Armstrong team given special treatment by UCI during Tour
A report charges that Lance Armstrong’s Astana cycling team was given “special treatment” by the International Cycling Union (UCI) during this year’s Tour de France.
|Last Updated: Oct 05, 2009, 05:26 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Paris: A report charges that Lance Armstrong’s Astana cycling team was given “special treatment” by the International Cycling Union (UCI) during this year’s Tour de France, the online edition of the daily Le Monde said Monday.
The daily cites a report drawn up by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) about the way doping tests were administered during the three-week race, in which Armstrong finished third. His Astana teammate Alberto Contador won the race.
According to the 10-page report, Astana riders were given “the latest morning doping tests” and did not respect the requirement to present themselves immediately to AFLD testers on at least one occasion.
This followed the intervention of UCI inspectors, who refused the presence of AFLD escorts, the report charges. As a result, there was a 45-minute delay between the arrival of the inspectors and the time the riders made themselves available for the tests.“Such a tolerance, accorded without veritable justification... does not allow, in the absence of escorts, to ensure the perfect regularity of the procedure, notably that no manipulation was carried out,” the AFLD report states.
In addition, blood tests of Astana riders scheduled for July 25 were not carried out because the UCI inspectors underestimated the time it took the riders to reach their hotel, the report says.
The report further notes that to help carry out tests in the run-up to the Tour de France, the UCI provided information to the AFLD about the whereabouts of all the teams, except for Astana.“A withholding of information that is not in the spirit of the fight against doping,” the report declares.
There were no doping positives during this year’s Tour, which led many experts to conclude that riders were using new doping substances for which tests have not been established.
AFLD head Pierre Bordry told Le Monde after the race ended that he was convinced that “two new products were used during the Tour, two substances not yet on the market.”
The two drug are believed to be hematide, a third-generation blood-doping substance similar to EPO, and Aicar, which aids in the transformation of fats into energy.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.