Groundbreaking new dope-testing strategy at the Tour de France

[Chumpito]

I hope this is all that it will take to clean up the sport.
I'm sick of the doping, rumors, innuendos, and coming out
years later with revelations. i think we could all use a
break from that crap. The following is from Eurosport.com.

"Increasingly under pressure amid the recent wave of doping
scandals, the UCI (International Cycling Union) has today
suggested that it will hit back with a groundbreaking new
dope-testing strategy at the Tour de France.

Five days before the Tour is due to set out from Liège,
Belgium, UCI head doctor Mario Zorzoli told news agency AP
on Monday that the 2004 Grande Boucle could be the first
ever sporting event to use blood tests as part of its anti-
doping protocol.

Until now, blood tests had only been used within the scope
of UCI health tests, or as a "trigger" for follow-up urine
tests on anomalous samples. While failure of a health test
incurs only a two-week "rest period", infringements of the
UCI's anti-doping protocol are sanctioned with bans ranging
from several months to four years.

"We have decided to introduce anti-doping blood tests,"
Zorzoli confirmed today. "Nothing is official yet, but we
know that our regulations permit us to perform blood tests
and we're not worried about doing precisely that. It should
happen: we have methods available to us to do it. I believe
that it will be a first in a sporting event."

If put into force, the new tests could effectively sound the
death knell for products such as synthetic haemoglobin and
human growth hormone, and also catch out riders practising
blood transfusions. In all three cases the move would mark
the fruition of years of research. The development of a test
for human growth hormone alone has taken almost a decade and
has cost several millions of dollars. As recently as two
weeks ago, WADA-sponsored research scientists at the
University of Southampton told procycling that they were
"pessimistic" about a test for the banned hormone being
approved in time for the Athens Olympics in August.

According to AP, the decision to introduce the blood tests
follows a meeting between UCI officials and the French
Ministry of Sports and Youth around a month ago. In early
May the UCI had revealed to procycling that the French Châtenay-
Malabry laboratory was on the brink of perfecting a test to
detect synthetic haemoglobin.

Contacted on Monday morning, Tour de France director Jean-
Marie Leblanc appeared to confirm the advent of blood tests
at the Tour: "The UCI will be able to detect human growth
hormone, I think," said Leblanc. "They tell me that taking
the blood sample is a very long process. Well, on the
morning of the stage or the evening after it, and taking
into account the capacity of the laboratories, we are trying
to find a way to work in harmony with the various
authorities."

[David Miller]

Another problem with "daily blood testing" is that, if you
take enough blood, it's eventually going to hurt
performance. These tests are not "finger stick" assays, but
require a tube of blood. The first tube is discarded, and
the second is sent to the lab. There is some blood wasted in
the syringe/tubing.

If you do this on a daily basis, eventually, the victim of
the repeated phlebotomy becomes...anemic. This is why urine
testing is prefered.

If I were I rider, I'd balk. The deck is stacked against the
people doing well.

"Chumpito" <rayj3@msn.com> wrote in message
news:7980458e.0406281158.242e9b66@posting.google.com...
> I hope this is all that it will take to clean up the
> sport. I'm sick of the doping, rumors, innuendos, and
> coming out years later with revelations. i think we could
> all use a break from that crap. The following is from
> Eurosport.com.
>
> "Increasingly under pressure amid the recent wave of
> doping scandals, the UCI (International Cycling Union)
> has today suggested that it will hit back with a
> groundbreaking new dope-testing strategy at the Tour
> de France.
>
> Five days before the Tour is due to set out from Liège,
> Belgium, UCI head doctor Mario Zorzoli told news agency AP
> on Monday that the 2004 Grande Boucle could be the first
> ever sporting event to use blood tests as part of its anti-
> doping protocol.
>
> Until now, blood tests had only been used within the scope
> of UCI health tests, or as a "trigger" for follow-up urine
> tests on anomalous samples. While failure of a health test
> incurs only a two-week "rest period", infringements of the
> UCI's anti-doping protocol are sanctioned with bans
> ranging from several months to four years.
>
> "We have decided to introduce anti-doping blood tests,"
> Zorzoli confirmed today. "Nothing is official yet, but we
> know that our regulations permit us to perform blood tests
> and we're not worried about doing precisely that. It
> should happen: we have methods available to us to do it. I
> believe that it will be a first in a sporting event."
>
> If put into force, the new tests could effectively sound
> the death knell for products such as synthetic haemoglobin
> and human growth hormone, and also catch out riders
> practising blood transfusions. In all three cases the move
> would mark the fruition of years of research. The
> development of a test for human growth hormone alone has
> taken almost a decade and has cost several millions of
> dollars. As recently as two weeks ago, WADA-sponsored
> research scientists at the University of Southampton told
> procycling that they were "pessimistic" about a test for
> the banned hormone being approved in time for the Athens
> Olympics in August.
>
> According to AP, the decision to introduce the blood tests
> follows a meeting between UCI officials and the French
> Ministry of Sports and Youth around a month ago. In early
> May the UCI had revealed to procycling that the French Châtenay-
> Malabry laboratory was on the brink of perfecting a test
> to detect synthetic haemoglobin.
>
> Contacted on Monday morning, Tour de France director Jean-
> Marie Leblanc appeared to confirm the advent of blood
> tests at the Tour: "The UCI will be able to detect human
> growth hormone, I think," said Leblanc. "They tell me that
> taking the blood sample is a very long process. Well, on
> the morning of the stage or the evening after it, and
> taking into account the capacity of the laboratories, we
> are trying to find a way to work in harmony with the
> various authorities."

[Dave H]

"David Miller" <dem5150@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:XZ2Ec.30033$eH1.14207077@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com...
> Another problem with "daily blood testing" is that, if
> you take enough blood, it's eventually going to hurt
> performance. These tests are not "finger stick" assays,
> but require a tube of blood. The first tube is
> discarded, and the second is sent to the lab. There is
> some blood wasted
in
> the syringe/tubing.
>
> If you do this on a daily basis, eventually, the victim of
> the repeated phlebotomy becomes...anemic. This is why
> urine testing is prefered.
>
> If I were I rider, I'd balk. The deck is stacked against
> the people doing well.

It says FIVE days before the tour they will be drawn, not
everyday Dave

[Tuschinski]

"David Miller" <dem5150@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:XZ2Ec.30033$eH1.14207077@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com...
> Another problem with "daily blood testing" is that, if
> you take enough blood, it's eventually going to hurt
> performance. These tests are not "finger stick" assays,
> but require a tube of blood. The first tube is
> discarded, and the second is sent to the lab. There is
> some blood wasted
in
> the syringe/tubing.

[QUOTE]

You are sure that they will take a significant amount?

[quote]
>
> If you do this on a daily basis, eventually, the victim of
> the repeated phlebotomy becomes...anemic. This is why
> urine testing is prefered.
>
[QUOTE]

Really? I thought a blood loss of a tube would be made up easily. Also, I am still wondering if they want to test blood of all atheletes daily, or do say 25 a day (meaning every rider gets 3 bloodtests a TdF) as that seems unclear from the text in the intial post.

[QUOTE]
> If I were I rider, I'd balk. The deck is stacked against
> the people doing well.
[QUOTE]

Besides of the morality of the tests (yes I think it is crossing the line of decency!), couldn't you refuse on principal/religious grounds?

Anyway I look at it it is becoming more of a witch-hunt as a true investigation.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dave H
It says FIVE days before the tour they will be drawn, not
everyday Dave

The original post indicates no such thing, altough I must say that I assume that they wont be doing 200 bloodtests daily (seems a tad expensive/difficult?)

[Ronald]

> "Increasingly under pressure amid the recent wave of
> doping
scandals,
> the UCI (International Cycling Union) has today
> suggested that it
will
> hit back with a groundbreaking new dope-testing strategy
> at the Tour de France.

Sounds to me like the usual pre Tour / Olympics "we found a
new spectacular testing method so don't try to dope" talk.

"Chumpito" <rayj3@msn.com> wrote in message
news:7980458e.0406281158.242e9b66@posting.google.com...
> I hope this is all that it will take to clean up the
> sport. I'm
sick
> of the doping, rumors, innuendos, and coming out years
> later with revelations. i think we could all use a break
> from that crap. The following is from Eurosport.com.
>
> "Increasingly under pressure amid the recent wave of
> doping
scandals,
> the UCI (International Cycling Union) has today
> suggested that it
will
> hit back with a groundbreaking new dope-testing strategy
> at the Tour de France.
>
> Five days before the Tour is due to set out from Liège,
> Belgium, UCI head doctor Mario Zorzoli told news agency AP
> on Monday that the
2004
> Grande Boucle could be the first ever sporting event to
> use blood tests as part of its anti-doping protocol.
>
> Until now, blood tests had only been used within the scope
> of UCI health tests, or as a "trigger" for follow-up urine
> tests on
anomalous
> samples. While failure of a health test incurs only a two-
> week "rest period", infringements of the UCI's anti-doping
> protocol are sanctioned with bans ranging from several
> months to four years.
>
> "We have decided to introduce anti-doping blood tests,"
> Zorzoli confirmed today. "Nothing is official yet, but we
> know that our regulations permit us to perform blood tests
> and we're not worried about doing precisely that. It
> should happen: we have methods available to us to do it. I
> believe that it will be a first in a sporting event."
>
> If put into force, the new tests could effectively sound
> the death knell for products such as synthetic haemoglobin
> and human growth hormone, and also catch out riders
> practising blood transfusions. In all three cases the move
> would mark the fruition of years of
research.
> The development of a test for human growth hormone alone
> has taken almost a decade and has cost several millions of
> dollars. As
recently
> as two weeks ago, WADA-sponsored research scientists at
> the
University
> of Southampton told procycling that they were
> "pessimistic" about a test for the banned hormone being
> approved in time for the Athens Olympics in August.
>
> According to AP, the decision to introduce the blood tests
> follows a meeting between UCI officials and the French
> Ministry of Sports and Youth around a month ago. In early
> May the UCI had revealed to procycling that the French Châtenay-
> Malabry laboratory was on the brink of perfecting a test
> to detect synthetic haemoglobin.
>
> Contacted on Monday morning, Tour de France director Jean-
> Marie Leblanc appeared to confirm the advent of blood
> tests at the Tour: "The UCI will be able to detect human
> growth hormone, I think," said Leblanc. "They tell me
> that taking the blood sample is a very long process.
> Well, on the morning of the stage or the evening after
> it, and taking into account the capacity of the
> laboratories, we are trying to find a way to work in
> harmony with the various
authorities."