Rebellin failed Olympic drug test
Eurosport - Wed, 29 Apr 13:51:00 2009
Cycling road race silver medallist Davide Rebellin has failed a drugs test from the Beijing Games, CONI said.
The 37-year-old is the latest in a string of Italian cyclists to test positive in recent years and is so far the most high profile name from last August's Olympics to be caught up in a doping saga.
"The president (of CONI's anti-doping tribunal) has suspended Rebellin from all competitive activity," a CONI statement said.
His Diquigiovanni team have also suspended him temporarily.
The IOC said on Tuesday it had discovered seven more positive drugs results from re-testing samples taken at the Games, stemming from six athletes.
All of them tested positive for CERA, the new generation of banned blood-booster EPO.
An IOC official said the positive tests were all A samples.
CONI said late on Tuesday that an Italian athlete was involved and confirmed it was Rebellin on Wednesday.
CONI's anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri, who gave two-year bans to Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli for testing positive for CERA at last year's Tour de France, has summoned Rebellin to a hearing on May 4.
Rebellin's wife and agent Selina Martinello said her husband, who won Belgium's Fleche Wallone classic for the third time earlier this month, was innocent.
"Davide has not done anything. Now we must stay calm in the light of this incredible development," she told Gazzetta dello Sport's website.
"We have sent off the request for the analysis of a B sample. We will go on until the end."
Rebellin finished behind Spain's Samuel Sanchez in Beijing and in front of bronze medallist Fabian Cancellara and Russia's Alexander Kolobnev in fourth.
The latest round of Beijing sample re-testing, which began in January, focused primarily on endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics, the IOC said.
The IOC stores samples for eight years to allow re-testing once new methods of detecting banned substances are developed.
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Comment 8 - 27 of 27
To glen.shackel :'So the UCI did it then did they? I am mistaken then. I thought these tests were not carried out by an "official" body.... Get my hint there?
I do suspect though that if they were "officially" tested now, they would find something banned now, but not back then & that would do Armstrongs chairty & probable politcal career no favours.'
No it was done by an independant lab. and what they found was, as always, EPO (and not other products), using techniques that did not exist back then when he won his first tdf.
So, at the time he was sure not to get caught (and he wasn't) as they was no way to find it.
That is why, it would be intesesting to test the remaing samples but protocole of UCI does not force Armstrong to do it. Therefore my argument : if he is innocent he has nothing to fear, has he ? So, why doesn't he do it, then instead of using pussyfooting arguments (how were the samples stocked, are we sure that such old samples can be properly tested... and all other nonsense arguments that fool nobody)
That is my bottom line.
valjean, "That was done around the official protocole and was published by L'équipe about 2 years ago." So the UCI did it then did they? I am mistaken then. I thought these tests were not carried out by an "official" body.... Get my hint there?
I do suspect though that if they were "officially" tested now, they would find something banned now, but not back then & that would do Armstrongs chairty & probable politcal career no favours.
valjeanj65, wow that is a lot of text.
to glen.shackel'Arms... (not mentioning his name) has tested positive has he? Hmmm but is he not riding the Giro & Tour? I thought those failing officially sanctioned tests were banned? "Allegedly" positive is often the term used in the absence of proof. Don't get me wrong, I am no Arms... devotee, I simply need offically sanctioned failed tests before condemning someone. Which I will do should that ever happen!'
It looks like you are not closely following cycling, nothing wrong - just what I assume from your mail. Else, you'd know that one of Armstrong blood sample from his first tdf was analysed and found positive. That was done around the official protocole and was published by L'équipe about 2 years ago.
Bottom line is that legal rules in place can't force him to test the remaining samples.
Since that Armstrong has been refusing to re-test those remaining samples pussyfooting around and using the legal context. And you can see in load of cycling forums people like you with blinkers who are satisfied with that situation and the attitude 'Not taken/not culprit' especially about Armstrong.
I, and a lot of people, are not happy with that. And yes my message is related to all doping accidents (Schumacher, rebellin..) as my belief is that most of top riders do use drugs that existing doping controls CANNOT detect, & not for a long time.
I would love to be proven wrong, believe me, as I love that sport (I have been following on TV all the spring classics, all the tours since I was 7 - spending hours every afternoon watching the tdf stages) and I would love, as I very much admire Armstrong, that he would accept the dares of his critics and go ahead with the testing of those samples, and that those samples go clean.
That 'd really bring a very much needed shedload of credibility back into that sport and fresh air. After all if is he clean, he has nothing to fear, has he ?
Else, what ? Tod
Big shame about Rebellin, always admired him, i hope he can prove his innocence. Haussler only won on occasion when at Gerolsteiner and was never really on the 'A team' doing races like the Tour, but is doing much better at Cervelo, so i think he can quite rightly claim an unblemished record. Holzer on the other hand, another Manager 'shocked, disappointed,dissillusioned etc etc'. He should add 'head in the sand' to the list.
Gerolsteiner connection? - Scumacher, Kohl, Rebellin....Haussler next?
Thats right vindetable. Its about Rebellin testing positive. I can't understand why people always have to reference back to Armstrong and Contador, if someone is a best then he use doping. Good bye Rebellin
Thats right vindetable. Its about Rebellin testing positive. I can't understand why people always have to reference back to Armstrong!!
valjeanj65, Arms... (not mentioning his name) has tested positive has he? Hmmm but is he not riding the Giro & Tour? I thought those failing officially sanctioned tests were banned? "Allegedly" positive is often the term used in the absence of proof. Don't get me wrong, I am no Arms... devotee, I simply need offically sanctioned failed tests before condemning someone. Which I will do should that ever happen!
Oh dear, oh dear. I understand the reason for the delayed revelation (new testing techniques being applied retrospectively), but all of this now coming hot on the heels of his Fleche Wallone victory just increases my sense that we're watching (at professional level) a 'sport' which is about as authentic as WWF Wrestling. We think we know who's won or podium-ed or whatever, but we have to wait months/years to see if enhanced testing will discredit the performances. Maybe if prize money was paid or medals given out three years in arrears - after the testing has 'caught up' and we know who should be disqualified?!
OUCH! This one stings a little too deep. What can be done to stop this? Here I'm thinking cycling is turning a corner with all their shiny rhetoric. I'm starting to see the clarity in the absurdity of life bans some of you have talked about.
p.s. Pls, for once! The article is about Rebellin NOT Armstrong.
Why so long for the retests?Not only did it allow him to get a new team but it also allowed him to cheat other riders (and fans and sponsers who keep the sport going) out of all the races hes won since and particularly fleche wallonne......He should have been out of the sport before the season began......cheating b*#tard......feel bad for andy schleck for his glory being taken away by the same athlete in 2 big big races.....he missed an olympic medal and he missed standing on the top step of the podium at fleche wallonne
To glen.shackel
If Armstrong is such a clean little saint, why does he systematically refuse to have his blood samples from his first Tour de France re-tested then.
Things would be so simple.
Doesn't that make him a tad suspicious ? After all, one of them was found positive, that is a simple basic fact and you can hankypank and pussyfoot around as much as you want, you cannot deny that - you who likes facts so much.
hh
when we talk: "if only they could catch armstrong...all his predecessors and contemporaries have either failed or made it known they had used epo etc." Please can we stop the Armstrong bashing each time someone OTHER THAN ARMSTRONG tests positive!!!
at his age he should know better ban him for life and keep all sports clear of these cheats.
if only they could catch armstrong...all his predecessors and contemporaries have either failed or made it known they had used epo etc.
Just ban them for life & let's have no more pusseyfooting around We need a clean even playing field so we can believe in our heroes.
Rebellin the Rebel-in Doping__if you believe that all others take doping__is it honest to use the same weapon?, if you look back you find that the most main players(winners)in cycling has come in the nieuws of doping..even if your a nice honest guy on a moment you feel that is a fight with equal weapon__it's a shame re-bellesimo.
In terms of the time delay, it says this positive test is as a result of re-testing so I guess the test was carried out fairly recently. Unless I misred the article.
I assume there must be a different test that picks up CERA that was used this time?
Rebellin is one of my favorites. Such a shame. He must not be too bright though because CERA leaves that engineered marker behind that allowed Ricco, Piepoli, Kohl and Schummy to get nailed. Maybe it had not cleared his system by the time he rode in the games. I agree with the old guard comment, maybe that is just the way he was "raised".
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