Tag: doping

Categories
News

Fränk Schleck Fails Drugs Test

RadioShack’s Fränk Schleck is out of the Tour de France after failing a routine drugs test on July 14. The 32-year-old brother of the 2010 TdF champion Andy, tested positive for xipamide, a diuretic used for treating a range of conditions including hypertension that, although not a performance enhancer itself or specifically mentioned in WADA’s list of banned substances, can be used to mask other illegal substances.

 

RadioShack Nissan Trek was quick to act, withdrawing their rider immediately, even though under no obligation to do so. In a statement they said, ‘Mr. Schleck and the team believe this is the right thing to do, to ensure the Tour de France can go on in calm and that Fränk Schleck can prepare his defence in accordance with the legal timing to do so.’

 

Addressing the subject of xipamide specifically the statement continued: ‘It is not a product that is present in any of the medicine that the team uses and the reason for the presence of xipamide in the urine sample of Mr. Schleck is unclear to the team. Therefore, the team is not able to explain the adverse findings at this point. However, the team is fully determined to collaborate with the anti-doping agencies in order to resolve the matter.’

 

Categories
News

Doping Shambles

Dr Michele Ferrari has been given a lifetime ban for doping offences dating back more than a decade, but has called the charges against him ‘false and ridiculous’, claiming he has never witnessed doping within pro cycling teams. In fact to clarify – although this makes things more complicated – the ban was given because: ‘he had not responded to or contested the charges’, whilst the Italian claims he never received any official communication from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and only learned of their decision from the media. Further confusion comes as cycling’s governing body the UCI claim that Ferrari didn’t even hold a current training license.

 

Dr Ferrari enjoyed a long and close relationship with Lance Armstrong – the seven-time Tour de France winner calling him ‘a friend and a trusted adviser’ – but all formal links were reportedly broken after Farrari was convicted (though later acquitted) of sporting fraud in 2004. Amongst the ‘new’ charges were that he conspired with two other doctors (Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral and Jose ‘Pepe’ Martí) along with Armstrong to ‘…cheat by trafficking and administering performance enhancing products’ – including the use of olive oil to mask the presence of testosterone. In a statement on his website Ferrari claims that the use of olive oil is purely mythological, stating, ‘This is an old legend that has circulated for years in the peloton, a sort of magical mixture to fantasise over while sipping a beer’

 

The debacle continues and Cyclo, as always, will keep you posted…

 

Categories
News

Armstrong Vs USADA

Lance Armstrong has struck back at the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which has formally charged the Seven-time Tour de France winner with doping offences for a period between 1998 and 2011, by launching his own legal action against the body accusing them of offering ‘corrupt inducements’ to witnesses against him and operating a ‘kangaroo court’. The crux, it would seem, is that former team mates (ten in total) are allegedly being coerced into giving evidence against Armstrong, fearing that both their careers and reputations could suffer should they refuse to do so.

 

In addition to taking legal recourse Armstrong has continued to be vociferous across social media, recently posting on facebook, ‘So let me get this straight….come in and tell USADA exactly what they wanted to hear in exchange for immunity, anonymity and the opportunity to continue to race the biggest event in cycling. This isn’t about USADA wanting to clean up cycling rather its just plain ol’ selective prosecution that reeks of vendetta…’

 

 

Categories
News

Armstrong Defiant

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has been formally charged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with doping offences relating to EPO, blood transfusions, the use of testosterone and so called ‘masking agents’ during the period between 1998 and 2011. Armstrong confirmed on Twitter that he had received the 15 page letter from the USADA and has, obviously, strenuously denied all charges. All this despite the fact that the US Attorney’s Office dropped its own investigation into the misuse of federal funds (for doping) back in February – these allegations relating to Armstrong’s tenure with the US Postal Team. It is believed that the new charges are based, in part, on the anecdotal evidence of former riders Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton (both proven doping cheats) which formed a central part of the Attorney General’s Office’s aborted investigations.

 

Armstrong’s rebuttal has been both swift and characteristically robust; posting a statement on his website (lancearmstrong.com) that reads: ‘AUSTIN, TX – June 13, 2012 – I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.’

 

It continues, ‘I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence.’

 

Cyclo will keep you posted…

 

Image courtesy and (c) lancearmstrong.com

 

Categories
News

Passport Control

Dr Michael Ashenden, an independent reviewer of blood profiles in cycling, has announced that he is resigning his position from the Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU), a body that provides expert advice on so-called ‘biological passports’ after the introduction of more stringent non-disclosure and confidentiality clauses in contracts.  Dr Ashenden, who has provided expert witness testimony in a number of high-profile doping cases, including those of Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, has claimed there is a culture of ‘omerta’ (a mafia code of silence) within the anti-doping establishment. The biological passports, which track an electronic record of both blood and urine tests for individual athletes, are considered by some to be the future of anti-doping measures, whilst opponents claim they are an easily circumvented system. The Union Cycliste International is believed to have thanked Dr Ashenden for his contributions over the years but have refused any further comment.

 

Categories
News

Riis Support Contador

Despite being handed a two year ban by The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for doping offences dating back to the 2010 TdF, Alberto Contador continues to enjoy the full support of his team, Saxo Bank-SunGard and its owners Riis Cycling. In an official statement the team were at pains to point out that the CAS ruling stated that: ‘…the presence of clenbuterol was unlikely to have been caused by conscious cheating’, clearly enough of grey area for the team to feel he was not to be distanced or ejected.

 

Team owner, Bjarne Riis, has made his position perfectly clear in backing the 29-year-old Spaniard: ‘After having the time to study the ruling we continue to support Alberto Contador based on the CAS verdict. We can only respect the ruling, and this means that Alberto Contador now has to serve a ban. But the conclusion of the ruling is vital for the team, as the ruling focuses on the likely cause being ingestion of a contaminated supplement and at the same time states that this is unlikely to have been a case of conscious cheating…We have asked ourselves many times during this case, could we as a team have done things any differently? I really don’t think we could have done things differently than what we have done trying to support every one of our riders.’

 

Although there has been considerable press rumblings about Contador appealing the CAS ruling it seems unlikely that he would not join, however reluctantly, his team in wishing to see a line drawn under the entire matter. With the official line clearly stating, ‘…Riis Cycling welcomes the fact that the case finally reached a decision… putting an end to this case is something we have been looking forward to’, surely Contador would be ill-advised to continue rocking the boat.

 

Categories
News

Just Say No

In the week that WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) is waiting to hear a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on its appeal (in conjunction with the UCI) against Alberto Contador being cleared by the Spanish cycling federation on doping charges, their new ‘Say No to Doping’ campaign has been launched. Expected to be rolled out across all sports that adhere to its ‘collaborative worldwide campaign for doping-free sport’, their short video was premiered at the weekend when it was broadcast to fans at the NHL’s All Star Game in Ottawa, Canada. According to WADA director David Howman the aim is to share a ‘common goal to protect the integrity of sport’. To-date, 16 organizations worldwide have signed up to the campaign, including, Cyclo is glad to see, the London 2012 Olympic Games.

 

For further information see www.wada-ama.org

 

 

Categories
Books Reviews

Racing Through the Dark

Racing Through the Dark

Although subtitled ‘The Fall and Rise of David Millar’ this excellent book in fact follows a far more rollercoaster route than that simplistic linear trajectory might suggest. Opening with the one-time cycling hero at the lowest possible point: alone in a cell and with his personal and professional life in tatters with room only for reflection. And reflection is what this memoir serves up by the spade load.

 

It could be easy to dismiss a book quite this painfully honest and, at times brutal in its examination of the world of pro cycling, as nothing more than an exercise in personal confession and by extension cathartic cleansing. That, though, could be rather reductive (despite the fact that Millar is confessing all) because the arguments that he puts forward about the dangers – and considerable advantages of – doping within professional sports are powerfully put and he is clearly not afraid of exploring the grey areas that even those of a ‘black and white’ disposition when it comes to cheating should be forced to admire.

 

In interview Millar can come across as both intense and somewhat humourless and it’s accurate to say that both those characteristics apply to Racing Through the Dark. That’s not to say that it isn’t thoroughly entertaining – it’s absolutely riveting at times – just don’t expect too many laughs along the way. Some have accused Millar of being naïve in his expectations of future TdF riders competing ‘clean’ but its more a case of him (genuinely we think) hoping that this could be the case. Andy why not? If anyone can articulate the (very) highs of pro cycling whilst also illuminating the darkest corners, it’s Millar.

 

This is not only one of the best cycling or sports books of the year, but one of the best books period.

 

Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar is published by Orion (ISBN-10: 1409114945) with an RRP of £18.99 – available from Amazon.co.uk