Armstrong violated doping rules

Eurosport - Fri, 10 Apr 21:07:00 2009

Lance Armstrong violated anti-doping rules during a random test in Southern France, according to the French Anti-Doping Agency.

CYCLING, lance armstrong - 0

The seven-times Tour de France champion "did not respect the obligation to stay under (the) direct and permanent observation" of the tester, the AFLD stated.

The 37-year-old American, who returned to the sport in January after three and half years of retirement, denied any wrongdoing on Tuesday.

Armstrong was asked to provide urine, blood and hair samples when returning from a training ride around Beaulieu-sur-Mer last month.

"In a letter sent to the Agency on April 8, UCI president Pat McQuaid said an interpretation of the World Anti-Doping code and UCI anti-doping rules confers the AFLD the right to open a disciplinary procedure against Lance Armstrong," the statement read.

"The AFLD is competent to impose disciplinary sanctions to people who do not hold a French licence but train on the national territory."

Any sanction imposed on Armstrong would be valid on French territory only.

Armstrong is set to ride the Tour de France, which starts in Monaco on July 4.

In a statement on Tuesday, Armstrong explained: "We told the tester we wanted to check with the UCI to confirm who he was and to make sure he wasn't just some French guy with a backpack and some equipment to take my blood and urine.

"Johan (Bruyneel, Astana team manager) stayed with him and in his presence called the UCI to find out what was going on.

"We asked if it was okay for me to run inside and shower while they made their calls and the tester said that was fine."

Armstrong has had a difficult relationship with Tour organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, who said last year the 37-year-old's return to the race would be "embarrassing".

In 2005, French sports daily L'Equipe, owned by ASO's parent company Editions Philippe Amaury, claimed samples of Armstrong's urine from the 1999 race showed traces of the banned blood-boosting substance erythropoietin.

However, Armstrong never tested positive and was cleared by a Dutch investigator appointed by UCI.

AFLD president Pierre Bordry last year invited Armstrong to have his 1999 samples retested but the Texan declined, arguing they could have been compromised.

Reuters

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  1. This will change nothing for Armstrong and his Global­ Fight Agaisnst Cancer. Sure he will be disappointed­ that he won't be able to take his message to France­ one of the most unhealthy modern country's. So, He­ will just have to adjust his schedule and take his­ message to country he can reach.

    From chad, on Sat 11 Apr 11:01PM

  2. You have a valid point coolcucumber2, but presumably­ straight after a ride you don't confront­ 'trigger happy' French drug testing officials­ who would just love to ban you from a race that means­ the world for you, and that disappearing out of their­ sight will be recorded in their file­ as:
    '
    "Disappeared from sight for 10 mins­ immediately after I asked for samples"
    '
    Lance­ unplugged his brain for a few minutes, that's for­ certain.

    From p, on Sat 11 Apr 10:33AM

  3. 1. Why do you say they hate the Yanks? What makes/made­ them hate the Yanks?

    2. That particular Yank cheated­ year after year after year. He took advantage of the­ rules and his doctors and lawyers have been better than­ his legs. Why don't you accept the plain truth?

    From ernestofranz, on Sat 11 Apr 10:17AM

  4. 1. Why do you say they hate the Yanks? What makes/made­ them hate the Yanks?

    2. That particular Yank cheated­ year after year after year. He took advantage of the­ rules and his doctors and lawyers have been better than­ his legs. Why don't you accept the plain truth?

    From ernestofranz, on Sat 11 Apr 10:17AM

  5. Tour de France would be fantastic - if only it­ wasn't in France. Yeah - I said it. Why you all so­ scared to admit the truth .... they hate Yanks, and the­ fact that a Yank pasted them year after year ! (and no­ - I am not a Yank)

    From ffogil, on Sat 11 Apr 5:15AM

  6. If I just came back for a hard day of training, I would­ want to take a shower as well instead of sweating all­ over my furniture, tables, tiles, glasses and anything­ else I touch.

    From coolcucumber2, on Fri 10 Apr 8:50PM

  7. He's one of the most tested guy on the planet so he­ knows the routine better than everyone, he knows he has­ to be 'purer than pure' in the run up to the­ TdF, he knows that every tester and the regulatory­ bodies are hyper-sensitive in handling him, he knows­ that disappearing from the tester's sight would­ raise concern...
    '
    ... So he finds 15 minutes of­ extra body odour so intolerable that he disappears to­ take a shower!
    '
    I really admire the guy and even a­ top 10 finish will be fantastic, but he wasn't­ thinking on that day in question (hell, losing Ullrich­ the day before the 2007 TdF due to Operation Puerto was­ bad enough).

    From p, on Fri 10 Apr 5:52PM

  8. I think that they have to remove the Greatest race (the­ TOUR)from France and place it somwhere else on the­ planet becuse the French gyus they make it look so ugly­ already with all the the @#$% about Lance and other­ great cyclist.Good luck to all of you guys at this year­ Tour de ......?Any suggestions?

    From ggtriatlet, on Fri 10 Apr 5:45PM

  9. I beg your pardon!
    Actually Basso ( Ivan that is, not­ Marino ) was never tested positive.
    His " sin­ " was entirely different.
    Anyone knows the exact­ terms of the case?

    From ernestofranz, on Fri 10 Apr 5:13PM

  10. It was not me blaming the French.
    So who is racist?

    From ernestofranz, on Fri 10 Apr 5:11PM

  11. HC I believe you are afraid of the truth. ernestofranz­ if all of your arguments fail play the race card. What­ does this say about you.

    From chad, on Fri 10 Apr 4:57PM

  12. Did Basso and Millar test positive? Did Ulrich test­ positive, wake up and stop living in planet fantasy!­ Armstrong is a very clever joke in a very iffy team

    From runeii1971, on Fri 10 Apr 3:38PM

  13. David Stuart 37 cannot contemplate that he may be wrong­ because he is Anglo Saxon and they are right by­ definition.

    From ernestofranz, on Fri 10 Apr 3:36PM

  14. The French just won't give up .
    As for the 1999­ samples no athlete would want to be tested on 10 year­ old samples that have been kept in someones fridge­ probably.

    From david.stuart37, on Fri 10 Apr 12:40PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    "AFLD president Pierre Bordry last year invited­ Armstrong to have his 1999 samples retested but the­ Texan declined, arguing they could have been­ compromised."

    SCARED of the Truth are you???

    From H C, on Fri 10 Apr 12:22PM

  16. I think the situation should be quite straightforward.­ In the case of all doping control procedures the­ participants (controllers, athletes and witnesses) sign­ the official record of the control. Everything that is­ in the record has to be considered as something that­ eventually taken place, or true, or valid, while­ anything that is off-record, that is not in the record,­ has to be considered as it never existed or completely­ irrelevant. If the report (that was signed by the­ contorller) states that nothing extraordinary happened­ during the control, then anything else he may claim­ afterwards that contradicts the record is just­ pointless and plain bulls%*t.

    From merkadam, on Fri 10 Apr 11:30AM

  17. Someone tell me how, that if Lance was doing any type­ of drug whatsoever, that he has never been tested as­ positive considering how many times he is and has been­ tested over the years, and how come lots of other­ cyclists have been tested positive. Oh yes I forgot,­ Lance is an alien.......well that theory is just about­ as realistic as Lance doing drugs. The French are­ pathetic, they cant just congratulate someone on being­ a super athlete they just have to try and knock them­ down...I am glad Lance is the person he is as he wont­ sink to the levels that the French do. I will be in­ France supporting Lance at the Tour and I hope he­ thrashes all the other athletes and proves that once­ again his win will be based on hard work, effort, lots­ of training and sheer determination. For those who are­ true Lance fans all I have to say is "yellow is­ the reason" !!

    From s.formstone, on Fri 10 Apr 11:23AM

  18. I know the hype around LA is crass and yes I wish­ Boasson Hagen's win or the spring classics were­ dominating the back pages. However at a time when­ sponsorhip is drying up record attendances (Tour Down­ Under) and whay positive media coverage there has been­ around LA is good business for the sport and will­ hopefully help teams and races to secure their futures.­ I think this is quite cynical by the French authorities­ and I doubt if they would have been as quick to leak­ and submit a report about an obscure domestique for a­ minor team. Like most I have my doubts about LA but­ innocent until proven guilty must be the line because­ otherwise every pro cyclist becomes questionable and as­ with the Festina and Op Puerto years our sport becomes­ a laughing stock.

    From ciaran.mcquillan, on Fri 10 Apr 10:56AM

  19. Taking a shower is alien to many French people - a­ friend with a house in France says one time the water­ went off for 3 days and the French never noticed!

    From Bikefan, on Fri 10 Apr 8:27AM

  20. What do these morons think he's doing in the loo?­ Strap himself to a blood swapping machine, cycle out­ all the EPO and put in some pure virgin blood? Or­ exchange places with a clone that was hidden in the­ bathtub ready for just such unannounced visits? The guy­ just came back from a long workout for God sake! The­ last time I checked, taking a shower after a long ride­ isn't a crime. That's unless these French­ geniuses know something I don't. Or maybe the­ French find showering such an abomination and unholy­ act that it needs to be stopped lest the whole bleeding­ world would come to an end.

    From cavemanleong, on Fri 10 Apr 7:46AM
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