This Just In: Iban Mayo Was on UCI Hit List

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breaking...817153,00.html

Suspended Mayo was UCI target - McQuaid
By Julien Pretot

PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) - Spanish rider Iban Mayo had been targeted by the
International Cycling Union (UCI) as a possible offender prior to his
positive test for erythropoietin during the Tour de France.

Mayo, who finished the race in 16th place, was suspended by his team Saunier
Duval on Monday after cycling's governing body confirmed traces of EPO in a
sample taken on the July 24 rest day.

"It's another sad episode in the Tour de France," UCI president Pat McQuaid
told Reuters by telephone on Tuesday.

"People need to understand, the riders need to understand that that the UCI
operates in a different way than in the past. Thanks to the blood tests, we
target riders.

"Iban Mayo was one of the UCI targets," he added.

"The riders have to understand that we use intelligence to target some of
them."

EPO is a blood-boosting substance that was at the centre of the Festina
affair that tarnished the 1998 Tour de France.

"It is surprising that the riders still use it knowing it is detectable,"
MacQuaid added.

The UCI chief added that Alexander Vinokourov, who tested positive for
homologous blood-doping, was probably unaware that the French laboratory
used by Tour organisers had mastered detection methods for this kind of
offence.

"Up to this year, only the Lausanne laboratory (in Switzerland) was
conducting tests for homologous blood-doping," McQuaid said.

"But the Lausanne lab taught the French one how to detect it and therefore
they were able to test Vinokourov's sample."

The Kazakh rider tested positive following his stage 13 time-trial victory
in Albi and was forced to leave the race, prompting his Astana team to pull
out of the Tour.

In a race marred by a series of doping affairs, Italian rider Cristian
Moreni tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone and was kicked
out of the race for having too much sex.

His Cofidis team abandoned the Tour almost immediately.

Dane Michael Rasmussen, who was race leader at the time, was sacked by his
Rabobank team before the 17th stage for lying about his training
whereabouts.

"Iban Mayo was one of the UCI targets," he added.

"The riders have to understand that we use intelligence to target some of
them."

Mayo cleared in 'non-negative' test

First Edition Cycling News for June 15, 2007
Edited by Laura Weislo

Spanish climber Iban Mayo has been cleared of any doping offence after
returning a 'non-negative' urine test in the Giro d'Italia. The Italian
newspaper Gazetta dello Sport reported the test results in a move that the
UCI called "premature". The UCI is currently investigating the results of
two other 'non-negative' tests, reported to be high levels of the asthma
medication salbutamol returned, according to Gazetta, by Mayo's team-mate
Leonardo Piepoli and sprint ace Alessandro Petacchi.

The UCI issued a statement regarding Mayo's high
testosterone:epitestosterone result, stating, "No breach of the UCI
antidoping rules was committed by the Spanish rider Iban Mayo of the Saunier
Duval team. A further examination conducted by IRMS has enabled any
possibility of testosterone administration to be ruled out."

The additional tests were performed in the WADA laboratory in Rome, and
confirmed that Mayo's high testosterone levels are of a natural origin,
something which Saunier Duval team manager stated the UCI is aware of, and
for which Mayo holds an exemption. The Saunier Duval team objected to the
publication of the test results in the press, stating that previous reports
of non-negatives have been published and then subsequently returned
'not-guilty' verdicts, "But never in the past, had rumours been published
with names of cyclists to such early stage," stated the team press release.
"That is why we condemn and regret those accusations which have been made to
our team and which affects our image and our sponsors."

Indeed, earlier this year news that second place 2006 Tour de France
finisher Oscar Pereiro had tested 'non-negative' for the asthma drug
salbutamol was published and later cleared up when the rider presented
proper documentation for a therapeutic use exemption to the antidoping
authorities.

The UCI statement addressed the premature publication of the names involved,
stating, "The history of this particular case shows the vital need to await
the closure of the relevant investigations before reaching conclusions.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...un07/jun15news

...."kicked out of the race for having too much sex."

damn. these guys really are cracking down



"Breaking News" wrote in message
...
"Iban Mayo was one of the UCI targets," he added.

"The riders have to understand that we use intelligence to target some of
them."

Mayo cleared in 'non-negative' test

First Edition Cycling News for June 15, 2007
Edited by Laura Weislo

Spanish climber Iban Mayo has been cleared of any doping offence after
returning a 'non-negative' urine test in the Giro d'Italia. The Italian
newspaper Gazetta dello Sport reported the test results in a move that the
UCI called "premature". The UCI is currently investigating the results of
two other 'non-negative' tests, reported to be high levels of the asthma
medication salbutamol returned, according to Gazetta, by Mayo's team-mate
Leonardo Piepoli and sprint ace Alessandro Petacchi.

The UCI issued a statement regarding Mayo's high
testosterone:epitestosterone result, stating, "No breach of the UCI
antidoping rules was committed by the Spanish rider Iban Mayo of the
Saunier
Duval team. A further examination conducted by IRMS has enabled any
possibility of testosterone administration to be ruled out."

The additional tests were performed in the WADA laboratory in Rome, and
confirmed that Mayo's high testosterone levels are of a natural origin,
something which Saunier Duval team manager stated the UCI is aware of, and
for which Mayo holds an exemption. The Saunier Duval team objected to the
publication of the test results in the press, stating that previous
reports
of non-negatives have been published and then subsequently returned
'not-guilty' verdicts, "But never in the past, had rumours been published
with names of cyclists to such early stage," stated the team press
release.
"That is why we condemn and regret those accusations which have been made
to
our team and which affects our image and our sponsors."

Indeed, earlier this year news that second place 2006 Tour de France
finisher Oscar Pereiro had tested 'non-negative' for the asthma drug
salbutamol was published and later cleared up when the rider presented
proper documentation for a therapeutic use exemption to the antidoping
authorities.

The UCI statement addressed the premature publication of the names
involved,
stating, "The history of this particular case shows the vital need to
await
the closure of the relevant investigations before reaching conclusions.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...un07/jun15news