Tweet
QUOTE
WADA chief: UCI gave L'Equipe Armstrong documents
Associated Press
The president of cycling's world governing body supplied L'Equipe with documents the French sports newspaper used to accuse Lance Armstrong of doping at the 1999 Tour de France, World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound said Thursday.
Pound said he received a letter from Hein Verbruggen, head of the cycling body, known by its initials UCI, saying he had provided L'Equipe's reporter with forms indicating Armstrong had tested positive for EPO during his first Tour victory.
"Mr. Verbruggen told us that he showed all the forms of Mr. Armstrong to L'Equipe and that he even gave the journalist a copy of one of the documents," Pound said during a conference call from Montreal.
"I don't understand why they're not stepping up to that and saying, 'Well, I guess we do know how the name got public, we made it possible,' " he said.
Last month, L'Equipe published evidence allegedly showing that six of Armstrong's frozen urine samples from 1999 came back positive for endurance-boosting EPO when they were retested last year. The seven-time Tour champion denied ever using banned drugs and said he was the victim of a "witch hunt."
Last Friday, the UCI said it had not received enough information to make a judgment on the accusations. It also criticized L'Equipe for targeting Armstrong and Pound for making public statements on the "likely guilt of the athlete" without knowing all the facts.
The UCI, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, said Thursday that Verbruggen was "really astonished" by Pound's latest comments and accused him of "making false accusations."
UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani said UCI wrote to WADA on Sept. 5 saying it had handed one document to L'Equipe's journalist.
"Mr. Verbruggen is of the opinion that this declaration by Mr. Pound is a demonstration of his bad faith because Mr. Pound knows very well that the other five documents do not come from UCI," he said. "Mr. Pound cannot pretend that he did not know that."
Carpani said L'Equipe's journalist had visited the UCI offices, but Verbruggen himself was not there at the time.
Last week's UCI statement said the French reporter apparently had acquired "confidential documents which he was able to consult at the UCI after receiving, under false pretext, the authorization of Lance Armstrong."
L'Equipe said it matched Armstrong's name to six forms marked with coded numbers.
"It's .... quite clear the only way there could have been a match between the code numbers and a particular athlete was on the basis of information supplied by the UCI," Pound said.
"Our suggestion has been to [Verbruggen], 'Why are you looking farther than the UCI in respect of disclosure?' "
Pound questioned the UCI's willingness to fully investigate L'Equipe's accusations and wondered whether the cycling body was merely looking for a "scapegoat."
On another issue, Pound eased off on a confrontation with soccer's governing body and FIFA president Sepp Blatter over compliance with WADA's anti-doping code. Pound said this year FIFA risked expulsion from the Olympics because it had failed to accept two-year bans for serious doping offenses.
Last week, while continuing to leave sanctions open, FIFA revised its rules to allow WADA to appeal any FIFA rulings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"They are convinced they are fully compliant," Pound said. "We'll have a look at that and see whether or not we agree."
In case of any disagreement, he said, WADA would continue to negotiate with FIFA or ask CAS for a legal ruling.
Pound also said no "significant changes" are in line for the revised global list of banned substances to go into force Jan. 1, 2006.[/b][/quote]
Associated Press
The president of cycling's world governing body supplied L'Equipe with documents the French sports newspaper used to accuse Lance Armstrong of doping at the 1999 Tour de France, World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound said Thursday.
Pound said he received a letter from Hein Verbruggen, head of the cycling body, known by its initials UCI, saying he had provided L'Equipe's reporter with forms indicating Armstrong had tested positive for EPO during his first Tour victory.
"Mr. Verbruggen told us that he showed all the forms of Mr. Armstrong to L'Equipe and that he even gave the journalist a copy of one of the documents," Pound said during a conference call from Montreal.
"I don't understand why they're not stepping up to that and saying, 'Well, I guess we do know how the name got public, we made it possible,' " he said.
Last month, L'Equipe published evidence allegedly showing that six of Armstrong's frozen urine samples from 1999 came back positive for endurance-boosting EPO when they were retested last year. The seven-time Tour champion denied ever using banned drugs and said he was the victim of a "witch hunt."
Last Friday, the UCI said it had not received enough information to make a judgment on the accusations. It also criticized L'Equipe for targeting Armstrong and Pound for making public statements on the "likely guilt of the athlete" without knowing all the facts.
The UCI, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, said Thursday that Verbruggen was "really astonished" by Pound's latest comments and accused him of "making false accusations."
UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani said UCI wrote to WADA on Sept. 5 saying it had handed one document to L'Equipe's journalist.
"Mr. Verbruggen is of the opinion that this declaration by Mr. Pound is a demonstration of his bad faith because Mr. Pound knows very well that the other five documents do not come from UCI," he said. "Mr. Pound cannot pretend that he did not know that."
Carpani said L'Equipe's journalist had visited the UCI offices, but Verbruggen himself was not there at the time.
Last week's UCI statement said the French reporter apparently had acquired "confidential documents which he was able to consult at the UCI after receiving, under false pretext, the authorization of Lance Armstrong."
L'Equipe said it matched Armstrong's name to six forms marked with coded numbers.
"It's .... quite clear the only way there could have been a match between the code numbers and a particular athlete was on the basis of information supplied by the UCI," Pound said.
"Our suggestion has been to [Verbruggen], 'Why are you looking farther than the UCI in respect of disclosure?' "
Pound questioned the UCI's willingness to fully investigate L'Equipe's accusations and wondered whether the cycling body was merely looking for a "scapegoat."
On another issue, Pound eased off on a confrontation with soccer's governing body and FIFA president Sepp Blatter over compliance with WADA's anti-doping code. Pound said this year FIFA risked expulsion from the Olympics because it had failed to accept two-year bans for serious doping offenses.
Last week, while continuing to leave sanctions open, FIFA revised its rules to allow WADA to appeal any FIFA rulings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"They are convinced they are fully compliant," Pound said. "We'll have a look at that and see whether or not we agree."
In case of any disagreement, he said, WADA would continue to negotiate with FIFA or ask CAS for a legal ruling.
Pound also said no "significant changes" are in line for the revised global list of banned substances to go into force Jan. 1, 2006.[/b][/quote]
"Can't buy what I want because it's free...
Can't buy what I want because it's free..."
-- Pearl Jam, from the single Corduroy
Comment