Former UCI boss denies Armstrong cover-up
Source: Agencies |
May 24, 2011, Tuesday
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FORMER international cycling chief Hein Verbruggen has denied allegations that the governing body covered up a suspicious drug test result by Lance Armstrong at the 2001 Tour de Suisse.
Verbruggen, who was the International Cycling Union president at the time, said that "there has never, ever been a cover-up" of Armstrong's doping controls.
Armstrong's former teammate Tyler Hamilton alleged on TV's "60 Minutes" on Sunday that cycling's world governing body had helped the seven-times Tour de France winner cover up a positive drugs test.
Hamilton said that Armstrong had told him he tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin) during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland but escaped punishment after the International Cycling Union (UCI) intervened on his behalf.
Armstrong has always insisted he has never failed a dope test and Hamilton's comments drew an immediate rebuke from Armstrong's lawyer.
A source at the Swiss-based UCI said that "no positive test from the 2001-03 period involves Lance Armstrong. And the possibility of a cover-up is zero."
The UCI last year denied having covered up a positive test from Armstrong during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland after the Texan's former teammate Floyd Landis made similar allegations.
"I know he's had a positive test before," Hamilton said. "He told me. He was so relaxed about it and he kind of said it off the cuff and laughed it off.
"People took care of it. I don't know all the exact details but I know that Lance's people and the people from the other side, the governing body of the sport, figured out a way to make it go away."
Armstrong's lawyer, Mark Fabiani released a statement refuting the claims made against him.
"Throughout this entire process, CBS has demonstrated a serious lack of journalistic fairness and has elevated sensationalism over responsibility," Fabiani said.
"CBS chose to rely on dubious sources while completely ignoring Lance's nearly 500 clean tests and the hundreds of former teammates and competitors who would have spoken about his work ethic and talent."
Hamilton confessed to cheating himself and painted a sordid picture of a doping culture in the sport.
Excerpts of the interview were released last week and Hamilton handed back the gold medal he won at the Athens Olympics following his own admission.
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