International Cycling Union (UCI) chief Hein Verbruggen said on Friday no action would be taken against Lance Armstrong following the recent allegations of doping against the American cyclist.
Armstrong, who retired after his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory in July, had been accused of using banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) by French sports daily L’Equipe in an article two weeks ago which showed details of 1999 drugs tests.
Armstrong has vehemently denied the allegations, and said he is prepared to make a comeback from retirement just to spite the French organisers of the world’s toughest bike race.
Verbruggen, who is known to be close to Armstrong, meanwhile said the UCI could not sanction the 33-year-old Texan and instead seemed more intent on pointing the finger at whoever ordered the tests on the 1999 samples to be carried out.
He even pointed the finger at World Anti Doping Agency chief Dick Pound for his handling of the affair.
Asked what if any sanction Armstrong could be given by the UCI, Verbruggen told Le Figaro newspaper: ”The normal sanction — if you can prove that someone has tested positive [is two years]. But what we have here can not be used as proof.”
He added: ”It’s not wise to condemn someone who hasn’t tested positive in a legal sense.”
On August 23 L’Equipe led with a huge story on ”The Armstrong Lie”, printing details of test results from 1999 — leaked from a Paris laboratory — which suggested that out of the 12 positive tests that year, six belong to Armstrong.
However since retroactive testing has as yet no legal basis — the 1999 samples only began to be analysed in 2004 — it seems unlikely that Armstrong could be sanctioned.
Verbruggen added: ”We’re going to be looking further into this affair. It’s another heavy blow to cycling so we have to take it all the way. And I also want to know who exactly it was who gave out this information.”
Verbruggen said he was also against the idea of using retroactive testing to sanction athletes for achievements in previous years.
”I’m not for limitless dope testing. Otherwise, we just wouldn’t get to the end of it.”
Verbruggen, who is officially a candidate when what should be a tumultuous UCI presidential vote is held in around two weeks, revealed that the UCI had the names of the riders to whom the six other positive results from 1999 pertain.
”We have the names of the other riders. We’re waiting for answers to our questions from the laboratory to see what can and should be done.” – AFP
