Rise and Fall of Tyler Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton has tested positive for a prohibited substance and has retired from professional racing. Tyler Hamilton says he took a supplement that he knew contained DHEA, a banned drug.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has decided in the Tim Montgomery case and in other arbitration cases RE: Marion Jones, that admissions are considered enough for suspensions. So, there should be little argument as to the fate of Tyler Hamilton. A lifetime ban.

The Rise

Tyler Hamilton is a classic case of a career of a professional cyclist gone terribly wrong. Caught in an accident during the 2003 Tour de France, Tyler Hamilton cracked his collar bone in an early stage. Most people predicted Tyler Hamilton would be swept up by the broom wagon. Instead, Tyler Hamilton fought on suffering from pain so intense he puked after every stage. Other teams questioned if the collar bone injury was real given the success Tyler Hamilton was achieving during the race. CSC released medical x-rays showing the fracture. Tyler Hamilton won a stage and finished forth in the general classification during the 2003 Tour de France, and was deemed a hero by many cycling fanatics. A tough man and a resolute fighter, no question of that.

Tyler Hamilton was a good guy too. He loved his sick dog Tugboat and his wife, Haven. Poor Tugboat died, so Tyler Hamilton wore his dog tag around his neck during races. Some people may have concluded Tyler Hamilton was a sentimentalist about the dog, others may have cynically concluded Tyler Hamilton was skillfully drawing attention to himself. Given the strange behavior of Tyler Hamilton, most people laughingly overlooked these antics, others may have even approved. At the time people were not too judgmental of Tyler Hamilton.

The Fall

This would all change. Tyler Hamilton stunned the world by winning the 2004 Olympic individual cycling time trial gold medal in Athens, Greece. Sadly, when tested by a International Olympic Committee (IOC) accredited laboratory, Tyler Hamilton's blood revealed a heterogeneous blood cell population. In essence, Tyler Hamilton had been transfused with blood from another person to boost performance, a banned practice. Unfortunately, the laboratory found the tainted blood in the "A" sample. Under IOC rules a confirmation "B" sample test must be undertaken to confirm a result. Unfortunately, the "B" portion of the blood sample was frozen by the laboratory rendering it useless for further testing. So, Tyler Hamilton was allowed to keep his medal, even though everyone was convinced he cheated to win.

From that point on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Cycling Union (UCI) had Tyler Hamilton red flagged. Essentially the UCI and WADA were doing longitudinal tests looking for anomalies in Tyler Hamilton's blood samples. The UCI claims Tyler Hamilton was warned in letters that laboratory tests were detecting suspicious blood profile data indicating heterogeneous blood cell populations.

In the 2004 Vuelta d' Espana, Tyler Hamilton tested positive for blood doping on both the "A" and "B" samples. Tyler Hamilton won the September eleventh, 2004, Vuelta d' Espana individual time trial. Tyler Hamilton was motivated by a "political gesture" to honor the victims of 911.

Tyler Hamilton denied the blood doping charges. Tyler Hamilton cited a "chimera" or a twin who was conceived but whom died in the womb as a source of the second blood cell population. Tyler Hamilton claimed that under no circumstances would he endanger his wife and family by accepting a transfusion of another persons' blood.

Tyler Hamilton was given a two year suspension from cycling for blood doping. Apparently, the Court of Arbitration for Sport was not convinced that his blood profile was a result of a chimera.

From that moment on Tyler Hamilton was considered as a dishonest person who would resort to any means to achieve success.

Denial

For two years Tyler Hamilton tried to convince the world that his 2004 Vuelta d' Espana test results were wrong and that he was a victim of bad science. This denial gave birth to the Tyler Hamilton Foundation, a cult like organization, where people visiting Tyler Hamilton were cajoled by a group of Tyler Hamilton hysterical groupies into believing Tyler Hamilton was innocent. One encounter reported in Bicycling magazine has a reporter confronted by Tyler Hamilton's father belligerently shouting into his face..."believe Tyler!"

A Victim

At the conclusion of the two year suspension Tyler Hamilton faced the wrath of the anti-doping crusade. Tyler Hamilton was given a brief stint with Tinkoff, then fired, because allegations surfaced that he was linked to Operation Puerto. Unlike other ex-UCI pro team professional racers with a history of doping, Tyler Hamilton was next hired by Michael Ball of Rock Racing. Michael Ball espoused a philosophy of giving people a "second chance" to race. Rock Racing has been invited to several United States domestic races including the Tour of California. However, even though Rock Racing was allowed to race the Tour of California, AEG excluded Tyler Hamilton. Some fans thought this exclusion was unfair and vindictive in nature. Another example of persona non grata in cycling.

Depression

As a result of his shattered career and his inability to convince anyone of his innocence Tyler Hamilton fell into depression.

Depression is a medical condition not a psycho somatic condition. Depression is characterized as unipolar or bipolar. Unipolar depression symptoms include loss of self esteem, energy, and motivation. Moods become painful experiences, ideation can focus on suicidal behavior. Bipolar depression cycles between retarded depressive symptoms (lows) to symptoms of mania (highs). Mania causes destructive behavior such as binge spending, which leads to destructive consequences. Treatment of depression includes behavioral therapy, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), lithium salts (LI++) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

As you can see depression is multi-faceted and requires different medical interventions. Retarded depression would be treated by a tricyclic antidepressant such as desipramine, a drug that inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a catecholamine that regulates blood flow in the brain. An increase of norepinephrine in the synaptic cleft (increased/prolonged neuronal firing rate) may have performance enhancing properties. Desipramine may increase dopamine levels in the brain. Increases in dopamine have proven performance enhancing qualities, RE: Ritalin. Desipramine is given to patients specifically to increase energy and motivation and to lift mood.

Anxious depression would be treated by selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This increases serotonin in the synapse, increases firing of receptors, and causes a calming effect of mood. Prozac would probably not increase physical performance levels although it may have a psychological component of performance enhancement in sport.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) increase the levels of CNS catecholamines, norepinephrine, and dopamine. MAOIs are a very dangerous class of drugs that definitively would increase performance and should be placed on the prohibited list.

Lithium salts are used to stabilize moods/energy in manic depressive bipolar II disorder. The performance value of lithium salts is questionable but of probative value.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is for constant depressive illness that cannot be treated by any other method and usually requires hospitalization.

Tyler Hamilton was prescribed Celexa a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. There is no performance enhancement value in Celexa. So, there is no need to include the drug on the prohibited substance list.

The End

Tyler Hamilton was racing again. Hamilton was employed by a professional cycling team Rock Racing. Tyler Hamilton won the road race Stars and Stripes jersey as National Champion. Tyler Hamilton sought professional help for his medical illness, depression.  Tyler Hamilton was on anti-depressant drugs and probably was seeking professional counseling.

Tyler Hamilton has no excuse for taking a supplement that contained DHEA.  Doctors have long known that if a drug does not work for a patient, another can be substituted that may be effective.  Therefore, there is no need to experiment with unproven supplements to achieve relief without approval of a doctor, especially when these supplements are known to contain banned substances.  Medical intervention can be taken with the approval of a doctor allowing use of prohibited substances to protect health, the therapeutic use exemption.  Although depression is cognitively debilitating and painful, Tyler Hamilton still had full control of his mental faculties and he still had the power to discern the consequences of his actions.  Tyler Hamilton could have complied with the rules.

Tyler Hamilton escaped the justice he deserved when he tested positive for blood doping in the Olympics, he escaped the Operation Puerto investigation. Tyler Hamilton deserves a lifetime ban.