Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: Kick the drugs cheats out

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0700sports/1200sportsroundup/tm_objectid=17550348%26method=full%26siteid=50082-name_page.html
WELSH cycling wonder Nicole Cooke last night called for Tour de France 
winner Floyd Landis and Olympic sprint king Justin Gatlin to be banned 
from sport for life.
Cooke - who is top of the women's world road rankings - urged sports 
chiefs to introduce tougher rules for those found guilty of using banned 
performance-enhancing drugs.
Taking a hard line, Cooke is adamant there should not be any second 
chances for offenders and more draconian measures must be introduced if 
sport is to regain its credibility.
Landis and Gatlin - the Olympic and world gold medallist in the 100m and 
200m - have both tested positive for testosterone in the past fortnight, 
sending shockwaves through the world of sport.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has announced it's targeting four sports: 
athletics, cycling, soccer and swimming. But Cooke believes there should 
be uniformity across the board - and she blasted Landis and Gatlin for 
proclaiming their innocence.
"The science has to be accurate. What's the difference between somebody 
failing a drink-drive and a dope test?" rapped the 23-year-old.
"The drink-driver doesn't question the science and accepts the verdict. 
The drugs cheat nearly always claims they are innocent.
"Sport needs harsher penalties. There shouldn't be any messing around. 
It should be a life ban for a first offence. Only by having this 
deterrent will you make the cheats think twice.
"I don't believe in second chances for the transgressors. The 
information is there in black and white. It's pretty clear what is on 
the banned list. People know what products they can and can't take.
"The drugs cheats need to be driven from sport. From the numerous 
scandals we have seen it is clear the cheats don't feel the need to 
change their way to justify their test results to Wada or the Court of 
Arbitration for Sport."
Cooke is furious that her sport has again been dragged through the mud 
by the Landis episode.
"Cycling is at another crisis. The cry that 'we do more testing than any 
other sport' might be true, but it's irrelevant. Some people seem to 
enjoy testing the gullibility of all those around them.
"The Festina Scandal of 1998, and now the Landis affair, shows nowhere 
near enough is being done.
"The fact that two champions from different sports have tested positive 
shows the scale of the problem threatening sport. Action to combat it 
has to be taken now.
"I actually think it's good what has happened over the last few weeks. 
Maybe it needs something like this to persuade people to change their ways.
"I know, from my own achievements, you can be successful through hard 
work. It's having the right mindset to achieve your goals. Everything I 
have done is through hard work and I am very proud of that."
Cooke is the first British rider, male or female, to top a world ranking 
list, and leads the World Cup series she won in 2003 with three races 
remaining.
Geraint Thomas, Wales' top male rider, also insisted he would never 
resort to using performance-enhancing products after securing a trial 
with ProTour team Saunier Duval.
The prodigious 20-year-old, a bronze medallist on the track at the 
Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March, and a gold medal winner at the 
recent European U23 Championships, will make his debut for them in the 
mountainous Subida Urkiola race in Spain's Basque Country tomorrow.
Fellow Briton David Millar, who returned to racing at the Tour de France 
after serving a two-year ban for confessing to EPO use, rides for 
Saunier Duval and has vowed to stay clean.
"I think you can win without doping," said Thomas. "It's good they are 
starting to catch the big names. Hopefully, they'll keep on doing that 
until dope-taking is eradicated.
"I realise the credibility of cycling is being questioned, but I know 
the programme operated by the Great Britain team, which I'm a member of, 
is totally clean.
"I've been contracted to the end of the year and, hopefully, it will 
lead to a full pro contract."
Thomas has shone on the road this year. A past victor of the 
Paris-Roubaix junior race, he won the Fleche du Sud race in France and 
rode strongly throughout the U25 Tour of Italy to impress cycling's 
major teams.
"This is a great opportunity for me to move my career on and turn pro. 
That is my driving ambition," he said.
-- 
http://modesta.biciticino.ch
Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite

 sport is to regain its credibility.
Snip...
I will repost here too on Nandolone, but in my opinion, Draconian measures
is what is killing the sport, and alienating the riders against the colossal
arrogance and colossal incompetence of the doping agencies. Adding more
police and surveillance is not only absurd, but just another step in the
disastrous policy of the diehards of the doping agencies and the  current
mood of the UCI. In the short term it will fail, as did prohibition. And
someone I know has made a very good point on this, that sportsmen make
millions as where drug policemen do not, so you can imagine who can afford
to stay ahead of the game?? As long as the two sides are at war with other,
the ones who can afford the best doctors will win. The Draconian path will
become the demise of cycling.
I am sure you know Luperini completed her golden years of 95 to 98, well
before her I think her associations with Cecchini or Ferrari. I am aware of
Cecchini, but I don't know how much, or if any associations with Ferrari.
But certainly all of the golden years were clean, very clean. There was no
doping in women's cycling back then, or certainly very little. All those
victories are the (real deal). But I have talked to a number of people who
run the big Italian cycling sites in Italy, and they told me that Luperini
doesn't use drugs, and the way I understand it from those who really have a
feel for doping in Italy, is that Luperini was not a doper, and she has said
repeatedly that she has never used drugs. The positive test for Nandrolone
didn't come until well after her golden years at Tour of Venezia on October
2, 1999.
Nandrolone can be ingested from eating meat, since animals are pumped up
with steriods. Luperini's Dad is a a butcher, and they have a custom meat
locker. They probably barbecue steaks all the time, and from what I know the
levels were low, remember only traces were found, which can also be
naturally occuring in the body, as probably was the case with Neben. Also
remember the composition did not match with her normal urine, and the
metabolites of nandrolone did not show up in her sample. Luperini asked for
the erasing of her disqualification and a full acquittal. There were no
metabolites of nandrolone in her urine test, so she could not have gained
any benifit from it.
 Luperini was allowed to return earlier then expected to cycling after it
was found that her sample may have been contaminated. Luperini was
eventually given a shortened sentence by the Italian Federation after they
found no evidence of nandrolone derivatives in her urine samples. Food
supplements can contain nandrolone, so the case against Luperini is very
weak, all things considered. Since this time, research has proven that
Nanrolone can be a naturally occuring substance which with all the above,
really throws a monkey wrench into this whole very questionable charge
against the great champion. This was a one time affair, and she has never
had another positive since and remains clean to this very day.
B-
----------------------------------------------
2003
Brunen to retire after Dutch championships
32 year old Dutch rider Yvonne Brunen (Powerplate-Bik) has announced her
retirement from cycling, following the Dutch Road Championships in Rotterdam
this weekend, no matter if she wins or not. Her contract with the team has
finished, and she wishes to put more into her job at the cycling school in
Deventer.
Brunen started cycling in 1994 after a career as a speed skater, and
immediately showed her talent by winning the Dutch championships that year,
which she repeated in 1995 and 1996. In 1997 she won the Dutch mountainbike
championships. She also won three stages in the women's Tour de France and
raced in the Olympic Games in 1996. In 1997 she tested positive for
nandrolone and noretiocholanolone during the women's Giro, however the Dutch
federation determined that these steroids were naturally produced by her
body.
---------------------------------------------
2003
Six months suspension for Neben
US cyclist Amber Neben has received a six month suspension from an
arbitration panel of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for testing positive
to 19-norandrosterone (nandrolone) at the Montreal World Cup race on May 31,
2003. The panel, composed of members of the American Arbitration Association
(AAA) and North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), dated the
suspension from July 13, 2003, the date Neben accepted her provisional
suspension for her violation. She will be disqualified from her 12th place
finish in Montreal.
In addition, the panel ruled that Neben would also have an 18 month
probationary period in which she is subject to monthly doping control tests,
at her own expense, and is required to educate cyclists about the dangers of
dietary supplements.
Court of Arbitration of Sport criticizes USA Cycling
The North American Court of Arbitration in Sport has issued its full
decision in the case of T-Mobile rider Amber Neben, who was suspended for
six months after testing positive for anabolic steroid metabolite
19-norandrosterone. Neben's suspension was reduced from the possible two
years because the Court's hearing panel found she had not doped deliberately
but was likely the victim of a contaminated supplement. The decision is
severely critical of USA Cycling's attitude to supplement use by athletes.
Referring to testimony from several USA Cycling officials, the Court's
decision reads, "the Panel is disturbed by the testimony from the USA
Cycling witnesses and officials. It is obvious that the organization has
acted in complete disregard of its athletes, in particular those below the
elite level. There appears to be little or no attempt at communicating the
dangers of contaminated supplements to the thousands of USA Cycling
athletes."
Testimony heard by the panel came from USA Cycling officials including CEO
Gerard Bisceglia, who said he "was not aware of the risks or dangers
involved in taking supplements" and "was not aware that any USA Cycling
officials had been handing out supplements."
Neben controlled positive in a test conducted on May 31 this year at the
Montreal World Cup. In her defence, Neben said she had also been tested nine
days before her positive control and three and four days after. All three of
those tests were negative. Neben claimed her positive test was probably a
result of a contaminated supplement, but was unable to provide samples any
supplements that showed contamination. In particular, supplements supplied
to USA Cycling riders by sponsor Hammer Nutrition all tested negative.
The panel hearing the case concluded that Neben had not been guilty of
intentional doping, but that some sanction had to be applied under the
'strict liability' rules which cover doping offences. As well as a six-month
suspension starting July 13, 2003 Neben's sanction includes a requirement to
perform educational work with USA Cycling, to teach other athletes about the
dangers of contaminated supplements.
Interview CN...
Can you describe to me how and when you got the news that you had gotten a
positive test for nandrolone and what your initial response was?
Amber: I was in complete shock and disbelief.  I thought my director was
playing a joke on me.  When I realized he wasn't, I started crying
uncontrollably.
The amount of nandrolone metabolites at a level of 6.9ng/ml. or 1.9 parts
per billion over the legal limit. Let me figure this out: I'm no biochemist
but that doesn't really sound like very much. I would think that if one was
doping it would be much higher. I can't believe a level this low would give
any athlete an edge.
Amber: Yes it would be much higher.I have been told it would be in the
thousands or even much higher than that. It would also be in your body for
longer than a couple of days. No.no edge at all.
[Editor's note: Amber was tested previous to and after and had no further
positive tests.]
I've been following reports on nandrolone positives on a number of athletes
in the last three years. In doing my research I have run across scientific
testing that trace amounts of hormones in pork and nutritional supplements
have led to positive tests similar to yours. Do you think this is what may
have happened to you? I assume you take nutritional supplements, vitamins,
minerals, energy drinks etc.?
Amber: The arbitrators agreed that my positive was most likely due to a
contaminated supplement. Yes, I do drink an electrolyte/sugar mix on the
bike and take vitamins and minerals, however I do not use any other
nutritional supplements.
I imagine you and other athletes would be a bit afraid to eat pork, or take
the normal vitamins that any elite athlete or average person would take. I
mean, doesn't this set up a quandry for anyone with the chance to be tested
at your level?
Amber: Exactly. In college I had very low bone density so I have been taking
calcium ever since. There are also women's specific issues such as
menstruation, along with my long term general health that I am concerned
about. I want to be healthy. At the same time, every time I take my calcium
or multivitamin I am risking my career. It doesn't seem like a fair choice
to have to make.
I might add here, for any person not an athlete, I would prefer not to have
something "added" into my food or vites that I didn't see on the label. It
seems this would be a bigger issue in itself for the general population, not
just for athletes. I give my kids vitamins, electrolyte drinks on hot days
and protein smoothies they love. It's a bit of a problem for me as a parent.
I know that some people, no matter the evidence, will believe the worst.
Personal integrity may be all you have at this point. I can hardly imagine
how tough this can be; can you tell us how you are dealing with it? Having
met you and knowing you; for me it's pretty unbelievable.
Amber: It is very difficult. The thought that my integrity will be forever
scarred is hard to deal with. I try not to read stuff or listen to stuff. It
hurts. I know there will always be someone who questions me. In my heart,
though, I know the truth. I sleep and compete with a clear conscience. The
people who I love and trust also know the truth, and these things will
remain a constant.
On a personal level, because of your suspension, you became ineligible to
participate on the team for the World Championships. How did this affect
you? Have you noticed any difference in the way some people treat you now?
Amber: It was hard. I knew the circumstances of my case were unique. There
had never been anyone with the testing history combined with a level as low
as mine was, so I had some (very small) hope that I was going to be eligible
to race. It didn't happen, though. To be honest, I can't say that I felt any
worse because I was already buried in the valley. Do people treat me
differently? Most of the people I have been around are those who know me, so
the answer is no.
You told me earlier this year, "I understand there will always be doubters
and I will never be able to prove myself to everyone, but I do know that the
people who are close to me, and hopefully those I have only met briefly,
will recognize that my character is true and my integrity is genuine." How
has the support been in the last few months in the cycling community?
Amber: The support in my local community has been outstanding. I have also
received a number of supportive emails from various people in the community.
All of which is very much appreciated.
Amber, I for one believe in you, and if I might note here in my research on
the subject, I have found far too many of these positives with miniscule
amounts in every sport. The outcry of athletes in complete disbelief that
this is happening to them makes me believe that sometime in the future the
cause might be explained beyond what we currently know.
Amber: I hope so. I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy. The
dangers are real. Contamination is a problem. Hopefully the problem gets
solved quickly, but I don't think there is a quick and easy solution.
Sharon and I would like to thank you very much and hope you have a great
race season. The T-Mobile women post diary entries on the USA
Cycling/T-Mobile site. Read Amber's latest, from April 4th, here.
-------------------------------------------
From CN 2001...
Contaminated food supplements and Nandrolone
Although the UCI limits for the steroid Nandrolone are more lenient (5
ng/mL) than the oft criticised IOC limits (2 ng/ml for men and 5 ng/ml for
women), there is still considerable debate about the substance after
positive tests continue to surface.
Contaminated food supplements seem to be high on the agenda of cyclists'
(and other athletes') excuses as to why their Nandrolone levels higher than
the norm. Given the inconsistent nature of contaminators, it is often
extremely hard to prove one way or the other how the Nandrolone got into the
athlete. Given the nature of court cases, it can be quite costly for sports
federations to pursue an athlete who has returned a positive result for
Nandrolone.
With supplements, it is possible that only one batch could be contaminated.
If the athlete can prove this then they may have their sanction reduced,
depending on the sporting body. The IOC (along with the many other sports
federations) has adopted a code of "strict liability" whereby the athlete is
responsible for what they take, even if inadvertently.
Given the plethora of supplements available and the lack of regulation
(especially in the U.S.) of the supplement industry, taking anything that is
not manufactured by a well-known, reputable company is potentially risky. In
fact, several independent drug testing laboratories in Germany and the US
have started to analyse a wide range of supplements, discovering that a
number have been contaminated with banned substances.
In cases of contamination, an athlete's main hope is that they can prove
that what they used was indeed contaminated. Of course they need to have
evidence of the contaminated batch, but this is often likely to have been
consumed, therefore it would be hard to obtain damages from the supplement
company.
CN News for June 25, 2001
Supplements cause nandrolone positives
A German scientist says there is evidence of a link between nandrolone, a
banned anabolic steroid, and dietary supplements used by sportspeople,
according to Reuters and AP reports in the International Herald Tribune.
There has been a rash of positive tests for nandrolone in the last few
years, and in many cases the athletes involved have vigorously protested
their innocence, claiming the nandrolone derived from food supplements.
Wilhelm Schaenzer, of the Institute of Biochemistry at Cologne's Sports
University tested volunteers taking supposedly 'clean' supplements and found
they showed up positive for the drug.
"We are basically warning athletes that these substances could lead to a
positive test," said Schaenzer on Friday.
This discovery doesn't let off the hook athletes who have tested positive,
however. The rules of most sports federations put the onus on athletes to be
careful about what they put in their bodies and the presence of a banned
substance in the urine is grounds for suspension, however it got there.
CN 2002...
Supplements - not worth the risk?
Athletes have once again been warned about the use of nutritional
supplements after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that 15%
of the 634 supplements it tested contained banned substances, including
nandrolone.
Listed on a country-by-country basis, the Netherlands saw the highest levels
of positive products with just over one in four of the tested substances
containing a banned substance. The UK has the third highest rate, with 18.9%
providing a positive result.
The IOC's findings do much to back up UK Sport's stance on nutritional
supplements. As the UK's anti-doping body, UK Sport provides advice to
athletes and their support staff on all drugs-related issues as part of an
ongoing commitment to drug-free sport and ethical sporting practices.
UK Sport's Director of Anti-Doping, Michele Verroken, commented: "We
strongly advise our athletes not to take these supplements as their contents
can not always be guaranteed. In these tests the IOC found substances that
would lead to a failed drugs test, despite them not being listed on the
product label. Under the 'strict liability' rule that exists, athletes are
responsible for whatever substance is found in their bodies so poor
labelling cannot be used as an excuse as it may not be accepted."
The nandrolone review, set up by UK Sport in 1999 to examine the increased
incidence of nandrolone findings, also warned of the risks to athletes of
using nutritional supplements. Determining the source of a finding might
provide an explanation, but presently does not provide an excuse for a
failed test.
A recent announcement by the Home Office regarding the tightening of
controls on the 19 nor steroids (the metabolites that have been appearing in
recent nandrolone cases) to bring them under the Misuse of Drugs Act will
improve the situation. Currently, some supplements that have been promoted
as containing what will become - under the extension of existing
legislation - a controlled substance can no longer be marketed without a
license. This extension should be finalised in May.
CN 2003
UK warns athletes against supplement use
UK Sport have issued a strong warning to athletes about the risks of using
supplements. Athletes who take dietary supplements run the risk of failing a
drugs test, according to the latest 'Nandrolone Progress Report' presented
to UK Sport. The report examines research conducted over the last two years
which has confirmed earlier findings of banned substances not listed on the
labels of some supplements.
A study in Cologne last year found that 94 out of 634 non-hormonal dietary
supplements were found to contain prohibited anabolic/androgenic steroids
not listed on the label. In addition, the Austrian Federal Ministry for
Social Security and Public Welfare carried out similar tests on 54
supplements, finding that 22% contained banned substances. In all cases,
athletes taking the contaminated supplements would give a positive sample if
tested for drugs under International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
UK Sport's report states that: "Competitors are again strongly advised that
using dietary supplements carries the potential risk of unknowingly
ingesting a banned substance. We therefore recommend UK Sport to encourage
more manufacturers and suppliers of sports supplements to strive to
eliminate problem substances, and to label their products clearly to enable
sport participants to avoid substances banned by the IOC."
In the UK (and the USA and several other countries), athletes are considered
"at their own risk" when taking supplements. That means sanctions will be
imposed even though the athlete could have ingested the banned substance
inadvertently. The recent case of US cyclist Scott Moninger is one example
of this.
UK Sport CEO Richard Callicott commented that "With the potential risks of
contamination or poor labelling associated with supplements highlighted in
this report, UK Sport feels it is right to advise athletes to be extremely
cautious about the use of any supplements. Athletes taking supplements are
doing so at their own risk and personal responsibility."
On a more positive not, Callicott said that "I am delighted to see that this
message seems to be getting through, as the number of nandrolone findings in
relation to total drug tests has fallen significantly since the peak in
1999."
"To improve the situation even further, we are keen to work with the
supplement manufacturers to ensure that appropriate standards of labelling
are met and the problems of cross-contamination overcome."
The report examined other issues that have arisen regarding nandrolone.
These include the recent changes to the IOC/WADA banned substance list which
specified for the first time the level of nandrolone in a sample that would
lead to a penalty for a doping violation.

 before her I think her associations with Cecchini or Ferrari. 
Cecchini was Luperini's doctor 1996 (and perhaps before...I don't know 
when this collaboration with Cecchini started and ended.)
(I'm only reporting a fact...of course this doesn't prove anything)
http://www.tuttobiciweb.com/main.php?page=articoli&cmd=cerca_d&art_id=795
Un giudizio su un’altra sua pupilla: Fabiana Luperini.
«È una ragazza eccezionale, assai determinata, con grinta, intelligenza 
e tanta voglia di allenarsi. Cerchiamo però di non assillarla, di non 
stressarla. È giovane, studia ed è una ragazza di 22 anni, che ha 
cultura e... la testa sulle spalle. Deve gareggiare con gioia, senza 
ansia o pressioni eccessive. È un talento naturale ma anche quest’anno 
la sua stagione durerà troppo, da febbraio a novembre, attraverso Giro, 
Tour, Mondiale e campionato tricolore. Il suo fisico potrebbe 
risentirne, e così anche la sua freschezza psicologica».


 
http://www.tuttobiciweb.com/main.php?page=articoli&cmd=cerca_d&art_id=795
Of course, guilty by association is pure speculation, nothing more, as you
say, it doesn't prove anything. But what you might find interesting to read
is part of the interview I posted with Neben. It really makes you think
twice, about the doping agencies, in the sense of what the press prints, and
what the facts are, and the real sentiments of the riders.
B-