Here we go again - Dekker's EPO problem

Well it was 2 years ago, almost:

Dutch cyclist Thomas Dekker has failed a drugs test for the performance-improving hormone erythropoietin and been scrapped from his team for this year's Tour de France race. The test relates to a urine sample given in December 2007. Dekker was part of the Rabobank cycling team at the time, but was sacked last year. The reason was never made clear, Elsevier.nl reports.

But apparently it wasn't clear exactly what he took... until now.

The Dutch rider's haematological profile led the UCI to review the EPO analyses for urine samples conducted since the introduction of the biological passport programme. An anti-doping laboratory in Cologne, Germany, re-examined the December 2007 sample, and on June 20 reported finding EPO in the same.

UCI names names in biological passport program

It had to happen. It's almost Le Tour time:

Lampre's Pietro Caucchioli and Fuji-Servetto's Ricardo Serrano have been suspended their teams after being named by the UCI as riders who showed abnormal values in the year-old system. Both teams stated that the riders showed the abnormal results during the 2008 season while riding for other teams.

Note that these are 'abnormal values' alone - no-one has been "caught" with a specific needle in their arm, or whatever.

But wait, there's more:

Also named were former world champion Igor Astarloa, former Saunier Duval rider Ruben Lobato Elvira, who is without a team for this season, and Italian Francesco De Bonis (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli).

As I say, there may be a smoking gun, but nothing is "proven" beyond the fact that the blood values that are monitored were shown to vary over time in a substantial and unusual way that is usually indicative of doping. The ball is in the riders court to defend themselves, rightly or wrongly.

Bazayev does a Chicken and forgets where he is...or should be

Astana enforce the 'make sure you tell us where you are' rule:

PARIS, June 15 - Astana have suspended their Kazakh rider Assan Bazayev for two weeks because he did not provide thorough information on his whereabouts for the purposes of drug testing. Kazakh road champion Bazayev, 28, was supposed to take part in the Tour of Switzerland last Saturday but he did not start the nine-day stage race.

After what happed to 'Chicken' Rasmussen, you'd think they'd have all learnt.

Doper Kohl says what they all say - it's not just me! It's everybody!

Of course you'd be thinking that - how else do you come to terms with the unethical practice of cheating? Especially so at a very public, very high-profile race like Le Tour? Whilst there's some merit in the argument that if I can only come 3rd, and everyone else in the Top 10 was keeping up pretty well, and I am taking CERA, then they must all be taking CERA too, it's flawed thinking. Who's to say that the rest of the Top 10 weren't clean but simply substantially better prepared, better supported or - quite likely - had bigger "engines" than yourself?

“At first, I once again tried to reassure myself: ‘OK, I was dead—but we were all dead,”’ Kohl said. “Many other riders had taken (banned substances).

Which isn't to say that some other riders weren't also taking advantage of some "help", either. Just that we can't actually know it.

Katusha's Colom caught out by blood passport, A-sample suggests EPO

Not-so-funny coincidences: first Pfannberger gets caught out, then the Katusha 5X salary penalty contract is proposed, now Colom is pinged for an A-sample.

Team Katusha's Antonio Colom has been provisionally suspended by the UCI following a positive test for recombinant EPO. The sport's governing body announced Tuesday that Colom returned the positive test following an out-of-competition control on April 2, 209. He was targeted for additional controls using information from his blood profile and his race schedule, the UCI said.

Awaiting the B-sample, par for the course. Apparently another blood-profiling success story, if the UCI is to be believed. The team expresses "surprise". How about you - are you surprised?

Is 5x annual salary a fair penalty? Transparency and equity in discouraging doping "cheats"

Oh the tangled web we weave - not that anyone is necessarily being deceitful, but how much "discouragement" do bike riders - or any athletes - need?

Following the positive doping test of its Austrian rider Christian Pfannberger in early May prior to the start of the Giro d'Italia, the Russian team Katusha said it would implement stronger anti-doping regulations in its contractual relationship with its employees, the racers. The policies take the form of an additional chapter to the cyclists' work contracts including a clause which states that riders will have to pay a fine of five times their annual salary in the event of a sanction given for doping offenses.

Firstly, does a clearly defined financial penalty work? The current 1 year UCI-sanctioned penalty doesn't seem to work, although we can't be sure exactly how many riders were "dissuaded" by the thought of losing a year's pay. It may have discouraged none. It didn't discourage the likes of Kohl. Indeed, once you are caught and the legal battle ensues, it can be years before the fine is paid. Perhaps never, if you just quit the sport.

So will multiplying the fine by 5 make a difference? A rider already loses his contract - which is his livelihood - and even when he or she returns their contract value is severely impacted. History shows us that riders generally come back to lesser teams on lower wages, if they come back at all. It is doubtful that Landis or even Basso are on the sort of deal that they would have been on had things just continued as they were. Indeed, the financial loss from personal sponsorships alone must be massive. So why add further financial discouragement? Won't that just lead to court battles and possible personal bankrupties, or worse?

If the existing financial penalties don't work, and the public humiliation doesn't dissuade, what are we seeking to achieve? How is this more "transparent" than what we have? And what if a rider is actually innocent but is nevertheless found guilty? It's easy to say that that the tests and procedures are flawless, but are they? Whilst guilty "cheats" do bring dowm teams and cause widespread distress, perhaps it is possible to also go too far in protecting the team, its image, and its funding. Teams are after all made up of people, and last time I checked bikes don't ride themselves.

Freiburg report dumps on big name T-Mobile riders and systemic doping

These are allegations against a culture of doping in one prominent team, a culture that was almost certainly eradicated after a climactic period of exposure and scrutiny in 2006. I must stress also that these are allegations only; that they must be investigated thoroughly before firm conclusions can be drawn. For mine there are too many questions - indeed inconsistencies - surrounding exactly who took what, and where, and why some newly hired riders were considered 'outsiders' and shunned, whereas others were "in". One obvious newcomer - Sinkewitz - was inducted into the system, yet Bartko was isolated, for example.

Having said all of that, it's undeniable that we expected something to come out of it, and it's probably exactly as most of us thought: it wasn't just Ullrich (not that Jan has ever admitted it, we only have the purported DNA link and heaps - bags even - of allegations). And yet it's strange that Ullrich is implicated elsewhere, not directly with this Freiburg issue. It was a systemic issue for the team, but not a consistent one?

Experts investigating the procedures of two Freiburg University Clinic doctors who worked for cycling team T-Mobile allege German rider Andreas Kloeden doped during the 2006 Tour de France.

That's not just an allegation against Kloden, either: The issue returned to prominence last fall, when Patrik Sinkewitz said that he - and possibly others - had driven to Freiburg for illegal blood transfusions during the 2006 Tour de France, only days after team captain Jan Ullrich had been suspended for his connection to Operación Puerto. The report found that doping within the team essentially began when the team was formed and continued relatively unabated through to 2006.

The allegations go back to 1992. That's a lot of riders, some of whom are still prominent in the peleton today, indeed are current Top 10 Grand Tour favourites. It covers EPO, testosterone and blood doping, plus 'magic elixirs', the contents of which are not known.

As always, expect the worst and hope for the best!

Valverde out of Le Tour b4 it even starts... does the Puerto circus begin again?

Hot on the heels of Boonen's cocaine bust (the count now up to 3, by the way) comes another star losing his shine. We may have thought this one a foregone conclusion, indeed he can't say the Italians weren't communicating their intentions... Alejandro Valverde received a two-year suspension from the Italian anti-doping tribunal today in Rome for his connections to the 2006 doping investigation Operación Puerto. The decision prohibits the Spaniard, 29, from racing in Italy and the Tour de France, which passes through the country this year.

He will most likely appeal against this Italian ruling and does claim innocence in any case. The bigger question is what does the UCI do, faced with a Spanish rider banned not by his own governing national body, but by another? Do they take this further and resolve it - which would seem logical - or let it rest? I suspect they'll wait until their hand is forced, either by the appeal itself or pressure from the parties concerned. But they'd be better advised, surely, to get to grips with the broader issue of the DNA evidence that this case rests on and act now. With Operation Puerto festering like an open wound the Italians have clearly telegraphed their intent to test and pursue those accused as soon as they step onto their territory. If the blood bags and the connected DNA evidence are available, and if the case is legally and ethically strong, why not pursue it?

Boonen caught for cocaine use again - out of competition. Foolish, yes, but does it really matter?

This is really annoying, both because it's a distraction as the first Grand Tour of 2009 gets underway and because Tom Boonen has so much to lose, for so little reason. We can presume it's been taken for recreational reasons, but he's not the only one (in the wider community) to do so is he? He is however a huge role model for kids in Belgium, as well as for much of the cycling world. So it matters, but not so much that it should get this much attention, surely? Does he need counselling? A cocaine habit is one thing, but the guy gets caught - twice - out of competition. Which indicates he has some self-control, but not enough to pull free. (So why risk everything, Tom?) It's not for performance-enhancement, it's just a guy with fame and money being tempted by an illicit drug... and giving in. He's young but adult enough to cop the consequences; he's also famous beyond belief in Belgium, cashed-up and probably a target for all sorts of people with trash to peddle. Let's hope some perspective is kept here.

Tom Boonen has been suspended by team Quick Step following his second positive control for cocaine, taken on April 27, in Belgium following the Spring Classics. The 2005 World Champion could face criminal charges for violating the conditions of his suspended sentence for cocaine use.

Setting Boonen aside for a moment, this is a community issue, not just an athletic one. Athletes are in the spotlight and performance enhancement is arguably viewed as 'cheating' by many, and certainly so by the established, traditional media as well by many of the 'clean' athletes themselves. And there are good arguments to control such substances, not just for sporting fairness but for the athlete's health. But does recreational cocaine use - illegal though it may be - really constitute such a threat to our wider society, one that justifies the resultant media frenzy? Unfortunately the media have a stake in both creating and destroying these role models, a conflict of interest that just won't go away.

Cabreira successfully appeals protease charge, 2nd time lucky

Well it sounds like a technicality, but it was enough to get him off...

Cabreira was suspended for two years in February for "tampering with a doping control sample". He was accused of using an enzyme called protease to defeat a doping control. The enzyme is able to break down traces of EPO in the urine. According to Lusa, Cabreira appealed the penalty on the grounds that the control had been conducted according to "methods not approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency" and that the offending substance "was not part of the list of banned products." It is the second time Cabreira has defeated a doping case on appeal. In August, 2008 he was suspended for ten months for failing a doping control, but the suspension was overturned on appeal.

If I understand this correctly, and I may not have a complete view, the appeal was won firstly because of irregularities in the way the sample was taken, leaving some doubt over who may or may not have altered the sample; and secondly because the enzyme in question is not a performance-enhancing substance taken by the athlete and thus listed as a banned product. Seems to me it should be listed, just as masking agents are (although in this case the agent is used outside of the body). Seems also logical that adding an enzyme - or anything, really - is tantamount to tampering with a sample. However in this case there was doubt, and the athlete quite rightly is given the benefit.

Katusha team rider Pfannberger accused of taking.. something

We just don't know what it was... yet.

Christian Pfannberger confirmed that he was told he had given a positive doping control, but denied that he had taken any forbidden substances. The Austrian national champion was suspended by Team Katusha Wednesday after the team was informed of the positive test.

I guess we'll read more about this in time.

Post Olympic wrap-up continues. Rebellin, now Schumacher post-dated and positive?

It seems like a strange, leaky system (or cistern?), this post-Olympic drug-doping-dripfeed. We get told there are a number of athletes suspected, but we can't say who because we have to be absolutely certain. And so we speculate about who may be involved. And then we get told that a cyclist is involved, and that it's the talented Italian one-day rider, Rebellin. I guess that was both not a surprise, as he seems able to pull rabbits out of hats at times, and a shock, as why would he want to sully his brilliant career?

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has opened an investigation into Davide Rebellin as a result of a positive doping control at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It has immediately prohibited the Italian, 37, from competing and called him to Rome for a hearing on May 4 at 12:00.

Rebellin will defend the accusations. The Italian Olympic Committee saw it as a virtue to name names early, rather than keep everything in the dark:

"We are the only Olympic committee that has released a communiqué. We are the only ones who communicated all of this with transparency. Today the Corriere della Sera newspaper wrote that 'CONI lost a silver medal, but won the transparency battle,'" a spokesman for the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) told Cyclingnews.

And then, having been prompted by the Italians, more names emerge:

Stefan Schumacher is the second cyclist confirmed to have tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO) derivative CERA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The German cycling federation (Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, BDR) confirmed the news of its cyclist Wednesday afternoon.

No suprise that Schumacher is caught again, of course. Allegedly, pending hearings and all that jazz. And it doesn't end with cycling, either:

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi, the 1500-meter champion and his country's first gold medalist in track, was among three track athletes—and a half-dozen Olympians in all—snagged in the latest game of cat-and-mouse between cheaters and those who try to nail them.

Allegedly, of course.

If all of that has some stamp of authority, there's also this story about the T-Mobile team from 2006, based on absence rather than proof, and assumption rather than evidence:

How many of the T-Mobile Team went to Freiburg University Clinic for a blood transfusion during the Tour de France 2006? The German news magazine Spiegel reports that an independent commission investigating the case believes that three riders went to the clinic, but also uncovered further evidence that seven riders within the team may have had some sort of blood "manipulation". The magazine states that the commission "assumes" that Andreas Klöden, Matthias Kessler and Patrik Sinkewitz travelled to the clinic for blood transfusions on the night of the first stage of the 2006 Tour de France. There is no mention of whether the remaining four non-German riders on the team participated in the trip.

It all sounds very flimsy, indeed. And all denied, of course.

US rider Lange cops 2-year suspension for ye olde strychnine

It's nice to see the old herbal remedies are still in use, but this may be going too far...

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has announced that Michael Lange has accepted a two-year suspension due to a positive drug test while competing at the 2008 Tour of Qinghai Lake in China. Lange tested positive for strychnine, a stimulant, as a result of a urine test carried out on July 15, 2008 during the Tour of Qinghai Lake.

Wkipedia says this: Although it is best known as a poison, small doses of strychnine were once used in medications as a stimulant, a laxative and as a treatment for other stomach ailments. A 1934 drug guide for nurses described it as "among the most valuable and widely prescribed drugs".[2] Strychnine's stimulant effects also led to its use historically for enhancing performance in sports.[3] Because of its high toxicity and tendency to cause convulsions, the use of strychnine in medicine was eventually abandoned once safer alternatives became available.

As a home, or away-from-home remedy it doesn't sound too safe to me.

Tyler Hamilton, depressed, desperate and retired

Tyler Hamilton has achieved far more in cycling than most of us, and at 38 he can feel proud of what he has done athletically. Many will say he underachieved, and that may be true... He has also incurred the wrath of officialdom and his peers, firstly for succumbing to blood doping, and now for what seems a fairly innocuous and desperate attempt to restore his mental health at a time of personal pain. Whilst we all go through pain and loss in our lives, not all of us take medication to deal with it, nor do all of us need it. We can't see inside Tyler's head and feel his pain, or know why he weakened and took a product that he knew would in all likelihood end his cycling career. But he did it, and he accepts his fate. Having denied the blood doping, he now is open about the DHEA. It's almost trivial, but in some way it's fitting that by his own hand he moves on.

His latest offence and some background:
"Hamilton claims he took the suggested dosage for two days prior to the out-of-competition urine test. USADA's legal limit of DHEA found in the urine is 100ng/mL. Hamilton's urine sample was tested at UCLA where lab technicians found 130 ng/mL of DHEA in his urine sample. Dr. Paul Scott, founder of Scott Analytics, reviewed the testing procedure for the B sample...

"Dr. Charles Welch, at Mass General hospital in Boston diagnosed Hamilton with clinical depression in 2003. He was prescribed Celexa as an anti-depressant for the next six years. According to Hamilton, he took amounts double the prescribed dosage for two weeks in January when his mental health declined further after his mother was diagnosed with cancer."

Tyler doesn't need further pain with this result, he needs some distance from pro cycling and continued support from family and friends. I hope he gets exactly that.

Mystery doper "K" uncovered? #cycling

Strange days indeed. Most dopers get caught out, named and shamed. But others get caught, tell all, do a deal and remain nameless: The Austrian cyclist arrested in March for dealing in doping products has admitted to using doping products and also giving them to five or six colleagues and friends. However, he denied making any financial profit on the dealings. The rider's name has never been publicly released and he has officially been identified only as "K". However, the Austrian Continental team RV ARBÖ Wels Gourmetfein announced that it had cancelled its contract with Christof Kerschbaum, whom it said was "in all probability" the rider involved..

It's all a bit unfair if it isn't Kerschbaum, of course. And I for one don't know who the heck "K" might be...

Kohl admits to doping from 2005 onwards #cycling

What seemed to be a case of crash-and-recover-quicker-with-"insert drug here" has become more of a whole-of-pro-career effort. Full details here: Bernhard Kohl, winner of the mountains classification and third overall at the Tour de France, told investigators the names of all the people who helped him dope. The Austrian included the name of the person who provided him the blood booster CERA-EPO for which he tested positive for at the Tour de France, he said at a press conference Tuesday evening in Vienna, Austria.

It will be hard to come back from here, surely. Not hard to feel some sympathy though for someone who was clearly sucked into a toxic vortex of deceit at a young - but adult - age.

Valverde's Spanish DNA found in Italian swoop on Le Tour? #cycling

It's getting to be ridiculous (IMHO) but Operation Puerto staggers on... it's shut, then its open. Then it shuts again. Now the Italians allegedly use the Puerto DNA to allegedly pin Valverde to the alleged wall for a doping test on Italian soil during the (alleged) 2008 Le Tour. Is it legal? Will it stack up? Is it a witch-hunt?

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) requested a two-year suspension on Wednesday in Rome for Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde. CONI reportedly used DNA evidence to connect the 28-year-old Caisse d'Epargne rider to the Operación Puerto investigation.

Let the 2009 Le Tour doping scandal season begin! (Don't forget that Puerto promised alleged links with soccer and tennis stars, too. It's not just about the bike!)

Keisse defends himself, blames supplements #cycling #doping

'Accidental' supplementation is no joke when you are sponsored by a supplement company... Iljo Keisse has faced the Belgian Cycling Federation (RLVB) in relation to the hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) and cathine found in his urine on the last day of the Gent Six Day late last year. The federation is seeking a two-year sanction for Keisse, and the debate has now begun as to whether the presence of the HCT and cathine was intentional.

HCTZ is a diuretic, used to block salt and fluid re-absorption in the kidneys, increasing the release of urine. For an athlete that may assist by more quickly clearing wastes and byproducts from the system, masking use of 'something else'.

Cathine is an appetite suppressant and may have a stimulant effect. For an athlete this may assist in weight control and/or give the competitor a physical (or perhaps psychological) boost.

Portuguese roadie Cabreira suspended for alleged masking

It's hard to imagine anyone slipping a protease molecule into a dope-test sample and getting away with it, given how closely these things are "managed", but apparently it can happen. Well he'll be appealing, and here it is:Former LA-MSS rider and Portuguese road champion João Cabreira was suspended for two years for "tampering with a doping control sample", the Portuguese Cycling Federation announced Friday. The rider is the first to be suspended for a long-suspected technique of using an enzyme called protease to break down products such as EPO in the urine to cheat a doping control.

So what is "protease"? Well it's being a bit vague and mis-informative to say it's "an enzyme called protease", in fact it will be a specific hydrolase enzyme that targets a protein in the EPO molecule and breaks it down, just like molecules in your body break down, for example, food. Wikipedia says: A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain, which form a molecule of protein.

Why would an athlete use it? It was probably added to the urine sample post-micturition, hence the tampering allegation. A cyclist or other sportsperson may use it to break down (and thus mask) a banned substance such as EPO. By breaking down or digesting the target protein the banned substance becomes undetectable (at least in and of itself, as fragments or by-products of that protein may be detectable, and the absence of natural EPO would be suspicious).

Confessions of a doper: Jaksche again, with feeling

Nothing new here, move along please. Someone has dug up some dirt or simply created speculation out of thin air regarding a confession made almost 2 years ago. Some of it we knew already, some is more detailed and this bit would be damning, if proven true: Jaksche rode for Riis and Team CSC in 2004. During this time, according to Bild, Riis decided who should take how much of what product, with Jaksche saying how he was helped to avoid a positive doping control. Team Saxo Bank did not have a comment on the story.

No-one is saying anything at this stage and it is, as I said, a thin air story published by the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag. Did I say tabloid? It has plenty of juicy detail but little or no credence at this stage.

Schumacher cops 2 year ban, Valverde investigated again

The process can't really get any slower or messier, surely? We all remember Stefan Schumacher's tireless attacking efforts in Le Tour '08 and wished we could all back up and fly again like that. We also remember the positive test for CERA, and Stefan's denials. Now he has (finally) been given a 2 year ban for doping: The French National Anti-Doping Agency AFLD has suspended German rider Stefan Schumacher for two years after testing positive for CERA, a new generation of EPO, during the Tour de France. Schumacher confirmed the suspension Thursday evening, calling the decision "a shock" and the process a "farce". In between times he has been in limbo, expecting to get a licence to race in '09. At least he now has some certainty, pending appeal.

Less certain is Valverde's future. Alejandro Valverde arrived in Rome, Italy on Thursday to appear before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) only to be informed he was now also under criminal investigation. The Spaniard was informed that the separate probe had been opened when he arrived at Rome's Olympic Stadium for his hearing with CONI's anti-doping prosecutor. Once implicated and cleared of involvement in the Fuentes blood-bag fiasco, the whole kettle of fishy activities has been reopened; Valverde's DNA has allegedly been identified (via an Italian-initiated blood sample taken during the 2008 Tour de France, no less) and matched to one of the blood bags in question. He denies any involvement. Yes, these are Italian investigations into a Spanish rider over a Spanish-originated allegation. Go figure.

The main problem appears to lie in the differences between countries, their specific criminal legislation and their local sporting bodies' treatment of doping. Whilst the UCI has a process, it's become clouded by where the offence takes place and the country under which the rider races. Now it's a global sport and a global problem but surely if we are to set and enforce doping regulations we must get a consistent banned list and set process together, act quickly and decisively and stop messing around like this... surely it's not that hard? Evidence suggests it's almost impossible to be fair and transparent at the moment.

Follow Armstrong's haematocrit online

Well it's meaningless really, but there you go: Detailed blood test results from seven International Cycling Union (UCI) and Damsgaard out-of-competition tests are now posted on www.livestrong.com.

It goes up and down, often without any particular reason (it has its own reasons, I guess). Mine is 46, or was when last tested. I still couldn't beat Lance over any distance, especially so with my Achilles injury!

And why meaningless? Well it has some meaning, especially if verified by an outside, independent body. We are however reading a public report and trusting that's it's verifiable. I don't think it would get published if it wasn't true, but it's still built on that trust. Would it get published if a value went over an accepted limit? We may never know, but it's something to wonder about.

And does it matter? Transparency may matter, however the ups and downs of a blood test result are fairly obscure unless you know how to read the details, understand the impact of workload and diet and take it in a longitudinal context. Most of us will just go, uh-huh. Or we will misinterpret something and start some sort of rumour...

Beltran gets 2 years

Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that he could get a licence this year, Spanish rider Manuel Beltrán has been banned for two years from French competition and looks set to suffer the same punishment on the world stage.

Tricky indeed. I don't want to get judgemental, I just want to open things up for discussion. Sometimes we get so black-and-white about "passionate" beliefs that we can't see through the spin and look at the human being who may have been tempted, coerced, lured or tricked into doing something they otherwise wouldn't do. It's against the law to exceed the speed limit (and unless the road is empty and devoid of the unexpected it's a high-risk activity anyway) yet many of us choose to do it. Why? Is it as black and white as you think?

Aussie World gold Master caught out

The psychology of the young and the tempted is one thing, what of the should-know-better Master? Well it's more complicated than most people will say, isn't it? It's not simply cheating, although when rules exist and you break those rules it's certainly cheating. Is it to get advantage over others, a power game? Or to recover more quickly from injury? (Especially as you age - I wish my left Achilles would stop flaring up, for example!) Perhaps it adds to the excitement, the risk... it is all a game, after all.

Anyway, there's a discussion here and a local newspaper report on the rider, Andrew Burne, here. Apparently he quit Rugby Union because of repeating injuries... and anabolic steroids are a good, well-proven way back from body-contact injury as well as a useful way to increase muscular strength. It would be interesting to have a longitudinal view of Andrew Burne's apparent doping - is it cycling-related or a hangover from earlier sports?

There's a reference to Andrew winning the Fatman's Wheelrace in 2007, here. He weighed an impressive (for a sprinter, I guess) 112kg at the time.. man mountain indeed!

For the record, on Armstrong and Valverde

There's always more, isn't there? I wondered why Lance Armstrong would want to fund yet another testing service when there are so many others already provided. OTOH it seemed like a good way to display commitment. OTOOH it looks like a bad move when he has to back down on that commitment. OTOOH it never really mattered, it was for show. He could just get a feed of data from the other testers, like Team Astana, surely, and post that on the web?

And now to more disquieting news: Valverde.

The Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) has summoned Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde to face charges of doping or attempting to dope in relation to the infamous 'Operation Puerto' affair.

OK, no big deal, we've been through this a few times now - except that there's an alleged DNA match between last year's Tour stage sample (taken on Italian soil) and soem DNA extracted from one of those infamous Spanish bags of blood. Whilst it's all sounding very forensic, it's also very serious if proven.

Returning to the fold

Well Lance is back, but not from a doping-related retirement, what about some of the "others"?

• Coming back later this year - The Chicken: Rasmussen told Cyclingnews last week that he was training to make his comeback this summer, but has not yet found a team.
• Returning soon - Landis and Basso: Floyd Landis received his chance to make his comeback to the sport in the USA's biggest race when organisers of the Amgen Tour of California announced that they had included Landis' OUCH Pro Cycling team on the list of invited teams on Thursday. Landis will toe the line alongside fellow returnees Lance Armstrong and Ivan Basso at the race's start in Sacramento on February 14.
• Returning later than expected - Nathan "slimming tips" O'Neill: The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) announced Wednesday that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Appeals Board in Switzerland overturned the original decision to lessen the suspension of Australian cyclist Nathan O'Neill from 24 months to 15 months, returning the ban to the maximum of two years and keeping O'Neill out of racing until June of 2010.
  

Another one bites the dust... Team Topsport-Vlaanderen fired Iljo Keisse on Monday, following the official notification that the Belgian rider's B sample had come back positive. The Six-Day rider tested positive for two substances, cathine and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), at the Gent Six Day Race the end of November.

Cathine: Closely related to ephedrine, cathinone and other amphetamines, it may contribute to the stimulant effect of Catha edulis, although another constituent, cathinone appears to show stronger activity. Cathine is one of the optical isomers of phenylpropanolamine, an appetite suppressant and decongestant which is possibly associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. An appetite suppressant, so probably useful in keeping your weight down. Also a stimulant, so it may make you more aggressive and motivated.

HCTZ:Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to the thiazide class of diuretics, acting on the kidneys to reduce sodium (Na) reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule. This increases the osmolarity in the lumen, causing less water to be reabsorbed by the collecting ducts. This leads to increased urinary output. A blood thickener and a diuretic; hard to see much benefit for a cyclist... unless of course it helps get other drugs out of the system before a blood test.

Bileka resigns over EPO

The old faxed resignation trick, eh? Ukrainian Volodymyr Bileka quit the sport and Team Silence-Lotto in May due to a positive control for Erythropoietin (EPO). An International Cycling Union (UCI) document stated the reason for the questionable resignation of Bileka, close friend of Yaroslav Popovych and ex-domestique of Lance Armstrong. Bileka tested positive on April 18 in an out-of-competition control. He participated in the Amstel Gold and was in an escape group in the Flèche Wallonne – April 20 and 23 – before he faxed his resignation to Silence-Lotto on May 3.

Popovych, meanwhile, failed to live up to expectations and has broken his Lotto contract to ride (once again) with Armstrong. We shall see whether his form improves this time around.

Museeuw cops a post-dated fine for EPO

We all wanted him to be clean, but we were disappointed. In the end he has copped a post-career fine and a muddied name... Retired Belgian professional cyclist Johan Museeuw, who last raced for Quick Step in 2004, received a 10-month suspended jail sentence and was ordered to pay 2500 euro for his involvement in a 2003 doping scandal, according to a recent AP report.

Kohl's confession buys no time

No discount for the confessor: Bernhard Kohl received a two-year suspension this afternoon in Vienna for having used EPO-CERA at the Tour de France. According to press reports, Austrian Kohl did not have any comment on the sentence.

Carini gets 2

Well it's by the book, isn't it?

The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) recommended a two-year competition ban for Giovanni Carini. The Italian racer tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in an anti-doping control on June 28, 2008, at the end of the Italian National Championship week during which he won the non-contracted elite category road race.

Not that we always go by the book.

Ullrich denies, testifies...

Ullrich has stated in court that he did not dope during the period he was employed by Team Coast, nor beforehand to the extent where the effects may have lingered. (Which still leaves some time in question, although he also answered some questions about Operacion Puerto and various 'usual suspects'. ) Yes, he testified under oath. Yes, he did it for the money he was owed. Or did he?

After the hearing, Ullrich said that right had been done, adding, "Dahms is a cheat. I don't want his dirty money. Dahms lied in my face, although he knew he was broke. If I do get anything from him, then I will donate it to a children's charity."

Sella cooperates, gets a year off

It doesn't pay to get caught, but if you own up you may get a shorter break:
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) recommended a one-year suspension for Emanuele Sella, who tested positive for EPO-CERA this last July. The Italian, winner of three stages and the mountains jersey in the Giro d'Italia, cooperated with investigators to earn a reduced sentence.

Soccer (aka 'football') follows where cycling rides

Well, maybe. They say that several sports have 'whereabouts' databases on their athletes, but cycling's the only one I've heard of, up to now. But what would I know?

England's soccer players will be next to join the ranks of those who have to report their "whereabouts" and make themselves available for out of competition doping controls, just like their fellow athletes on bicycles.

Stevic asks, 'Why didn't you call?'

Good question, Ivan. And why didn't you ring them?

Serbian Cyclist Ivan Stevic has appealed a lifetime-ban handed down by Italy's anti-doping court in September. The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) charged the 28-year-old with serious anti-doping violations, and his team, Toyota-United, has since suspended its rider, pending a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

FYI, his room was raided and supplies of HGH and corticosteroids found.

Flores gets 2

Another one for the records... Argentinean cyclist Claudio Flores received a two year suspension for doping during the Tour of Uruguay, AFP reported Thursday. He tested positive for anabolic steroids during the Tour of Uruguay in March, and was handed the suspension this week by the Uruguayan Ministry of Sports. Flores, who rides for Agrupación Piquetera Vírgen de Fátima, tested positive for Estanozolol.

Straightforward enough. Anabolic steroids assist in building muscle mass, useful for strength in particular - but "may" have "some" assistance for endurance as well if multiple muscles can be co-opted. Likely as not this was of little use to Flores unless he was coming back from injury.

Armstrong on '99 and EPO

Here's a good ESPN interview with LA that makes some clear points about 1999 and that urine sample that may or may not contain EPO: Let me ask you this question: If this was your urine sample [grabs a half-finished bottle of iced tea on table] -- it's open. You haven't seen it, you don't know where it's been. It's been sitting open, and all of your credibility and your life's work, everything rides right there on that bottle. Would you go over there and test that? I can answer it for you. Of course you wouldn't. Nobody would do that. So we're not going to get into that game with them. It's time that they move on from that.

Well yes, but... no. Andy and his worries

Andy is worried about bad press: "I am frightened that we will not be presented in the press in the same light as before," he said, noting that two months ago it was rumoured that five CSC riders had tested positive during the Tour de France. Those rumours have been laid to rest, but "there have never been any apologies for the reports," Schleck told sportwereld.nl.

OK Andy, I'm sorry I even mentioned the rumours. Hang on, the rumours weren't really about Andy, they were fairly broad-brush affairs that tainted just about anyone who rode out of their skin, or pulled out of the Worlds. And the Schlecks themselves came into it because of father Schleck's car being searched during Le Tour - which was just one of those things that starts people thinking and talking, but was discounted quickly as random. Then we had Frank and Andy doing so well in Le Tour itself, which also sets tongues wagging in a normal fashion, but not necessarily in a bad way. But then we had Frank admitting that he paid a doctor he didn't even know for some training advice he didn't really need. Well that was sloppy, and we can't really not talk about it, can we? That was brought about by brother Frank himself.

Now if Frank hadn't been so sloppy we may not have even thought about the car search again (and nothing was found, let me add). And if Frank's riding hadn't been so good, when he previously wasn't so flash, maybe we wouldn't have thought any more about it. And if they weren't brothers, and Riis wasn't a Tour winner and admitted doper maybe - just maybe - we wouldn't have even wondered about any of this. But Riis will always have a cloud over his head - just as surely as he gets a huge dose of respect, both for his riding and management as well as his courage in admitting the truth.

In any event it appears that we have caught all of the dopers we are going to get from the 2008 Tour, and that case is closed. So the riders who rode under the cloud of suspicion, and those who pulled out of subsequent races like the Worlds, are indeed presumed innocent. If they truly are innocent, as we think or hope they are, then they also have to be innocent - or naive - to think that riding for Riis is going to be plain sailing. That cloud is there, the topic has been raised and it's out there forever. It's a shame, but it's human to look at the dark side and imagine the abyss, to expect the worst.

We shouldn't apologise for being human, for speculating and wondering; but we should also accept the truth as we know it. For now, Frank is in doubt and has to do some explaining; for the rest of them, they have no known case to answer. But they can't expect us not to wonder.

Once more into the breach dear friends

No comment. No really, I have nothing to say. OK, OK, I've said it already just by posting.

Oscar continues with Rock Racing...

Spaniard Oscar Sevilla will stay with the Rock Racing team for another two years, the Spanish daily Marca reported Wednesday. Sevilla, 32, was given a lifeline by the California team this year after he plunged into obscurity after being named in the Operación Puerto doping scandal in 2006. Sevilla is rumoured by Marca to be joined on the team by Francesco "Paco" Mancebo and Jose Enrique Gutierrez, both of whom were also implicated in the same scandal.

...and best news of all... the Bionic Man!

"We are very excited to showcase Floyd's Smith & Nephew hip, to play on the bionic man theme with his return," Dr. Kay told Cyclingnews. "We think it is going to set a precedent about what these joints can do."

Bossoni and Carini

Bossoni gets his due and Carini gets confirmed...

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) handed down a ban for professional cyclist Paolo Bossoni on Wednesday. A two-year ban from all cycling competition was given, taking effect the day of the hearing according to the agency's website. The former Lampre racer tested positive for EPO in a control taken in June at the elite men's road race for the Italian National Championship. He had finished sixth in the race. Also on Wednesday, CONI announced the "B" sample of Giovanni Carini was also positive. Carini had had tested positive for EPO at a control for the non-contracted elite category, which he won, at the Italian National Championships.

So the system may be working, at least if you get a good result in a National Championship. What about everyone working their way up (or down)?

Cavallari caught out

Another one bites the dust - maybe. This is either great news - as in we are catching the cheats - or a stupid waste of time and money that robs athletes of their livelihoods and reputations. You choose.

Unconfirmed but here it is - Stefano Cavallari (Acqua Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) has his A-sample returned non-negative for a prohibited substance, tuttobiciweb.it reported today. Cavallari fell foul at a surprise out-of-competition control, conducted by the UCI.

Just in case you want to think about it some more, consider that some countries (notably Italy) believe that low-pressure high altitude "oxygen tents" are unethical and thus banned. There's a good case to be made that it is so - yet many other nations and their sporting bodies see it differently. With every product there's a case pro or against - it's not black and white at all.

Sastre, Cancellara and O'Grady speculation ends

With the testing complete, the speculation stops. Kohl was the big catch, no more to come. Even F. Schleck must be considered in the clear. For now, at least.

The French anti-doping agency AFLD has concluded its re-testing of the 2008 Tour de France samples. Bernhard Kohl was the last to be caught and no other cases have been found, L'Equipe reported.

That's it from him

What a way to go. One brief moment of glory, supported by a few doses of illicit drugs. Kill your career, and your team's. Disappoint sponsors and supporters. Drag everyone down. On the bright side, we are still catching the cheats.

Team Gerolsteiner's Bernhard Kohl has confirmed that he tested positive for CERA during the Tour de France to team manager Hans-Michael Holczer. "I had a call from Bernhard Kohl and he confirmed to me that he had been told of the positive test," Holczer said. "The substance is EPO CERA."

This isn't really working, is it? Should we legalise everything and monitor only for safety? Or perhaps Greg LeMond's sealed SRM power-output monitoring idea is the way to go, rather than play constant catch-up with new variations on a theme? Make more than an incremental gain in power, you get a please explain. Too big a jump, or into the realms of fantasy, you are out.

2 years for Hernandez

Miami racer gets a nice rest: Hernandez, 42, tested positive for exogenous testosterone, an anabolic agent, which is prohibited under the USADA Protocol and the rules of the UCI. His suspension took effect September 15, 2008, the date of his acceptance. Hernandez was disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to March 2, 2008, the date his urine sample was collected at the Vuelta Independencia National, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

I guess when you are 42 you need every helper you can find - even if it's unlikely to make much (or any) difference. Then again the 22 year olds need to take some "assistance" just to get noticed. And everyone in between is under the hammer just to stay competitive. This is what you call a culture of doping. I wonder what other pro sports do to keep doping under control... something? Or nothing?

Sastre, Scleck, Cancellara and O'Grady speculation

No positives, nothing but guesswork and rumour. So it's just idle gossip, isn't it? But here we go: It was reported originally in Le Soir, and now German and Danish media are reporting that Tour podium finisher Carlos Sastre is a doping suspect. Sastre and three other CSC riders are suspected of doping in this year's Tour de France. CSC has not heard anything officially, according to their press officer. The Danish news site TV2 Sporten is reporting that the other CSC riders under suspicion are Frank Schleck, Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady.

Schleck is already under suspicion over the funds transferred to Dr Fuentes, and Cancellara (like Sastre) falls into the "didn't ride the World's" theory. Cancellara has been consistently great, although at times he has done some amazing things (like climb with the climbers or attack and bridge impossible gaps). Not sure why O'Grady's there but you never know.

Perhaps you aren't a good rider if there's no idle speculation, after all.

Who's next? Schleck, now Sastre speculation?

The suspense is killing me. There are more tests underway on those 2008 Tour samples and the only thing we know for sure is that they have already caught Ricco (twice more), Schumacher and Piepoli. What we are guessing is that there are more positives to come, and that they are likely to be riders who were in the results. We can also speculate that their behaviours will betray them. They will have become nervous and will limit their exposure by actions such as avoiding the World Championships. We can also guess that they are riders who display uncanny ability, perhaps an ability that comes and goes and is inconsistent. They will also be smart, with a lot to lose.

High on that list must be Sastre, winner of Le Tour. Now he seems a decent guy, and he was on the best team, so it didn't seem impossible that he should win. He's been consistently "up there" on GC. But never so close before. He was also supported by Frank Schleck, now tainted by a transfer of funds to Dr Fuentes. If Sastre is caught it'll be a major blow to Le Tour, but good news (in a sense) for Cadel Evans, Bernhard Kohl and Denis Menchov. It may also may help explain why CSC stopped funding Riis's team. But that's just idle gossip.

It may be that Frank Schleck is the one, given the as yet unexplained transfer of funds. Smoke and fire, y'know.

Alas, we only have this statement so far: Tour de France director, Christian Prudhomme, expects more positives to come from the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) blood testing. The Frenchman thinks there will be one or two more riders, according to Reuters.

We shall see.

Piepoli and Schumacher - positive is so negative

According to unconfirmed reports, Leonardo Piepoli - who had seemingly admitted and then denied doping - has tested positive at the 2008 TdF to CERA. No surprise there, really. More surprising, perhaps - although many would have found it easy to believe at the time, when he seemed to be riding out of his skin - is Stefan Schumacher, positive in the same way. Funny how those unbelievable results turn out to be so - umm, unbelievable?

The German who rides for Holczer's soon to be defunct Gerolsteiner team won both of the time trials in this year's Tour, taking the yellow jersey after his win on stage four and holding it for two days before crashing during the sprint into Super Besse on stage six. His second win came on stage 20 where he beat world champion Fabian Cancellara.

I trust we can rely on at least some of our 'unbelievable' riders. Those that are consistently amazing, like Cancellara for example, draw less suspicion for their performances. Let's hope that trust is repaid. (Alternatively, if it's not working anyway - let's just ditch this 'detection and punishment' model completely and be fair to everyone.)

Armstrong states his case

And he's certainly entitled to defend himself. He hasn't been found to have taken performance enhancing drugs, although there was one incident for which he had a valid medical certificate (that was the case, yes?). And he's right, during his amazing, astounding and incredible 7-year streak not one of his able domestiques was caught out in a drug test.

OTOH many of these teammates - admittedly not all - have fallen foul, some quite spectacularly, since. And there is reasonable wonder at the 1999 "questions" raised, and wonder again surrounding how almost all of his competitive contemporaries have variously been shown to have been "enhanced", yet remained unable to beat The Boss. We just have to trust the man, as he is sticking to his guns.

"The last time I checked I won the tour seven straight years and was never once found to be guilty of doping despite seven years of intense scrutiny," said Armstrong in response through his spokesperson Mark Higgins. "Not to mention that my team of 25 riders over those seven years was also never found to be positive. We won clean and fair. Also, according to industry standards, TV ratings, worldwide media impressions, spectators along the route, and global sponsorships were at an all time high. Where's the embarrassment in that?"

Vino to come back? Oh pleeeeease no

Well, he was a very popular rider for his attacking style, and he certainly would wish to come back and end things on a better note... but... surely not? Blood doper one day, retired the next. A potential 2-year ban left in limbo... just one year served. And he's how old? 35? Well if Armstrong can do it...

Alexander Vinokourov is planning to return to the peloton in 2009. "I think I have my place at Astana," he said in an interview with the Belgian TV show Sportweekend, to be broadcast Sunday evening. The Kazakh rider this summer finished a one-year suspension for blood doping, after testing positive at the Tour de France 2007.

Or can he?

Do I smell smoke?

The speculation just keeps growing. It's been bubbling away since Le Tour ended... then died a bit as we got on with life. However the Schleck family saga has played a part in re-igniting interest. You know, the father's car was inspected, then months later son Frank is implicated (without proof, as yet) in Operation Puerto. And now we all wonder, who are these masked men? And will they be unmasked in 2 weeks or so?

Anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, who runs an independent testing system for the Team CSC-Saxo Bank and Astana teams, noted in July that he felt the EPO use in the peloton had not been adequately dealt with. After examining the data from several tests which had been declared negative by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratories, he said the agency was "sitting on a mountain of EPO positives".