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Roberto Heras’ second sample came up positive for EPO. Does this mean that the test is flawed? or that doping controls to catch cheats are working? Either way, we will not be seeing Roberto Heras racing next year as he will soon be fired by his team. Heras will appeal this finding, but as the Yahoo News report says, this will take at least 8 to 9 months. So here are some puzzling thoughts:
1) Why would Heras risk taking EPO when he knew he would be tested and it would probably show up in his test? Did he not have access to sophisticated masking methods or why did he not try a more advanced doping technic?

2) The downside of getting caught for doping seems much worse than simply coming in second, especially for Heras who was a three time winner already.

3) He already gets paid handsomely for his services to Liberty Seguros and seemed like a rider who wasn’t really pressured to get results.

4) If he is indeed doping, does this mean that he was getting lazy and sloppy in his methods? It seems that taking EPO would be a very dumb and desparate move since the testing methods are improving. Not being a Pro Cyclist myself, I do not see where a rider like Heras would be that desparate to resort to taking EPO at the time that he did.

5) This is the second former Postal Service Team member to be caught for a doping offence. Tyler Hamilton and Roberto Heras are two racers from Postal that decided to go on their own. Did they partake in doping methods while at Postal, or does the fact they they are caught show that they only tried doping after the fact?

It is easy to be cynical about Heras finally getting caught, but to me the facts just do not add up. Getting caught for EPO use seems like an odd result for an experienced rider such as Heras. If he has been doping all along then he should at least be on the “latest” doping methods that would allow him to avoid detection. Or he would at least timed his dosage to avoid detection. In the phase of the Vuelta where Heras was caught doping, he already had a sizable lead and winning seemed all but assured. It would be unnecessary for Heras to dope at that time. So, is the testing flawed where there are false positves? or are riders not as sophisticated as originally thought and still using EPO out of desparation for winning?

Heras shows doping methods work, says Vuelta director - Cycling - Yahoo! Sports

Velonews: Radio reports Heras’s B sample positive

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