I've been debating this topic since the story broke last week. I don't want to dog pile on him but it's been difficult to ignore. This story and subsequent outcome has fueled some fiery rhetoric being slung across the Blog-a-sphere. IMO, this whole thing sucks.
Here are the details:
VeloNews article:
* By Charles Pelkey
* Updated: Nov 24th 2010 12:27 PM EST
Neal Schubel, a 45-year-old masters racer from Saginaw, Michigan, has accepted a two-year suspension from competition after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found that he had purchased and used synthetic erythropoietin (EPO).
According to a USADA announcement issued Wednesday, Schubel’s suspension began on November 18, 2010, the day he accepted the sanction, but his results have been negated all the way back to August of 2006. Schubel readily admitted the violation when confronted with evidence in the agency’s possession.
Under UCI and USADA rules, Schubel is also required to return any prizes earned over that four-year period, but a review of his results posted at USA Cycling’s website suggests that he needn’t worry about that aspect of the Doping Code.
RESULTS:
Neal Schubel's response from Facebook:
I wanted to post this to all my cycling friends and colleagues. I have been sanctioned for two years by the cycling federation for buying and using erythropoietin in August 2006. I had always wondered what it would feel like to cycle on it and exactly how much it could increase a person's performance, so I bought some online in early August of that year and took a dose each week for a month. My hematacrit before I took it was 42.3 and when I had it tested the lst week in September it had gone up to 49.2, and by mid-October it had dropped back to 44.5 I had trained with a powertap that year and my maxmimum wattage output had been 332 watts for 32 minutes at the Willow Time Trial. I did a 25 minute time trial test the 2nd week in September and my wattage was 361 watts. It was almost a 9% increase on end of season fatigued legs. When you consider that the difference between lst and last place in the Tour is only 3%, it's easy to understand why epo can skew the whole playing field and why it can't be in the sport. It made it easy to understand how whole pro careers can be made by riding 10-20 percent over their natural abilities. I did not race on it during this time, but it was still the absolute wrong choice to make. I think we all know deep down when we are doing something we should'nt be doing, and I should have listened to myself better. It was very easy and tempting to just send an email and order it, and I lacked the self-discipline then to not do it even though I knew deep down it was'nt right. I shared the numbers so hopefully anyone curious can refer to these and NOT try it!!!! I've told my son about this experience and I hope he can take away from it that there will be many times in your life that temptation to make the wrong choice will arise, and that you have to be able to have the self-discipline and moral fiber to make the right one. I hope that can be a positive aspect of this.
I am a good father, husband, and honest businessman, and every time I've ever knowingly gone against my morals, I've paid the price. I stole a .98 cent car air freshener in 10th grade and got caught, I knowingly drove my car way over the legal limit when I was 23 and got caught, and this time with the epo. I can say for sure that I will always listen to my moral compass from this point on!!! You can't selectively apply your morals, they have to be the end all/ be all that keeps you on the right path. I hope everyone understands that although I've haven't raced much in the last 3 years, I feel terrible about bringing any negative aspect to the sport. I feel proud starting the West Branch race, and I want to make sure I give something positive back to the sport and not cast it in a bad light. I love to simply ride my bike with my friends and will always do that. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
Take Care
Neal
On a side note (and this has little to do with the story above), as a 50+ Expert rider where the Expert Women start behind us, I have had the pleasure of being chicked by Neal's wife Susan on many occasions. She is an excellent rider.
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