A dope (dunce) and doping were found in the Tour de France again. A positive test for EPO blood doping was revealed for cyclist Manuel Beltran, the Spanish rider for team Liquigas. His first A-test revealed EPO blood booster from the first stage race on July 5th. The French Anti Doping Agency arrested Manual Beltran and led him away.

 

Liquigas immediately dismissed the rider from their team. Beltran now faces the verification of the positive A test by testing a B sample. Confirmation and conviction of using banned substances in the Tour de France could lead to a prison term and large fines.

This is the first publicly released positive dope test in the 2008 bicycle race of 21 stages held over 3 weeks and covering 2100 miles. The 95 years of the event has been plagued in the last decade by performance enhancing drugs, a code of silence in their use, and several investigations.

A 2006 raid on a Spanish doctor’s premises opened up a wide spread network of cyclists using blood boosters and stored blood for transfusions. Professional cyclists race organizers orchestrated a crackdown on drug use after turning a blind eye to it for many years. More stringent testing and penalties have started to have some effect.

French newspaper, L’Equipe, claimed five other riders had returned abnormal blood levels with Italian Ricardon Ricco, winner of Thursday’s sixth stage, among them. Rocco’s levels could have occurred naturally and the AFLD reported Friday that around 20 cyclists had returned borderline results.

Manuel Beltran is the fourth former teammate of seven-time Tour winner American Lance Armstrong to fail a drug test. The 2006 winner Floyd Landis was stripped of his yellow jersey title after testing positive for steroids and failing multiple appeals, while another American Tyler Hamilton and Spain’s Roberta Heras also tested positive. Ivan Basso was banned from racing for 2 years before the beginning of last year’s Tour de France.

Beltran, at 37 years of age, was nearing the end of his professional cycling career. Without much future in racing he took a huge and foolish risk by taking drugs in the current highly controlled conditions. Not only did he ruin his own reputation, he let down the Liquigas team and all his fellow riders, sponsors and sports fans.

Riccardo Ricco was detained by police and booed by spectators before today's 12th stage of the Tour de France cycling grand tour. Ricco makes the third bust of riders involved with the performance enhancer EPO, cycling's drug of choice. Ricco

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