The governing body of cycling released the following statement Thursday: 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.
The governing body of cycling released the following statement Thursday: 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.
Hmmm…makes one wonder what would have happened last July if Floyd’s B-sample had been sent to, let’s say, UCLA for the IRMS testing (much like Mayo’s sample was sent to a different lab)…
I think the idea of sending it to a different lab for subsequent analysis is probably a fallout from the whole Floyd ordeal, that and the fact that initial tests were from Italy not France…
In a written statement from the French testing laboratory, they have declared Iban Mayo guilty of using synthetic testosterone. Lab Director Marie Blahblah de Blah states, “we havent actually tested the samples yet but we are 100% certain that the samples will reveal a non-negative result. We will receive both the A and B sample sometime in the next several days and at that time we will officially declare Iban Mayo guilty of using performance enhancing substances.”
In other news, Tyler Hamilton today gave birth to his twin brother.
The testoserone allegations have me confused. I understand it is a banned substance, but isn’t tesosterone a major weight gainer? If they are using it, how would doing steroids make one a better cyclist?
Lance Armstrong reiterates his statement, that it’s sad that people don’t believe in a clean cycling anymore. He is nominated at the Golden Globe awards in the actor in a comedy category.
Testosterone is taken because of it’s aid in muslce recovery after a race. Typically, cyclists will inject testosterone prior to a stage to help speed their recovery, and then when they cross the finish line, inject epitestosterone to help equalize the levels (that’s my understanding of it anyways).
The testosterone that they inject would have to be a low dose, rather than what a sprinter or weightlifter would take to assist with gaining bulk. That said, testosterone is not on it’s owna weight gainer, it’s a hormone. It helps promote muscle growth, so in the event of doing heavy lifting, it can help a speed/power athlete build muscle quicker, as it allows them to train longer (aids recovery), and promotes muscle growth. In the case of a cyclist, the effort on the bike can help build lean mass, but primarily it’s taken for the recovery benefit.
I’m not an expert on this though, better ask Bjarne Riis or Jan Ullrich, they’ve got the experience on that side…
Lance Armstrong reiterates his statement, that it’s sad that people don’t believe in a clean cycling anymore. He is nominated at the Golden Globe awards in the actor in a comedy category.
I always have to laugh when people take the words of someone and change them to mean what they want them to mean.
I also find it amusing how certain people will always turn anything doping into an anti-Lance thread.
Counter analysis is pending. The Italian Federal Sports Medicine anti-doping laboratory (FMSI) in Rome sent samples to Barcelona for further verification. The tests would seek to prove, like in the case of Floyd Landis, whether there is evidence of synthetic testosterone
The strange thing is that the Rome lab is capable of doing IRMS and, in fact, the lab director is the “independent expert” for the arbitration panel in the Landis case…I wonder why it was sent to Barcelona?
I will explain what you copied and pasted without actually understanding it:
Mayo initially tested with an abnormal T/E ratio (based on an fast routine screen for this ratio).
After this finding, a Mass Spec analysis and was ordered. Additionally WADA checked back with UCI if Mayo did have a medical record (for his natural abnormally high T/E ratio).
This turned out to be the case and was also confirmed by the Mass Spec analysis, who did not detect any synthetic T in his sample.
Clear enough or should I repeat it in Italian or French?
I will explain what you copied and pasted without actually understanding it:
Mayo initially tested with an abnormal T/E ratio (based on an fast routine screen for this ratio).
After this finding, a Mass Spec analysis and was ordered. Additionally WADA checked back with UCI if Mayo did have an medical statement (for his abnormally high T/E ratio).
This turned out to be the case and was also confirmed by the Mass Spec analysis, who did not detect any synthetic T in his sample.
Clear enough for you or should I repeat it in French?
Well, to be technically correct, the GC/IRMS testing can’t actually detect synthetic testosterone. It can only point towards the likelihood that synthetic T was used…and even in that case it can be a judgement call, especially since different labs have different standards as to what would be deemed “positive” in this test (i.e. the number of metabolites that show large enough differences).
For example, if Floyd’s B sample was sent to the UCLA lab for testing, and IF (and that’s a BIG if) the results were the same as found at the french lab, the UCLA lab would NOT have declared the B sample positive since they require 2 of the metabolites to be out of range and his B sample only had one out of range.
It would be interesting to see the results of Mayo’s B sample testing to compare to Floyd’s…then again, we shouldn’t even have KNOWN that Mayo had a B sample being tested!