A familiar tale (sorry, more drugs)
From cyclingnews.com today (31 May 2007):
"After the announcement of his positive A sample from the first stage doping test during the Giro de Trentino, Aketza Pe¤a (Euskaltel Euskadi) had to abandon the Giro d'Italia and to take a flight to Bilbao in order to provide an explanation to his team.
"For me, the notice was an enormous surprise," said Pe¤a. "I was riding my first Giro d'Italia, very focused on the race, and suddenly this notice arrived. I don't find any explanation. I undertook the same preparation as in other occasions before a competition."
The 26-year old said that he is "devastated, but now my defense has to begin. I will address myself to my Association in order to get some advice. The first step will be to demand a counter-analysis. I have got five workdays to exercise this right. Tomorrow I will start."
Asked about if he remembers the day when the sample was taken, he answered, "The stage was very hard. It was a day with a lot of mountains, typically for the area of Trentino. The climatic conditions were quite adverse, with a lot of heat, and I reached the finish line completely dehydrated, I even had agues."
Nevertheless, he understands "that the team followed the norms of the UCI." Euskaltel Euskadi has suspended Pe¤a until the affair is officially cleared."
You'd think that pro cyclists would be able to come up with better stories by now. Perhaps we should start a "doping bingo" where we mark off a game card for familiar themes e.g. using the word "prepared", mountain stages, totally shocked, Spanish team, stenuous denial, etc, etc. Next he'll be trying to cite the barman who served him whisky as a witness. [}:)][;)]
"After the announcement of his positive A sample from the first stage doping test during the Giro de Trentino, Aketza Pe¤a (Euskaltel Euskadi) had to abandon the Giro d'Italia and to take a flight to Bilbao in order to provide an explanation to his team.
"For me, the notice was an enormous surprise," said Pe¤a. "I was riding my first Giro d'Italia, very focused on the race, and suddenly this notice arrived. I don't find any explanation. I undertook the same preparation as in other occasions before a competition."
The 26-year old said that he is "devastated, but now my defense has to begin. I will address myself to my Association in order to get some advice. The first step will be to demand a counter-analysis. I have got five workdays to exercise this right. Tomorrow I will start."
Asked about if he remembers the day when the sample was taken, he answered, "The stage was very hard. It was a day with a lot of mountains, typically for the area of Trentino. The climatic conditions were quite adverse, with a lot of heat, and I reached the finish line completely dehydrated, I even had agues."
Nevertheless, he understands "that the team followed the norms of the UCI." Euskaltel Euskadi has suspended Pe¤a until the affair is officially cleared."
You'd think that pro cyclists would be able to come up with better stories by now. Perhaps we should start a "doping bingo" where we mark off a game card for familiar themes e.g. using the word "prepared", mountain stages, totally shocked, Spanish team, stenuous denial, etc, etc. Next he'll be trying to cite the barman who served him whisky as a witness. [}:)][;)]
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Comments
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Nandrolone, innit? Couple of years ago you'd test positive from various contaminated food supplements.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/ ... s-olympics
Not sure if it's still the case.
Doesn't matter because with WADA's strict liability clause he will face a 2 year ban.0 -
Are Euskatel not highly suspicious. I mean they are like Phonak with a biannual doping scandal- only they don't have the profile and no one really pays much attention.
The old team doc Jesus Losa was the guy who supplied Millar with EPO I think....
Mind you credit to Euskatel they have fielded some of the most original excuses yet:
@Oh I did not realise those boiled sweets my Gran sent from Peru were contaminated etc@[;)][xx(]0 -
If he'd ridden for CSC or T-Mobile the team would have known about his elevated levels ahead of the authorities, presumably.
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<font size="1">"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."
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<font>"I\'ll do what I can to help y\'all. But the game\'s out there, and it\'s play or get played. That simple."
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Mr Bumble</i>
The old team doc Jesus Losa was the guy who supplied Millar with EPO I think....
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
He was certainly linked with Millar. My recollection is that Iban Mayo turned from Lance pounding mountain goat to being barely able to hang with the average climbers almost immediately after the doctor was dismissed by Euskatel.
Take care,
Steve.Take care,
Steve.0
