One thing that's interesting is how differently fans of sports think of those caught.
Most US sports, it's almost a career ender. And many fans are unforgiving and/or can't appreciate what a player did before doping.
In many other sports, especially European ones, it's treated much differently. Player dopes, gets a year ban which can be appealed. If the reason is plausible and the athlete contrite, they may get it reduced. Even if it's not reduced, they take their year ban and are welcomed back afterwards.
Sort of an "aw shucks, you caught me, I'll take a year off"
They may not come back to the same team, or in the same prominent role immediately, but they do come back with few problems.
Totally different if the reason is wildly implausible. So steroids from meat sent by fans is forgivable, but excess body chemicals from a hidden conjoined twin that was never brought up until getting caught and that they present no evidence for is very much not OK. (Yeah, some crazy excuses. )
The UCI at a minimum tracks riders in the offseason, location who they're with, must report for random testing within a few hours. They publish a list with the riders categorized by how suspect they are. That categorization determines how often someone gets tested.
And still... One of my favorites was always listed on the squeaky clean not at all suspect list while regularly beating the highly suspect by large margins.
Mid career he was accused of being an early user of hidden electric motors, but the available ones at the time were too noisy and no evidence was found.
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