Now Ricco gets busted for EPO
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Surprise SurpriseRiccardo Ricco, who tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO on the Tour de France, denies any wrongdoing, a French prosecutor said today.
The 24-year-old Italian left the race with his Saunier Duval team when the results of his test were announced today and was taken into custody.
"He has been in custody since 2pm at the gendarmerie of Mirepoix. He is calm for the moment. He will be presented before the investigating judge on Friday and could be put under official investigation," said the prosecutor.
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I love the way in pro cycling that "calm" and "prepared" are such loaded words. In my childhood they were the two key attributes of a decent boy scout.
ps - Millar speaks out:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/to ... /jul18news0 -
Doobz wrote:Surprise SurpriseRiccardo Ricco, who tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO on the Tour de France, denies any wrongdoing, a French prosecutor said today.
The 24-year-old Italian left the race with his Saunier Duval team when the results of his test were announced today and was taken into custody.
"He has been in custody since 2pm at the gendarmerie of Mirepoix. He is calm for the moment. He will be presented before the investigating judge on Friday and could be put under official investigation," said the prosecutor.
He'll probably claim that he's being persecuted by The Man, just like his hero.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Is not the fact that there already is a test for this new drug pretty sensational news in the sports world ? The drug is very new, but the newly developed test for it was so secret that not even the UCI's doping consultants seemed to know about it.
With the Olympics so close, are there not a few athletes with shorts now the same colour as Tom Poonen's last year ?
There must be a few dodgy doctors wondering what to do with the brown envelopes of money they have received for 'preparing' their clients...only for them all to get caught.
And yes, I hate the use of the word 'tranquil' and 'calm' all the time too....bet Ricco's bricking it really.0 -
Some good stuff from Bjarne Riis on the ITV podcast. "I was as surprised as you were".0
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if it really is the case that WADA have stolen a march on the cheats, then this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to rid the sport of a huge swathe of dopers in one fell swoop. They need to start at the top of the GC and take samples from every rider til they run out of cups to p*ss into.Le Blaireau (1)0
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The various jungle drums are hinting that Frank Schlecks' got a lovely big ASO bullseye on his nice, new Saxo Bank shirt........."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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He's been tested at this Tour already, right?Le Blaireau (1)0
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I have read (not officially) that Ricco tested positive on stage 4 (time trial). Given the week lag of this and the Beltran case does this suggest that there will be more cases to come than might otherwise be thought? Why has it taken so long? Have they deliberately held back the results to make sure lots of people are tested before they know there are positives coming through?0
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So many of you so sad and disallusioned :P , his rides were unbelievable and supernatural surely you pundits are smart enought to be skeptical of such feats.
To me if something seems to be to good to be true (or natural) it generaly is.
Good to see the back of him, good to see that the tour is finally making an effort to get clean. Wonder how Ricco will enjoy staying in the french prisons?> :twisted:0 -
Hey Ricco!?
What's French for Bubba?!Dave Van Der Thourenhout. Legend.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuse ... apped=true0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:The various jungle drums are hinting that Frank Schlecks' got a lovely big ASO bullseye on his nice, new Saxo Bank shirt.........
He was on a list of riders that had been 'randomly' tested more than once, mentioned in Daniel Friebe's blog last Sunday - so he'd probably been tested by stage 4.
The others mentioned were Cancellara, Ballan, Pereiro and Cunego (and Ricco, of course)
http://www.bikeradar.com/blogs/article/blog-riccs-tests-and-other-tour-funny-business-17510Twitter: @RichN950 -
I think you are both talking about certain types of trials in theoretical circumstances. I don’t think all trials involve a placebo, so consequently code numbers about placebo or real product don’t come into play. Also, I think you over-estimate the involvement of an independent authority.OffTheBackAdam wrote:
That's done by allocating each patient a specific code number, that neither patient nor the triallists know relates to the active or control/placebo group until the trial is completed and the code is revealed by an independant authority.leguape wrote:Given that in any medical trial which is done blind you are going to need to be able to identify which patients have been given the test dose and who has been given the placebo,
Products used in clinical trials are very closely monitored by the companies involved, … the records kept are closely scrutinised, so it'd be very difficult to have any syphoned off for non-trial reasons.
My impression* is that trials aren’t closely monitored by the companies involved, rather the companies rely on the doctor involved as point of information when it comes to reporting data like alterations in blood make-up against dosage of any test drug. He is also responsible for confidentiality. Both mean a lot is left to his integrity.
(* my impression is based on when my wife took part for over two years in trials for a drug not yet on the market.)0 -
I think we may be in for an interesting few days . Only results up to stage 4 released so far ?The UCI are Clowns and Fools0
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I feel pretty sure Cavendish is clean, I just wonder ...Robmanic1 wrote:If Cav gets pinched I'm quitting - end of!
- how Cav ever managed to appear top potential a few years ago when he was apparently 15 kilo heavier than now, and how he then managed to lose the weight (I have enormous difficulty losing the 5 kilo I’ve put on the last two years)
- why his attitude to Sinkewitz was something like "Why can't he just serve his sentence? With his evidence he just causes trouble; he won't be welcome in the peloton again". Those statements sound like a milder version of what LA might have said.0 -
I think this might explain why Saunier Duval left, they got wind that Piepoli and Cobo were going to be rumbled.Squaggles wrote:I think we may be in for an interesting few days . Only results up to stage 4 released so far ?
Like others, I am interested to see what happens to Frank Schleck. I'm also keen to see what happens to surprising talents like Nibali and Kreuziger, given they are team mates of Beltran.0 -
I would assume that Hautcam is going to prove these guy's Waterloo. I suspect the reason Liquigas and BW were not booted, is to catch other cheats within the squads, using this test they knew nothing about.
SD pulled too late. In about a week, we should be getting further positives, after the Pyrennean stages.
The teams with the most to lose must be CSC and the others with their doctored medical programmes. If any of them turn in a positive, the clean house of cards comes tumbling down."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:
The teams with the most to lose must be CSC and the others with their doctored medical programmes. If any of them turn in a positive, the clean house of cards comes tumbling down.
These drugs and the tests for them are so cutting edge there is no way team's internal testing programme would find them, no ?0 -
no according to one of the posts a few pages back theyve been working with the drug manufacturers to develop the tests as the drugs are developed, so the teams may not even be aware of the drugs let alone a test for them...dont knock on death\'s door.....
Ring the bell and leg it...that really pi**es him off....0 -
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le patron wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:
The teams with the most to lose must be CSC and the others with their doctored medical programmes. If any of them turn in a positive, the clean house of cards comes tumbling down.
These drugs and the tests for them are so cutting edge there is no way team's internal testing programme would find them, no ?
If true, kind of makes their "holier than thou" attitude a bit redundant. As they already know these products exist, it also makes any finger pointing, hypocritical."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:If true, kind of makes their "holier than thou" attitude a bit redundant. As they already know these products exist, it also makes any finger pointing, hypocritical.
The AFLD looked at the blood test results and then decided to target test. That is much the same as Damsgaards technique. If he's to be trusted and does what it says on the tin, those same blood profile oddities which raised interest for the AFLD should show up in his testing.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Yes, Riis said as much on the ITV podcast last night. He said their programme would pick Mircera up.Le Blaireau (1)0
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iainf72 wrote:
The AFLD looked at the blood test results and then decided to target test. That is much the same as Damsgaards technique. If he's to be trusted and does what it says on the tin, those same blood profile oddities which raised interest for the AFLD should show up in his testing.DaveyL wrote:Yes, Riis said as much on the ITV podcast last night. He said their programme would pick Mircera up.
I came on to post this is good news, but then thought, What on Earth are the UCI on about, if one of their independent experts says no valid test exists? :?
Is this another case of the UCI burying their heads in the sand?
Also, How, come it seems Canc and the Schlecks have been targetted, or indeed, have they?
After all, they weren't at the Giro.
All very confusing."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:
I came on to post this is good news, but then thought, What on Earth are the UCI on about, if one of their independent experts says no valid test exists? :?
Is this another case of the UCI burying their heads in the sand?
Also, How, come it seems Canc and the Schlecks have been targetted, or indeed, have they?
After all, they weren't at the Giro.
All very confusing.
Who's that then?Le Blaireau (1)0 -
Sounds like Saunier are gone for good.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
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Article in CN's, yesterday. I post the bit where he says there's no test and who he is:-
Professor Michel Audran is one of the world's leading experts on blood doping. He is also one of nine independent experts chosen to act as consultants in the formulation of the UCI's biological passport.
Daniel Friebe: In the last twenty minutes we've heard that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO-like product. The early reports suggest that Riccò used CERA or Micera, a so-called third generation EPO. What's your reaction?
Michel Audran: Wow. I'm stunned. I'm amazed they're saying it's Micera, simply because there's no validated test for that yet. The World Anti-Doping Agency is working on a test, but it certainly doesn't exist yet."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Makes you wonder how deep the problem is at SD. Surely Ricco hasn't single handedly brought it all down?0
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He's not really independent if he's one of the UCI's, is he?
But I don't think he has any affiliation to the UCI, sounds more like an expert in the area of blood-doping who the UCI have used as an advisor. WADA could have developed and validated this test very much on the quiet, and even if this guy is an expert, if he's not involved with the project there's a fair chance he may not have known about it.
He might also have been the first guy Daniel could get hold of yesterday...
Le Blaireau (1)0 -
Looks like it. The team has had the worst reputation in the bunch, I read a quote somewhere saying "they're worse than Astana, if only because their [doping] system isn't as professional". :shock: They've been all over some races, for example the Vuelta Pais Vasco last year, the Giro this year and more.skavanagh.bikeradar wrote:Makes you wonder how deep the problem is at SD. Surely Ricco hasn't single handedly brought it all down?
Anyway, one thing worth remembering is that the B-sample hasn't been tested. In any other sport, the publicity only arrives after the rider confesses after the A-test, or when the subsequent B-test reveals a positive test for a banned substance. It's possible that the team could fold before the B-sample is tested.
Compare this instant justice to the recent Uefa Euro tournament where Uefa issued a press release to say they were not even going to test for EPO :?0
