Six test positive for new form of EPO
Associated Press

LONDON -- Six Olympic athletes have turned up positive for doping in retests on samples from the Beijing Games.

The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that a total of seven positive tests involving six athletes came back positive for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The IOC did not name the athletes or sports involved, saying it was notifying the athletes through their national Olympic committees. The Italian Olympic Committee said one of the positive samples belonged to one of its male athletes, who was left unidentified.

"Due to the presumption of innocence, the IOC will not comment on any individual case," the IOC said.

The IOC reanalyzed a total of 948 samples from Beijing after new lab tests for CERA and insulin became available after the Olympics.

The testing, which began in January, focused mainly on endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and track and field.

"The further analysis of the Beijing samples that we conducted should send a clear message that cheats can never assume that they have avoided detection," said Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC medical commission.

The IOC will wait for word from the national Olympic bodies before holding any disciplinary hearings.

Athletes found guilty of doping face being disqualified from the Olympics and stripped of any medals they have won. In the meantime, national and international bodies are free to impose provisional suspensions of athletes, the IOC said.

The Italian Olympic Committee said its athlete had been informed along with the committee's anti-doping prosecutor. Italian officials said they had not been authorized by the IOC to identify the athlete.

A Greek race walker, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, announced in January that she had tested positive in the new Beijing checks. Tsoumeleka, who finished ninth in Beijing in the 20K walk, was charged by a Greek prosecutor earlier this month with using banned drugs.

The IOC previously disqualified nine athletes for doping at the Aug. 8-24 Olympics. In addition, there were six doping cases involving horses in the equestrian competition.

The IOC is storing doping samples for eight years so they can be tested retroactively when new detection methods are developed.

According to Il Espresso Rebellin is one...

According to Il Espresso Rebellin is one...

According to Il Espresso Rebellin is one...

Ok now, bets on who the cough<Sanchez>cough other busted rider is?

See what doping does? My assured, oh, 23rd place finish in the Canadian Cyclist Classics prediction contest is now bumped down to 47th...all because I was naive enough to believe (really, really believe) in TinTin...

Ok now, bets on who the cough<Sanchez>cough other busted rider is?
Hmm, is this going to suddenly change the UCI's mind, again, about releasing the Bio-passport positives?

Hmm, is this going to suddenly change the UCI's mind, again, about releasing the Bio-passport positives?

The link to the article I posted does mention him as the other cycling positive..

AP reports also that two of the six were medalists, one in cycling, the other a gold-medal winning track and field athlete.

According to Il Espresso Rebellin is one...

The link to the article I posted does mention him as the other cycling positive..

Why the sad faces? Isn't it good news when a doper is caught? I guess if it was a positive out of Garmin or Highroad that would be sad, if only because then we really have nothing at all left to hope in / believe in.

Not true! "Hope rides again" and don't you "believe in miracles"?

I couldn't find that mention at all. It only mentions Sanchez when it says Rebellin was second behind him. It says here were 7 positive samples from 6 athletes, and that apart from cycling there were 3 cases in athletics (including a gold medal) and 2 in weightlifting.

Also, neither the British or the US agencies have been notified, so that would seem to indicate that neither British or American athletes were involved.

btw, what are the chances that the other cyclist is Schumacher? That would make sense.

Am I the only one who is waiting for Usain Bolt to be caught?
Assumption of guilt based purely on achievements is of course not the way to go about things, but the sport of track and field is simply different from Bolt's performances.

Am I the only one who is waiting for Usain Bolt to be caught?
Assumption of guilt based purely on achievements is of course not the way to go about things, but the sport of track and field is simply different from Bolt's performances.

... yet despite having the "best anti-doping program in sports", the only time riders have been caught using this very detectable drug has been in controls by the AFLD and WADA (IOC).

Funny you said that as I was thinking the same thing. This would literally blow away all hope he had of winning his case against the UCI or is the the AFLD?

Regarding the other cycling positive, I have not seen anyone comments regarding the fact that 2 positive A-samples were identified for one athlete. This could be only in Cycling or Athletics.

Regarding the other cycling positive, I have not seen anyone comments regarding the fact that 2 positive A-samples were identified for one athlete. This could be only in Cycling or Athletics. Several cyclists took part in both the RR and the ITT. There were also track and mountain cyclists who took part in more than one event.

Not to take away from your proper sentiment, the bolded text is not true strictly speaking - Sella was the UCI's catch.

Regarding the other cycling positive, I have not seen anyone comments regarding the fact that 2 positive A-samples were identified for one athlete. This could be only in Cycling or Athletics. Several cyclists took part in both the RR and the ITT. There were also track and mountain cyclists who took part in more than one event.

Hasn't he gotten his AARP card by now.

Don't dicount rowing from the multiple event list either. Not that rowing positives are frequent, but there was one last time.

Dave.

The Associated Press reported that two cyclists, three track and field athletes and one weightlifter are the six

Could include rowers or swimmers as well, though.

But for the sake of it (and yes, this is pure unadulterated speculation), what riders did compete in both the road race and ITT, who didn't medal, or weren't British or American? Off the top of my head, I can think of Contador . But I think there were quite a few - Evans, Menchov, Gesink also come to mind.

no you are not. The way he ran and broke the record was ridiculous.

Am I the only one who is waiting for Usain Bolt to be caught?
Assumption of guilt based purely on achievements is of course not the way to go about things, but the sport of track and field is simply different from Bolt's performances.

Why the sad faces? Isn't it good news when a doper is caught? I guess if it was a positive out of Garmin or Highroad that would be sad, if only because then we really have nothing at all left to hope in / believe in.

Sad faces because I do not take pleasure in another person's misery, and yes I do believe that the powers that be in cycling are just as much or more so to blame for doping than the individual athletes that take them. And, no I do not believe Garmin and Highroad are any cleaner than anyone else.

And as an aside.. those who are swinging the sledgehammer down on Rebellin and his Classics performances while doped.. I would remind you that certain other riders did beat him, and if Rebellin doped and rode to his final position(s) across the line, then that narrows it down about the winners now doesn't it?

Are you talking about Di Luca?

I know some say he's doped to the gills, but I thought you were a fan.

Just askin'.

No I am talking about the 2009 Classics not older editions, and in specific.. Andy Schleck.. One cannot apply logic that he doesn't dope yet beat a doper.. that simply doesn't compute..

and for the record, I will not be baited into discussing Di Luca's past that he served his suspension for and has been put in the past.. I didn't discuss it in 2007-2008, and I won't be doing it now.

It is impossible to taking the UCI and its talk of Cycling's "fight against doping" seriously, when top riders again and again get exposed as dopers as soon as they compete outside of the UCI's carefully monitored programs. CERA is supposed to be easy to detect - yet despite having the "best anti-doping program in sports", the only time riders have been caught using this very detectable drug has been in controls by the AFLD and WADA (IOC).

hmmm.

Would that we, and by we I mean others here, could apply that logic to someone who has been accused, investigated extensively, and conclusively passed every doping test and inquiry he has been subjected to?
No?
Right, didnt think so.

No I am talking about the 2009 Classics not older editions, and in specific.. Andy Schleck.. One cannot apply logic that he doesn't dope yet beat a doper.. that simply doesn't compute..

and for the record, I will not be baited into discussing Di Luca's past that he served his suspension for and has been put in the past.. I didn't discuss it in 2007-2008, and I won't be doing it now.

hmmm.

Would that we, and by we I mean others here, could apply that logic to someone who has been accused, investigated extensively, and conclusively passed every doping test and inquiry he has been subjected to?
No?
Right, didnt think so.

Except for those 6 samples with EPO in them, course. Bit of a sticking point.

AM spying some interesting double standards on this thread already with regard to Tin Tin.

...

And yet, this forum has systematically now hung, drawn and quartered Rebellin. What happened to all those tales of innocent until proven guilty? It's disgusting that this should come out before the B-sample is tested etc

And, yes, I do not doubt that he is guilty. But then I would usually assume that someone is guilty from the A-sample, and have never protested otherwise

AM spying some interesting double standards on this thread already with regard to Tin Tin.

...

And yet, this forum has systematically now hung, drawn and quartered Rebellin. What happened to all those tales of innocent until proven guilty? It's disgusting that this should come out before the B-sample is tested etc

And, yes, I do not doubt that he is guilty. But then I would usually assume that someone is guilty from the A-sample, and have never protested otherwise

Double standards? Oh, come now, Rakish One.

Tin-Tin isn't American; he isn't even a boy reporter. He has an ugly face and an uglier wheelsucking style, and he doesn't speak English as his mother tongue. Johnny Foreigners like Kashechkin and Sella (and Cancellara and Schleck and that horrible man who stole my boy's mountain stage/classic win/insert here) are guilty even before they test positive, or even if they never do. Why even bother with the A-sample? Once they've been popped, that's it.

There's a difference, though, between suspecting someone doped and then calling them out once the A-sample comes out. For some, it's a surprise; for others, confirmation. And for still others, that passport is like a magic wand or Jedi mind trick. These aren't the blood samples you're looking for.

Rebellin was video-taped dosing himself up. And he got away with it. There are very few other riders who could pull that kind of stunt off, and fewer still who would have defenders once a blood test shows they've doped. I, for one, am not unhappy he's been busted. I hope I would be consistent were it another rider.

Hope the finger isn't pointed in my direction, Rake!

Also, why is it only Rebellin's name that has been publicised? What about the rest?

While it seems obvious to me that he was doped to the gills, I don't believe CERA would be a sprinter's drug of choice.

Not to take away from your proper sentiment, the bolded text is not true strictly speaking - Sella was the UCI's catch.