Tour de France: AFDL has "serious" self-blood transfusions
BERLIN, Oct 8 2008 (AFP) 13:14
The French Agency for the fight against doping (AFLD) has "serious" cases of self-blood transfusions during the last Tour de France and will carry out checks as soon as possible to prove, said his chief Pierre Bordry Wednesday .
"We have evidence of cases of self-blood transfusions. We only later say who they are," he told German television ZDF, according to a release of the chain.
The anti-doping investigators focus on finding traces of CERA (a delay EPO) but we will soon also through the new process demonstrate the self-transfusion, and we will then conduct these tests, "he added.
For the moment there is no test to detect self-transfusion. Current research does not indicate that such a method will be available very soon.
Thirty cyclists are in the firing line, including samples taken before the start of the Tour tended to show certain anomalies, "said Bordry. The riders and their leaders had been informed, he said.
In some of these cyclists, the rates were then standardized during the Tour. "Some riders suspected returned to normal levels. But it was amazing to see how their performances are then become weak," said Bordry.
Not detectable by analysis, self-transfusion may be, however, be found via the blood passport and changes in hematologic values.