As you have already read this morning, DN has decided once again to diss cycling. And this time they used SCF's anti-doping representative Ulf Näslund to confirm their story. I could have just left this issue at that. Media always wants to focus on dirty stories. But when Ulf Näslund posted this response on the SCF website I lost it.

Yes, Ulf said that it was wrong to connect him with the amphetamine comment. But if he read the article he would see that that particular comment was connected to Fausto Coppi. Apparently Ulf does stand behind everything else in the article which essentially said that cyclists have spent the last 60 years trying to cheat and stay ahead of the doping tests. I said in my last post that I wonder just how many cyclists are cheating. But Ulf knows the answer to that. We all are. Yes, you. And me too.

We can't have a person like this in charge of anti-doping at SCF. Assuming everyone is guilty is the wrong strategy and I am not at all pleased that my 700kr licence fee and a part of every race fee goes to an organization like this. Enough is enough!

So, now to time to put my research knowledge to use. Let's address this amphetamine issue. Amphetamine is one of several drugs in the family called psychostimulants because they act on the brain and they increase your activity. Staying alert meant that it became popular among university students who needed to study a lot but discoveries that it also led to weight loss made it a favourite for those Stureplan celebrity types. But amphetamine produces one of the strongest addictions possible and it is extremely toxic to your brain so I can see why Ulf did not want that connected to him.

Chemists have given us many other drugs that are like amphetamine but not as strong. An example of this is methylphenidate or Ritalin if you prefer the brand name. If someone has ADHD they often have trouble concentrating or focusing on their work. The strange reality is that if a person with ADHD takes Ritalin they actually become calm and can focus and perform normally...in other words the complete opposite of the expected effect. The problem here is that psychiatrists may not bother to correctly diagnose the person with ADHD. The old saying went 'Are you giving my kid Ritalin because they are a pain in the ass or are they actually sick?' Because giving someone without ADHD a dose of Ritalin will lead to stimulance and probably dependence.

So probably there are cyclists that have been prescribed Ritalin and are taking it. The question is whether they really have ADHD.