Chris Froome: "I haven't broken any rules"

That's the offical line from Sky.  I did laugh when I read it!

If that's the excuse then he's a bloody idiot

Alan - we have our answer.  Frrome took numerous puffs before the post stage interview so that he wasn't coughing during it.  In turn, this took him over the limit.

Honestly, if anybody buys that then I'm the pope.

Indeed Rapha but they made a few Vuelta errors, he had the day when he bonked (day before / after). It appears he was on the limit and trying not to show it. It's not necessarily linear either although there is advice or a limit on what you should ingest, the test is on what's in the urine so the whole physiological mix comes into it. This isn't me necessarily defending him but as per other threads, some have been banned for being over and some let off even more over. So what's the excuses/reasoning that achieves this.

Jackson I take your point, pick up the jersey, bravado etc. It's more the Giro announcement that they didn't particularly need to do at this time. Again, doesn't mean too much but I'd keep my head down, though you could argue it's a big bluff...

Let's revisit some cases of "seeming confident":
Lance sued the Sunday Times successfully for £1m
Floyd crowdfunded $600k for his legal defense from 1500 regular people
Tyler Hamilton got a team of doctors to say he had a twin brother who he absorbed in the womb, resulting in an explanation for why he was caught with two types of blood in him

Yes, all dopers appear to be confident of innocence once caught.  Floyd Landis is a great example!

Dehydrated riders don't ride in the way that Froome was and it's a bit hard to believe with Sky's exceptional nutrional plans and forethought.  Although; it can happen as we all know.

Increased doseage?  Likely but by what means.  To double the limit allowed by just an inhaler would mean fucking monster amounts of it coming from said dispenser.  Pills have been touted as the answer and I would like to see how this pans out.  A masking agent has also been mentioned but not confirmed.

I kind of agree with your last statement but again, let's look at the stupidity of Landis as an example.  There was another example of this that sprung to mind but I've bloody forgotten it!

Hmmmm. I would suggest a combination of things, probably an increased dose, dehydration, other medication etc. It's going to be quite difficult for him to prove he's not done anything wrong. On the other hand, they seem amazingly confident.

It just seems somewhat amazing (or amazingly stupid) that knowing they would be tested that they would blatantly cheat.

What do YOU think the reason for it is?

Watched as many of the Tour and Vuelta stages as days off work allowed and then highlights, didn't see it once. This clearly doesn't mean he doesn't do it as he says he does, just making the point.

I am attracted to you like you are to a Sky/Wiggins/Froome story. As said, I would like the evidence to tell us that there is a clear and obvious reason for it, preferrably not one that proves he's a cheat. I will not jump to the conclusion that he's a cheat simply due to some kind of sad crusade... 

“The presence in urine of salbutamol in excess of 1000 ng/mL or formoterol in excess of 40 ng/mL is presumed not to be an intended therapeutic use of the substance and will be considered as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) unless the Athlete proves, through a controlled pharmacokinetic study, that the abnormal result was the consequence of the use of the therapeutic dose (by inhalation) up to the maximum dose indicated above.”

Burden of proof on the athlete-  once the level is too high, guilty unless proven innocent.  Going to be difficult for him.

Hey it was subtle, remember Trump's Birther movement? Alan you do know that LA raise millions and people still say he was pivotal to their fight against cancer. "Lance/A Helmet* saved my life" etc. Being a charitable figure doesn't really absolve you of your sins.

*Delete as appropriate.

I really don't get the picture you've posted.

It's already interesting as I'm intrigued by what will have caused the reading, why Sky are so confident, the science behind it all.

The comment you are replying to is simply in reply to Leviathan's none too subtle "he's not really British" jibe but documentaries on Chris suggest he's done a lot for his 'native' land. I suppose that is one comparison you can draw as Armstrong's charity work was a plus (though used massively cynically).

What I don't understand is people's huge desire to simply want to knock the top athletes in a sport I presume you enjoy. I find that quite sad actually.

It will indeed. He is a hero there and supports a hell of a lot of charities over there. It would be a shame if one of their greatest ambassadors reputations was put into doubt. A fine point you raise.

If Froome can't explain the results then it is a great disappointment, a sad day for Kenyan/Monegasque sport.

Despite me liking Froome and Sky I am quite objective about all of this (unlike some strange folk on here) and I agree Don.

Not sure I've ever seen Froome take it let alone in an emergency situation. This doesn't mean he shouldn't use as required and usually prevention is better than cure; but this tweet really doesn't hold much credence!

"Chris Froome‏Verified account @chrisfroome

It’s sad seeing the misconceptions that are out there about athletes & salbutamol use. My hope is that this doesn’t prevent asthmatic athletes from using their inhalers in emergency situations for fear of being judged. It is not something to be ashamed of @asthmauk #asthma"

Staring to emotionally blackmail, well, everyone. It's not his fault and please leave him alone!!

And given their confidence you'd presume they can do so...

Actually Chris, you have broken a rule. By design or not, the rule has been broken.

Bloody nora it's Lance Armstrong Jr!!!

Some interesting, dare I say measured, bits and bobs here...

http://sportsscientists.com/2017/12/brief-thoughts-froomes-salbutamol-re...

Thanks Kilo! Interesting, I agree on the slopes but he admitted feeding badly on the stage, I suppose this could suggest there was more going on.

Other than that it's great to know the plasterer, Jackson, Dr and Rapha will be off their bike tonight as saddles plus erection equals uncomfortable...

He's right. It's only performance enhancing if you're Italian.

I  wonder what... To early to tell...

P.S. This is interesting. Who had Bilharzia again? Was it Chris? Worm may turn the Asthma tide