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Oh hell.
The three riders who produced ‘non-negative’ results during the three-week Giro d’Italia were Spaniard Iban Mayo and Italians Alessandro Petacchi and Leonardo Piepoli. For the Spaniard from the Basque country, winner of stage 19 to Comano Terme, the urine sample tested produced high levels of testosterone.
Source: cyclingnews.com
I’d say something like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, but all I hear is the thunder of dropped shoes.
Traces of drugs were found in the urine samples taken from three stage winners at this year’s Giro d’Italia, the Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Thursday.
The paper said sprinter Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) and climber Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) tested positive for Salbutamol, a substance primarily used to treat asthma, and Piepoli’s teammate Iban Mayo showed signs of an elevated testosterone level.
Salbutamol is a banned substance, but riders with asthma may use it to certain levels if they possess a medical certificate.
Source: velonews.com
Mayo took stage 19, Piepoli stage 10. And Petacchi took five stages; 3, 7, 11, 18 and 21.
And these are the three guys with non-negatives? I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or start drinking. I’m leaning towards the latter.
It appears Mayo, at least, will weather the storm.
I’ll not be drinking before noon today.
The UCI has noted press reports about three purportedly abnormal analysis results linked to the last Giro d’Italia. While regretting the premature publication of this news item, the UCI wishes to clarify the following points.
No breach of the UCI antidoping rules was committed by the Spanish rider Iban Mayo of the Saunier Duval team. A further examination conducted by IRMS has enabled any possibility of testosterone administration to be ruled out. This further analysis was requested by the UCI following the notification by the Rome laboratory of a T/E value in excess of the norm laid down in the rules; that finding made further examinations necessary. The history of this particular case shows the vital need to await the closure of the relevant investigations before reaching conclusions.
In the other cases, the analyses requested by the UCI are still in progress.
Source: velonews.com
Salbutamol must really be the shit, as many guys get caught using it.
(-edit) I mean to say, as many guys who get caught up using it at the dope control. They always seem to have issues with exercise induced asthma, suffer from seasonal allergies and have a medical certificate allowing its use. I’m sure this will work out the same way (-end edit)
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Mayo had IRMS (analysis of isotopic ratios of Carbon) done on his testosterone in the Giro and it is all his own testosterone. The IRMS would have detected exogenous testosterone, and it didn’t.
Piepoli and Pettachi have permission to use the allergy drug.
I don’t think these are positives based on the news reports.
Of much more value are their baseline and longitudinal blood profiles. That is the thing that really, really matters in cycling. It’s how T-Mobile gave Honchar the boot. It’s what CSC, T-Mobile and a few US teams are doing now. It’s the test that matters.