The Court of Arbitration for Sport has been approached by Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco to reduce a two-year suspension.

Ricco was penalized by the Italian authorities and banned from the sport by the Anti-doping Tribunal of the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI) on October 2 after testing positive for CERA, a third generation version of banned substance EPO.

From Espnstar.com:

The 25-year-old, after initially denying the allegations, eventually pleaded guilty and named the doctor who had given him the substance, as well as another rider, in an effort to get a reduced punishment.

A decision on Ricco’s appeal will likely be reached within four months.

A statement released today by CAS read: “The CONI Anti-doping Tribunal has imposed a suspension of two years on Ricco after a positive doping test with EPO, performed during the Tour de France 2008.

“The athlete requests the reduction of the suspension on the basis of his collaboration with the authorities in this matter.

“The directions with respect to the arbitration procedure will be issued later on by the Tribunal in accordance with the Code of Sports-related Arbitration.

“As a general rule, CAS delivers its decisions within four months from the filing of the appeal.”

Ricco won two stages on the Tour – the second with a spectacular finish on one of the toughest mountain climbs.

Ricco would only be able to compete again after July 30, 2010 if the appeal fails.

Tags: CERA, EPO, Riccardo Ricco, Tour de France

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made it clear that it would not hesitate carrying out further checks on samples given during doping tests in Beijing.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said: “Our message is very clear. The IOC will not miss any opportunity to further analyse samples retroactively. We hope that this will work as a strong deterrent and make athletes think twice before cheating.”

From Espnstar.com:

In a statement, the Olympic governing body said: “The IOC intends to further analyse the samples collected this summer during the Olympic Games in Beijing. Substances that will be analysed across all sports include EPO Cera.

“All samples are currently being repatriated to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne where Olympic samples are usually stored after the Games. The details of the procedure, such as the number of samples to be further analysed and the timeline, are currently being discussed with WADA.”

EPO Cera is an enhanced version of the blood-boosting hormone EPO and is now detectable due to advances in technology.

Two competitors from this year’s Tour de France, double stage winner Stefan Schumacher and Italian Leonardo Piepoli, have been caught since the advanced tests were introduced.

Despite early reports claiming every test result would be reassessed, the IOC have stopped short of making that pledge, however they have every sample in storage which means an entire review is possible.

Of the 4,770 tests carried out by WADA and Beijing Games officials during the Olympics, 3,801 were urine tests and 969 were blood tests.

Andy Parkinson, UK Sport’s head of operations, has appreciated the IOC announcement.

Tags: doping tests, EPO, EPO-CERA, International Olympic Committee, IOC, Leonardo Piepoli, Stefan Schumacher, Tour de France

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The charge of using EPO, the performance-enhancing drug, proved to be a big career mistake for Manuel Beltran who was withdrawn from Tour de France by the Liquigas team.

The announcement was made after A sample of the cyclist taken from the first stage of the Tour tested positive.

From Espnstar.com:

Beltran finished the stage 25th. He finished Friday’s stage in 26th place, three minutes 20 seconds behind leader Kim Kirchen.

French daily L’Equipe first reported the positive test on its website.

Police responded to the news by raiding the hotel used by the Liquigas team, but the team plans to continue in the Tour without Beltran.

If the positive test is confirmed, Beltran, 37, would be the first rider to fail a doping test during this year’s Tour. Liquigas will await the results of a B sample before deciding whether to take further action against Beltran.

Earlier on Friday, the French anti-doping agency reported that tests conducted prior to the start of the Tour returned no positives tests but a few abnormalities.

The positive test was first reported by French daily L’Equipe on its official website.

Tags: EPO, Kim Kirchen, Manuel Beltranm Tour de France

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The seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, has denied retesting six samples from his first Tour de France win to see if they contain EPO traces.

The possibility of asking Armstrong to undergo a new analysis of the urine samples taken from the 1999 Tour was sparked by President of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD), Pierre Bordry.

From Espnstar.com:

With Armstrong set to make a comeback in 2009 after three years away from the peloton, Bordry felt such a move would give the seven-time Tour winner “a chance to confirm that he never cheated in his brilliant career”.

But Armstrong will not agree to the AFLD‘s request, insisting the matter is in the past.

“He is not interested in discussing again results from samples taken in 1999,” Mark Higgins, Armstrong‘s media spokesman, is quoted as saying in L’Equipe.

“I will refer the AFLD or whoever will ask the questions on this subject to the Vrijman report.”

Higgins is referring to a report, published in 2006 by Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman, which cleared Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour and accused anti-doping authorities of misconduct in dealing with the American.

In an age of doping scandals that have rocked the sport over the past few years, many sceptics still doubt that Armstrong was clean when he won his seven successive Tours between 1999 and 2005.

The world of cycling has seen many doping scandals in the last decade and many in the world believe that Armstrong was not clean when he won his seven successive Tours between 1999 and 2005 despite the fact that he has never been caught cheating.

Tags: doping scandals, EPO, Lance Armstrong, Tour de France

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The 37-year-old climber from Spain, Manuel Beltran, has vowed that he must be considered as innocent unless results of a doping test are confirmed.

The Liquigas team withdrew him after his sample tested positive for the banned substance Erythropoetin (EPO).

From Espnstar.com:

If a B sample proves his guilt, Beltran will be the first rider to fail a drugs test in the 2008 Tour, a year after one of the most tainted races in history.

“Following the normal conduct in this type of procedure, I will request the analysis of the B sample and I ask you to respect my presumption of innocence until the results of that analysis,” said Beltran.

“I want to express my wish that neither the sponsors of the team nor my team-mates are prejudiced against by these facts, and I hope that nobody takes actions against them which would prejudice them in an indiscriminate manner.

“I am grateful for the words of support I have received.

“Everybody has reminded me of the occasions when in this type of procedure, the B sample analysis has not confirmed the result of the A sample analysis.”

EPO is an injectable hormone, which stimulates the production of red blood cells and enhances transport of oxygen to the muscles.

A number of riders have admitted undergoing EPO programmes in past years.

Beltran’s protestation means that Tour organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, are forced to contend with the sort of doping scandal they hoped would be avoided this year.

“It is unthinkable. We have a very hard line of doping in the team,” Liquigas general manager Roberto Amadio said.

Tags: EPO, EPO programmes, Erythropoetin, Manuel Beltran

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As per a recommendation of the Italian Olympic Committee‘s anti-doping office, a ban of three years will be imposed on Danilo Di Luca for two adverse test results during May’s Giro d’Italia.

The rider also faces a criminal investigation by the Italian authorities.

From Espnstar.com:

The Italian Olympic Committee‘s anti-doping office have recommended Danilo Di Luca serve a three-year ban for two adverse test results during May’s Giro d’Italia.

Di Luca finished second in the Giro to Russia’s Denis Menchov, however he tested positive for the banned substance CERA – an advanced version of the blood-boosting product erythropoietin (EPO) – on May 20 and May 28.

His positive test results were first revealed on July 22, and so any ban would begin on that date.

CONI, the Italian Olympic Committee, has also made a recommendation to annul results of the rider besides imposing a fine on him.

Tags: CERA, Danilo Di Luca, EPO, erythropoietin

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The Liquigas team has withdrawn Manuel Beltran from the Tour de France after his A sample from the first stage of the Tour tested positive.

The team made the announcement after it was revealed that Beltran made use of EPO, the performance enhancing drug.

From Espnstar.com:

Beltran finished the stage 25th. He finished Friday’s stage in 26th place, three minutes 20 seconds behind leader Kim Kirchen.

French daily L’Equipe first reported the positive test on its website.

Police responded to the news by raiding the hotel used by the Liquigas team, but the team plans to continue in the Tour without Beltran.

If the positive test is confirmed, Beltran, 37, would be the first rider to fail a doping test during this year’s Tour. Liquigas will await the results of a B sample before deciding whether to take further action against Beltran.

Earlier on Friday, the French anti-doping agency reported that tests conducted prior to the start of the Tour returned no positives tests but a few abnormalities.

Beltran’s positive test was first reported by French daily L’Equipe on its website.

Tags: EPO, Kim Kirchen, Manuel Beltran, performance-enhancing drug, Tour de France

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Riccardo Ricco, the cyclist from Italy, is hopeful that his two-year suspension will be reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Italian authorities handed down the penalty to the rider and Anti-doping Tribunal of the National Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI) banned him on October 2 after he tested positive for CERA, a third generation version of banned substance EPO.

From Espnstar.com:

The 25-year-old, after initially denying the allegations, eventually pleaded guilty and named the doctor who had given him the substance, as well as another rider, in an effort to get a reduced punishment.

A decision on Ricco’s appeal will likely be reached within four months.

A statement released today by CAS read: “The CONI Anti-doping Tribunal has imposed a suspension of two years on Ricco after a positive doping test with EPO, performed during the Tour de France 2008.

“The athlete requests the reduction of the suspension on the basis of his collaboration with the authorities in this matter.

“The directions with respect to the arbitration procedure will be issued later on by the Tribunal in accordance with the Code of Sports-related Arbitration.

“As a general rule, CAS delivers its decisions within four months from the filing of the appeal.”

Ricco won two stages on the Tour – the second with a spectacular finish on one of the toughest mountain climbs.

Ricco, the former Saunier Duval rider, will make it only after July 30, 2010 if the appeal fails.

Tags: CERA, EPO, Riccardo Ricco, Tour de France

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The Silence Lotto team has decided to sack Bernhard Kohl after his sample tested positive to CERA, the new generation of the banned blood booster EPO, at the Tour de France.

The National anti-doping agency (AFLD) of France confirmed the positive sample finding.

From Espnstar.com:

Kohl finished third and also won the Polka Dot jersey as the best climber on this year’s Tour.

The Austrian, who rode for Gerolsteiner this season, had signed a contract with Silence Lotto which was due to run until 2011.

But a statement from his new team read: “Around 1900 (on Monday) the press told us that Bernhard Kohl has been controlled positively for the use of CERA.

“We have immediately checked this information with the Gerolsteiner’s manager, who has confirmed it.

“If this information is confirmed by the official authorities, the team management will start the legal steps in view of breaking immediately our future collaboration with Kohl.”

Italians Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli, plus Germany’s Stefan Schumacher, have already tested positive for CERA.

It was revealed by the anti-doping authorities that a sample of Kohl contained CERA before and during the Tour after re-tests at a laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry.

Tags: Bernhard Kohl, CERA, EPO, Leonardo Piepoli, Riccardo Ricco, Silence Lotto, Stefan Schumacher, Tour de France

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Antonio Pettigrew, a gold medalist in Olympic 4x400m relay, has entered into the disgrace zone by admitting that he took performance enhancing drugs.

Pettigrew is presently working in the capacity of an assistant track coach at the University of North Carolina. He never tested positive during his career in which he conquered World Championship gold over 400m in 1991 and world relay gold in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

From Espnstar.com:

Heredia, a former Mexican discus champion and confessed distributor of performance-enhancing drugs on Wednesday testified, however, that Pettigrew had received banned substances from him between 1997 and 2001.

Pettigrew confirmed this was correct when he testified on Thursday, saying that he had been encouraged by Graham to talk with Heredia before purchasing human growth hormone and Erythropoietin (EPO) from the Mexican.

Graham has pleaded not guilty to three counts of lying to federal agents investigating the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs during interviews with them in 2004.

Pettigrew, 40, is one of a number of former athletes who trained under Graham, also including fellow American Olympic gold medalists Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, Dennis Mitchell and Jerome Young.

He was called to testify before United States District Judge Susan Illston on Thursday having been implicated by main government witness at the trial, Angel ‘Memo’ Heredia, who has alleged Pettigrew and others received banned, performance-enhancing drugs from him through Graham.

Heredia recalled an incident during prosecution testimony in which Graham asked him to send by overnight mail a cocktail of EPO, human growth hormone, and insulin for the disgraced Marion Jones.

Tags: Antonio Pettigrew, Dennis Mitchell, EPO, erythropoietin, human growth hormone, Jerome Young, Marion Jones, Performance enhancing drugs, Tim Montgomery

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