By Leigh Penman

Recent news reports have intimated that doping samples collected from athletes during the Olympic Games, held in Beijing this summer, are due to be retested. The reason for this action is the discovery of a new performance-enhancing drug which may have flown under the radar in previous tests.

The new drug is being referred to as CERA, or Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator and it was recently discovered in the stored samples of several Tour de France cyclists. CERA is part of a new breed of anemia drugs, manufactured in order to increase the production of red blood cells - which carry oxygen throughout the body and have the spin-off effect of increasing stamina and endurance. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

The recent announcement by Lance Armstrong that he will be returning to professional cycling has once again opened the door to speculation that he cheated his way to seven Tour De France victories. Having previously sued journalists for publishing circumstantial evidence regarding his use of performance enhancing substances, Armstrong has now surrendered himself to an aggressive new screening program under the direction of renowned anti-doping scientist Don Catlin.

However, Catlin (who assisted in exposing the BALCO doping ring in 2003) admits that the tests offer no guarantees in terms of tracking an athletes drug use and, of course, will do little to remove the suspicion of Armstrong’s past use of performance enhancing substances. The tests themselves will be as accurate as technologically possible though and Catlin feels they will be very hard to beat and any athlete trying to do so will be very foolish indeed. The results of Armstrong’s blood and urine tests will be posted on line and the urine will be frozen and stored for future re-testing. Continue Reading »

‘EPO on Steroids’ Hung on Third Tour de France Participant

A super version of the blood booster EPO has become the latest rage in the cycling world, with a third person that participated in July’s Tour de France testing positive for the banned substance CERA. The latest is Italy’s Leonardo Piepoli, who had two positive tests.

Stefan Schumacher (Germany) and Riccardo Ricco (Italy) were previously suspended for using the new and stronger version of EPO, which has a longer lasting effect without repeated dosing.

Having to only use the drug on a monthly basis, CERA has a much larger window than EPO, which needs to be injected days and sometimes hours before the activity that is to be enhanced.

Italy’s Ricco Claims EPO-Positive Test is Natural

Three and counting. That’s what the Tour de France has become, and with Italy’s Ricardo Ricco being disqualified, doubt is hovering over every rider left.

A winner of two previous stages, Ricco is the biggest name to be caught using performance-enhancing drugs this year. He was detained by police, who have been quite busy cracking down on cyclists who have been caught using and/or possessing steroids. Continue Reading »

Spain’s Nevado Ousted After Positive EPO Test

The people behind the Tour de France don’t play around. They are hell-bent on cleaning up the sport of cycling and have done a pretty good job of it this summer. Another competitor has been arrested and thrown out of the race following a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.

Moises Duenas Nevado of Spain tested positive for EPO, setting of a chain of events that resulted in his imprisonment. French police conducted a search warrant in the cyclist’s Tarbes hotel room and seized what was described as “banned medicines,” according to published reports. Continue Reading »

Cycling Anti-Doping Police Continue to Come Down on Steroids with Help from the Real Police

Manuel Beltran of Spain not only has been disqualified from the Tour de France, he was physically removed by French police after testing positive for EPO, a performance-enhancing drug used for energy, endurance and recovery. Although unconfirmed, it was also said that there was a raid conducted by local authorities where Beltran and his teammates were staying.

The positive test was conducted following the first stage of the bicycle race, back on July 5. Pierre Bordry, the leader of the French anti-doping agency, told reporters “there are not just traces of EPO, there is EPO.” Continue Reading »

Doping Appeal Denied; ‘06 Tour de France Title Lost

Adding insult to injury, the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed down a tough decision on Floyd Landis and literally made him pay. After being denied his appeal, the cyclist was roundly criticized in the decision and ordered to hand over $100,000 towards the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency legal fees.

This is the second setback for Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France championship after testing positive for testosterone. All told, he has spent more than $2 million of his own and fundraiser’s money on his appeals, all for naught. When you look into this case further, it is apparent that Landis never had a prayer and looks like an anti-doping punching bag. Continue Reading »