Tom Danielson Positive for Testosterone - Big Surprise?
Today, I was woken up super early by my phone with numerous text notifications about Tom Danielson being positive for synthetic testosterone. For me, I just rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. It isn’t anything that I didn’t already know. Well, I didn’t know that he was going to be so stupid to be caught doping, especially with synthetic testosterone, when it is so hard to get caught, but it wasn’t a surprise at all, that he was, and is, currently doping.
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This is one of his tweets from last night. “Especially after everything I have gone through the last years.” He is saying that it makes “absolutely no sense” that he would take drugs currently, even though he took drugs to get into the Pro ranks of the sport and was only “caught” after he was subpoenaed to testify concerning Lance. And even then, it wasn’t public until his team director, Jonathan Vaughters “leaked” it so brilliantly.
I already wrote a pretty long post on my views of Tommy D. Here is the link. It pretty much summed up my experiences with him over his “career”.
Anyway, addressing his tweet. My question is why wouldn’t you “take anything”, especially after what you have gone through. You’ve been racing on drugs your whole career and have never turned up a positive doping control, so what would be the reason that you wouldn’t dope? The reason is the small, minute chance that you might get caught. And that happened. Dang. Bad luck.
So, your choices are you dope and feel great, kick ass racing bikes, or you are a piece of shit athlete and you can’t compete and you have to watch from the outside. You made that choice years ago, I can’t see any reason you would stop.
[
Tom is so eloquent with his tweets. This maybe explains one reason he dopes. But, like most of these guys, he is being super greedy and really doesn’t love the sport. He loves himself and wants the easy money, fame and such. If he truly loved the sport, he would quietly disappear into the history books, with a couple of asterisks next to his name.
But, Tom won’t quietly disappear. He is going to go down kicking and screaming. Because if his B sample turns up positive, (and it will, it’s synthetic testosterone) then he is going to be facing a lifetime ban, so there is no downside to proclaiming innocence until it really becomes a moot point. Then Tom becomes minute, so small as to verge on insignificant. We’ll all forget him, or, maybe NBC Sports will hire him to do commentary.
It is interesting, to me, what Jonathan Vaughters is going to say, or do the next few days, weeks, months.
From the [Cyclingnews article on Tom today](http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tom-danielson-tests-positive-for-testosterone/) -
In February, Vaughters told Cyclingnews, “It’s true we ask for that [scrutiny] and still in ten years we’ve not had a rider dope on our team. Ever. We’ve lived up to that. That was the initial promise. If that ever is broken then Doug and I are out.”
So far, Jonathan’s response is - “Tom Danielson notified Slipstream Sports that he was informed by USADA that he has returned an adverse analytical A sample using carbon isotope testing. In accordance with Slipstream Sports’ zero tolerance anti-doping policy, he has been suspended from competition, effective immediately. He awaits the results his B sample. Slipstream respects and will adhere to the process of the anti-doping authorities and will not comment further.”
So, Tom is going to be suspended for competition? And Slipstream “will not comment further”. It is funny, Jonathan usually has a ton to say on these subjects. Guess he is at loss for words in this situation.
Okay, I’m done with this for today. I have better things to do, like feeding the hummingbirds.
Comments (130)
chris
2015-08-03 10:05:12
I love this so fucking much.
Donkybhoy
2015-08-03 10:06:31
Tom D, one of very many, very many in WT. Let’s hope he takes Vaughters down with him when he goes kicking and screaming!
channel_zero
2015-08-03 10:06:42
He’s going positive on the B sample. Do we know who opened the case? UCI? USAC? The stupid/crazy thing about Testosterone positives is the T:E ratio is set ridiculously high, 4:1 when the vast majority of humanity is well below 2:1. That means the most likely scenario would be a poorly timed administration of exogenous test. Nike/Salazar using Androgel on his son so his athlete is sure to never test positive is the latest public example of the abuse. But, that also means the cycling federation picked that failed test out of a likely high number of failed tests. (See Seppelt’s IAAF story that was published over the weekend.) Less likely is the test for exogenous Test was run first. It’s a very expensive test, so the cycling federation would be doing a Floyd Landis to him. You can’t rule out the sample being swapped because we know it happens at the IAAF. As always with cycling and anti-doping, very little of it makes any sense.
spinner
2015-08-03 10:07:46
How sad.
Tim
2015-08-03 10:33:37
It’s a great day for clean cyclists! Go USADA!
Ron
2015-08-03 10:44:11
Everyone says the “testing is expensive,” but never actually give an amount. Has this just become a rhetoric? If not, what’s a ballpark number?
Bill K
2015-08-03 10:44:15
He could always take up running or soccer, at the highest level…… Oh wait…
Ryan
2015-08-03 10:44:40
Am i missing something? I thought once you use synthetic testosterone your body shuts down your own production and then you will forever require the “therapy”?
Dave LeDuc
2015-08-03 10:53:18
Don’t gloat too much http://d3epuodzu3wuis.cloudfront.net/Hincapie,+George+Affidavit.pdf
Jeff D.
2015-08-03 10:55:07
Even if his “B” sample did somehow come back negative, what was left of his credibility is now zero. He was given a 2nd chance, he blew it… Time to go away forever Tommy D.
Niles
2015-08-03 10:59:26 In reply to channel_zero
Zero, your comment is basically incoherent.
mark
2015-08-03 11:20:20
I cant wait for the Tom Danielson gran fondo to appear. Another chance to ride with the legends of doping. Awesome.
Johnny Utah
2015-08-03 11:20:34
Yeah! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! Man, it’s a good thing we race so clean in the U-S-A!
Boobkee
2015-08-03 11:28:21 In reply to mark
The Tommy D Gran Fondo is already on the calendar. The price is $399., but you get a 15% discount if you provide some innovative supplements to help needy racing cyclists keep up. The Fondo will provide coolers and thermoses for aforementioned supplements if requests are done in a timely manner. Let’s ride!
krakatoa
2015-08-03 11:31:37
Riders typically use the testosterone during their most intensive training blocks, usually weeks before the “big” event. Not to say that they won’t use it during the event too, but to do so means a far greater risk of getting caught in a test. The testosterone molecule metabolizes rather quickly, so you either have to catch it soon after it’s been taken, or… Weeks before the event, the rider is not only doing intensive training blocks back at home, but also decides to er, um… “make a deposit at the bank”. The blood bank. If the rider still has testosterone in his system when banking blood, it stays with the blood (and is not metabolized). But if introduced at a later date (like in the middle of a bike race) in the middle of a bag of blood), it would be as if they just took it. Landis still (to this day) maintains he was not taking testosterone during the TDF when he was caught. But Landis has talked much about his (and others’) use of transfusions during the race. I think TD was banking blood and screwed up on his QA process. Floyd too.
jt
2015-08-03 11:34:02 In reply to chris
I feel bad about being happy that this guy got caught. But only a little bit bad. And very very happy. I would be happier if he was caught years and years ago before he made this money and kept clean riders from having more chances. But still, I’m so happy he’s busted.
Steve Tilford
2015-08-03 12:09:55 In reply to krakatoa
Krakatoa-Yeah, Lance told me he thought that Floyd screwed up the rest day blood transfusion and used blood that he withdrew when he was taking testosterone, for training, earlier in the season. Same with Contador. Kind of surprised me that they can’t get this right. It isn’t brain surgery.
Tanner
2015-08-03 12:12:41
Makes me curious as to whether Phil G left or got cut from Garmin. Getting cut because there are ‘better’ riders is unfortunate. Leaving perhaps because he didn’t agree with some of the methods that Garmin was using (purely speculation), makes me like him even more!
The Fat Guy Who Somehow Still Beats You
2015-08-03 12:15:03
Just so everybody knows, I would NEVER do that shit.
Judge
2015-08-03 12:15:25
This guy is a total POS. His first wife stood by him silently and didn’t rat him out for the early career drug usage, despite him cheating on her with a groupie. Then the groupie became the wife, had kids with Dopey D and guess what happened? He hooked up (quite publicly) with a fame seeking trophy girl at the Tour of Utah while his wife and kids watched. This guy takes the easy way out as a pattern.
Uncle Chainwhip
2015-08-03 12:38:41 In reply to Judge
Total Douche, Did you have to have a multi-million dollar house in Durango? Did you have to beat those hillclimb records nationwide by minutes? Did you have to stab Lance in the back, like Hincapie et al, after he turned you into a chico rico? No, no & ahh, no Now you can get a job in the industry and get appearance fees from your charade like the rest and save 30-40hrs a week riding which you STILL had to do. Was always a pleasure winning a pro race, while winning small amateur events was guilt-invoking……
krakatoa
2015-08-03 12:41:06 In reply to Steve Tilford
Like has already been said, the synthetic testosterone test isn’t cheap to administer. It’s not even a “routine” test, as it’s so expensive. The dopers who “play the odds” know this. And despite the doper’s amateur-but-uniquely-advanced knowledge of hematology, etc., I seriously doubt they’re running their bank deposits through any kind of tests. Danielson probably got overconfident and sloppy. Doper / gamblers can’t really ever quit until they get caught. And TD had never been caught before.
Steve Tilford
2015-08-03 12:50:01 In reply to Dave LeDuc
Dave - Your point? Do you think there is some reason to gloat? I don’t get it.
krakatoa
2015-08-03 12:50:07 In reply to Ryan
Depends how much / often the abuse is happening. Some have abused their endocrine systems to the point of killing their own natural testosterone production (thus requiring the artificial, always). I wonder if Testosterone is a common TUE these days. Hmm. Then again, it could have been that fifth of Jack Daniels that Danielson downed the night before ;-)
channel_zero
2015-08-03 13:03:35 In reply to Niles
Either TD failed a ridiculously simple-to-pass test, or they are giving him the Floyd Landis treatment. Any better?
Pluto
2015-08-03 13:04:02 In reply to Steve Tilford
This whole episode makes me think that what I thought about the last two TDF’s might indeed be true….it seemed to me both Nibali in 2014 and Sky team in 2015 showed up at the TDF ‘’top off’’…got early leads and then hung on. Maybe that is the new paradigm….
the Dutch
2015-08-03 13:04:36
Thanks Steve, your first posting a few years ago told us enough we needed to know - if we didnt already know of course, but inside info from the US is always great - about Tommy. That combined with his statement in the Armstrong saga told us all we need to know about this fella: a born liar. Stating he loves cycling, well, I think I know and old American who does love cycling and he doesnt like beind BS’d.
channel_zero
2015-08-03 13:05:33 In reply to Ron
Look it up. The UCI publishes the cost of their anti-doping program and the contributions from teams and riders. Inrng has summarized it nicely. http://inrng.com/2015/07/uci-annual-report-and-accounts
Dave King
2015-08-03 13:07:47 In reply to krakatoa
The sample was collected on July 9, which is more than 3 weeks prior to the start of the Tour of Utah. Seems like a good time for a training block.
Donnie Miller
2015-08-03 13:11:03 In reply to Ron
When I ran the QC Criterium, in 2013 USADA was charging $600 per rider for a standard urine sample test.
Foley
2015-08-03 13:12:52 In reply to Steve Tilford
Steve, You’ve been extremely critical of Lance in the past. Are you now on speaking terms with him?
channel_zero
2015-08-03 13:12:53 In reply to krakatoa
Krakatoa, Androgel is cheap, readily available, and easy to administer. Maybe these guys are so dumb they are dosing with exogenous Testosterone of some kind, then within a couple of hours, withdrawing the blood. It is crazy any way you look at it. Regarding Landis, the voluminous records show his sample was tested and retested until the score the UCI wanted appeared. Otherwise, spot on.
Dave LeDuc
2015-08-03 13:16:54 In reply to Steve Tilford
You’re gloating B M C O C H ? Lots of questions there
channel_zero
2015-08-03 13:17:02 In reply to Uncle Chainwhip
Uncle Chainwhip, I’m very interested to hear some more about this back stabbing among cheats and liars. Please, post at length on this topic.
Nathan Guerra
2015-08-03 13:26:47 In reply to Tim
here here!
LA
2015-08-03 13:28:03 In reply to the Dutch
Thanks Dutch! You’re right, I don’t like being bs’ed.
krakatoa
2015-08-03 13:46:55 In reply to channel_zero
I know that Androgel is cheap. Testing one’s own blood is not. As far as Landis’ blood, I thought they tested and re-tested, proving the adverse ratio was clearly out-of-norm, and only afterward did they “go deep” and test for the synthetic variety. They proved both (in both the A and B samples). I don’t think the UCI “wanted” anyone to test positive, but if there was anyone that McQuaid would not lose sleep in crushing, Landis was that guy. He pushed them really hard on the Mercury salary reserve fiasco (IE, when Pat, Hein & friends embezzled the loot)
Franz
2015-08-03 13:49:03
Why don’t they start giving lifetime bans for a first offense? They have a B test of the sample to confirm the positive result. I still think there would be dopers but at least we would not have to keep hearing about them after they were caught.
jeff
2015-08-03 13:51:35 In reply to Judge
Wow. Really? Have you ever heard his voice? It’s like Cadel Evans breathed in helium right after getting kicked in the nuts. Chicks dig it. Who knew?
Rod Lake
2015-08-03 14:01:01
So it was’t the core exercises that made him so fast? Maybe I can get a refund.
Uncle Chainwhip
2015-08-03 14:11:28 In reply to Franz
Zero, Let me clarify, i like money. If Lance turned me into a millionaire, i would have NEVER ratted him out. Guess you just can’t trust many people & i have some strange integrity. Some of my best moments in racing were besting doped riders, it was like a double win! Continue into the sunset…..
Skippy
2015-08-03 14:39:51
So now we know that the " Deep Test " , the one that is NOT USED at Le Tour , costs $600 or so ! We now have 3 Le Tour , where the Racers have ALL been wearing Polished Halos ! Of course , if the Org. CHOOSES to NOT TEST correctly , ALL the racers will think they are walking on water ? WHEN are the UCI going to START doing THEIR JOB PROPERLY ? Not too late for the UCI/ASO to OUT those that they are PROTECTING ? Guess it is time to start enjoying World Farsical Wrestling once again ?
Niles
2015-08-03 14:48:14 In reply to Skippy
Skippy, Are you related to Zero? Good God man, shape up!
andrew
2015-08-03 14:51:43 In reply to Dave LeDuc
Is this *really* Dave LeDuc commenting about doping? REALLY????
krakatoa
2015-08-03 14:56:32
I see that VeloNews has quietly shit-canned their “TD +” story from yesterday.
Richard Wand
2015-08-03 15:08:57
TD was a spoiled brat when he came up racing the MTB in New England. He has a sense of entitlement and I’ll be glad when the hammer drops on him for good and he is done with the sport.
krakatoa
2015-08-03 15:10:45 In reply to krakatoa
The URL still works, but try finding it on VN dot com!
Kazi Rakab
2015-08-03 15:15:01
Remember this… https://twitter.com/kalan_beisel/status/502560055737466880?nav=true Goodbye Tommy Dooshbag!!
Odessa Gunn
2015-08-03 16:02:52
I hope Tommy D will be at Levi’s G-Fondo! Doper 3 ways go all night!!! Giddy up:)
Pluto
2015-08-03 16:04:25 In reply to channel_zero
Krakatoa….hmmmm….Is Floyd your first name? or Tyler?
The Fat Guy Who Somehow Still Beats You
2015-08-03 16:09:11 In reply to The Fat Guy Who Somehow Still Beats You
As far as you know.
GaryD
2015-08-03 16:26:54
Brent Brookwalter falls into the same catagory as TD (although not as high profile) this kid was a pimple on the face of the Michigan Scene, given the local michigan talent he should have never made it to the highest levels in cycling without a little help;)
Bri
2015-08-03 16:43:21 In reply to Tanner
Or less of him if he was unwilling to speak up.
Bri
2015-08-03 16:46:16 In reply to Tanner
Or less of him if he was unwilling to speak up about it.
krakatoa
2015-08-03 16:52:54 In reply to Skippy
They don’t have the money to test for everything (all the time). And unfortunately, the UCI still doesn’t want to actually “catch” cheats. They almost always pre-announce what they’ll be testing for, allowing the dopers to adapt and change.
channel_zero
2015-08-03 16:54:02 In reply to channel_zero
High price of $149 here: https://www.directlabs.com/Resources/MensHealth/Testosterone/tabid/2057/language/en-US/Default.aspx How much is the blood draw? Not sure. Let’s say $500 for all of it. A guy like TD isn’t going to miss $500. Apparently he is too lazy to dope well.
RGTR
2015-08-03 17:01:11 In reply to Kazi Rakab
Rare event when you get to see Karma come back and bitch slap someone who desperately deserves it. I bet Kalan Beisel is feeling as smug as a bug in a rug right about now. LOVE IT!!! FU td!!!
mike crum
2015-08-03 17:01:51
steve, reading some of your replies, you seem to know pretty much about doping.. how to not get caught…
ESP Podcast
2015-08-03 17:02:49
Steve, So much Tommy Ds story parallels numerous (I mean I lost count) riders I knew racing in New England. One common thread, other than the meteoric rise in a matter of months? Arizona, Tucson to be specific. Tucson must have been the drug Mecca of the U.S. I’m so sick of the doping shit. Maybe if more of us doped we could have leveled the playing field…or maybe we would all have lose our souls. It seems that most of the guys who doped still came out ahead.
Pneaumme
2015-08-03 17:15:47
Steve, fyi - It’s a moot point, not a mute point. And also, fuck Tom! Next time, & w all due respects.
Levi
2015-08-03 17:16:42
Yawn…..
Niles
2015-08-03 17:40:37 In reply to Levi
Well said, Levi.
Chris Froome
2015-08-03 17:48:08
Hey Cycling Fans and Mr. Tilford! Chris Froome here (from an undisclosed location- a pub in West Ken!) I’m fresh off a post tour topper administered by Sir Brailsford himself- he skin-popped some home brewed and then I burned 3 hours on the ergometer whilst Dr. Langsbury did lactic acid tests every 12 minutes! Gotta stay ahead of that traitorous piker Richie Porte. After widely misreported that I’m resting to the press, in actuality I’m into the altitude tent for a training block this week. That stupid caveman (you’re right about that Mr. Tilford!) Tommy D should have never been nicked using Super-T! At Team Sky /British Cycling we rock technology, science, slick bling and we are too smart to get caught by some “expensive” test! By releasing limited power training numbers to prove our situation we will never be outed. But I guess we still could get caught because these guys are getting pretty close… Oh Well…If we do the cycling industry will just use me and MTB Quebec to try to infiltrate Africa (and maybe Canada?) and keep moving the big top.
JT
2015-08-03 18:12:19 In reply to Richard Wand
But the f’d up thing is he’ll keep “Tom D’s Gran Fondo” going so he can “give back to the sport” like Leipheimer.
krakatoa
2015-08-03 18:25:12 In reply to Donnie Miller
Charging whom? You? Wow.
ExRider
2015-08-03 18:32:06 In reply to Bill K
you have to be an athlete to play soccer, try again
Big George
2015-08-03 18:49:50 In reply to Judge
True that. Nice work if you can get it though.
Pistol Pete
2015-08-03 18:56:01
I know what Danielson’s deal is, but can anyone shed any light on what is up with this Mike Crum fellow?
Steve Tilford
2015-08-03 19:18:46 In reply to ESP Podcast
ESP - I agree completely. Seems like Tucson Arizona is the United States version of Tenerife. Maybe it is because of its proximity to Mexico? Remember, Rick Crawford, Tom’s “coach” at Fort Lewis, admitted driving across the border to Mexico to buy EPO for his riders. His riders, as he stated, were only Levi and Kirk Obee. Bet there are lots of other names to add to that list.
Li
2015-08-03 20:31:12
If you asked me, Chris Froome story sounds awfully like Tom D.. Couldn’t win any competition for the longest period of time and then suddenly starting to bust everybody’s ass.
Matt D
2015-08-03 20:35:02
Tommy D, the Ricardo Ricco of American cycling.
Dave LeDuc
2015-08-03 20:48:35 In reply to Steve Tilford
Och? BMC?
nancy
2015-08-03 21:16:34 In reply to Steve Tilford
Based on your experience, what percentage of pro peleton do you think are racing without drugs in Europe and US this year? 100%, 75 %, less?
Steve Tilford
2015-08-03 21:47:21 In reply to mike crum
mike-yeah, I’ve read a lot about drug usage in sports. and from all my research i’ve done, the absolute best way to not get caught is to not dope. it’s pretty simple.
Paul Sumner
2015-08-03 22:01:55
There is a bright side: assuming he is banned for life, he won’t end up on Garmin’s staff. We have enough X-dopers as staff, we certainly don’t need anymore.
well, huh
2015-08-03 22:08:00 In reply to GaryD
He seemed to do pretty well in college, winning national championship after national championship on the mtn and road. So what’s your assertion, there? Doping in high school and college? Sounds farfetched.
Fausto
2015-08-03 22:18:41
Just when I bought that Tommy D. “Core Training Book” they were selling at Life Time Fitness. Maybe the second edition will have an updated chapter on Test.
Steve Tilford
2015-08-03 22:19:53 In reply to well, huh
well - Farfetched? Were you racing against him back then? He won the Collegiate National MTB Championships, after he had gotten beaten pretty handily before. After that, he went on and won Mt. Washington Hillclimb, setting a course record, besting Tyler Hamilton’s time and setting a new course record. And Tyler is on record as taking drugs during this time. So, you think that he was too young to dope, or that he was naturally so good that he could beat the time of Tyler, who also won the Olympic Gold medal in Time Trial, normally aspirated? Is that your assertion?
Old friend
2015-08-03 22:32:17
I raced with Tom at fort Lewis in the early 2000’s. The first big clue that he was a doper was his break through performance at the Gila the launched him into the spotlight, followed by a trip to the hospital for a blood infection. Those in the know said the blood infection came from a needle. He’s been doping for a very long time. No body ever talks about the fact that Tom pinned doping on Lance. Tom was doping long before the discovery days. The truth never really came out about these guys. He went from a fast collegiate my biker to the best roadie in the country in literally a year and a half. We all knew what was going on
well, huh
2015-08-03 22:36:18 In reply to Steve Tilford
Yeah, I first raced him in TN when we were 19. Then I went to a rival college and we raced a bit more collegiality for a couple of years in the south east. I’m simply stating that when he came to college he was already pretty well established (he went to a cycling school on a cycling scholarship) and had already been racing nationally as a junior. Where it goes from there, I’m obviously clueless. But it seems a bit odd to simply say he was a bit of a nobody in Michigan when he was out west racing junior x and all and already successfully transitioning to the road in big regional races at 19. I will, of course, defer to your knowledge and experience, but wow. It’s a bit much to contemplate. He had a BMC teammate for a while that also raced extensively in the SE at that time and blew threw the amateur ranks before going to BMC and Europe and I’ve never heard an ill word from or of either of them.
ALS
2015-08-03 22:52:06 In reply to mike crum
Crum, or is it Scrum? Well, regardless of what your name actually is, you should have been a cum stain on a bed spread of a hotel room that was rented out by the hour. However, your daddy only had a Hamilton when your mommy’s going rate was a Jackson. Well, your mommy was jonesing something fierce, so she said, “Close enough.” Now, your daddy had never had a piece without paying full price so he considered this to be - true love. And that’s the story of Mike Scrum Crum that should have been some dried cum.
Mike Rodose
2015-08-03 22:54:27 In reply to ESP Podcast
ESP: Really? Names? Maybe it was just a month of training in warm weather that produced results.
skinewmexico
2015-08-04 00:51:13
Have you seen the girlfriend? I’d be taking synthetic T also.
Ben
2015-08-04 02:57:52
Testosterone; EPO; cocaine; pixie blood – these guys can inject bleach for all I care. I think Tommy-D is a bigger douche for leaving his wife and kids than for any performance enhancement. I’m off to ride some trails. In the meantime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlKao_Pox5A
Gabby
2015-08-04 06:47:43 In reply to ESP Podcast
Im glad you noticed that too. Seems like if you want to go pro and dont care how, you move to Tuscon or go train with someone that lives there. We call it the Tucson diet. Apparently if you want to go pro and do care how you do it you move to Boulder.
Dave M
2015-08-04 08:00:20
So, cost of testing is prohibitive? Make one off the conditions for return to racing after 1st doping sanction this: rider or team must pay for X number of out-of-competition tests per year, and that there are no restrictions on hrs of day when test can be administered – 24hr/day, 7 days/wk, 365 day/yr. Once you have demonstrated you are a cheat, burden of proof that you don’t shifts more to you. I think the ability to apply a lifetime ban for use of IV doping (stuff you can’t “accidentally” ingest) is not unreasonable, accompanied by raising the standard of proof to something akin to criminal standard - “beyond a reasonable doubt” .
Double D
2015-08-04 08:01:40 In reply to channel_zero
T/E ratio was changed to 2:1 I believe years ago.
Patrick Fetzer
2015-08-04 09:31:40
Years ago, I made the “big time” and was in the Redlands Stage Race…the big race ‘real pros’ came to town to race in. Chris Horner, Nathan O’Neil & some rookie named Tom Danielson waxed everyone, every day. My pal was at the summit of the ‘mountain top’ finish of Oak Glen. Not being a rider, he was out there to cheer me on and try out his new video camera…on the drive home he couldn’t stop laughing about how far ahead these three were, and how they were actually arguing about who would win. Made me think of Gwiss…anyway, later when he showed me the video they were chatting…like it was nothing. They blew everyone away….like it was a training ride. I was completely demoralized watching the video and then learning I lost 15 minutes on a 10k climb to these guys. We know about O’Neil’s transgressions, he may have been chased out of Europe so he came here; we have strong speculation about Horner and now this…10+ years later. Fags. My teammates and I trained our asses off, we were good, we were ready….but not for those ‘super-charged’ tools who turned the race into a farce. It was the “Saturn Show” and looking back I’m embarrassed I took so much time and effort out of my life and away from my family only to be smacked down by a bunch of frauds…..stoopid sport!
RGTR
2015-08-04 09:32:04 In reply to Dave LeDuc
dl….Just another doping shitbag with a big mouth.
E Peogh
2015-08-04 10:35:12
Wow. Another butt-pimple on the cheek of USA cycling. Booya td. Thanks for keeping it real all this time man. A great example for our junior riders. I hope you enjoy the scrutiny.
Pluto
2015-08-04 11:08:03 In reply to Steve Tilford
Our Buddy D. Leduc is reputed to have traveled often to Mexico for “vacations’’
Pluto
2015-08-04 11:22:56
Chris Horner is pathetic! His reaction to TD’s demise was …well….nothing. The media are bullshit…“Go-go’’(sounds like a kid’s refrain to his mom about having to go potty) is gutless. How about some Real Talk to Real Adults….Everybody is just worried about their pockets…nobody with balls. This is all there is to it?Pandering to the lowest common denominator. At least Armstrong had some balls…these pussies are shit for brains.
krakatoa
2015-08-04 11:33:21 In reply to channel_zero
The “synthetic” T test is not cheap. No way TD was self-testing his bags for that aspect.
channel_zero
2015-08-04 11:58:55 In reply to krakatoa
Ding! Ding! Ding! Well stated krakatoa.
channel_zero
2015-08-04 12:00:50 In reply to krakatoa
VN is the “Voice of the UCI” and has been for a long, long time.
Top 10 Tom Danielson Excuses - The Church of the Big Ring Cyclocross and Salvation
2015-08-04 12:21:25
[…] Chimera 9.) The water in Utah is full of T so the Mormons can breed 8.) Obama 7.) Chemtrails 6.) Tilford spiked my drink so he could write about me 5.) It is the only way to get a Grand Fondo named after […]
krakatoa
2015-08-04 13:01:56 In reply to Patrick Fetzer
You lost 16:09, actually. But thems was the “rope-a-dope” years. Even Tilly here lost 4:36! And hey, wow, “future boss” Jonathan Vaughters came in 11 seconds ahead of Danielson even! No doping going on there, nope! From the Velonews coverage of the day: “Needless to say, it was a day for the climbers, as Canadian Genevieve Jeanson (RONA-Esker) confirmed her position as the premiere climber in North American women’s racing, riding away from her closest GC contenders in the final kilometers and winning the stage by nearly three minutes. Read more at http://velonews.competitor.com/2003/04/news/road/jeanson-untouchable-saturn-men-in-control-as-redlands-hits-the-hills_3696#bYpraXcsWvz4fIf5.99”
chris
2015-08-04 13:38:51
Hmm… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nc1mVJGmX4
krakatoa
2015-08-04 13:46:26
And why is it that Danielson gets to keep his Mt Washington record (when Tyler Hamilton is scrubbed from the books)?
Pepsi Frank
2015-08-04 13:49:25
Tommy D should be well prepared for Leadville.
old and slow
2015-08-04 14:15:33 In reply to krakatoa
Ditto for Mount Evans where (ahem) Jeannie Longo also holds the woman’s record.
Me too
2015-08-04 14:18:48 In reply to Pluto
“At least Armstrong had some balls…” actually….
jeff
2015-08-04 15:01:08 In reply to Patrick Fetzer
http://www.dailypeloton.com/article_images/nichols/03/redlands/stage5/podium.jpg
darkcloud
2015-08-04 15:47:18 In reply to chris
What an absolute TOOL Danielson is. These dopers are deserving of academy awards for their cutting edge acting abilities.
steven
2015-08-04 15:48:07 In reply to Ron
eleventybillion dollars on the low end.
krakatoa
2015-08-04 15:52:09 In reply to skinewmexico
Seen her BUTT: https://twitter.com/tomdanielson
Old friend
2015-08-04 15:53:34
So of course Horner is soft on his comments of Danielson. Danielson has the potential to bring Horner down. They’ve robbed races together for years. Also, shouldn’t vaughters step up and accept responsibility for being part of the problem? I mean, he hires ex-dopers who obviously still dope. Spend a moment and think about why vaughters hires guys like Danielson? Is it because he believes in second chances or is it purely money and business. If vaughters cared for the sport he would have never hired ex-dopers. He should step away from the sport or never hire another ex-doper and not re-sign any of his ex-dopers. Vaughters is as much of the problem as Danielson.
skinewmexico
2015-08-04 16:00:25 In reply to krakatoa
Yeah, and this - http://kourtneycompton.com/ She seems to be pretty strong on a bike, according to Strava. Maybe she’s juicing too.
krakatoa
2015-08-04 16:15:54 In reply to skinewmexico
http://kourtneycompton.com/ride-with-me/
krakatoa
2015-08-04 17:30:02 In reply to Old friend
JV is the enabler. It’s like Rock Racing (but without the black kits, skulls and Escalades). JV is like the Winston Wolfe character from Pulp Fiction. He solves problems by covering them up with bedspreads and household cleaning products. But Marvin is always going to be sitting there in the trunk. ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWmRTjLRMfU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOBvGGaDnKQ
Daily News Digest | CyclingTips
2015-08-04 19:28:41
[…] (Read Steve Tilford’s scathing post on Danielson here) […]
Dave King
2015-08-04 21:05:20 In reply to well, huh
I think Steve is talking about Tom Danielson and Well, Huh is talking about Brent Bookwalter.
Tito
2015-08-04 21:39:38
How were the Leadville climbs?
Chris Froome
2015-08-04 22:17:28 In reply to Li
He Cycling Fans, Mr. Tilford and Dear Sir Invoking my Good Name, Your comparison is void- I’m not going to get caught ….and by that I mean to say I will certainly not be caught twice! But remember Tommy D didn’t get caught twice either, allow me to explain with my special smile and ardent sense of candor, of course….- Back in the day Tommy D doped a while but he suddenly quit right at the statute of limitations date according to his Affidavit indicting LA. Tommy D’s testimony matched that of Hincapie, Vande Velde and Levi, then much, much, much more recently right at his pre 2015 Utah training block three weeks before the race Tommy D doped again accidentally when he took a supplement (I think it was an orange protein milkshake from Canada) that had a good amount of andro accidentally slathered on it and that was partly responsible for his unfortunate positive A test. So no I won’t get caught twice, after all I have a TUE for Testosterone (which helps me maintain a nearly 3 dimensional body) and plus my inhaler is tots legal and I will still use this during races if I want to (Sir Brailford approved comment ;). Geesh, I’m not that traitorous piker Richie Porte who claims I’m doing what I said i’d never do- turn in to another Wiggo…. While I fear he may be right about me… I think we need to not delve too deep into absurd comparisons.
patrick fetzer
2015-08-04 22:22:18 In reply to Dave King
I’d suspect Lance was turned on to steroids, etc. in HS through all the footballers….surely Danielson (SP?) was in a similar situation where football ruled (Broncos)!
Juan el guey
2015-08-04 23:15:07
Danielsons been a giant douche for a loooong time. Fuck that guy. Saw him dropped over and over in races a poof! Super fast. Thanks Crawford.
jt
2015-08-05 07:12:33 In reply to krakatoa
Very short video related to the wives, girlfriend, whatever: https://youtu.be/zXxvdhE1zFc
PB
2015-08-05 09:12:28 In reply to Steve Tilford
I was told LeDuc went to Belize for his injections
Jonathan Vaughters – The Team will Continue | Steve Tilford
2015-08-05 10:29:01
[…] Vaughters announced, via tweeter, that this Tom Danielson doping positive won’t derail his program, that he has too many “good people” to support, thus he […]
well, huh
2015-08-05 13:09:31 In reply to Dave King
Yes, I was replying to the assertions about Bookwalter as they weren’t accurate. Perhaps I didn’t clarify that well enough and Steve thought I was talking about TD.
GFox
2015-08-05 19:22:59 In reply to Ryan
Correct! Now his body will start to produce massive amounts of estrogen and in 2 years time, he’ll have tits, change his name to Tammy D, re-gain fame and fortune by completing his sex change and hanging out with Bruce “Caitlan” Jenner.
rwt
2015-08-07 00:50:29 In reply to jt
Haha. Perhaps this was a bad idea.
soslow
2015-08-07 13:04:29 In reply to Steve Tilford
I’m a NC rider and asked Dave Leduc what he meant by his post about “gloating”. Dave had no idea what I was talking about and does not have an account /blog ID with Steve Tilford. Kinda makes sense as most everyone uses some alias…. And why would Dave Leduc of all riders us his real name?
Matt
2015-08-08 12:06:29 In reply to Tanner
Maybe that’s why PG left, but it would be a big change from this: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-danielson-mentors-gaimon-to-the-top-of-cycling/ Also, PG talks about TD being a good guy at great length in his , pp. 260-261.
Robert
2015-08-09 05:08:01
In more uplifting cycling news…there is a team of local Colorado amateur elite women cyclists racing in the USA Pro Challenge Women’s Race! These women have been working very hard all season long to be ready to ride the race of their lives! You all should be celebrating those that are creating a positive and inspiring story for cycling! Look up the story on VN!!
David Arnold
2015-08-09 16:32:02
Let’s call the Tommy D Gran Fondo” AB and friends.”
StepGoat
2015-08-09 21:10:07
I recall Tom racing in AZ, when he was on Sobe and onward. What a dumbass. I’ll personally do all that I can to ensure the downfall of his moronic Tucson Cycling Camp. Having said that, I can’t think of more than a handful of guys from our AZ training group who has not tested positive or who is not a known and/or admitted doper. He, and many guys like him (including the ring leader, who we can all name– no, NOT Phil…though, his errors can’t be excused either), stole many promising careers from those of us who truly put in the work and those of us who were/are equally talented. Very sad. Here’s a big “F U” to USA Cycling for knowingly allowing this to continue for decades.
Gary
2015-08-11 10:27:27
how long until the B-sample is released?
Knuckle-Dragger
2015-09-19 11:56:38 In reply to channel_zero
Not sure what you mean by exogenous testosterone test, channel zero, but I guess it’s a reference to the carbon-12:13 ratio, “fake” testosterone being low in C13. That’s the test that is much more expensive, busted him, and is indisputable. See this link: http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/the-test-that-caught-tom-danielson_381086 His only defense now is contamination (el pistolero-prick Contador anyone?). But he absolutely lacks any credibility. Bye Tommy D.
GuyWhoKnowsHim
2015-10-17 20:15:21 In reply to Judge
I got to spend some time with this total douche at his house in northern Spain. My wife had befriended him as she worked at his old school - Fort Lewis, in Durango. Anyway – I think he felt sorry for her because . . .well, she WAS dying of cancer. Anyway. long story short – we stayed with him for a couple nights and I got to know him a bit. This was in 2008. Suffice it to say that – at that time – he ranked as one of the most full-of-himself guys I have ever met. Spending more than a few hours with him made me want to pull my hair out. He was the most incredibly obnoxious, pompous, condescending, and yes - ignorantly stupid people I have ever met. It honestly makes me super happy to see him go down in flames. Like others, I just wish it had happened years ago . . . before he was able to steal a dime from his employers. Lance, this guy . . . and most other pro cyclists at the top of the sport basically turned me off of not just competitive cycling . . . but all sports. A real role-model for sure! I hope he ends up selling shoes at JC Penny . . . or working at Wal-Mart or something like that. My impression was that he isn’t qualified for much else!