More drug cheats expected to emerge from Tour de France CERA EPO retesting

The new post-race EPO CERA testing now processed by the Tour de France will produce more positives, according to Reuters.

The new CERA EPO apparently was thought to be undetectable by Tour riders in 2008.  Not so; 6 pro cyclists spit out" tainted urine thus far, and more are expected.  Two riders were nailed with the new CERA EPO.

French drugs testers are continuing to screen samples from riders who competed in this year's Tour de France and expect to announce more positive results despite the race ending three months ago.

"The tests are still underway, they are not all done yet," French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) head Pierre Bordry told Reuters on Wednesday.

"I imagine there could be one or two more cases," race director Christian Prudhomme added, in a week when two Tour riders were exposed as drugs cheats.

On Monday, Italy's Leonardo Piepoli and Germany's Stefan Schumacher were both revealed to have tested positive for CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator), a new generation of banned blood-booster.

    The positive tests are the result of the AFLD retroactively testing blood samples for the new type of erythropoietin (EPO).

The Chatenay-Malabry laboratory has developed a more effective blood test to find CERA, which had been difficult to detect through urine samples.

                   

Comments

[Brian]

Good thing Astana was kept out so as to preserve the integrity of the event.