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Lance Armstrong will not allow the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) to retest six urine samples taken from his first Tour de France victory in 1999.
Pierre Bordry, president of AFLD, had offered the seven times Tour de France champion the chance to counter allegations of blood doping with a new analysis of the samples taken from the 1999 Tour. With Armstrong set to make a comeback in 2009 after three years away from the peloton, Bordry felt such a move would give the seven-time Tour winner "a chance to confirm that he never cheated in his brilliant career".
But Armstrong will not agree to the AFLD's request, insisting the matter has already been dealt with.
"He is not interested in discussing again results from samples taken in 1999," Mark Higgins, Armstrong's media spokesman, told L’Équipe, the French daily sports newspaper. "I will refer the AFLD or whoever will ask the questions on this subject to the Vrijman report."
The report in question was published by Emile Vrijman, a Dutch lawyer, in 2006. It cleared Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour and accused anti-doping authorities of misconduct in dealing with the American. His urine samples from the 1999 Tour are frozen in a drug-testing laboratory just outside Paris.
Shortly after Armstrong retired from racing in July 2005, L’Équipe alleged that traces of EPO, the artificial blood booster, had been identified in samples taken from him in 1999 and subsequently tested in 2005 once a new EPO test had been validated. The allegations brought widespread condemnation of Armstrong in France, with Jean-Marie Leblanc, the Tour director at the time, speaking of a “betrayal” by the Texan.
Armstrong has always denied allegations of doping and has never tested positive.
When announcing his return to racing last month, he said: “We’re going to be completely transparent and open. This is for the world to see.”
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These samples are almost 10 years old. Who knows what has happened to them in that time?
The french should move on. Or they shoudlreview the long history of mishandling of samples.
I don't trust them either.
mal, Perth, Australia
if he doesnt trust the french why doesnt he get the british or the swiss to do it? we dont care about road racing and are the most fair country in the world, and the swiss are famous (infamous?) for their impartiallity)
its not proof of guilt, but it doesnt look good does it
will, grimsby, uk
I'm not suprised he's reluctant to let them retest the samples, I wouldn't put it past the French authorities to tamper with them. Lance was the most tested athlete on Tour, he proved he was clean time and again, the French just can't accept he won and kept winning.
Doug Bates, St. Albans,
Also I love the way the testing procedures are fine for people like Vino and ricco. But when it's Lance or Floyd, they were obviously framed. The procedures are suddenly flawed, bla, bla, bla. This reminds me of Basso saying in 06 that DNA tests were not reliable! Funnily enough he was found guilty!
Karol, Kerry, Ireland
If he has nothing to hide what does he have to lose in a re-test on these samples?
What happened to the 'full transparency' pledge he made last week?
Andy, London, UK
Armstrong won the tour SEVEN times without failing one test. How many more tests does he need to take before the world will let it rest?
Phil, Atlanta, USA
Armstrong's refusal to co-operate with the AFLD merely serves to heighten suspicions that allegations of cheating have a sound basis in reality.
simon shirley, edinburgh, scotland
I appreciate that he would be pandering to the authorities but why not just agree to the retest? What a great way to clear your name, enhance your integrity, gain sympathy, receive grovelling apologies and deflect any more such attention.
Strange...
Alan, Houston,
Good for Lance. First, samples were already tested and cleared in '05. Second, sample quality decays over extended time, and so do reliability of test results. P. Bodry is another Frenchman intent on wrestling the Tour de France away from an American achievement. How cynical of that organisation
C Bozner, London,
Lance hasn't 'rejected a fresh chance to dispel doubts'. He has rejected the pointless retesting of samples that are completely unreliable and were improperly handled in the lab.
Speedy, Manchester, England
Lance Armstrong won seven (SEVEN) Tours de France, at a time when all his major opponents (some of whom were incredibly strong naturally) had more drugs in their blood than the entire city of Glasgow. Credibility can only be strained so much.
Thomas, Birmingham, UK