What Paul Coates is quoted as saying - and which is echoed by Ed - is that it's a shame he has apparently been such a dumb-ass as to get involved in illegal activities which have termintated any chance of a wonderful career; racing bikes at the top level with a respected professional team.

It's impossible to know for sure, but these days I don't believe pro cycling is any better or any worse than most other professional sports. If you haven't already, read Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams' book "Game of Shadows", and learn how pervasive doping was and is in athletics track and field, baseball, American football, and other sports.

Of course he knew what he was doing, and that it was illegal. Makes me sick that you think it's only a shame because he was caught.

The real shame is that he was in this systematic drug taking joke that is called pro cycling. Cycling is worthless now, other than as a recreational hobby. All of the best Pros are dirty.

There's speculation that maybe DHEA is turning up in a lot of positive tests because it's being used to mask something else, or that a different PED is metabolising in the body and showing up as DHEA.

However, it's a fact that body builders and other users of anabolic steroids often specifically use DHEA at the end of a testosterone-loading cycle to support the adrenal function and help kick up their body's natural production of testosterone. This is because when they are taking exogenous testosterone the normal production of testosterone in their system is suppressed and the adrenals are therefore put under some strain.

It's not a huge leap then, to see how a cyclist might finish a testosterone phase some time before a big race, and then use DHEA to get their body back to natural, normal levels.