skidude

(by Associated Press)
Tour director wants explanation from Lance


PARIS (AP) - The director of the Tour de France said it was a "proven scientific fact" that Lance Armstrong had a performance-boosting drug in his body during his 1999 Tour win, and that the seven-time champion owed fans an explanation.
In a story Wednesday, Jean-Marie Leblanc praised L'Equipe for an investigation that reported that six urine samples provided by Armstrong during the 1999 Tour tested positive for the red blood cell-booster EPO. The French sports daily on Tuesday accused Armstrong of using EPO during his first Tour win in 1999.
"For the first time — and these are no longer rumors or insinuations, these are proven scientific facts — someone has shown me that in 1999, Armstrong had a banned substance called EPO in his body," Leblanc told the paper.

"The ball is now in his camp. Why, how, by whom? He owes explanations to us and to everyone who follows the tour," Leblanc said. "What L'Equipe revealed shows me that I was fooled. We were all fooled."

Armstrong, a frequent target of L'Equipe, vehemently denied the allegations on Tuesday, calling the article "tabloid journalism."

"I will simply restate what I have said many times: I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs," he said on his Web site.

L'Equipe reported that six urine samples provided by the cancer-surviving American during the 1999 Tour tested positive for the red blood cell-booster EPO. The drug, formally known as erythropoietin, was on the list of banned substances at the time, but there was no effective test to detect it.

The allegations surfaced six years later because EPO tests on the 1999 samples were carried out only last year - when scientists at a lab outside Paris used them for research to perfect EPO testing. The national anti-doping laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry said it promised to hand its finding to the World Anti-Doping Agency, provided it was never used to penalize riders.

Five-time cycling champion Miguel Indurain said he couldn't understand why scientists would use samples from the 1999 Tour for their tests.

"That seems bizarre, and I don't know who would have the authorization to do it," he told L'Equipe. "I don't even know if it's legal to keep these samples."

L'Equipe's investigation was based on the second set of two samples used in doping tests. The first set were used in 1999 for analysis at the time. Without those samples, any disciplinary action against Armstrong would be impossible, French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said.

Lamour said he was forced to have doubts about L'Equipe's report because he had not seen the originals of some of the documents that appeared in the paper.

"I do not confirm it," he told RTL radio. But he added: "If what L'Equipe says is true, I can tell you that it's a serious blow for cycling."

The International Cycling Union did not begin using a urine test for EPO until 2001, though it was banned in 1990. For years, it had been impossible to detect the drug, which builds endurance by boosting the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells.

Jacques de Ceaurriz, the head of France's anti-doping laboratory, which developed the EPO urine test, told Europe-1 radio that at least 15 urine samples from the 1999 Tour had tested positive for EPO.

Separately, the lab said it could not confirm that the positive results were Armstrong's. It noted that the samples were anonymous, bearing only a six-digit number to identify the rider, and could not be matched with the name of any one cyclist.

However, L'Equipe said it was able to make the match.

On one side of a page Tuesday, it showed what it claimed were the results of EPO tests from anonymous riders used for lab research. On the other, it showed Armstrong's medical certificates, signed by doctors and riders after doping tests - and bearing the same identifying number printed on the results.

L'Equipe is owned by the Amaury Group whose subsidiary, Amaury Sport Organization, organizes the Tour de France and other sporting events. The paper often questioned Armstrong's clean record and frequently took jabs at him - portraying him as too arrogant, too corporate and too good to be real.

"Never to such an extent, probably, has the departure of a champion been welcomed with such widespread relief," the paper griped the day after Armstrong won his seventh straight Tour win and retired from cycling.

Leblanc suggested that in the future, urine samples could be stashed away for future testing as detection methods improve - another possible weapon in the fight against doping.

"We're so tired of doping that all means are good as long as they are morally acceptable," he told L'Equipe.

Halcyon

Wow, i never thought one of the people i looked up to would do something like that, Lance seemed like such a great person. Fighting through cancer, goin on to win 7 tours. But now this. Wow.

Fykins

Pathetic, he was one of the few athletes I respected. He should be castrated publicly and forgotten.

xDBD

yeah, he took 'roids. the only reason anyone cares is because he won.

i bet if there were documented "scientific" facts on all the other racers they'd bust on some kinda "performance enhancing drug" too



and how can you know in solid fact lance had these drugs in his body at the time of the race? so what, someone just knew he was pumped up and kept quiet until now? the article itself said it was banned in '90. so, someone KNEW he was on these drugs, a banned drug, and didn't say a thing?

okay.



i read the article. looks like tabloid material.

you guys heard about Jennifer Anniston's aborted alien fetus??

Bloodangel26

i personally dont believe it. french f@gs are just pissed cause they couldnt beat him and now they will never have a chance

skidude

im sure they are mad cause they can't beat him what is it like 7 years in row he kicked there butts?

BlindMansTicket

He used the aerodynamic advantage of only having one nut to win, duh.

If he did use drugs, I could really care less. He quit the sport anyway.

dethbiter

Here are some semi-rhetorical questions:

Who would care if Lance Armstrong was Swedish? Noone

Who will watch the Tour next year? Noone

Who watched this year, even in the US, except for clips on the news? Noone

Is there a more boring sport to watch than the Tour de France? Probably not.

Why aren't there more black people in the Tour De France? No bicycles in Nigeria or else noone outside Africa would ever win just like the Boston Marathon

How meaningless is the Tour? Absolutely. This is the premier endurance race in the world that manages to exclude most of the best endurance athletes in the world.

Is this a witchhunt against Lance? A little bit. They go back to blood samples that are 7 years old to test. Seems a bit of the beaten path to go looking for trouble unless you are trying to "get" someone. Also, the information was released? Under whose authority? My friend who is a cop adds that he doubts that the custody of the blood samples over that period of time would satisfy an American court when it comes to maintaining what is called an chain of custody. Or in simpler terms. It is doubtful that the samples were kept in an environment that could guarantee they hadn't been tampered with given the semi-hostile attitude towards Lance in France. Also, the first place the info appears is in a paper with what could only be called a vested interest in proving Lance cheated, as they have been claiming the same thing without proof for years.

Was Lance juiced? Probably

Does using performance enhancing drugs make you a bad person? Yes. This is a fraud on all "clean" competitors. A person shouldn't have to risk their health to get to the competitive level neccesary to compete for the pinnacles of professional sports. This fraud is equivalent to robbing a bank. The more success you enjoy because of your drug use, the more banks you have robbed. Professional athletes convicted of doping should be liable in civil suits to competitors at whose expense they claimed victory for ALL of their professional earnings including residual endorsements, etc. First offense.

Halcyon

I watched the tour, i respected lance and i still do. even if he had taken steroids i still respect him for continuing his sport after his cancer. you seem to hate every aspect of the tour, these athletes are some of the most talented athletes in the world. Sprinting up a mountain at 15 miles per hour at a 30 degree angle is frieken hard.

i do agree with you that usin performance inhancing drugs is wrong, but we are all human.

he still has one nut? thought they just took em both off in one chop.

OOTF

This is absolute Bullshit to be put in one word... and im very offended that someone would even question the legitimacy of his carrer.. Yea back in 1999 he did test positive for EPO.. but heres the kicker.. he tested positive for .02% which just happens to be the medical level injected into your body when you undergo kemotherapy. Even if he used it after kemo, the amount to make a muscle and endurance difference in your body is almost 5%...Hospitals use EPO to preserve your red and white bloods cells. as it protects them from the radiation... and since 1999.. Lance has tested negitive for every tour.. The bottom line is Lance has handed France their @$$ for the last 7 years in this race.. and this dumbass paper company saw a chance to attack Lance and sell alot of newspapers... it is all a love-and-hate thing.. Hate is the Child of Greatness... there will always be some1 out there who wants to see you fail... and now-a-days.. people seem to be willing to do just about anything just so they can keep their damn pride...

Timetear

it can be a good reason to check ... you know, at the end of every race, the winner and some randoms others are tested out ...

sorry, i don't understand the "they'd bust ..."


i don't think he took an epo shot right after the race when he knew that he had to pee in a bottle ...

yes some ppl knew, like his medic or whoever.. why do you want them to say anything ??? you don't betrayed your familly.
the article also says that at this time, it couldnt be detected ... if all the sample of 80's and 90's runners could be checked out know, we could have some suprises ...


yes it is ...

:

you don't know what it represents in other countries...

well when someone "own" for 7 years, you can ask yourself some questions legitimly

it needn't that to sell a lot ...

you do know that there aren't at all only french competitors right ?

it's also funny to see how you say "frogs"... it reminds me the little english assholes on europe server who come on the french channel to insult us with this expression ... then the french little dummies go on their chans to do the same ... grow up people.


Edit : i don't know and care if he did or did not boosted himself with forbidden drugs, but don't be so sure of yourself when you don't know ....

skidude

here is the newest thing about lance from same place


Lance responds, gets support from USA Cycling


Lance Armstrong received strong backing Friday from cycling's domestic governing body, which said accusations against the seven-time Tour de France champion are "completely without credibility."

"Preposterous is a strong word, but it is warranted in this case," said Gerard Bisceglia, chief executive officer of USA Cycling.

Armstrong has denied reports in the French media this week that he used a banned blood booster in his first tour victory in 1999. The sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that new tests on six urine samples Armstrong provided during the 1999 tour resulted in positive results for the red blood cell-booster EPO.

"Lance Armstrong is one of the most tested athletes in the history of sport and he has come up clean every single time," Bisceglia said. "This kind of years-ago testing of a single sample with new technology is completely without credibility."

"What's worse is that Lance cannot defend himself because there is no mechanism for final resolution," he added.

Although Armstrong has not said if he'll pursue legal action, Bisceglia said USA Cycling will support him in whatever way he chooses to "denounce these accusations."

On Thursday, Armstrong lashed out at the French lab that produced the findings.

"There's a setup here and I'm stuck in the middle of it," Armstrong told The Associated Press. "I absolutely do not trust that laboratory," he said.

Armstrong spoke after **** Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said officials had received the lab results and would review them. Armstrong also said that while Pound might trust the lab that tested the samples, "I certainly don't."

On Thursday night, Armstrong elaborated on that distrust on CNN's "Larry King Live."

"A guy in a Parisian laboratory opens up your sample, you know, Jean Francois so-and-so, and he tests it — nobody's there to observe, no protocol was followed — and then you get a call from a newspaper that says `We found you to be positive six times for EPO.' Well, since when did newspapers start governing sports?"

Although frustrated by the report and the difficulty of proving his case, Armstrong told King he is at ease.

"All I can do is come on this stage and tell my story and be honest. I've always done that," he said. "Since this stuff's rolled out, I sleep great at night .... I don't have a problem looking at myself in the mirror."

Armstrong questions the handling of samples frozen six years ago. He also wonders how he is to defend himself when the only confirming evidence — the 'A' sample used for the 1999 tests — no longer exists.

He also charged officials at the suburban Paris lab with violating WADA code for failing to safeguard the anonymity of any remaining 'B' samples.

Pound said the French report appears stronger than previous accusations against Armstrong.

"If he had one, you could say it was an aberration," Pound said. "When you get up to six, there's got to be some explanation."

Pound said the lab is accredited by the International Olympic Committee. He also questioned the need for two samples to confirm a positive test.

"You can count on the fingers of one hand the times a B sample has not confirmed the result of the A sample," Pound said. "It's almost always a delaying tactic."

Armstrong said that contradicts WADA's own policy.

"For the head of the agency to say he actually doesn't believe in the code ... if your career is riding on the line, wouldn't you want a B sample?" Armstrong told the AP. "The French have been after (me) forever, and `Whoops!' there's no B sample? The stakes are too high."

qweeve

I am willing to bet my left nut that Lance and 90% of todays pro atheletes reguardless of the sport(except maybe fishing) have at one point in their carreers used steroids in one form or another. If you wanna talk just football, up that to 99%.

skidude

im sure just about all have at 1 time in there playen or whatever days they have taken somethng (football the main ones) but thats not the point but yet they are tryen to go back to 99 what the hell its gone so what if he did its done and over now :

El Matt

EPO is used for Anemia associated with Chemotherapy. Looks like a witchhunt to me.

Foog

we're studying salem right now...

+1matt

qweeve

The bottom line is this, who cares. It's just bike racing.

Questor

Yeah, bike racing is more boring than fishing sober!