Doping megathread - I can't even think of a witty tagline

United would want to have sacked the Doctor, given how often the f*cker was unavailable! Suits Juve though to be able to sack him.

There's a certain high profile English football team that virtually the whole squad was asthmatic. They haven't performed to the same level since that noise rumbled around and questions started being asked.

Can only say I have asthma - my inhaler definitely hasn't turned this donkey into a racehorse (but does help me breath when the pollen count is high!)

You only have to be feckin 40 to join the vets - you must have lived a hard life secman!

"you must have lived a hard life"

Well if he is taking Viagra he certainly has 😜

At 66, they'll probably prescribe Viagra to stop you rolling out of bed in your sleep and breaking a hip.

Masking agent?

As other's have said, taken orally in an inhaler to the prescribed number of puffs(?) per time period. The test that Froome failed was because it was over a certain level that (up to then) was thought couldn't have been ingested by inhaler and correct dose. Skineos successfully argued dehydration caused the concentration, rather than taking it by other means.

Just to add, iirc if you used it in a nebuliser you could get above the levels (and the performance enhancing benefits).

Rugby as well, Welsh scrum half playing in France tested positive for growth hormones, with the Welsh Rugby Union accused of supplying it apparently

I look forward to every Irish jockey on the Late Late or whatever getting grilled about doping.

I can't think of a field sport which would benefit more from doping that modern rugby.

Back in the amateur days the ball was barely in play; average play time was circa 10 ish second, lots of scrums, lineouts and very little continuous play.

Average test play phase is over 30 secs now, with much bigger and stronger men all over the field covering much more ground.

The aerobic conditioning needed to be a modern second row/back row/midfield is pretty catabolic given the strength and condition they need to maintain. And in the recovery from modern test/top level club and you have demands that are going to be massively benefitted by taking the right course of steroids/hormones etc.

I've never met a bunch of supporters more head in the sand about it over a lot of years. It's really obvious to me looking at them but nothing to see here.

I say that as someone who has played rugby isn't remotely anti the sport and will be roaring at the TV at the weekend.

I was actually surprised that UFC were even part of USADA. To follow up on the "performance enabling" comments above...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/mma/2023/1012/1410396-usada-and-ufc-part-over-principled-stance-on-mcgregor/

Has there been a performance that raises suspicion?