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EPO test likely for Tour de France
Posted: Thursday May 25, 2000 04:30 PM
GENEVA (AP) -- The International Cycling Union said Thursday is was ready to risk using a new doping test to detect the banned hormone erythropoieti, or EPO, at the upcoming Tour de France. Speaking after a meeting in Geneva, Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc and Hein Verbruggen, President of the International Cycling Union, said the urine test was being fast-tracked through a validation process they admitted was less rigorous than the International Olympics Committee's. But Verbruggen and Leblanc said they were willing to cut corners in order to be ready in time for, cycling's showcase event, which begins July 1. Since they wouldn't have the time to meet the strict validation criteria the International Olympic Committee must meet in order to use the tests, Verbruggen said they would try to fill three less stringent conditions. "We are ready to accept a certain risk," said Verbruggen. "The IOC is asking for higher standards, but we are willing to ask for less if we can have it ready before June 20. If the test meets the three criteria, for us that is enough." The IOC's procedures for scientific validation include publication in a highly-respected journal, independent peer review and approval by legal experts. The UCI said its criteria were similar but less stringent. They agreed the test procedure, developed by France's national laboratory for testing and doping, had to be published in a scientific journal, and said checks were being carried out on 220 samples now. They also called on the International Olympic Committee to establish a commission of three experts to study the test. If those criteria are met in time, any positive test at the Tour de France could result in a lengthy suspension, Verbruggen said. He added that test results were rapid and were available three days after collection of the urine sample. French sporting authorities have been pressing for use of the test. EPO, which enhances endurance by boosting the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells in the body, was at the center of the Tour de France drug scandal two years ago and is believed widely used in several sports. With current tests, riders with a red blood cell count above 50 percent -- a sign of likely EPO use -- are given a compulsory 15-day ban on health grounds. The high count indicates the possible use of EPO, although the artificial use of the hormone itself cannot be detected. Earlier this year, the UCI introduced the world's first medical monitoring program for all professional riders aimed at countering the problem of performance-enhancing drugs which cannot be detected in doping tests, such as EPO. Riders must now undergo a spectrum of tests before joining a professional team, as well as yearly blood, urine and cardiological tests four times a year. "The level of risk taken by the cycling movement is totally acceptable and certainly worth it," said Parice Mangen, head of the cycling's medical monitoring program. "I was convinced by the method." Cycling has been the professional sport most rocked by drug scandals in recent years. Italy's Marco Pantani was forced to abandon last year's Tour of Italy while leading on the penultimate day after a blood test found an overabundance of red blood cells.
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