“I think it’s cowardly to cheat in sport, but it’s even more cowardly not to admit it.”
– Peter Riis Andersen, Danish cyclist admitting he used EPO
It takes a certain type of bravery and maturity to admit one’s mistakes. Peter Riis Andersen did so recently, after an anti-doping test came back positive for EPO. Today, Riccardo Riccò did the same. Reader Jean C first pointed this out to me a bit ago, in a comment here. Also, a comment by pensum over at Trust But Verify links to a story on the New York Times web site about today’s developments.
According to both stories, Riccò admitted to using EPO. The machine translation of L’Equipe’s story (for which Jean C provided the link) quotes Riccò as saying:
“Before the Tour, I made a mistake, I took a product that everyone is talking about. I have only committed this mistake…”
The New York Times story notes:
“I came here and I have explained the error I made, I think you all know 13 days ago the position that I was in, I think I have made a good gesture for everyone to have admitted my mistakes,” Ricco told reporters.
The 24-year-old also warned that testing procedures needed to be looked at.
“During the tour they made a lot of tests, they made 10 tests in about 13 legs, two were positive and in fact in theory all the tests should have been positive therefore the method needs to be checked,” he said.
Riccò’s comment should be cause for concern. Only twice out of the times he was tested did the test actually give the right answer.
That doesn’t sound like a very good test at first glance. And it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in those who’ve developed this new test for CERA, the form of EPO that Riccò is alleged to have used. (It’s interesting to note, too, that neither the Times/Reuters story nor the L’Equipe story identifies the type of EPO Riccò used.)
A good test should be more capable of detecting the use of a drug than this new CERA test appears to be. That said, no test can catch people after a certain period of time. The amount of time differs depending on the type of drug and the type of test involved and how quickly the human body metabolizes a given drug.
It’s possible that Riccò used the drug far enough in advance that the test could not have picked up the fact that he’d been doping. The test for CERA, used on Riccò’s sample, is said to be a urine test, and it is said to be based on the current urine EPO test. But the current urine EPO test can only detect usage over a period of a couple of days, at best.
If that’s the case with the CERA test, too, then the anti-doping lab basically got lucky. CERA is supposed to be longer acting, so perhaps some little bit of the drug was still present in a great enough amount that it magically showed up. But that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the current methods. To be an effective deterrent, we shouldn’t be counting on luck. And catching someone only two times out of ten tests when all ten should have come up positive is even worse than flipping a coin, statistically speaking.
Meanwhile, L’Equipe reports that Riccò feels some remorse for what he did.
“I came to the antidoping prosecutor for me to relieve a burden, because I feel at fault and an obligation to apologize to my fans.” An apology that he also sent his ex-teammates of Saunier-Duval: “My thoughts are with the team, because people have lost their jobs because of me. I also think my teammates who always because of me, had to renounce to continue their adventure in the Tour.” Cobra said, however:” The thing that hurt me most in this whole story was hypocrisy in the middle of cycling, ” lamented Riccò.
Riccò ought to feel remorse for the fact that he’s harmed others by his actions. Saunier-Duval, as a team, will continue on for a while with Scott and American Beef (let’s hope they don’t use steroids on their cattle) filling in as the title sponsors. But after this season, it’s not clear who will pick up the the mantle of title sponsor for the team. As for the “hypocrisy in the middle of cycling” that Riccò talks about, I’d like to hear more from him on exactly what or who he’s referring to.
And I’d like to know exactly why that hurts him so much. Were there people encouraging him to dope who subsequently threw him under the bus as soon as he was caught? The L’Equipe article quotes Riccò as saying no one told him how to use the drug, he got the drug and information about the drug from the Internet. “Nobody advised me,” he said. Yes, but did anyone give him a nudge and a wink? Another question that comes to mind is whether there are people Riccò knows who in public speak one way while in private behave in the opposite manner?
Whatever the case, good for Riccardo Riccò for owning up to what he did. It may or may not make a difference in the suspension he receives for doping (I’m guessing not), but he’s taken a big step in the right direction by coming clean. Assuming that he’s telling the truth now, Riccardo Riccò has made a wise choice.
That is not positive case of EPO but probably doping: 7 russian athletes (3 big names) have already be banned from the next JO. It seems that they have replaced their urines.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Jo/20080731_134539_six-athletes-suspendues_Dev.html
wouaahh!
A lot of doping cases today: 2 romanians athletes (1500m)
and 2 italians cyclist for EPO ( a young 23 and a 32 years old), caught at the Italian championship
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves2008/20080731_170049_deux-nouveaux-italiens-positifs_Dev.html
Jean,
Thanks for the tips. I won’t be able to read them until later today, unfortunately, as I’m traveling at the moment. Looks like things are really heating up in the doping world as the Olympics approach…
Jean C, do you have information on exactly what the AFLD found with the three EPO doping positives during the Tour? It’s clear that Ricco is CERA, but I’ve read contradictory reports regarding what they found with Beltran and Duenas. In particular, I’m interested if we have any AAF based on second-generation EPO use — the EPO manufactured from human and not animal cells.
Also, I would guess that if there are going to be any further announcements from AFLD of AAFs for this year’s Tour, we’ll hear them no later than tomorrow (Friday), because of August vacation. Correct?
Finally, you might be interested in the debate I’m having over at the Science of Sport blog, where I’m arguing whether this year’s Tour can be said (scientifically speaking, and based on the style of riding observed) to be cleaner or dirtier than in previous years. https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=753215493005715353&postID=2990753055911085912.
Larry,
Sorry, I have few answers to your questions.
About Duenas, based on my different readings and memories, CERA was not used. 2 Blood bags with transfusion equipment were found, one bag was still full.
Beltran was apparently caught for other EPO
I don’t know if LNDD closes his door for vacation in August but maybe some other AAF could have already been pronounced but we have no information… because of confidentiality! So LNDD close or open no speculation can be done.
I will read the Science of Sport blog. Thanks.
A last point about CERA use, it seems that some athletes would be use CERA and blood doping in combination. CERA would be used to maintain the blood parameters in a normal range for biological passport… Because of the fear of gendarmes probably few riders have brought blood in France.
Jean C, yes I’ve read about using EPO and blood doping in the right combination to produce a performance-enhancing effect without also producing unusual readings for the biological passport. In theory such a combination is possible, based on the little I know. In practice, I think it would take a lot of experimentation to figure out the right balance between blood doping and EPO to accomplish this trick, and this balance doubtless would be different from individual to individual.
Still, this is a topic worthy of further exploration.
Thanks for your terrific information, as always.
I have been pondering on Ricco’s allegation that more of his samples should have tested positive. Of course, there is the possibility that he is just blowing smoke. Now that he has confessed, I don’t think this would have much effect on his case, but perhaps he is trying to seed some FUD to help others how might get caught by this new test.
We don’t know much about the test, whether it has a narrow window of opportunity like the “standard EPO” test. It is possible that for this, or other reasons, there might be good reasons why so many potential positives were missed, while Ricco’s negative might well be solid.
Or it could play along with Dansgaard’s allegations. It might be that AFLD would have been prepared to cite other test results as positive, but the WADA (or some other entity) rules wouldn’t allow it.
Or possibly AFLD is the one blowing smoke. (Just speculating here, Jean). Results like these, absent any explanation, aren’t encouraging.
I don’t think that we will learn much about the nature of this test. AFLD, and others involved, will probably want to keep details secret out of fear that if athletes know more about it, they will be able to devise strategies to defeat the test and/or strategies to contest it at an arbitration. Should someone actually choose to contest an AAF, they might be forced to reveal more about the test, but until then I suspect it will be a rather well kept secret.
Rant, the other day I was thinking that with all the new sqeaky clean tours and the catching of all the dopers that it would be a great time for Lance Armstrong to come back on the scene to prove how an older rider could do in the tour and maybe to again prove that he is clean. Then news comes out that LA and FL are racing the Leadville 100. http://addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com/2008/07/cats-out-of-bag-lance-and-floyd-racing.html
Could this be true? This would certainly make up for a mediocre T de F. Has FL been riding enough to be in shape?
Luc,
I’m afraid that Trust But Verify is reporting that Landis won’t be doing the Leadville race. That’s a shame, really. I think it would be pretty interesting to see how the two would do against each other in a test of mountain biking skills. I suspect Floyd doesn’t want to tempt USADA into asking the CAS to extend his suspension for racing in a “sanctioned” event.
Larry, Jean C
The combination Jean C names: CERA and blooddoping is still risky.
Taking CERA will mean that the amount of young bloodcells (reticulocytes) on 100 adult red bloodcells (erythocytes) will be higher then it should be.
The test on reticulocytes (sorry not sure if this is also the right English word) is being done by the UCI (as far as I know).
The result of that test is not exact science since there can be more reasons why the average amount of young bloodcells is off, but it can raise a flagg.
Karuna, yes, I believe that reticulocyte is the right English word. As I understand it, blood doping would tend to depress the reticulocyte count (why should the body create young red blood cells when so many are already present) and EPO tents to increase the reticulocyte count, so in theory you could balance blood doping and EPO use in a way that would keep a steady reticulocyte count.
William, it’s very frustrating that we know so little of what the ADAs are doing at present. But ultimately, I don’t think that the ADAs can afford to keep their CERA test a secret. All lab tests must go through a validation process, and peer review of the lab method is generally a part of this process.
There may not be much of a reason to keep the test method a secret. Everyone knows that the authorities can test for CERA now. It’s simply too dangerous at this moment to use a drug that can be detected in a lab test, especially a drug like CERA that appears to persist in the body for a long time, and particularly when there appear to be many readily available forms of EPO that cannot be detected. We’ve probably seen the first AND last CERA busts in this year’s Tour de France.