlete who has dedicated their life to sport. Now, his future is in doubt. The chances for him and his wife and child to enjoy a life that would have provided them with a bit more than basic needs like you and I know, is in jeopardy. It is not at all fair that Fuyu or any other athlete who has to use a substance to compete or even function as a normal human being, be banned and have their reputations tarnished and futures destroyed as a result of using something that is truly so benign but is still on the banned substance list. There exist much greater sins in the peloton than asthma medicine. The UCI, WADA, IOC and all governing bodies should reexamine the banned substance list and revise their penal code.

About our Author: Michael Carter is a former professional cyclist who first raced in the 1984 Giro D’Italia and then competed in all three “Grand Tours,” 5 World Championships, National Tours throughout South and Central America and has held positions as a coach for USA Cycling, “Director Sportif” for Trek-Marco Polo and Rock Racing, and currently works with Team Type 1. Mike has extensive experience in China and Asia over the last 18 years including the Tours of China, Qinghai Lake, Taiwan (winning in 1997 over Wong Kam Po), Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Hokkaido. Contact Mike at www.espcycling.com or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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