Tour winner Armstrong denies doping allegation

By Patrick Vignal

PARIS (Reuters) – Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance
Armstrong has denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs
following a report in French newspaper L’Equipe that he used
the blood-boosting drug EPO in 1999.

L’Equipe, saying it had access to laboratory documents,
reported on Tuesday that six of Armstrong’s urine samples
collected on the 1999 Tour de France showed “indisputable”
traces of EPO (erythropoietin).

“I will simply restate what I have said many times: I have
never taken performance-enhancing drugs,” the American said in
a statement on his personal website.

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Hein Verbruggen
told Reuters: “We have to wait and see if this is true.

“Only then will we be able to ask ourselves whether there
should be any legal action and whether this is a further blow
for cycling.

“I have to say this is not pleasant but, for the moment, it
only involves Lance Armstrong and France.”

SAMPLES RETESTED

There were no tests to detect EPO, a drug that increases
the level of red blood cells, in 1999. However, samples from
the 1999 Tour de France were kept and have been recently
retested by a specialist doping laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry
outside Paris.

The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA)-accredited lab, which
developed the test to detect EPO, started retesting last year
samples that had taken between 1998 and 1999 and frozen. The
new tests were part of scientific research.

L’Equipe published what it claimed to be a results sheet
from the lab which appeared to show six figures revealing
traces of EPO.

The newspaper said the document had been sent by the lab to
the French Sports Minister on Monday.

“My first conclusion is that sportsmen who want to cheat
will now be under permanent pressure anywhere in the world,”
French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour told French radio.

“Those who cheat are not safe. This is sad but it’s also a
great step forward for the fight against doping,” he added.

The laboratory and Tour de France officials declined to
comment.

CANCER FIGHT

Armstrong added in his statement of denial: “Unfortunately,
the witch hunt continues and (L’Equipe’s) article is nothing
short of tabloid journalism.

“The paper even admits in its own article that the science
in question here is faulty and that I have no way to defend
myself.

“They state: ‘There will therefore be no counter-exam nor
regulatory prosecutions, in a strict sense, since (the)
defendant’s rights cannot be respected.”‘

The 33-year-old American retired after winning his record
seventh Tour de France in July.

Before winning his first Tour in 1999, Armstrong won a
battle against testicular cancer, undergoing two operations and
four bouts of chemotherapy.

Since retiring the Texan has concentrated on aiding the
fight against cancer, pressing President Bush to boost spending
on research.

Armstrong has been the target of doping allegations many
times during his career. He has always strongly denied them.