7 Positive tests from Beijing, cyclists implicated
The IOC announced yesterday that seven positive results had been returned by retroactive tests carried out on samples from last summer's Olympic games.
948 samples were retested for CERA (the new form of EPO that Stefan Schumacher and Bernhard Kohl tested positive for at last year's Tour de France) and Insulin at the Paris and Lausanne laboratories, using the same test used at the 2008 Tour.
Seven adverse analytical findings were reported, concerning six athletes.
"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 vast majority of athletes do not seek an unfair advantage. We intend to do all we can to ensure that they have a fair environment for competition."
Although the IOC have refused to comment further, the Associated Press have reported that two of the six athletes were medalists, one of which was a cyclist, the other a gold medalist from track and field.
Italian sports paper Gazzetta Dello Sport went further, saying Davide Rebellin was one of the athletes returning a positive test. Last week's winner of Fleche Wallonne won a silver medal in the Olympic road race. Since then the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) confirmed they had been advised that Rebellin had returned a positive test.
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Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.
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