Johan A Marais Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Australian Tour de France stage winner Stuart O`Grady has admitted using the banned blood-booster EPO before the notorious 1998 race. O`Grady, who announced his retirement this week after helping his GreenEdge team to a team time trial victory in this year`s Tour, became in 1998 only the second Australian to wear the race leader`s famous yellow jersey. "Leading into the Tour I made a decision," the 39-year-old told the Adelaide newspaper The Advertiser in an interview. "I sourced it (EPO) myself, there was no one else involved, it didn`t involve the team in any way. I just had to drive over the border and buy it at any pharmacy." O`Grady, a former track cyclist who won medals at three Olympics, including gold at the 2004 Athens Games, took the first of his four career Tour stage wins that year in a race that was overshadowed by the Festina doping scandal. Festina were kicked off the race after a medical team member was arrested at the French border and customs officers seized banned substances, including EPO. The newspaper said O`Grady had been named in a French Senate inquiry into sports doping which looked at the 1998 Tour and found the top three finishers, Italian Marco Pantani, Germany`s Jan Ullrich and American Bobby Julich, were taking EPO. "The hardest part of all this is I did it for two weeks before the Tour de France," added O`Grady who was riding for French team GAN at the time. "I used extremely cautious amounts because I`d heard a lot of horror stories and did the absolute minimum of what I hoped would get me through. "When the Festina Affair happened, I smashed it, got rid of it and that was the last I ever touched it." Edited July 25, 2013 by The Commuter
Cippo Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Wonder if OGE still going to keep him on as a technical advisor. Is he not there sprint coach?
TiBones Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Hey Cippo, did you see broom wagon's tweet - @The Broom Wagon Hey Mario, how do you spell your surname again? Cippo... or C e p p o....? No offense and no foul. Just loved the tweet so soon after the "breaking news" Cippo 1
SwissVan Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Like I've said a zillion times before No doper admits to doping without being caught out first Edited July 25, 2013 by SwissVan TALUS, nickc, Danger Dassie and 2 others 5
Daideron Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 @Swissvan, never a more true word has been spoken! Very true. Pardon my ignorance but has the list been made public?
SwissVan Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 @Swissvan, never a more true word has been spoken! Very true. Pardon my ignorance but has the list been made public? I've only seen the names that are listed in the popular cycling media, not sure if there are more names on the original French senate list tho... Here's the cycling news.com list http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/french-senate-releases-positive-epo-cases-from-1998-tour-de-france Daideron 1
Gerhardc Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 This is especially bad for O'Grady, reading articles about what he had to say about cheaters in cycling.....knowing well that he cheated himself!!! When icons fall.......they fall hard!!! .......and it just shows again....nobody's perfect!! Nobody! http://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/942974/olympians-back-brit-ban-for-life-on-dopers/
fandacious Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Like I've said a zillion times before No doper admits to doping without being caught out first latrinus emmer admitted to doping and he hasnt been caught.
GrumpyOldGuy Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 I've only seen the names that are listed in the popular cycling media, not sure if there are more names on the original French senate list tho... Here's the cycling news.com list http://www.cyclingne...-tour-de-france I had to sort of chuckle at this comment below the story, rings true though. "And Please, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him."lease, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him.lease, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him. Danger Dassie 1
SwissVan Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 latrinus emmer admitted to doping and he hasnt been caught. Yeah sure there will be guys who admit to it but most will only do so long after the time.My reference was to dopers who are still actively competing and making a living from doing so. I had to sort of chuckle at this comment below the story, rings true though. "And Please, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him."lease, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him.lease, when you start questioning trainers, you must include Chris Carmichael and his CTS. I mean seriously, how could he not know those guys were on EPO and recovery steroids when you look at the amount of anaerobic threshold work that guys has in his programs. He was riding LA coattails to the top and he should disappear with him. Yeah makes you think.I believe CC did distance himself from LA after awhile, but without making it obvious more like just went their separate ways.
nickc Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Eish.....who next....Jensie? Then I will loose all faith in cycling !!
gummibear Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 Funny thing is that I had a chat with Stuart just before the tour about doping and dopers.
jcza Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 If I understand this correctly O'Grady kinda confessed but if you look at the report his test came in at 61.3% well below the 85% threshold. It is still suspicious but not positive. His second test came back negative. I also recall reading that Jens' test was missing. I'm sure he was in the polka dot jersey in 1998. Will try find the article.
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