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UCI Press Release re: recent doping news

Published: Oct. 7, 2008

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 7 octobre / 7 October 2008
Analysis of Tour de France samples by the AFLD:
three abnormal results

The French Anti-Doping Agency (Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage – AFLD) has informed the International Cycling Union (UCI) of the results of first analyses of repeat tests conducted on samples taken during this year's Tour de France to detect any use of EPO (CERA in particular).

The AFLD informed the UCI of the existence of three abnormal results that correspond to samples taken from Leonardo Piepoli, Riccardo Riccò and Stefan Schumacher.

The UCI congratulates the AFLD on the excellent work it carried out during the Tour de France. The collaboration with the AFLD shows that cycling as a whole rejects any kind of doping and is committed to eradicating cheating.

The correspondence of the results obtained by the AFLD with the information gathered under the biological passport system confirms the reliability of the latter. The biological passport was introduced this year and will soon be fully operational.

A thorough approach and the deployment of all possible means are vital if we are to safeguard the interests of those riders who are clean, who make up the great majority of the peloton. Such rigour applies to all concerned. In this respect, the UCI was extremely disappointed to learn of the allegations made recently by several media organisations regarding a number of riders, whose names were mentioned, completely unfairly, in this context.

UCI Press Service