27 November 2005

Roberto Heras Busted!



Oh no... there's that old familiar sinking feeling, again...

--ryan


Heras Facing Lengthy Suspension
Tour of Spain champion Roberto Heras faces a two-year ban from cycling after a Spanish laboratory confirmed he used the banned blood-boosting drug EPO.

Heras, 31, had insisted he was innocent after an initial sample taken at this year's Vuelta tested positive.

But EPO has also been found in the Spaniard's second 'B' sample.

"I want to reiterate that I've never taken any doping substance, not in the Vuelta or any other race," said Heras.

Heras's Liberty Seguros team issued a statement saying he would be sacked as soon as they received notice of the positive test from world cycling's governing body the UCI.

A four-time winner of his home tour, Heras will be stripped of his 2005 Tour victory, with runner-up Denis Menchov declared the winner.

After all that has occurred I'm convinced that the method is faulty - there are examples of previous mistakes
Roberto Heras

Earlier this week he argued there had been a laboratory mix-up and that the testing process was flawed.

"It would have been madness to have committed a doping offence," said Heras. "It would have been incomprehensible and absurd.

"After all that has occurred I'm convinced that the method is faulty - there are examples of previous mistakes."

The positive result of Heras further undermines the reputation of a sport that has been badly tarnished by drugs scandals in recent years.

Both Italy's Marco Pantani and France's Richard Virenque have had their careers destroyed, while Lance Armstrong has been dogged by doping allegations.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/4471264.stm

Published: 2005/11/25 16:32:21 GMT

© BBC MMV




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