this was (and probably still is) even worse in sports where the human is the engine..

until both dope and DNA testing of urine [1] was introduced pro cyclists woudl take a combination of all sorts of drugs, amphet, cocaine, heroin, often mixed together with steroids.. it was called “pot belge” or belgian soup

Pot belge

Mélange de produits dopants. Il contient généralement des amphétamines, des antalgiques, de la caféine, de la cocaïne et de l’héroïne. On peut aussi y retrouver de la morphine et de l’éphédrine. Sa composition est en fait assez variable et dépend des sources d’approvisionnement. En conséquence, le consommateur ne peut être sûr de ce qu’il absorbe vraiment…
Du fait de sa composition, il induit rapidement une pratique addictive.
L’interaction inévitable de tous les produits entre eux est encore plus préoccupante. Il existe peu ou pas d’étude sérieuse à ce sujet. Seules les interactions entre la cocaïne et l’héroïne sont assez bien connues. Mais qu’en est-il des autres produits ? Les scientifiques sérieux estiment qu’au-delà de trois molécules médicamenteuses, les effets de leurs interactions sont quasiment imprévisibles. Les consommateurs de pot belge prennent donc, consciemment ou non, des risques terribles.
Les affaires récentes (procès de Rennes, procès de Reims, affaire de Cahors…) où le pot belge a été évoqué, montrent que sa consommation répond autant à des préoccupations de dopage qu’à une utilisation festive. Le cyclisme semble être à peu près le seul sport où cette utilisation festive s’est répandue, les autres sports se “contentant” du cannabis.
(Source principale : article non publié de Bernard Chalchat, membre du Conseil National de l’Ordre des Pharmaciens, intitulé “Le pot belge : dopage et toxicomanie”)

the British cyclist Tom Simpson died on Mont Ventoux because he was full of speed, dehydrated and pedalling up a huge mountain in blazing heat (got a heatstroke reaction similar to the one ecstasy overdose victims sometimes die from)

[1] the DNA testing is used because it was possible (although logistically complicated) to substitute horse urine for the test (the gender of horse must be the same as the gender of the person being tested)

perhaps they were striking over the poor quality of that years stash, or being lumbered with blunt needles 😉

I’m sure snooker was always sponsored by tobacco firms until the days of political correctness. ISTR gentlemen were once taught that the difference between a sport and a game was that you could smoke whilst playing a game, but only after playing sport 😉

TBH they were probably also taking the pills! Everyone in commercial sport does what they can get away with, not what the rules say.

We are looking at it with the morals of those born in the 1970s and 1980s when these sorts of drugs had been made illegal.

In previous times there was no social stigma attached to the use of stimulants to improve performance – in sport, in business, in society! that was until the late 1960s when the UN anti-drugs committees decided to make amphetamine type stimulants illegal, following the hippy dream exploding in paranoia and violence after crystal meth first appeared, stuff like the death of Tom Simpson and mental problems appearing amongst those who became dependant on “pep pills”.

In sport until the 1960s it wasn’t even seen as cheating – although there were obvious health risks and people sacrificed their health and their lives in pursuit of trophies. and it carried on until recently when the cops started checking out stuff (like the whole 1998 tour de france descending into chaos with cops and customs everywhere, like some inspector clouseau movie).

the drugs were mild stuff compared to other things that have happened on the tour like peoples handlebars being sawn through…

cycling for your own pleasure and for personal fitness is fun; as would being in a local team. Once it gets to commercial/professional level its a dirty game like any other.