Spanish press says mystery WADA witness in Contador case is masseur who claims rider doped in 2005

Surprised noone's mentioned the front page of the Interviu site (NSFW), it's a bit of a weird mag that has tits+ass, as well as serious articles.

Never mind all that, who's going to pull him up on his Nazi salute?

Chinese Eric Morecombe...

Cheers nadimk! Now it makes sense; but did he or didn't he

You guys are all off a bit. One of the limiting factors in these long bike races is keeping up with glycogen stores. It is often physically impossible for the riders to eat enough, because they get full and bloated from eating too much carb. Small doses of insulin will cause greater glycogen deposition and will probably run their blood sugars a little low. The lower blood sugars will trigger hunger and thus, they eat more, store more glycogen. The rapid acting insulin analogs only last 3-4 hours. It can all be done safely, and I bet I could do it with my lmited training in endocrinology. Insulin does not build muscle mass so much, but will cause overall weight gain if used excessively. The amount these riders use is just enough to completely top off glycogen stores, With high glycogen stores, they are much less likely to bonk. Sulfonylureas stimulate insulin production and these have been found in the trash of pro bike racers in the past. Same idea as insulin.

A method was developed and introduced in 1960 and has been used as evidence in allegations of murder. Until then it was the perfect murder weapon and available without prescription! But insulin is not easy to detect now or then. But IGF-1, insulin and Clenbuterol are all it seems used to reduce body fat!

This IGF-1 stuff makes sense. Insulin has an effect on the body; it does not stay in the body. Unless some sort of marker is put into this product it would be undetectable. The testers seem always to be way behind the science.

"Athletes use insulin in conjunction with anabolic steroids to help build muscles" Simon_MacMicheal. Surely cyclists cannot still take anabolic steroids in competition and get away with it with masking drugs? I thought things had moved on to blood doping/transfusions and more undetectable protocols? Surely testing is making some progress? People were using steroids in the 1970's

I dont think insulin and the syringes are banned, but if your not diabetic it may raise suspicions.

I think some of Team Type 1 ride with a pump like this http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetic-products/pumps/accu-chek-spirit-insul...

Something along those lines and all you have to do is keep it topped up with insulin, the pump does the rest

Forgive me if I am saying something utterly stupid here but if insulin and insulin syringes are banned in cycling then what do Team Type 1 do? Or do they have some sort of special dispensation? Or am I talking nonsense?

My thoughts cat1 were that insulin could help maintain a low bodyweight? Presumably it would be undetectable as it is rapidly assimilated. Clenbutarol is a drug used to facilitate weight loss as well. Cannot understand why you would be trying to reduce your body weight during the tour; surely you would be trying to maintain bodyweight! Which makes your 'anabolic' conclusion more likely. I am thinking there are some clever people behind these chemical interventions...

Not sure what insulin injections would do, other than making riders hypoglycaemic. Maybe they mean Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1)? That's potentially anabolic, and may help recovery, though there is no good evidence for its performance enhancing effects, and it is likely to be carcinogenic.