Tour de France Drugs Cheats: Why do they do it?

This isn't anything academic, but simply some straight-forward thoughts after I was interviewed on this topic two days ago on Sky News.
 
Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen has been asked to leave the tour after questions over whether he failed to tell the drug testing authorities where he would be during his preparation for the Tour. It has emerged that despite telling the press for over a week that he was training in Mexico, his wife’s homeland, he was actually in Italy. Suspicion has increased as to whether he purposely deceived the testers so he could take cycle of drugs or other blood doping (e.g. EPO) during this period, and only looks worse now there is evidence that he lied.

Two other riders have tested positive this week for banned drugs and pre-Tour favourite Alexandre Vinokourov displayed traces of someone else’s blood – all three have been kicked out of the Tour. Worse still for British hopes, two entire teams have left the Tour along with their disgraced riders. So hopes of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins finishing in Paris in less than a week are over.

So why do riders take the drugs or blood dope when the risks to them and others are so high?

1. One, we are creatures of habit. We do today what we did yesterday. We do this year what we did last year. Riders too will generally follow the same regime and take the same performance enhancing choices as they did before.
2. Two, there is pressure to perform: From sponsors, team management, team mates, and the public/fans. Can you as a rider perform up to those expectations, live with the consequences on not performing up to those expectations, or will you give in to the temptation of taking something illegal to give you more confidence in your performance?
3. Three, there are personal needs to be satisfied. Riders are competitive. Some have a strong need to be successful, gain glory, be seen on TV, beat a key adversary, show that their training has been worth it, that they are as good as or better than before. It’s tempting then to take something that would give you an edge – or level out the playing field if you think the other riders are ‘on something.’

How can riders ride clean?

1. Realise that taking banned performance enhancing products is a choice, your choice, no matter what pressure may be exerted on you.
2. Accept that the probability of getting caught is high.
3. Accept that the consequences of getting caught are prohibitive – whether this is loss of face, embarrassment, shame, dent in income, long-term ban or whatever is severe enough to be a deterrent to you.
4. Accept that cycling is being cleaned up and you are playing Russian Roulette if you continue to dope.
5. Choose to be a leader in this newer healthier cycling.
6. Have faith that the cheats will be caught.
7. Have confidence that if your performance drops you’ll be able to absorb this and won’t be crushed by it. Your performance is important, sure, but not life and death.