News for December 7, 1997

Don't buy it at your Health Food Shop

Some further research has clarified whether the "Health Food Shop" performance enhancing drug - Androstenedione - is on the banned list or not. A reader questioned my research abilities after the Drugs on the Internet story which was filed as part of my on-going series which began with the Geleen doctor Wim Sanders being exposed by tax officials.

The reader said:

"Perhap you need to do a little more research before posting "Steroids by Internet". Upon reading you article I did a litle checking into adrostenedione. It is not an illegal substance and does not require a doctors perscription. I could, if I so desired, go to my local health food store and pick up a bottle for myself. I think the reason that this is the case is that it is a precursor to testosterone and not an actual steroid."

The latest is that the IOC has recognised that - Androstenedione - is a new anabolic steroid and has placed it on its list of banned substances. Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission, said the IOC had discovered the drug after finding that it was available through and American Internet address (as I reported yesterday).

Th US Internet company, called "Price's Power International" which are located at Newport News, Va. advertises the drug as a supplement for "building lean muscle mass faster than ever imagined" and provides a step-by-step approach to evading drug testing procedures. The web site lists a toll-free 800 number to order the product, which is offered at $49.95 for one bottle, $134.85 for three bottles and $239.70 for six.

De Merode was anxious for sporting officials to take the intiative and advertise the dangers of the drugs. He was very worried that the Internet was being used in this way. Androstenedione has now definitely been added to the IOC's banned lists of substances together with another stimulant called carphedon.

Thanks for Physiologue for research data.

Teams from Wim Rossum

Wim is a regular contributor to my site and specialises in data-based analysis of all matters cycling.

BIG MAT-AUBER'93 - 17 riders:

Guillaume Auger (neo); Ludovic Auger; Stéphane Berges (neo); Philippe Bordenave (ex Casino); Thierry Bourguignon; Carlos Da Cruz; Vjatcheslav Djavanian (Rus- ex Ros); Laurent Genty; Thierry Gouvenou; Sébastien Hatton; Jean-Jacques Henry; Lylian Lebreton (ex Festina); Pascal Lino; Jen Michel Monin; Stéphane Ravaleu; Alexei Sivakov (Rus-ex Ros) and Jay Sweet (Aus-ex Zvvz)

CASINO - 22 riders:

Christophe Agnolutto; Lauri Aus; Stéphane Barthe; Frederic Bessy; Gilles Bouvard (ex Festina); Vincent Cali; Pascal Chanteur; Jacky Durand; Alberto Elli; Fabrice Gougot; Bo Hamburger (ex TVM); Rolf Jaermann; Arturas Kasputis; Jaan Kirsipuu; David Lefèvre; Rodolfo Massi; Christophe Oriol (neo); Pascal Richard; Marco Saligari; Benoit Salmon (ex Lotto); Marc Streel; Andrei Vinokourov (Kaz-neo)

COFIDIS - 23 riders:

Alessandro Bertolini (Ex-MG en doping); Christophe Capelle, Francesco Casagrande (ex-Saeco); Jerome Delbove (neo); Laurent Desbiens; Maurizio Fondriest; Philippe Gaumont; Stéphane Goubert; Gregorz Gwiazdowski (Pol-neo); Nicolas Jalabert; Bobby Julich; Massimiliano Lelli (ex-Saeco); Kevin Livingston; Roland Meier (Ex-Post Swiss); David Millar; David Moncoutié; Francis Moreau; David Plaza; Samuel Plouhinec (neo); Christophe Rinero; Cyril Saugrain; Bruno Thibout; Arnaud Tournant

FESTINA-LOTUS - 22 riders:

Christophe Bassons; Wladimir Belli (Ex Bresc.); Gianluca Bortolami; Bruno Boscardin; Laurent Brochard; Laurent Dufaux; Felix Garcia Casas; Patrice Halgand; Jaime Hernandez Bertran; Pascal Hervé; Fabian Jeker; Andrei Kivilev (Kaz-neo); Thierry Laurent; Laurent Lefèvre; Sébastien Médan; Armin Meier; Christophe Moreau; Didier Rous; Neil Stephens; Richard Virenque; Marcel Wüst en Alex Zülle (ex-ONCE)

LA FRANCAISE DES JEUX - 22 riders:

Evgeni Berzin (Ex Batik); Franck Bouyer, Jimmy Casper (neo); Patrick D'Hondt (Blg-neo); Mauro Gianetti; Frederic Guesdon; Stéphane Heulot; Chris Horner; Xavier Jan; Yvon Ledanois (ex Gan); Emmanual Magnien (ex-Festina); Brad McGee; Christophe Mengin; Franck Morelle; Anthony Morin; Damien Nazon; Jean P.Nazon; Andrea Peron; Franck Perque (neo); Maximilian Sciandri; Flavio Vanzella and Nicolas Vogondy.

GAN - 18 riders:

Magnus Backstedt (ex Palmans); Chris Boardman, Cyril Bos; Marcel Gono (Aus-neo); Sébastien Hinault; Christopher Jenner (NZ-neo); Anthony Langella; Frederic Moncassin; Stuart O'Grady; Olivier Perreaudeau (neo); Stéphane Petilleau (ex TVM); Eros Poli; Arnaud Prêtot; Eddy Seigneur (ex-FdJ); François Simon; Cédric Vasseur; Jens Voigt (Ger-ex Zvvz) and Henk Vogels.

MUTUELLE DE SEINE & MARNE - 12 riders:

Jerome Bernard (neo); Stephane Cueff; David Delrieu; Jean Philippe Dojwa; Frédéric Gabriel; Charles Guilbert; Claude Lamour; Gilles Maignan; Laurent Pillon; Dominique Rault; Steve Rover and Francisque Teyssier (ex GAN)