[ire]

http://www.velonews.com/article/84039/schumacher-tests-positive-for-epo

German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, a double stage winner at this year's Tour de France, has tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin), according to L'Equipe website on Monday.

Gerolsteiner rider Schumacher is the second rider named Monday to be caught using a new generation of EPO called CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator) at this year's race.

Earlier Monday the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced that Leonardo Piepoli, who won the race's 10th stage to Hautacam in the Pyrenees, tested for CERA.

Piepoli, a specialist climber, was a key helper of former Saunier Duval teammate Riccardo Riccò, who last week was banned for 20 months after testing positive for CERA at the Tour, where he won two stages.

Schumacher caused a minor sensation at this year's race when he won both time trials, both times leaving Switzerland's two-time world champion Fabian Cancellara in his wake.

According to L'Equipe, Schumacher's urine samples from the Tour were suspect although it took a recently-pioneered blood test for CERA to prove his guilt.

One test was carried out at a laboratory in Lausanne, the other at the laboratory used by France's national anti-doping agency.

The German recently left the Gerolsteiner team to sign with Belgian outfit Quick Step.

Gerolsteiner team boss Hans-Michael Holczer revealed the news about Schumacher to German sports agency SID, confirming earlier reports on the Web site of sports newspaper L'Equipe.

Holczer told SID: "The director of the Tour, Christian Prudhomme, has confirmed it and I have no doubt that it (Schumacher's positive test) is true."

Holczer, who said legal action would be taken against Schumacher, added: "We have been fooled by this man."

Schumacher himself told SID: "This is the first time I have heard of all this. All I can say is that I have not undertaken doping. This is nonsense."

Three riders from this year's Tour de France have now tested positive for CERA; Riccò, Piepoli and Schumacher.

If reports are confirmed, Schumacher will find himself in a second drugs scandal inside a year.

He was allowed to race at the Tour despite testing positive for amphetamines, only he was not banned because the test was carried out by police while he was driving.

After pulling on the race's yellow jersey in July after his victory in the fourth stage time trial the German claimed he did not take amphetamines, a stimulant which can be found in many over-the-counter medicines.

During the Tour de France only four drugs cheats were snared. Spaniard Manuel Beltran, of Liquigas, and Barloworld rider Moises Duenas, also of Spain, tested positive for EPO.

Italian star Riccò then joined them in exiting the race in disgrace after testing positive for CERA. On the race's final day Dmitri Fofonov, a Kazakh who rides for Credit Agricole, tested positive for a banned stimulant.

 

[James]

Man, screw that guy. Same guy who said he had diarrhea before the worlds in '07, that's why he tested positive...

 

[Westy]

I remember Paul and Phil commenting on how they couldn't beleive how fast Shumacher was going in the TT. If it seems to good to be true it probably is.

 

[IH8Rice]

why even bother doping w/ the amount of tests they were planning on doing during the Tour??
they deserve to get caught in my opinion.

 

[Heidi]

How many more positives are in the pipeline from the Tour?

 

[ire]

How many more positives are in the pipeline from the Tour?

We know Astana is in the clear this year

 

[IH8Rice]

We know Astana is in the clear this year

wait until the French get a hold of his magical urine.

 

[ire]

wait until the French get a hold of his magical urine.

If Contador tests positive, it won't be for the TdF though :biggrin:

 

[Zutroy]

why even bother doping w/ the amount of tests they were planning on doing during the Tour??
they deserve to get caught in my opinion.

They're are all getting caught for using CERE which is a new form of EPO that they thought didn't have a test.

Rumors are going around that there might be more positives in the pipe.

 

[ire]

They're are all getting caught for using CERE which is a new form of EPO that they thought didn't have a test.

Rumors are going around that there might be more positives in the pipe.

I hate it when we find out about positives so long after the fact, and it really short changes second place

 

[Zutroy]

I hate it when we find out about positives so long after the fact, and it really short changes second place

I think this will be more common in the future as new tests are developed since they are keeping samples for 8 years. In theory you could get busted years later. Like HGH, a test has just been developed to detect it. It's not validated yet, but if it makes it, you could see guys busted left and right for it from current samples.

 

[James]

Rumor:
Both Schlecks are out, and Fabian is under suspicion, along with a couple of other big names...

Take it for what it is: early rumors from Europe...

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Rumor:
Both Schlecks are out, and Fabian is under suspicion, along with a couple of other big names...

Take it for what it is: early rumors from Europe...

If that's the case....was Riis organizing all of this?

 

[James]

It's still pretty rumor-y. I have a hard time believing that Tony Spartacus is on the juice...

 

[sstalder5]

in schumacher's defense epos aren't much help at all in time trials. he could have won without them

 

[ire]

in schumacher's defense epos aren't much help at all in time trials. he could have won without them

lthumbsdown:

 

[James]

lthumbsdown:

Seconded.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

At TT efforts it's 'only' a 7 or 8% increase in performance.

 

[James]

At TT efforts it's 'only' a 7 or 8% increase in performance.

When the top guys are separated by 1%, 2%, less, it's enough.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

Add to the the fact that there is roughly a 50% increase in steady-state effort performance(i.e. other stages), allowing him to be fresh coming into the TT's.

There's no f'in way he could have done it w/o EPO.

 

[Zutroy]

in schumacher's defense epos aren't much help at all in time trials. he could have won without them

What crack are you smoking. EPO will help an any cycling event. The great question is who much, and that's an individual thing. It all depends on what your limiting factors are.

 

[ire]

Schumacher sucks

http://www.velonews.com/article/85444/schumacher-denies-doping-threatens-suit

Schumacher denies doping, threatens suit
By Agence Presse France
Posted Nov. 27, 2008

Former Gerolsteiner rider Stefan Schumacher, who failed a doping test at the Tour de France, said Thursday he will sue the French anti-doping authorities (AFLD) for defamation.

"I have been judged and pilloried," Schumacher, who has always denied doping, wrote on his website. "My conscience is clear."

"I don't want to stop here and I will not stop here," Schumacher added. "The people who have always believed in me and continue to do so and don't deserve this."

Schumacher is one of four riders to have failed a test for the new EPO variant known as CERA at this year's Tour de France.

The German rider caused a minor sensation when he won both time trials, leaving Switzerland's two-time world champion Fabian Cancellara in his wake.

At the start of October, the German cycling federation received documents confirming a double positive test for Schumacher.

The AFLD claimed the rider tested for CERA on July 3, two days before the start of the Tour and on July 15, a rest day at Pau.

 

[maddog17]

i've said it before, just let them dope and mark the records as post dope and pre dope. they're all going to do it, it's just a matter of time until they get caught. and when they do, it's all anyone can complain about. let em dope, let em look like supermen riding up alpe du Huez in record time then kick ass again the following day up another climb. i'm getting sick of hearing about it. at this point, i'm gonna assume they all dope. period. it's gonna be tougher to prove your not than you are. i think if anymore pop up as positive more will think like me, guilty until you prove innocent.

 

[ire]

i've said it before, just let them dope and mark the records as post dope and pre dope. they're all going to do it, it's just a matter of time until they get caught. and when they do, it's all anyone can complain about. let em dope, let em look like supermen riding up alpe du Huez in record time then kick ass again the following day up another climb. i'm getting sick of hearing about it. at this point, i'm gonna assume they all dope. period. it's gonna be tougher to prove your not than you are. i think if anymore pop up as positive more will think like me, guilty until you prove innocent.

I agree that they shouldn't test, but Schumaker is still a pussy for not owning up