There is no problem whatsoever in discussing doping in general on this
board, including methods, products, suspensions, positive tests,
criminal arrests, etc.
What is unacceptable are
rider or team doping that have not been established by an official
agency announcement of a positive (or non-negative) doping control,
police activity such as raids that are established as fact, suspensions,
a criminal or civil trial or judicial decision, or other official
statement by a cycling federation, team or anti-doping agency.
There is a specific purpose for this rule, and it has nothing to do with
advertiser pressure - it has to do with our collective sense of decency
and ethics:
In general, the media's treatment and sensationalization of
unsubstantiated doping claims is so below par that it can and does
regularly impugn the reputations of riders and teams with nothing more
than speculation or leaked information that cannot be substantiated.
We at the Daily Peloton cannot comment on what other publications choose
for their editorial policy. Certainly it is good for page views, but
beyond that we don't care to say.
We only report positive doping tests, suspensions and publicly presented
evidence springing from properly convened trials. This has always been
our policy, and you can search our archives if you wish to confirm this.
That is also the standard of this forum.
Thus, statements such as, "Rider X dopes because..." or "I know that
doping is rampant in Team Y because...," "...the leaked phone tap
transcripts indicate that...," and like posts, in the absence of the
above standards, will continue to be deleted without notice, and posters
who do not abide by this policy will bring to themselves inexorably to the abyss.
I know that this is well understood by the vast majority of posters and
readers here, so I thank you for your understanding and support.
