What, Me Worry? Performance Enhancing Substances

Lance Armstrong was recently wiped off the record books for using performance enhancing substances, and "nuked" from future professional events.

Rather than ban him from competition, Pro cycling should create a new, "Open" category that does not test for anything. Competitors should be free to utilize whatever methods they want to use in order to maximize their performance. No one is forcing them to ingest substances that are detrimental to their health. Every cigarette smoker is free to make that same choice. Why not a guy on a bike?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Rather than ban him from competition, Pro cycling should create a new, "Open" category that does not test for anything. Competitors should be free to utilize whatever methods they want to use in order to maximize their performance.

That's the bodybuilding model, isn't it? "natural" and "open" divisions?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Competitors should be free to utilize whatever methods they want to use in order to maximize their performance.

Would you allow surgical and/or robotic enhancement?

Quote: MonkeyMonkey

Would you allow surgical and/or robotic enhancement?

Sure. Let it be a tournament of epic proportions.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Sure. Let it be a tournament of epic proportions.

I don't know... I mean, I see where you're coming from, but at some point are the participants even human anymore? And if they're not, then isn't a fundamental aspect of the competition lost?

Well I feel for Lance Armstrong. Seems like he pissed
off the wrong investigating pit-bull and they wouldn't
let go.

I don't condone what he did, BUT in a sport that is
known for rampant blood doping, transfusions, etc,
etc, etc, how do we know if the 2nd through 19th
place finishers didn't do the exact same thing.

Classic SNL sketch - All Drug Olympics

Quote: MonkeyMonkey

I don't know... I mean, I see where you're coming from, but at some point are the participants even human anymore? And if they're not, then isn't a fundamental aspect of the competition lost?

I understand where you're coming from, and there certainly would have to be some minimum requirements, (two wheels, single rider, pedal powered), but maybe not much more. I liken it to Nascar vs. F1 racing. They have some things in common, but the constraints on each are very different.

Quote: Ayecarumba

I understand where you're coming from, and there certainly would have to be some minimum requirements, (two wheels, single rider, pedal powered), but maybe not much more. I liken it to Nascar vs. F1 racing. They have some things in common, but the constraints on each are very different.

I wasn't just thinking of cycling, but all sports...

Cycling-wise couldn't you have your legs replaced with robotic replacements so you could pedal faster without exhaustion? Wouldn't that mean that anyone that wanted to compete would need to make the same "upgrades"? It would turn any sport with an Open class into an arms race (no pun intended), would that be good for the sport or more broadly, society?

I get sooooo tired of people screaming that steroid use is cheating. Steroids are available to everyone; take or don't take, but don't whine if you decide not to. No one seems to mind steroid use in boxing or football. Tour de France has been going on since 1903 when bikes used to be 1-speed, then 3-speed, 10-speed and so on. Is 27-speed cheating? How about a 36-speed bike or lighter weight? Surgical enhancements? Is Lasik eye surgery cheating in baseball when the player can now see the ball better? How about eyeglasses or contacts? How about vitamins? If they ever allow metal bats in baseball, would that be cheating? Metal bats have been in use in high schools for decades. Why isn't the use of those oversized carbon-fiber racquets cheating in tennis? How about polymer skis rather than wooden? Or Olympic swimmers wearing bodysuits rather than just skimpy swimwear they used to? I could go on and on....