An 80-year-old cycling grandma set a world record. Then she was accused of doping.

[BleedGopher]

per Rick:

Nearly a year ago, Gicquel, an 80-year-old grandmother, therapist and avid cyclist from California, set a world record for her age group at the 2019 USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships. She had been a regular on the medal podium at masters cycling events for years and was thrilled with her latest achievement.

But because a record was involved, Gicquel was subject to drug testing. She failed the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s urine test, which set off a year-long legal battle and raised questions about whether prescription medication that Gicquel had used for years enhanced her performance on the track.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/08/18/an-80-year-old-cycling-grandma-set-world-record-then-she-was-accused-doping/

Go Greg LeMond!!

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Interesting. It has to be really, really difficult to sit out a year at that age. Quite a cyclist. Thanks for posting.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Not sure if she was doping or not but you would be surprised at the proliferation of folks trying to get an edge in endurance events that are older folks. It's shocking, and that world is a very, very competitive world. You would be amazed at how seriously 60, 65, 70-year old and beyond athletes take their competition.

Along with that, the level of fitness I see at some of these events is just absolutely frickin' mindboggling. At the IronMan 140.6 and 70.3 events I compete in, I stick around for the awards ceremony usually just to hear some of the times of the people that are on the podium. Holy shit. These people are just plain superhuman. At one race I was at, the guy that won the 60-65 yr old age division (some dude from Australia) would have won the 50-55 and also 55-60 division (shit, I was 47 at the time and he beat me by well over an hour in a 12-hour race).

Never thought I would see a guy in his 50's lay down 112 miles on the bike in just under 5 hours and then reel off a 3:20 full 26.2 mile marathon. WTF

Like I said, I don't know if ol' Gicquel here was cheating, but I wouldn't be shocked