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Good money, no team tactics and cute dogs: the rise of pro cycling freelancers

(www.theguardian.com)
30 points PaulHoule | 2 comments | 22 Oct 24 02:53 UTC | HN request time: 0.406s | source
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jdietrich ◴[22 Oct 24 04:16 UTC] No.41911137[source]▶
US riders and promoters have created a parallel racing circuit with no drug testing. Many of the biggest and most lucrative events in American cycling aren't sanctioned by any sporting body and aren't subject to any form of external oversight. I don't want to cast aspersions on any individual rider, but the incentives at play are very obvious.
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earnesti ◴[22 Oct 24 05:59 UTC] No.41911584[source]▶
I like it. I always wanted these sports where the competitors can kill them freely with dope.
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1. SilverBirch ◴[22 Oct 24 08:15 UTC] No.41912263[source]▶
The problem is the incentive structure. We know the drugs work, we know they have serious medical side effects. So the only question you'll be answering is "Which of these athletes is willing to trade off the most dire long term health consequences to win". And the answer will be that some athletes are willing to do practically anything and will die of various entirely preventable problems at incredibly young ages. And what's the benefit? Some measure will read 1m 57 seconds instead of 2m 4s?
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2. MOARDONGZPLZ ◴[22 Oct 24 09:38 UTC] No.41912672[source]▶
1m57s, which was enough to place first in the podium, gaining the athlete the prize money and additional exposure to sponsors, earning them a major sponsorship deal that allowed them to finance the off season training and take care of their family, who sacrifices with the athlete being on the road all the time vs 2m4s, who placed fourth, just off the podium and was relegated to relatively obscurity, and who went back to their desk job.