|
|
|
Edited by Paul Goldsmith
The Spanish Cycling Federation wants the UCI to shelve the French method for detecting EPO in urine after two riders who had tested "non-negative" were cleared yesterday. One of the riders, Spanish Olympic gold medal winner Juan Llaneras, is now considering legal action against the UCI after his "B" test was proclaimed negative for the banned drug.
The other was Italian Massimo Strazzer, who also tested positive at the World Track Championships in Antwerp in September. His "B" test was also cleared according to the Italian cycling federation, who did not comment further on his case.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently adopted a combined blood-urine test to detect EPO, to be used in next year's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The IOC medical commission considered this approach to be more reliable and cost effective than just the urine test. Earlier this month, the UCI stated that they had "taken note of the decision" by the IOC to adopt dual urine-blood controls.
The UCI also noted that in 8 out of 11 EPO positive cases this year, blood tests were carried out as well. However, "in 3 cases (Hamburger, Barbero and Llaneras), a positive result of the urine analysis was not correlated by a blood analysis."
The Spanish federation have now called on the UCI do stop using the urine test to detect EPO. "Something is very wrong if the numbers in Llaneras' two tests varied so greatly," said Spanish federation spokesman Luis Roman on Friday. "The French method is simply not reliable."
Fernando Selles, the Spanish Cycling Federation's technical director, was quoted in Spanish newspaper AS as saying that "We repeatedly said that this procedure is not reliable. France and the UCI have made themselves look ridiculous. When will we finally decide on it?"
Antoine Vayer, former trainer with the ill fated Festina team, has repeated his claim that doping is still prevalent in an interview with French language website, Sport.com "The question does not even arise. It is time that they (the senior riders) admit it, because what they do on the Tour de France is physiologically impossible. Everyone knows it," Vayer says.
Vayer thinks that by bringing in a retrospective pardon, could go some of the way to bringing honesty back into cycling. "The first thing that the authorities should do is to give the option for the riders to say "I do not dope myself any more" without them being made to feel guilty," says Vayer.
Vayer goes on to say that the power output of today's top pros is not possible without doping. "A study of the power developed by the rider and its evolution over the years delivers the key to the question. Moreover, the progression of the power figures year by year follows a completely upward increase - around 20%."
"When it is known that EPO makes it possible to improve the performances from 15 to 20%, that small undetectable amounts of growth hormone increases the power by approximately 20 Watts, the explanation is very clear," he says.
Vayer believes that the Tour has lost its magic due to the influence of doping. "Since 1998, one cannot look at the Tour the same anymore. There is no more passion, no more dreams. This year, all was completely artificial. The Tour was summarised by business, cinema, and a soft belly which does not say anything."
Former pro cyclist Vendramino Bariviera has died at the age of 63. Barivera won the 1962 Milano - Vignola, and 1963 GP Industria and Commercio di Prato, races among 11 career successes.
Known as an attacking rider Barivera rode in 7 Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and World Championships. He was recently named president of the Directors Association of Trivento.
While the international character of men's cyclocross is almost limited to Belgium riders (with the very big exception of Dutchman Richard Groenendaal), the women's field will get an international boost when short distance duathlon world champion Erica Csomor, trys her hand at the sport. Csomor a Hungarian native, will be riding an Empella Bonfire for the Spaar Select squad from December of this year.
Just as Diamondback are about to re-enter the road bike market, their mountain bike division seems to be having problems with the forced recall of a number products.
Raleigh America Inc is recalling about 500 Diamondback badged bicycles because a mechanical problem can cause riders to lose control and crash. Apparently the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received five reports of bottom bracket spindles breaking. The recalled bicycles are the 2001 Diamondback XSL-Race and XSL- Pro Mountain models.
Diamondback dealers sold the bicycles nationwide from January 2001 through August 2001 for between $1,400 US and $1,900 US.
The safety commission said consumers should stop riding bikes and contact the Diamondback dealer where the bicycle was purchased to arrange for a free repair.
For more information, consumers can contact Raleigh America
On the road side of things, Diamondback say they are coming back to road bikes because of "popular demand". Diamondback will reintroduce the the Interval, Expert and Master bikes for the 2002 season.
Season 2001 has been a very positive one for the French Trials teams winning just about everything on the calendar.
Major Titles
Marc Caisso champion of the world Elite
Marc Caisso victorious of the world cup
Equip with France championne of the world by team
Vincent Hermance champion of the world Junior
Gilles Coustellier victorious of the World Plays of Youth (-15 years).
For next season Caisso will be left alone on a Megamo bike whilst his team members Gilles and Giacomo Coustellier join Bruno Arnold and Vincent Hermance with the Koxx bicycles
The 2002 event calendar has yet to be finalise
St Helens CRC have recently gone online. The site currently has a club activities page which contains details of weekly rides and forthcoming events. See www.st-helens.net for further information
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
Recently on Cyclingnews
Latest Photos - Olympic
Armstrong, Boulder & California 'cross, More Pan-Am, Canberra, Boston & REI
'cross (December 13)
Cyclingnews survey -
Reader Poll 2001 - Vote for your favourite riders
Letters
- VDB, Lance, Boring Tour, Coastal Post, Respect (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Ryan Bayley - the KFC-fuelled world champ (December 13)
Cyclingnews Interview
- David McKenzie - Macca's back (December 12)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Laurent Jalabert - Jalabert looks ahead (December 11)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Charly Wegelius - A coffee stop with Charly (December 8)
Cyclingnews
Interview - Sven Montgomery - Moving up in the world (December 6)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Rochelle Gilmore - Road scholar (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- 12 Hours of Oleta - MTB endurance race in Miami (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- Tony Cruz - back to his roots (December 7)
Marco Polo
Diary - Tour du Faso - Part II - Nathan Dahlberg's report (December 3)
Tech
maintenance - Wheels - how to keep them true and tight
Tech letters
- Headsets, Pegoretti, Carbon cage, gloves & tubes (December 10)
Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
- How to protect your chainstay for free
Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
Speedplay
Breaking
the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
| Home Search Survey Contact us |