Cyclist and Journalist Banned for Testosterone Replacement Therapy Admission in Book

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Amateur cyclist and writer Andrew Tilin was banned for two years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after admitting that he used exogenous testosterone as part of a legal testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) regimen in his soon-to-be-released book. Tilin’s book, ‘The Doper Next Door: My Strange and Scandalous Year on Performance-Enhancing Drugs
‘, was written to explore the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by the average Joe in contrast to most published accounts which focus on steroid use by professional and elite athletes. However, the majority of dopers are amateur and recreational athletes.

While writing about the motivations and experiences of these individuals, Tilin apparently decided to experiment with the banned substances on his own. The press releases and book descriptions suggest that Tilin simply used exogenous testosterone in what was described as “legal hormone replacement therapy”. It is unclear if Tilin’s book discussed his experiences with other PEDs. The following book description was taken from the product page at Amazon.com:

What happens to a regular guy who dopes? Surprised to learn that pro athletes aren’t the only ones taking performance-enhancing substances, journalist Andrew Tilin goes in search of the average juicing Joe, hoping to find a few things out: Why would normal people take these substances? Where do folks get them? Does the stuff really work?

But these controversial drugs often silence their users, and so his queries might have gone unanswered had Tilin not looked in the mirror and succumbed to curiosity. Soon wielding syringes, this forty-something husband and father of two children becomes the doper next door.

During his yearlong odyssey, Tilin is transformed. He becomes stronger, hornier, and aggressive. He wades into a subculture of doping physicians, real estate agents, and aging women who believe that Tilin’s type of legal “hormone replacement therapy” is the key to staying young—and he often agrees. He also lives with the price paid for renewed vitality, worrying about his health, marriage, and cheating ways as an amateur bike racer. And all along the way, he tells us what doping is really like—empowering and scary.

Andew Tilin has received some criticism for his participation in the “doping subculture” of cycling while writing articles that were critical of athletes who doped and that explained the negative consequences of doping. One critic is Joe Papp. Joe Papp is a former American cyclist who gained infamy not only for his own admitted systematic use of PEDs but his guilty plea in a criminal case where he distributed human growth hormone and erythropeoitin (EPO) to 187 unnamed athletes.

Velonation reports on comments that Papp made via Twitter:

“But regardless of his reasons for fessing up, the evidence that his statements have ruined his life, both personally and professionally, is overwhelming. His fellow pros don’t talk to him, and the chances that he’ll ever race professionally again are negligible,” he wrote then about Papp. “As for the little guys, the recreational racers and fans, they may be his most outspoken critics. Months after confessing, Papp still gets e-mails telling him he’s despised—either for betraying a rider like Landis or, more often, for simply admitting that he juiced up.”

Papp has not yet responded to requests for a comment. However on his Twitter feed he made his thoughts clear today. “How does the media contribute to the perpetuation of doping? Just ask Andrew Tilin,” he said. “This is a guy who intentionally doped for a year, knowing it was banned, AFTER he wrote extensively about the negative consequences of doping…”

He suggested that Tilin should have been handed a four year ban, ‘for the egregious nature of his offence, given his longstanding awareness of the negative consequences of doping.’

Andrew Tilin’s two-year ban began on March 30, 2011.

How does the media contribute to the perpetuation of doping? Just ask Andrew Tilin.

April 2, 2011 1:15 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@joepabike

Joe Papp

This is a guy who intentionally doped for a year, knowing it was banned, AFTER he wrote extensively about the (-) consequences of doping...

April 2, 2011 1:20 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@joepabike

Joe Papp