[SinatorJ]

Del Bosco positive; Riffle national champion

Colorado Springs, CO (Nov. 5, 2004)The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Friday that Chris Del Bosco of Vail, Colorado, an athlete in the sport of cycling, tested positive at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships on September 26, 2004 in Mammoth Mountain, California.
Del Bosco tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a prohibited substance under World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list. THC is listed as a “specified substance” under the rules. This substance is included in this category because it is less likely to be abused for doping purposes.
Del Bosco, 22, received a public warning for a first offense. In addition, he is disqualified from his first place finish at the event. Union Cycliste International is the international federation for the sport of cycling. USA Cycling is the national governing body for thesport in the United States and will carry out the sanction.
USADA is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic Movement. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
Del Bosco, who won the pro men’s downhill event at the inaugural USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships in September, forfeits his national title.
As a result, Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif.) has been awarded the national title.
USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
Revised podium results from men’s pro downhill

1. Duncan Riffle
2. Henry O’Donnell
3. Rich Houseman
4. Curtis Keene
5. Justin Havukaine

Man, that sucks!

 

[c2001]

the "man" isn't sneaky either...1st and 2nd and a random ALWAYS get tested at nationals.

 

[Jeremy R]

Oh no, is he going to have to give back all his prize money?!
oh, nevermind.

 

[spoke80]

"Cheeba is a hell of a drug"

 

[Zark]

THC is performance enhancing like Amway is career building. Why are we testing for this piddly stuff? Its not friggen EPO!

So Riffle is Nat champ? great

 

[leprechaun]

Hey!
now if they can just bust one more dude and Van Dine can finally get his podium!
Good thing Sinator never makes 1st or 2nd...The Coach can only cet you so far.. :evil:

 

[profro]

Hey!
now if they can just bust one more dude and Van Dine can finally get his podium!
Good thing Sinator never makes 1st or 2nd...The Coach can only cet you so far.. :evil:

Sometimes he doesn't even make it to the start gate i.e. Snowshoe. neaky:

 

[surfinguru]

Maybe he can start hanging out with Ricky....

(mmmm....ganja...)

 

[JRB]

Here's the real poop. If you involve yourself in something that requires testing and you get busted, you are stupid. That is all really.

 

[Brian Peterson]

THC is performance enhancing like Amway is career building. Why are we testing for this piddly stuff? Its not friggen EPO!

So Riffle is Nat champ? great

Sure it is.... Let the guy take a few hits and then tell him you have a box of Twinkies at the bottom of the hill for him... He'll get there faster for sure!

Brian

 

[punkassean]

While I agree with most of you in saying that weed is not an athletic performance enhancing drug per say like EPO or ephedrine etc. in that it does not accelerate your heart rate or "energize" you. I believe that it's ability to make one concentrate or focus on one specific task and zone out outside factors can be a distinct advantage. No harm in just riding high, but racing does need to be a level substance-free playing field in order to be as truly fair as possible.

Maybe they should have a Men's baked division? Rockwell could come out of retirement and chalk up some more wins!

Mixed emotions for Duncan, used to be decent kid but the ego really seems to have gone to his head of late, oh well I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say congrats! I guess hard work does pay off. SB has a recurring theme of breeding successful DH'ers...

 

[SuperSlow]

I Agree 100%

 

[dhtahoe]

Sure it is.... Let the guy take a few hits and then tell him you have a box of Twinkies at the bottom of the hill for him... He'll get there faster for sure!

Brian

A box of Twinkies is still more than NORBA gives us. One question comes to mind. How can they afford drug testing because I know it's not cheap, but still can't pay a pro purse. Weak I tell ya.... weak. They give us no reason whatsoever to attend Nationals anymore then just give us one more reason. We do this for fun not money and still they think that it's a money sport and that we have a ton of it to waste on their piece of sh!t races.

 

[Peete]

Maybe they should have a Men's baked division? Rockwell could come out of retirement and chalk up some more wins!

Ahahaha! That's a good one. I know of one southeast rider who would come out of retirement and do well. I think he was the only one who didn't mind the slow lift at Sugar.

 

[c2001]

They give us no reason whatsoever to attend Nationals anymore then just give us one more reason. We do this for fun not money and still they think that it's a money sport.

it's not a new reason by any stretch.

if you're racing pro, the old "i only do it for fun therefore i don't have to be held accountable to the rules," thing goes right out the door. race locally where they won't drug test AND you can win money. don't hit up a nat'l race (especially nat'l champs) and be surprised or angry about drug testing.

 

[S.G.D]

Oh no, is he going to have to give back all his prize money?!
oh, nevermind.

HAHAH!

~SGD

 

[dhtahoe]

it's not a new reason by any stretch.

if you're racing pro, the old "i only do it for fun therefore i don't have to be held accountable to the rules," thing goes right out the door. race locally where they won't drug test AND you can win money. don't hit up a nat'l race (especially nat'l champs) and be surprised or angry about drug testing.

I'm just pissed that NORBA can afford thousands to do drug testing and not give a nickle to the pro purse. It's like getting piss tested for a job you don't have. I mean pot come on... how many aussies do you think are hitting the roids. There are other things hurting our sport and I think hitting the bong is not one of them. And IMO XC pros are doing way more than pot, but they can afford "doctors" that can mask almost any test NORBA or UCI gives out. I don't know to me it's like winning a piece of sh!t and then having it taken back. I do know FOR A FACT that most teams are pulling out of NORBA in 2005. We will see.

 

[neversummersnow]

They don't test XC racers for THC, just the DH guys.

Stop whining about NORBA not paying you and whatnot. If you didn't realize it, it's not like mountain biking is a very marketable sport right now. I mean where is the statistical demographic information that would convince company X to invest in the sport? Who is covering the sport outside the industry?

Sure lots of people ride and lots of people love the sport but until we grow up out of adolesence and take the reigns as riders complaining that NORBA isn't doing anything is a moot point...

EDIT: drug testing is a must for all cycling, its part of the foundation of racing, it must co-exist with racing at the highest level or you WILL have problems...asking to eliminate drug testing and pay-out to pros is like asking to eliminate laser timing and use stop watches in effort to add a pro purse...

(and for the record, I woud LOVE to ride my bike and not anything else one day...aka have a job...but I'm at least trying to be realistic here)

 

[dhtahoe]

Sure it's a must at the pro level... but can we still call it that??? And I NEVER said use the money used for testing to pay the pro's read it again. Tow things this is not about NORBA paying ME... was I on the box.....No. The only U.S. riders(Houseman, Del Bosco) that have won a major title both get busted for pot. I just think it's weak. If I were top five and getting paid I'd piss in that cup every day if they asked. But to piss test at a race that was for nothing but a cool jersey... We are nothing but glorified am's now not pro's just because it says it on my UCI card. Professional in the dictionary says "participating FOR GAIN in an activity often engaged in by amateurs". As pro's what are we gaining. Yes it's a banned substace, yes he tested positive, but was this really a "pro" race.

 

[SpeedyObnox]

Ahahaha! That's a good one. I know of one southeast rider who would come out of retirement and do well. I think he was the only one who didn't mind the slow lift at Sugar.

let's be respectful peete, i know who ur talking about

 

[JeffD]

let's be respectful peete, i know who ur talking about

Maybe the lift operators hit it with him and that's why it's so slow!