| | By Andrew Hood
ABC Sports Online
FUTUROSCOPE, France -- Racers in the 2000 Tour de France will face a new
doping test during the race. Urine samples taken during the event will
be saved for testing once an expert panel approves a new test to detect the banned hormone EPO.
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Lance Armstrong prefers talking about cycling than about doping. |
The International Cycling Union, cycling's governing body, said it
conditionally approved the test so the Tour will start smoothly.
Tour de France race officials had hoped to use the proposed urine test during
the race, but the UCI said it needed more time to review it for
accuracy. The urine test was designed by France's national doping lab. Racers
found with traces of EPO could still face sanctions after the race is long
over.
Defending champion Lance Armstrong says he's sick and tired of questions
about doping in cycling, but he answered them anyway in a press conference
on Thursday.
"I prefer to talk about sport. I'm sick of this myth of widespread doping in
cycling." Said the 1999 TDF champion. "It has always existed in all sports, but for some reason cycling has
been singled out."
The Tour de France was saddled by crisis during the 1998 race when one of the
top teams was caught with performance-enhancing drugs in a team car. The
scandal blew open the cover on doping among the ranks of professional cycling
and nearly derailed the 1998 Tour. Several teams were kicked out and others
left in protest.
Last year, many critics insisted Armstrong's dominant performance had to be
linked to doping. Although Armstrong has never failed blood or urine tests
during his career, he was dogged by questions and innuendo.
"Whatever the UCI can do within their legal means to fight doping, they
should do it," said Armstrong. "There's no easy answer to doping. I can't
tell you the answer. Cycling is a sport that's doing everything it can to
fight doping. I prefer to work with the sport and not to destroy it."
On Friday, Tour de France director general Jean Marie Leblanc said this
year's race is critical to the future of cycling.
"The renewal and future of the sport is one the line starting tomorrow. The
new test is being used to eliminate the suspicion between riders and with the
public," said Leblanc in an address to all the riders. "The net is
closing around doping. Who would take the risk to play with fire and risk the
reputation of themselves, their sponsors and their sport? The Tour de France
was almost swept away by the 1998 storm.
"I hope that in three weeks the image and reputation of the Tour de France is restored and your fine sport will have the merit once again it deserves."
EPO, or erythropoetin, enhances endurance by increasing the production of
oxygen-rich, red blood cells in the body. The hormone has been rife in
cycling since the early 1990s.
The new urine test is important because it can directly detect the hormone.
Racers currently face blood tests to count red blood cells, and face
suspensions if counts come in over a 50-percent level. The blood test is a
not a direct test of the presence of EPO, and riders who are suspended are
done so for "health reasons."
Nevertheless, there are whispers that cyclists already have moved on to other
non-detectable performance enhancing drugs, such as human growth hormones and
a hormone that increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, mimicking the
effects of EPO.
Andrew Hood is a freelance writer based in Spain. This will be his fifth Tour de France.
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